MSI Press Blog

  Following up on previous posts about the Animal Friends Shelter, we wish we could say good things are happening -- and donations do come in, that is good -- but the circumstances become more and more dire for this Gaza shelter, with one of the two shelter volunteers/staff/managers developing hepatitis (typical right now in Gaza but medical facilities are mostly blown up) and food markets and warehouses being blown up, too. Still, some food can be found; it is just becoming very, very expensive and the shelter dependent upon donations, for which they are very grateful. Praying that enough people will help for now and that complete relief will come soon. If you wish to donate directly to the shelter, it is also possible -- and safe. I have done it twice, and each time the funds were received right away. The link to donate is  PayPal.Me . The funds go directly to Sameer. If you are a cat lover, please do take the time to read the posts at the  Animal Friends Shelter  ...

  Graphic from Animal Friends Shelter/Twitter Today, we make another plea not to forget the animal caught in the devastation that is going on in Gaza. These cat shelters are desperate for food and medical supplies. Housing is marginal, and sometimes populations have to be moved because of bombing. The people who care for them, sometimes at risk to their family and sometimes at the cost of being separated from family, are brave souls who deserve prayers and financial help. Our plea is: if you can help (even a few dollars added to many others giving a few dollars add up), please do. If you cannot help, please spread the word on your social media platforms (and anywhere else you can). The stories are not being covered by the media in ways that would bring attention to the dire plight of the animals forgotten in war (any war, really). See our cats in war series of posts. For more Caturday posts, click  HERE . Sign up for the MSI Press LLC monthly newsletter (recent releases, sale...

  Today's Caturday post is the next in the series of cats in war and shares Bored Panda's article on  The Shocking Reality Of Animals In War Zones: How We Are Helping Animal Shelters In Gaza-Israel War . Read other posts about  cats in war zones . Read other  Caturday  posts. Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter Follow  MSI Press  on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .   Interested in publishing with MSI Press LLC? Check out information on  how to submit a proposal . Planning on self-publishing and don't know where to start? Our  author au pair  services will mentor you through the process. Interested in receiving a free copy of this or any MSI Press LLC book  in exchange for  reviewing  a current or forthcoming MSI Press LLC book? Contact editor@msipress.com. Want an  author-signed copy  of this book? Purchase the book at 25% discount (use coupon code FF25) and concurrently send a wr...

Usually, I do not post on the same topic two Caturdays in a row, but this one is urgent. As you can see, the cats (like the humans) in Gaza have run out of food. Not only is it scarce, but what is available is extremely expensive.  The Animal Friends Shelter right now is experiencing discouragement and yet, this week, had a bit of good news. The family of Samir Skaik (one of the two brothers who operate the shelter) has made it into Egypt. Hurrah! Thanks to donations from kind-hearted cat-loving people from around the world.  Tamer has left the shelter in Gaza City (the north) and is waiting with his family in Rafah (the south) to get across the border, but the situation is dire, with an invasion of Rafah expected at any minute. They are still trying to gather the money they need to be able to evacuate from Gaza in time. Should those of you reading this Caturday post wish to donate, it is pretty easy to do here though Go Fund Me . Just $5 will help, and there are $5 contribut...

  sons, Zain and Zayed, helping to care for the cats This is an update on the dire straits of the Animal Friends Shelter in Gaza. With 57 cats (and growing, because of the kindness of the brothers who operate the shelter toward street cats, that they try to take in or otherwise feed on the street -- or, better stated, share their own food with) and war all around, even resilient people lose their strength without the help of friends and strangers.  Brothers Tamer and Samer Skaik stayed behind in Gaza City to care for the cats and move them to safety (if there really is any such thing there) when the city was repeatedly bombed. As food has become more and more scarce, they have been reduced to one meal, mostly bread, which they share with the cats. (Note: for those who have not read the papers, the aid trucks from Israel and elsewhere are being hijacked, assumedly by Hamas soldiers, and the people of Gaza have to pay high prices, which many do not have, on the black market or h...

    photo from Animal Friends Shelter As most people know, the situation in Gaza is beyond-belief-horrible for both people and animals. When hunger and devastation strike, the animals are more often than not forgotten and left to survive a while with fear until they die of starvation. They are the often forgotten victims of wars, whether in the Middle East, Ukraine, or Africa.  Here is an update on the situation with the Animal Friends Shelter in northern Gaza, that has appeared in Caturday columns in the past (along with other shelters in Gaza, shelters in Israel, and animal rescue efforts in other parts of the world). For more posts about these situations, see our columns on " Cats in War ." Lack of food and hunger has become unsustainable for the families of the two brothers, Tameer and Samir, who operate the shelter. Thanks to donors, one of the families has begun the process of emigration. The other family still needs a few more donations. So do Tameer and Samir who ...

  We were happy to see an update today from Animal Friends Shelter in Gaza -- where two brothers and their families have been saving and protecting cats in Gaza. A tough time and truly amazing that they can keep the cats in such good shape, especially when they have had to move them to a safer place. See the update (with video) here . Short and worth watching. See more posts about Animal Friends Shelter here . Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .   Interested in publishing with MSI Press LLC? Check out information on  how to submit a proposal . Planning on self-publishing and don't know where to start? Our  author au pair  services will mentor you through the process. Interested in receiving a free copy of this or any MSI Press LLC book  in exchange for  reviewing  a current or forthcoming MSI Press LLC book? Contact editor@msipress.com. Want an  author-signed cop...