KCFD receives pet oxygen mask donation

I am so happy to hear that the Kansas City Fire Department received a donation of pet size oxygen masks. The mask comes in a kit with three sizes to fit more snugly on a dog or cats face. These kits make it easier to provide oxygen for pets during an emergency as human masks don't generally fit very well.

To read the full story about the donation follow this link:

http://www.kshb.com/lifestyle/pets/kansas-city-fire-department-will-start-using-pet-oxygen-masks-tuesday

The donation to KCFD was made by Blue Springs resident Sheila Turner. The Invisible Fence Company helped facilitate Turner's donation. The Invisible Fence Company to date has donated 10,000 pet masks to fire departments nationwide. To learn more about Invisible Fence Company's Project Breathe program click here. 

Nationwide, 40,000 pets dies in house fires each year. Pets also start around 1,000 fires each year by accidentally knocking over candles or accidentally turning on stoves by knocking into dials according to the National Fire Association. For more information about fire safely read my blog post from earlier this month. There are some great tips on there!  

Even though I was saved with a human size oxygen mask I am so glad to hear pet size masks are getting on more and more fire department trucks! Thank you to Sheila and others who have donated pet size oxygen masks to help save pets lives! 

Tearful Tuesday

Mom has leaky eyes this week. She lost a friend to suicide a few days ago and it's been hard to cope. It was a sudden loss (aren't all suicides?). This one is tough as this person is the last person you thought would end his own life. He was a firefighter, a father, a friend to many. He posted inspirational quotes and songs on Facebook and even talked a few people out of attempting suicide. He contacted mom after our first fire to ask if we needed anything and were ok. He picked up the phone. Who does that these days? We are so involved in technology and particularly social media we often don't pick up the phone anymore or have face to face conversations. Mom will always remember that he picked up the phone to find out how we were doing. Don't get me wrong, all the Facebook, twitter and blog luv was great but sometimes you need to hear a voice, see someone in person, get a hug. It's no secret mom has struggled since our 2 fires. She has experienced nightmares and some depression as a result. It's tough to ask for help, especially when you don't know how people are going to respond. Mom has lost a few friends because of her struggles and that makes me sad. Friends are supposed to be there for each other - especially in times of need. Us kitties are there for each other. We can be there for our humans too! I'm not much of a lap kitty since the fires. Something has changed in me but I still like to sit next to mom and purr to let her know I luv her. Sisfur Mia isn't a lap kitty really either but she does something really cool, she hugs mom! Yep, that's right, she will climb up on to mom's lap, crawl up real close to her face then wrap her paws around her neck and HUG her. It is the darndest thing to see! Yep... just like in this picture!  You can't see the paws around mom's neck but they are there!

And it's the reason why mom adopted Mia last year. See... mom volunteers at Wayside Waifs and likes to work with the shy kitties to help them get adopted. Mia was one of those shy kitties. When mom opened the kennel door Mia came right to the front of the kennel and put her paws on mom's chest then reached up to hug her. Mom couldn't believe it! She never had a kitty hug her like that before. She knew right then that Mia had chosen her as her new adopted family. That's how Mia came to be my sisfur. Oh Mia's a pain in the rump all right. She chases me around, plays with my toys and eats my food but when she hugs mom... well that's priceless!

Anipals take care of your humans! Whether it's a hug, a hop in the lap for a nap or just sitting next to your human so they can hear you purr.. let them know you luv them especially when you sense they are hurting. A little luv can go a long way to help each other!

Luv,

CJ 

Lazy Sunday

It's lazy Sunday around here and you know what that means! Well for us kitties it's just another day...

Look at sisfur Mia being really lazy hiding under the blankie. 

At least she's showing her best side! He he...

Happy Lazy Sunday pals!

One Word Wednesday

And that word would be... No! Mia wants so bad to play with CJ but CJ doesn't want to play. Poor Mia...

Mancat Monday

Yawn........ or is he making fun of me because I have to go to work today and a cat never has that problem?

Returning to his nap... such a lazy boy.

Wordless Wednesday

Pet Fire Safety Day

Do you know what today is??? It's Pet Fire Safety Day! And if you know my story, you know how important fire safety is to me!

According to the NFPA an estimated 500,000 pets are affected annually by home fires and nearly 1,000 home fires are accidentally caused by the homeowners' pets!

Here are some tips to help protect your fur-kid from accidentally starting fires and to keep everyone safe in the event of a fire:

Prevent your pet from starting fires:

• Extinguish open flames - Pets are generally curious and will investigate cooking appliances, candles, or even a fire in your fireplace. Ensure your pet is not left unattended around an open flame and make sure to thoroughly extinguish any open flame before leaving your home.
• Remove stove knobs - Be sure to remove stove knobs or protect them with covers before leaving the house. According to the National Fire Protection Association, a stove or cook top is the number one piece of equipment involved in your pet starting a fire.
• Invest in flameless candles - These candles contain a light bulb rather than an open flame, and take the danger out of your pet knocking over a candle. Cats are notorious for starting fires when their tails turn over lit candles.
• Beware of water bowls on wooden decks - Do not leave a glass water bowl for your pet outside on a wooden deck. The sun’s rays when filtered through the glass and water can actually heat up and ignite the wooden deck beneath it. Choose stainless steel or ceramic bowls instead.

Keep your pets safe

• Keep Pets Near Entrances When Away From Home - Keep collars on pets and leashes at the ready in case firefighters need to rescue your pet. When leaving pets home alone, keep them in areas or rooms near entrances where firefighters can easily find them.
• Secure Young Pets - Especially with young puppies, keep them confined away from potential fire-starting hazards when you are away from home such as in crates or behind baby gates in secure areas.
• Since Pets Left Along Can't Escape a Burning Home - Consider using monitored smoke detectors which are connected to a monitoring center so emergency responders can be contacted when you’re not home. These systems provide an added layer of protection beyond battery-operated smoke alarms.
• Affix a Pet Alert Window Cling - Write down the number of pets inside your house and attach the static cling to a front window. This critical information saves rescuers time when locating your pets. Make sure to update the number of pets listed.

Other things to consider: 

Do you have a pet emergency kit?  If you don’t, the ASPCA has recommendations here that can help you work through the process of selecting one.

Do you have a fire escape plan? If you don't, the Red Cross has some tips to help you develop your plan. Click here to learn more.

And last but not least do you know you can provide CPR to your fur-kids if necessary? Click here to learn the basic steps to performing CPR on your pet. Mom will always be grateful to the neighbor who found me in the parking lot on the night of our devastating fire and performed life saving CPR on me. You can learn to provide CPR and First Aid on your pets too! Click here to find a class.

I hope you found the above information helpful! In closing, here is a pic of me a day after the fire and me now. As you can see I have a made a full recovery. 

Recovery from fire is possible! Take care pals!

Silly girl!

Mia likes to hide under the blanket. Who does she think she's hiding from really? We CAN see you silly girl!

Mia 2014