Lil BUB Stars in InstaKitty 3D

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I don't know of anyone who hasn't fallen in love with Lil BUB, one of the major cat stars of the internet. I first "met" Lil BUB in one of her videos and fell in love just like everyone else. This little cutie was the runt of a feral litter in a tool shed in real Indiana. She was taken in as a rescue when it was clear she would require special care.

Lil BUB and her very best friend (and personal servant), owner Mike Bridavsky, have created something of a kitty empire with a Billboard topping album, a book, hosting her own TV show and raising over $300,000 for charity. You'd think that with all of that there was nothing left to accomplish, but you'd be wrong.

Lil BUB and Mike have teamed up with indie game developer and Lucas Arts veterans, HappyGiant, to create a wonderfully realistic 3D virtual Lil BUB. Now her fans can play, feed and care for their own virtual Lil BUB with the App called InstaKitty 3D, available for iOS and Android.

InstaKitty 3D is a proud supporter of Lil BUB's Big Fund for the ASPCA, and as with all official BUB products, a percentage of all BUB sales will go to her fund.

I'll admit that I was concerned about precisely where the money would go to the ASPCA, possibly to be funneled into salaries and office expenses, or would it really go to help the animals? Call me jaded but I had to ask the question before deciding if I would bring this to my readers.

Mike, who also serves as Lil BUB's spokesperson, said he "had the same sentiment when entering into an agreement with the ASPCA. The only way I would agree to partner with them is if 100% of the funds raised by me for the Fund went directly to shelters around the country to help with their special needs pets, and to accomplish this it took almost a year of contractual and legal negotiations. So, yes, absolutely 100% of the money raised goes to the FUND, and when the FUND reaches a specific amount of money, the ASPCA Grants Department announces that applications are being accepted, and then they go through all of the submissions, and the money is awarded to shelters chosen by the Grants Department. To date, the FUND has administered $200,000 in funding to over a hundred shelters around the country."

That, Dear Readers, is why I agreed to write about the new App, but I cannot conceive of why it took almost an entire year to reach the agreement. Why wasn't the ASPCA jumping on this immediately with the money raised going directly to the FUND? They say they are about animals and this was a golden opportunity to put money where it was most needed. But those questions are rhetorical. I want to help Lil BUB and Mike raise more funds to help local shelters help local cats and dogs around the country.

"While I do have a document detailing the specifics of our agreement, that's confidential information and can't be shared," Mike adds. The 2015 Annual Report is still being assembled but should be finished, available and announced this month.

HappyGiant's team worked closely with Lil BUB and Mike to ensure that every aspect of Lil BUB was completely accurate. Her adorable personality has been recreated with real BUB sounds, mannerisms and idiosyncrasies. You will be able to have your own virtual Lil BUB to play with anytime!

"The team at HappyGiant did an incredible job," said Mike. "BUB and I worked very closely with their team and animators to ensure that all of her unique movements and mannerisms were accurately recreated. As the Number One Expert on BUB I have to say that I was stunned with the results. It's as close to the real BUB as you can get."

Here's the Trailer for the App so you can see for yourself:



The game features many customized Bub items. What a fun way to help raise money for special needs shelter pets around the country!

Here are the links to download the App:

iOS - https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/instakitty-3d-virtual-cat/id962039537?mt=8

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.happygiant.instakitty3d&hl=en

NOTE:  I was not paid for this blog post. I received a link to the App so I could see it for myself. 

Morris "Paws It Forward" - You Can, too!

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Morris is Hard at Work on His Website

We visited with Morris the Cat a few months ago when he showed us how cats and their humans could Live Well and Prospurr. Morris' website is well worth a visit. Morris is back with a new project. This time, for the holiday season, he is "Pawing It Forward." You and your kitty can help him do exactly that.

Cats enjoy their food but many cats aren't as lucky as ours, or Morris. They don't have enough food, or any food at all. Cats who have made it as far as a shelter have to eat until their forever human comes along and adopts them. Morris, who enjoys a good meal as much as the next cat, is sharing his dining tips and even better, donating food to shelter kitties via the ASPCA.  

