MSI Press Blog

  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 have nothi

  Like all cats, Manis (Sweetie) likes her chin rubbed. [with Betty Lou Leaver, Managing Editor, MSI Press] There is something special about cats. They appear and suddenly "own" things and people -- and the people go along with it quite well. Recently arrived in Bandung, Indonesia, one of the first members of the "staff" of the institute where I am doing sone consulting/training work that I met was "Sweetie" or Manis in Bahasa. She comes to classes and sits at the front among the students. (And, though technically feral, she allows handling, true to her name.)  For more Caturday posts, click 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

I am sure our sweet Snyezhka (RIP) was in pain a lot from her multiple cancers, but she almost never showed it. Only when she ran frantically around the room as it to run away from her pain was it clear that she was hurting. Otherwise, she would snuggle for hours -- and I think that was also a way in which she was trying to make herself comfortable.  I recently found these two posts that might have been helpful at the time. They will certainly be helpful for our other cats in the future. How to Tell If a Cat Is in Pain: 8 Signs (msn.com) How to Comfort a Cat in Pain: 10 Tips (msn.com) For more Caturday posts, click  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 o

    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 are

  Murjan at the pet hospital, scouting out the area As an owner of older cats , I am aware that all kinds of things can happen with them, just like all kinds of things happen with people. In addition to various illness and cancers, our oldest cat, Simone , has gone blind . We are learning how to help her and manage her environment to make it more manageable for her. Older cats, I have learned recently (though not through personal experience) can also develop dementia. I found this article quite helpful (should any of our cats start showing symptoms): Cat Dementia: Signs, Causes and Treatment Options (msn.com) For more Caturday posts, click  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

  Having lost three cats to cancer and living with two that are cancer survivors, there are two things I can say: each case is different, and in each case I suspected something was wrong before the vet did (after all, I live with the cats). Recently, Great Pet Care ran a very helpful article that can help cat owners be attentive to potential cancer:  Signs of Cancer in Cats: Symptoms to Watch For (msn.com) . For more posts on cat cancer, click HERE . For more Caturday posts, click  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.

  Just around the corner is the Lenten season in the Catholic Church -- and our author Sula has just the book for you: Easter at the Mission. With the help of the deacon at Old Mission San Juan Bautista, Sula explores Catholic traditions and dogma, including some not well known even by long-time Catholics from Ash Wednesday to Easter. Watch the trailer. Read reviews. For more posts about Sula and her books, click HERE . Purchase the paperback at discount from the  MSI Press webstore . Use Coupon Code FF25 for 25% off. 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?

  Bobolink, our FIV kitty, has developed the wiles of a strong-willed old man at a nursing home. No matter how I give him his daily pills, I find them later under beds, near the litter box, or, all too frequently, on my bedspread. Pill pockets don’t work. Pill popper does not work. Mixing the pill with treats does not work. So, I stick it in his mouth with my hand. He pretends he has swallowed it, looking at me with big honest (uh, dishonest) eyes and prepped for his morning bowl of food, which he eats assiduously, as if all is normal. Then, when I move away and he thinks I am not looking, he spits the pill out in a forceful arc which lands it in any kind of unanticipated place. Our other cats are much better at swallowing their pills, but we are still looking for a solution for Bobolink. Wondering what other owners of willful cats find successful... For more Caturday posts, click  HERE . Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagra

  This is the seventh of a series of Caturday posts about cats trapped in war zones. Cats are not political (nor are dogs or any other animal for that matter--nor, generally, the people caring for them, nor this post). In peace and where people watch out for them, cats enjoy being loved and learn to return love. Yet, cats (and other animals) do get find themselves struggling in war zones. They, just like people who have done nothing to bring harm to anyone else but just happen to live there, suffer the consequences of evil descending unexpectedly from sources external to them. Like people, cats and other animals suffer when they are homeless and without food or winter. And they are often completely forgotten when war (or natural disaster, for that matter -- they drown in floods and burn in fires) breaks out. Like people, they have to dodge bullets, bombs, and other dangers. Unlike people, they are often not calculated into humanitarian outreach efforts. (Ditto for dogs and other animal

