Remember Me Thursday #SundaySelfie

This Thursday, September 26, 2024, animal lovers from around the globe are joining together to spread awareness about the millions of pets waiting for their forever home. 

Join us as we #ShineALight on pet adoption this Remember Me Thursday®.

Shine a light on orphan pets waiting for forever homes

And here is today's Sunday Selfie in three versions.

We are joining The Cat On My Head for Sunday Selfies.

Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week #WhiskersWednesday

As a rescue pet adopted back in 2011 from Wood Green, The Animals Charity  I always do my best to advocate for animal adoption.

I was a cute 10-week-old kitten when I got adopted, by Mum Marie and it's a fact that kittens do get adopted quicker than older cats. 

So as it's Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week Mum and I would like to help those that unfortunately have a hard time getting adopted. It's very sad that some animals just get left behind in shelters while others come and go.

If you live in the UK then CatChat.org, which is now celebrating 20 years of helping cats find their forever homes, is currently running the campaign "Twenty for 2020" to help the most overlooked cats get adopted.

For those on the other side of the pond please check out PETFINDER  and ASPCA and NYC Urgent Cats on Facebook

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We are raising awareness and donations with our ADOPT DON'T SHOP design available only from our Redbubble store. ALL proceeds will be donated to Wood Green, The Animals Charity and The Greek Cat Welfare Society.

We are joining Comedy Plus

We are joining Dash Kitten, Bionic Basil and Barking From The Bayou
for

We are also joining Waiting Wednesday, which is hosted by

Five Sibes

Athena Cat Goddess is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Helping Animals with Animal Rescue Live

Animal Rescue Live 2019

All this week on Channel 4 in the UK there is a one-hour live programme all about animal adoption and rescue. 

Animal Rescue Live Supervet Special is raising awareness for the country’s animal rescue shelters and the pawmazing work that they do. Broadcast at 8pm, Mon-Fri this week (12th - 16th August), the show will encourage viewers to help in every way they can, either by donating, adopting, volunteering or educating the public about animal adoption and what adopting a rescue animal entails. 

Each year around 250,000 pets end up in rescue shelters around the UK and centres are constantly in need of more support. Animal Rescue Live is a campaign bringing the nation together to fix the problem; by donating money, volunteering and, for those who can, adopting a rescue animal." - https://animalrescuelive.channel4.com/

Left to right: Presenters Noel Fitzpatrick, Kate Quilton and Steve Jones surrounded by lovely dogs
 (Photo: Channel 4)

This is the second series of Animal Rescue Live and this year the show is based at  Raystede Centre for Animal Welfare, East Sussex. The first series in 2017, which we wrote about on this blog, was based at Newcastle Dog & Cat Shelter and was also presented by Professor Noel Fitzpatrick (Supervet), Steve Jones, Kate Quilton.

We've been tuning in and loving it. We are also very grateful to the team behind this show because animals need a voice. 

We want more TV like this! 

It's been great following the hashtag #aimalrescuelive and seeing how the kind-hearted animal-loving people have come together to help this cause by sharing and retweeting, many sharing their own rescue pet stories and pics of their dear rescue pets. Of course Mum had to share a photo of me. I mean, why wouldn't she? Ours is a beautiful story of rescue and we also wanted to mention the wonderful Wood Green, The Animal Charity who made it possible for us to find each other.



   Here it is on Mum's Twitter after Monday's episode:

#animalrescuelive Here’s my beautiful rescue cat @AthenaWiseKitty adopted from @Wood_Green in 2011 #AdoptDontShop #rescuecatsrock pic.twitter.com/JNBh9ekudg

— Marie Symeou (@MarieSymeou) August 12, 2019

Find out more about #AnimalRescueLive here 

To donate* £5, £10 or £20 text FIVE, TEN or TWENTY to 70810.