Morris the Star Relaxing in front of his bag and cans of 9Lives

Morris has starred in over fifty 9Lives Cat Food commercials. The orange tabby has gone from shelter to star and he wants to paw it forward. Since today, Tuesday December 1st, is Giving Tuesday it's the perfect day to kick off Morris' new campaign. If you belong to Twitter you're set to go, if not, this is a great excuse to join!  Just tag your tweets #MorrisFeeds and Morris will donate a bowl of yummy food to the ASPCA. 

Morris, every the clever kitty and entrepreneur, has created a video in which he tells you exactly what his new project is about and how you can help donate food and it won't cost you a penny.




Enjoy the video and help Morris Paw It Forward during the holiday season. There's no better time to start than now!

NOTE: Morris sent Aimee a box of 9 Lives. Since her Mama (yours truly) is an ethical journalist, Aimee and I donated the box of food to a local cat shelter. We were happy to do so.

Pet-Related Charities

Photo Courtesy of Claire Clayton

In today's economy, every penny counts. Sadly, so many people have not been able to keep their pets because they can't afford to feed their family and the four-legged family member is the one who loses his home to a shelter or, less frequently, to a rescue group.  If they have purchased their pet from a reputable breeder, then the breeder takes the pet back.  It's usually in their contract. No matter the age of the pet at the time, it goes back to the breeder who will either rehome it or keep it.  But what about the shelters?  We know.  They're often overcrowded and they are mostly kill shelters.  There is no new home, just death and overworked volunteers.

There are also people who have a few dollars to spare and want to know which animal related charity is  the "best"place for their hard-earned dollars.  Many are sucked in by expensive television commercials that are sometimes infomercials, produced to tug at the heartstrings and open the wallets of those who can often least afford it, who are on a fixed income but the pictures of sad dogs and kitties calls to them to do something.  

While it's wonderful to donate when you can, where you donate is another matter.  You can look online at sites that monitor charities to see where the money goes but if you do a little reading you can find much more has been exposed in print. For example, did you know that HSUS (Humane Society of The United States) doesn't have shelters? They are mainly a lobbying group and their employees are well paid and have benefits packages we would all enjoy.  ASPCA recently released a video to convince people not to buy a puppy in a pet shop. That's something we can all agree with but the video contains a small child with a dog and nowhere in the video does it show an adult supervising the child with the dog. The child was quite awkward around the dog as one would expect. Before the age of 7 children don't understand that they can inflict pain and must not only be taught "gentle" from the first dog-child interaction but must be supervised very carefully. A bite can happen in a second. If the child inadvertently poke or prods the dog and causes pain, the dog has no choice but to clamp down in pain, the child is bitten and the parents usually get rid of the dog. Others allow their children to maul the dog  or cat and claim the pet is so good with the child. But it's a two-way street. The child has to be good with the pet and it's up to the parents to monitor that. So the ASPCA spent heaven only knows how much money producing a video that is, in my mind, irresponsible because they didn't show an adult supervising the interaction.  When I asked about it I was told they would put a disclaimer at the end of the video.  I have yet to see that. And it's too little, too late. Do I really want to give my money to a large organization with a big staff who produces an irresponsible public service video?  Aren't they supposed to know?  They have behavior people on staff. Weren't they consulted? Then there's PETA who not only have just one shelter but have been documented as killing perfectly healthy young pets. Why?  I guess because they could. They are an Animal Rights group, NOT Animal Welfare and there is a difference.  They also get a lot of money in donations as do HSUS and ASPCA. And there are other big groups as well who have a lot of money.  A little surfing around Google will help you find articles on every organization, along with some facts and figures that might surprise you.

Rescue Vinny owned by Mary Slaney

Where should YOUR money go?  The best donation you can make is to your LOCAL shelter or humane group or rescue group.  If it's small, independent and local, they need help!  They are short on staff and long on needs.  They rely on donations and volunteers. If you can't give money, or can't donate your time, then consider donating paper towels, pet food, toys, and ask them what they can use. There are many ways to help but you and the animals are better served at a grass roots level.  And your donation will be appreciated. It won't go to publicity, or big salaries, or benefits packages.  It will go to help the animals and isn't that the point?  



Please do what you can to help, whatever it is. Anything you can do at the Grass Roots level will be appreciated.  And when those tearjerker commercials come on the TV, change the channel before you find yourself writing a check to a group that already has enough money.  Where do you think those "gifts" are coming from when you donate?  You are paying for that tee shirt, magazine subscription, etc. And that wasn't really what you wanted when you wrote that check. You just wanted to help the dogs and cats, puppies and kittens.  And you really can do that.  In this case it's think locally and act locally.