  And now, the fifth post in the series of Caturday posts about cats trapped in war zones. Cats are not political (nor are dogs or any other animal for that matter--nor, generally, the people caring for them, nor this post). In peace and where people watch out for them, cats enjoy being loved and learn to return love. Yet, cats (and other animals) do get find themselves struggling in war zones. They, just like people who have done nothing to bring harm to anyone else but just happen to live there, suffer the consequences of evil descending unexpectedly from sources external to them. Like people, cats and other animals suffer when they are homeless and without food or winter. And they are often completely forgotten when war (or natural disaster, for that matter -- they drown in floods and burn in fires) breaks out. Like people, they have to dodge bullets, bombs, and other dangers. Unlike people, they are often not calculated into humanitarian outreach efforts Let the Animals Live  shelt

  photo from Animal Friends Shelter Recently, the Network for Animals put up a video on  Facebook  that details the plight of animals caught in war zones. In our cats in war series, we are looking at specific shelters and their owners and trying to find ways to help them -- hoping that some readers will be able to step and help, at the very least. In several previous posts, we have identified rescuers and shelters in Gasa that are in desperate straits. With a truce in effect (a very short one), they can go out and replenish the supplies (brought in through humanitarian aid work) for their cats and dogs (and, in some cases, other animals. In some cases, they have had to hold their populations to less than subsistence levels, which made for some pretty grumpy cats.  Here are links to shelters who could use some quick turnaround help. Even small amount help -- they can be put together with other small amounts to really make a difference. Animal Friends Shelter; donation info HERE . More p

  And now, the third post in the series of Caturday posts about cats trapped in war zones. Cats are not political (nor are dogs or any other animal for that matter--nor, generally, the people caring for them, nor this post). In peace and where people watch out for them, cats enjoy being loved and learn to return love. Yet, cats (and other animals) do get find themselves struggling in war zones. They, just like people who have done nothing to bring harm to anyone else but just happen to live there, suffer the consequences of evil descending unexpectedly from sources external to them. Like people, cats and other animals suffer when they are homeless and without food or winter. And they are often completely forgotten when war (or natural disaster, for that matter -- they drown in floods and burn in fires) breaks out. Like people, they have to dodge bullets, bombs, and other dangers. Unlike people, they are often not calculated into humanitarian outreach efforts Sulala Animal Rescue , loca

  Finally, the second post in the series of Caturday posts about cats trapped in war zones. Cats are not political (nor are dogs or any other animal for that matter--nor, generally, the people caring for them, nor this post). In peace and where people watch out for them, cats enjoy being loved and learn to return love. Yet, cats (and other animals) do get find themselves struggling in war zones. They, just like people who have done nothing to bring harm to anyone else but just happen to live there, suffer the consequences of evil descending unexpectedly from sources external to them. Like people, cats and other animals suffer when they are homeless and without food or winter. And they are often completely forgotten when war (or natural disaster, for that matter -- they drown in floods and burn in fires) breaks out. Like people, they have to dodge bullets, bombs, and other dangers. Unlike people, they are often not calculated into humanitarian outreach efforts In this post, we share the

  Happy Cat Day! Please check out excerpts from and posts about our cat books. Click HERE . And then, check out our cat books at our webstore . Like any of them? Take 40% off any of them with the coupon code AD40. 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 . 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 written request to orders@msipress.com. 

    photo from Animal Friends Shelter Two weeks ago, our Caturday post focused on the  plight of animals and their caregivers in war zones .  It focused as the first in a planned series on Animal Friends Shelter in Gaza City.  Animal Friends Shelter Last Saturday, we updated the information available from Tamir and Samir, two selfless cat godparents weathering the war in Gaza City (and, of course, beyond).  This Caturday, we can report that we last heard from AFS yesterday. We know from the news reports that the Internet is not functioning in Gaza right now, but we hope and pray that AFS is able t continue caring for its family of cats, who, yesterday, were squabbling a bit over rationed food.   Animal Friends Shelter is on Twitter:  Animal Friends Shelter (@AnimalFriendsAF) / X (twitter.com) And for those who wish to donate (AFS is a charity) to help -- PayPal.Me . Now, with an invasion going on and the Internet is down, donations may take a while to get through and supplies may not b