* 1 std rate message. UK residents 16 only, please ask bill payer’s permission. Read Terms and Conditions here

We are participating in the Comedy Plus Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop, The Pet Parade hosted by Dash Kitten, Barking from the Bayou and Basil's Blog

Amazon Associates Disclosure Athena Cat Goddess is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Sunday Selfie & Remember Me Thursday

Be a part of the Remember Me Thursday® awareness movement

Shining the light on orphan pets waiting for forever homes

On September 28, 2017, we shall be joining other animal lovers and animal advocates across the globe to help raise awareness for pet adoption. All those involved will be using social media to promote "the beauty and life-saving significance of pet adoption". In this way, we are speaking out for those animals that ran out of time in shelters and encouraging people to adopt rather than shop for a pet.  

Regular readers and furriends will know my rescue story and how I came to be adopted by the most awesome pawsome human mum, but it's heartbreakingly sad to know that thousands of orphaned pets will never get the chance to experience such a beautiful life.

The horrifying truth is that some will die waiting 😿

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

On Thursday, September 28, get everyone you know on social media to talk about pet adoption and remember those whose hope ran out. Share rescue pets and photos of your own rescue pets on social media to highlight the beauty of pet adoption.

Tag your own rescue pet's photo on Twitter and Instagram with #RememberTheRescue and #RememberMeThursday or upload your rescue pet’s photo for a chance to win life-saving funds and food for a pet adoption organization you love.

More ways to help can be found HERE

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As usual, we are joining The Cat on my Head's Sunday Selfies blog hop.

Adopt a Pet #CharityTuesday #WorldAnimalDay

As a rescue kitty I want to help other rescue pets find their forever home, so each week on Charity Tuesday I will be sharing adoptable cats from Wood Green, the Animals Charity (which is where I was rescued). We are so grateful to this amazing charity because without them we would never have found each other! It's also one of the main charities we support.

Tigger is a beautiful, confident lady who adores her food so unfortunately she will need to be on a strict diet. She enjoys snuggling up on your lap and is a loyal companion. This lovable girl is at the London Centre (where I was looked after until Mum came for me). Click here to find out more about her 

As many of you animal lovers know, today is World Animal Day.

Mum has written more about it on Purrs Full of Love 

We are celebrating with a selfie to help raise awareness for all animals in need. 

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For more cats waiting to be rehomed at Wood Green click HERE 

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All proceeds from this bag and mug will be donated to animals in need.

Athena Adopt Don't Shop Bag by CatGoddessDesigns
Create personalised canvas tote bags at zazzle.co.uk

Rescue Cats Rock Coffee Mug by CatGoddessDesigns
Customize mugs online at Zazzle.

Disclosure: We are not affiliated with the charities mentioned in this post in any way.  We  just want to give something back by helping animals in need. This post does however contain some affiliate links. This means if you click on the link to purchase any of the above items, I will receive an affiliate commission. Read full disclosure policy here.

There are many Wood Green pets looking for forever homes on my Mum's Pinterest Pet Rescue board, as well as other urgent homeless pets from different parts of the world.

Remember Me Thursday #CharityTuesday

Be a Part of the Remember Me Thursday® Awareness Movement

From the Remember Me Thursday® website

Remember Me Thursday® is a global awareness campaign uniting individuals and pet adoption organizations around the world as an unstoppable, integrated voice advocating for orphan pets to live in forever homes, not die waiting for them. 

On September 22, 2016, let’s get the entire world talking about pet adoption, so the world can shine a light on all orphan pets waiting in shelters and rescues right now. 

Each year, over 3.4 million orphan shelter pets lose their lives without finding their forever home. (Source HSUS)  

Orphan pets should live in forever homes, not die waiting for them. Get everyone you know on social media to talk about pet adoption on Thursday, September 22, 2016, so the world can shine a light on all orphan pets waiting in shelters and rescues right now. 

This year, you could win life-saving funds or food for a rescue or shelter of your choice! Submit a photo and share the importance of orphan pets on the #RememberTheRescue Photo Wall to be entered into the challenge!

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Check out my Mum's Pinterest Pet Rescue board for animals needing homes

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All proceeds from this bag and mug will be donated to animals in need.