Two Winners!

It's been a busy day. I've spent the day going over contest entries and have had a very difficult time making a decision - who will win the ASPCA gift pack in conjunction with their Adoption Event? The field was narrowed down to two entries but there can only be one winner.  Keep reading.  It will be announced at the end of this post. 

First we need to talk about this week's Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, the annual event that dazzles dog lovers. Out of a field of seven really wonderful dogs, it was the Toy Group Winner, the little Affenpinscher, Banana Joe, who dazzled the judge. And so, Joe ends his career with the coveted Best in Show at Westminster and will go back to The Netherlands in happy retirement from the show ring.

For the very first time at Westminster, a Reserve Best In Show was chosen. The first dog to earn this honor is from the Herding Group, the Old English Sheepdog, Bugaboo's Picture Perfect.

Now, for the winner of the ASPCA's Meet Your Match gift pack.  It came down to a older Border Terrier who had been a Therapy Dog and a young Flatcoat Retriever whose owner wants to pay it forward if her dog wins by donating to the behavior fund at the American Kennel Club's Canine Health Foundation. Their sponsored research will benefit all dogs, mixed breed or purebred. It's thought that behavior issues are responsible for more dog deaths than any one disease. Why?  Because owners give up on their dogs and put them into shelters. Therapy Dog?  Behavior Research?  Equally important. Each dog their family's own personal Valentine so the families win no matter who gets the gift pack. What to do. What to do...  

Keeping dogs out of shelters, resolving behavior issues is very much in keeping with the Meet Your Match Shelter Adoption Theme of the contest even though neither dog was adopted. Therefore, the gift pack from the ASPCA goes to The Schejtman Family and their Flatcoat Retriever, Karma.

Thanks to everyone who entered and to the ASPCA for sponsoring this wonderful Valentine event to raise awareness about shelter adoptions and for their gift pack to our lucky winner!

"Meet Your Match" Pet for Valentine's Day

Everyone needs someone to love who will love them in return. For so many of us, love walks into our lives and straight into our hearts on four furry feet. For those of you who are thinking of added a companion to your life, The ASPCA has a neat new event just in time for Valentine's Day; a live-streamed Dating Show called, "Meet Your Match."  

Here's how it works:

Presenting some of the most eligible pets who want to find their forever homes, the event will begin at 6 p.m., February 12th, EST at http://www.ustream.tv/aspca and will feature an ASPCA behavior person who will serve as the "Relationship Expert" answering viewers' questions about their pets. Viewers can vote for their favorite most adoptable pet on ASPCA's Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/aspca).

In conjunction with the live-stream Dating Show, there will be a live Twitter party. (Here's a link to tell you how to join a Twitter party in case you're not familiar with it: http://blog.aspca.org/content/how-heck-do-i-join-twitter-party) The hashtag for the Twitter Party will be: #PuppyLove which sums it up pretty nicely.  To add to the fun, the Twitter Party will feature quizzes about legendary animal/human couples.  The Twitter Party is intended to spread adoption awareness which is always a good thing.

The ASPCA is doing something extra nice for my readers for Valentine's Day in conjunction with this wonderful event; they will send one lucky winner a super Gift Pack consisting of:

A Pugs and Roses Tee from David & Goliath
A Valentine's Day Heart Collar
ASPCA Tote
ASPCA Orange T-Shirt
Walker's Shortbread Cookies
ASPCA Orange wristband
ASPCA Magnet

That's quite a windfall for any pet owner! To enter the contest, send me a message via my website: http://www.darlenearden.com and tell me why you want to win. I'll select a winner on February 13th so hurry and get your entries in!

If you want to add a pet to your life be sure you have the time to spend with your companion and that includes positive training and daily exercise. Also be sure that you can afford food, regular veterinary check-ups and put aside a little extra every week in a special account in case there's an emergency later on.  

Valentine's Day is a great time to think about sharing love and giving a shelter pet a new leash on life.

 Note:  I am not a paid spokesperson for the ASPCA. They are providing the gift pack to one winner. I am helping spread the word about this wonderful event in the hope that at least one shelter pet will get a forever home because someone somewhere was inspired by reading this.