Athena Adopt Don't Shop Bag by CatGoddessDesigns
Create personalised canvas tote bags at zazzle.co.uk

Rescue Cats Rock Coffee Mug by CatGoddessDesigns
Customize mugs online at Zazzle.

Disclosure: We are not affiliated with the charities mentioned in this post in any way.  We  just want to give something back by helping animals in need. This post does however contain some Zazzle affiliate links. This means if you click on the link to purchase any of the above items from my store, I will receive an affiliate commission. Read full disclosure policy here.

Adopt Don't Shop #CharityTuesday

HAPPY CHARITY TUESDAY!

As a rescue kitty I want to help other rescue cats find their forever home, so we are continuing our new weekly feature for Charity Tuesday, sharing adoptable cats from Wood Green, the Animal Charity (which is where I was rescued). We are so grateful to this amazing charity because without them we would never have found each other! It's also one of the main charities we support. 

Today we are sharing a video of Tibby. She''s a very sweet lady looking for a relaxing and calm home where she can wander about the garden or have a cat-nap in her favourite spot under or on the radiator. 

Tibby loves being brushed and if you stop before she thinks you should, she''ll meow at you for more. If you are interested in Tibby you can find out more about her HERE




There are many Wood Green cats looking for forever homes on my Mum's Pinterest Pet Rescue board, as well as other homeless pets from different parts of the world.

For more cats waiting to be rehomed at Wood Green click HERE 

***

All proceeds from this bag and mug will be donated to animals in need.

Athena Adopt Don't Shop Bag by CatGoddessDesigns
Create personalised canvas tote bags at zazzle.co.uk

Rescue Cats Rock Coffee Mug by CatGoddessDesigns
Customize mugs online at Zazzle.

Disclosure: We are not affiliated with the charities mentioned in this post in any way.  We  just want to give something back by helping animals in need. This post does however contain some affiliate links. This means if you click on the link to purchase any of the above items, I will receive an affiliate commission. Read full disclosure policy here.

Adopt a Cat #CharityTuesday

As a rescue kitty I want to help other rescue cats get rehomed, so we are continuing our new weekly feature for Charity Tuesday, sharing adoptable cats from Wood Green, the Animal Charity (which is where I was rescued). We are so grateful to this amazing charity because without them, well, we wouldn't be here together! It's also one of the charities we support.

Coco is a confident, friendly cat that came in with her son. She can be extremely affectionate and likes her home comforts. She may prefer a quieter household with older children. Coco is at the London centre (where I stayed before Mum rescued me.) I'm sure she is being well cared for but she really needs a home of her own. Want to find out more about her? Click HERE 

COCO (photo:Wood Green)

TC is a Top Cat! Sweet, easy going and friendly, all he wants is some home comforts. He came to Wood Green after being abandoned by his previous owner. He is quite a playful and lively chap. He also has no teeth but still eats as normal and loves his dinner. This handsome golden oldie is also at the London centre. Click HERE to find out more about him

TC  (photo:Wood Green)

This handsome boy is Diamond. He is fairly new to the centre and is finding it a bit overwhelming at the moment. He would love a quiet home with an understanding owner who will be able to bring him out of his shell and get him back to the playful, snuggly cat he was. He is at the Godmanchester centre. Find out more about him HERE 

DIAMOND  (photo: Wood Green)

For more cats waiting to be rehomed at Wood Green click HERE 

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All proceeds from this bag and book will be donated to animals in need.

Athena Adopt Don't Shop Bag by CatGoddessDesigns
Create personalised canvas tote bags at zazzle.co.uk

Disclaimer: We are not affiliated with the charity mentioned in this post in any way. We just want to help spread the word for animals in need.

Adopt a Cat #charitytuesday

As a rescue kitty I want to help other rescue cats get rehomed, so we are continuing our new weekly feature for Charity Tuesday, sharing adoptable cats from Wood Green, the Animal Charity (which is where I was rescued). We are so grateful to this amazing charity because without them, well, we wouldn't be here together! It's also one of the charities we support.

We are not affiliated with the charity, we just want to help animals and give back. 

First up it's Bowie, with her uniquely coloured eyes. Not much is known about her but she hasn't had the best life as she was brought in as a stray. She is a little nervous to start with but once she gets to know you she is very sweet, fussy and affectionate. If you think you can offer Bowie the forever home she deserves then please click HERE for more information.

BOWIE (photo: Wood Green)

Beautiful Tinkerbelle was brought into the Heydon centre because sadly her owner passed away. She is friendly cat who loves to purr loudly once she gets to know you. She enjoys human company and will follow you around the house watching you do your daily chores and will jump onto your lap. Click HERE for more information.

TINKERBELLE (photo: Wood Green)

Jibbs is quite a worried little girl so she is currently on foster and is to be rehomed from her foster home. A nice understanding human would be best for her to help her settle and relax in her new home. If you think you might be able to offer this lovely lady her "forever" home find out more by clicking HERE 

JIBBS (photo:Wood Green)

For more cats waiting to be rehomed at Wood Green click HERE 

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All proceeds from this bag and book will be donated to animals in need.

Athena Adopt Don't Shop Bag by CatGoddessDesigns
Create personalised canvas tote bags at zazzle.co.uk

Disclaimer: We are not affiliated with the charity mentioned in this post in any way. We just want to help spread the word for animals in need.

Melt Your Heart Monday

Happy Monday! 

Tomorrow is National Black Cat Day. 

Did you know that, on average, it takes a black moggy 13 per cent longer to find their new home than a more colourful cat? That’s one week longer in care, simply because of the colour of their fur!

That's why we are joining The Cats Protection cause to speak up for all the beautiful black cats out there who are seeking their forever homes.

Why not join the Thunderclap cause to help big up black cats too? Click on the widget below.

Adopt a Black Cat

Black cats are indeed beautiful and we are sure the pretty little girl in the video below will melt your heart. Her name is Coco and she is looking for her forever home. She is a little bit shy to start with, but once you've gained this one-year-old kitty's trust she will reward you with lots of purrs and cuddles! Isn't she adorable?
Think Coco might be the cat for you? Find out more about her on the East Surrey Cats Protection website.

Charity Tuesday

As a rescue kitty I want to help other rescue cats get rehomed, so we are starting a new weekly feature for Charity Tuesday in which we share adoptable cats from Wood Green, the Animal Charity (which is where I was rescued). We are so grateful to this amazing charity because without them, well, we wouldn't be here together! It's one of the charities we support.

We are not affiliated with the charity in any way, we just want to help. Mum also does a cat rescue post on Mondays, featuring many other animal charities. You can visit HERE.

First from Wood Green here is Milly, a wonderful cat with a wonderful personality to match. Aged 10, she says she enjoys the quiet life and likes nothing more than to curl up snug in her bed and have a doze. She is a daydreamer, staring out the window a lot and is thoughtful too. For more information, click HERE.

Milly

Next, it's beautiful 9-year-old Tabitha. She says she hasn't had the easiest time at the shelter but is slowly finding her paws again. Though she can be shy when she first meets you, with a little fuss and a few treats she'll soon be your new best friend! A nice quiet home with a garden would suit her fine. Find out more about her HERE

Tabitha

Next it's lovely Belinda, who is also 9. Can be a little wary at first, but once she knows and trusts you she really is an affectionate lap cat that likes to head-butt you for attention. She tells me she enjoys relaxing on the sofa and bird-watching. She is blind in one eye, so any new loving owners will need to be empathetic towards this. If you would like to know more about her click HERE.

Belinda

Check out all the other cats currently awaiting their forever homes at Wood Green 

Remember Me Thursday #LightForPets

In honour of Remember Me Thursday® we thought we'd do a Throwback Thursday post to when I was small and cute, and rescued.

Look what a happy kitty I was, safe in the arms of my new mum. You know, I had such a tough start to life. Looking back, I was so lucky to have been rescued by Wood Green and then adopted by Mum Marie. I am so thankful to have found a wonderful, loving home where I am Mum's NO 1 priority. There is nothing she will not do for me. She tells me that all the time, but she doesn't need to because I know.

But other pets aren't so lucky.

Isn't that so heartbreakingly sad?

That's why today, animal lovers and animal welfare organizations across the
globe are uniting to light a candle for millions of shelter pets that have yet to
find loving forever loving homes. Did you know that many don't make it out
alive?

Horrible. They don't deserve to be treated so terribly. Please remember them today and every day. Don't ignore their plight. And always remember Adopt Don't Shop!

Want to get involved? Visit http://www.animalcenter.org/events/remember-me-thursday/get-involved

Adopt a Cat Month

As an adopted kitty myself, I want to spread the word about pet adoption. 

I want to show you how easy it is to find the cat for you! It's simpler these days because we have the Internet. Most animal charities now have their own websites where you can search for your new furry friend from the comfort of your own home.

That's how Mum found me. She was looking to adopt a cat and had tried her local RSPCA cat shelter but there were no kittens available for rehoming at the time. As she hadn't had a cat for 13 years after her beloved Suzy crossed the Rainbow Bridge, she felt she was finally ready to get another cat, and she wanted a kitten. She would love to adopt many cats but it's not possible right now. Anyway, she felt sad that there were no kittens available at the time, but something told her to try elsewhere. So, a few weeks later, she came across my picture on the Wood Green website, and as you know, the rest is history!

It was love at first sight for both of us, and though Mum rescued me, she always says that I rescued her right back. You can read my story in my book, which I wrote with Mum to raise awareness and funds for homeless cats. 100% of the royalties earned will be donated to 3 of the cat charities we support. In the book itself it states that only some of the royalties will be donated, but Mum decided she would rather just donate the whole lot.

FIND A CAT

As I am from England, I want to show those of you humans who are wanting to rehome a cat in the UK how you can find a cat in your area with the Cats Protection. Just go to http://www.cats.org.uk/find-a-cat and search by postcode.

The Cats Protection is the UK’s leading feline welfare charity in the UK. The charity helps more than 230,000 cats and kittens every year through a network of over 250 volunteer-run branches and 30 adoption centres.

Watch this video to find out more.

 

 Watch on YouTube https://youtu.be/wmufNM3HkuA

You can also search CatChat.org,  an amazing cat rescue resource which lists cat charities and shelters all over the UK. With so many cats listed, you are bound to find the right one for you! A lot of the cats available are from the Cats Protection too.

For those of you in the United States and abroad please check out your local animal shelter.

Many animal shelters are full to bursting, and unfortunately many unwanted cats and other animals are killed because they cannot be rehomed. There are high-kill shelters in some countries where animals never really get a chance to live the life they so deserve. It is such a shame and so heartbreaking to see the sad faces and frightened eyes of all those homeless cats at these 'rescue' shelters. But we are not helping if we ignore their plight. 

Most of you have probably heard of the Urgent Pets on Death Row website, which is dedicated to saving NYC shelter animals. Created in 2010, the charity is an advocate for the thousands of adoptable dogs and cats that are needlessly killed each year by the Animal Care & Control of New York City.

If you are not in the position to adopt right now you can help animals in need in so many other ways, like fostering them or sharing their pictures and stories through social media. You never know, that one single step can change a homeless pet's life for ever.

There are also many animal charities and rehoming shelters around the world. One charity Mum supports is the Greek Cat Welfare Society

Formed in 1992, the Greek Cat Welfare Society's aim is to undertake neutering of colonies of stray cats and in doing so educate and encourage local people to also have their animals neutered.

Those of you that have holidayed in Greece and the Greek Islands will no doubt have noticed the many many abandoned, stray and feral cats. They survive during the tourist season through the kindness of the tourists and holidaymakers who feed them. But come the end of summer, they are sadly forgotten. Some kind locals do take over and help to feed them, but unfortunately there are many cat-hating people that would rather let them starve and even poison them. Awful, isn't it?

So please, help animals in whatever way you can. And if you want to adopt, go ahead. You won't regret it one bit!

Diclaimer: I  am not affiliated with any of the organizations mentioned in this post. Full Disclosure.

Black Cat Appreciation Day

Today is Black Cat Appreciation Day and so we are remembering sweet Suzy, my mum's other soulmate cat, the one she had years before I came along and who sadly is no longer with us but living across the Rainbow Bridge.

You can see another photo of her on my mum's other blog.

Did you know that black cats are the hardest to rehome? For some strange or very stupid reason they take far longer than other cats to find the forever home they too deserve. It happened to me. Well, to my sister Lily, I mean, who I got rescued with. You see, we were abandoned in someone's garden and got rescued by an animal shelter together.I tell our story in my book A Forever Home For Athena, but for those who haven't read it yet (and why not?), let me just say briefly that when my mum came to view me at the shelter (after she had seen my cute little kitten face on the shelter website) she also saw that there was a little black kitten with me in the pen. Now, I was the loudest and the most extrovert and as soon as I saw my mum come through the door I knew I had to go home with her so I pounced onto the pen door and made sure she noticed me. Little Lily was quieter than me, so maybe that's why she didn't get to be adopted too on that day.

It had nothing to do with her being black.

The truth is, and my mum does regret it, Lily wasn't adopted with me because my mum was out of work at the time and couldn't afford to take two cats home with her. She was going through a deep depression, had just lost her dad to liver cancer and was also having to move in with her mum, my granny, after having to leave her own flat due to the fact that she'd been tormented by some really nasty neighbours from hell. My poor mum's nerves were shattered. And she longed for a cat. Suzy had been gone since 1998 and Mum wanted a cat to love. It took a long time to convince Granny to allow just one cat in the house. In defence of Granny, she does love me to bits now (who wouldn't) but she was afraid of any cat destroying the house (and she was right, because my mum says I have destroyed the house as I've ripped the wallpaper to shreds,)

Anyway, back to Lily. I do get sad about her. And Mum does too. We only hope that she got adopted pretty quickly after me and is now living happily in her forever home with a perfect family.

One day my mum would love to be able to adopt more cats. She even wants to open her own cat rehoming shelter.

Here are some links to find your purrfect black feline friend:

CatChat.org

ASPCA

For the Love of Black Cats  (Facebook Page)

My Gotcha Day!

It's been three years since I was adopted from Wood Green, the Animal Charity. Mum can't believe it as it seems like only yesterday when she brought me home.

This is where it all began. I had another name (which my Mum has kept as my middle name). Interesting thing is, Sophie is another Greek name and means wisdom, as is Athena, Goddess of Wisdom. So, that makes me an extra wise kitty!

Mum took this from her computer using her phone after she reserved me at the shelter, so sorry for bad quality.

Here we are together, just a few days after we rescued each other. I know you've probably seen it before, but for the benefit of new readers, here it is again (I know, I was so tiny and cute!)

Athena and Marie

Look how cute I was!

My Book Trailer!

Purrs Full of Love : Meow Monday Rescue

Thought I'd share my mum's Rescue post from her PURRS FULL OF LOVE blog. I really hope it's not too late for these kitties.

Purring for them...
Athena xx

Purrs Full of Love : Meow Monday Rescue: Look at the sadness in their eyes. This should not be happening. I hope there is someone out there that can rescue these sweet cats and gi...

Remember Me Thursday

I know I was so lucky getting rescued by my mum two years ago when I was a little ten-week-old kitten. But unfortunately some animals are not so lucky.

Did you know over 3.4 million orphan shelter pets lose their lives without finding their forever home each year? Let's honor the ones that lost their lives by shining a light on the orphans waiting for a home today.

Light a candle on Remember Me Thursday, September 26, 2013, at www.remembermethursday.org to spread awareness about the importance of pet adoption.

Be a #LightForPets!

Read more about Light For Pets on my mum's blog.