CAT Tracks for September 16, 2009 "KITTIES DON'T LISTEN..."

Some headlines just reach and grab me...

This one was obvious...a reaffirmation of the CAT Job Description.

It's no accident that RCA chose a dog for their "His Master's Voice" logo...

It's a shame that Cairo Superintendent of Schools Leotis D. Swopes is so closed minded...publicly bragging that he doesn't read "rags" like CAT Tracks.

There's actually somebody "out there" who shares his sentiment...a person who would probably nod in agreement as he bemoaned the recalcitrant nature his CATs.

However, just as well...

The purrfect moment wouldn't last...Leotis would bristle at such comments as "They're so...cute" and would especially draw the line at "I love them."

Kitties don't listen; pup does better

BY BECKY MALKOVICH, THE SOUTHERN

MARION - Maybe it was an attention problem or maybe it was a comprehension problem, but for whatever reason, Katie Jackson said, "The kitties just didn't listen."

Listen, that is, during Read to the Puppy night Tuesday at Marion Carnegie Library.

Jackson, 7 of Marion, found a more captive audience in Sweet Pea, a terrier mix who seemed to hang on Jackson's every word.

"She's a way better listener," Jackson said after reading "Poor Puppy" to Sweet Pea.

Five kittens and two puppies from the Marion Regional Humane Society visited the library for the event, part of the library's weeklong Destination Book Fair that ends Saturday, Donna Halleran, of the library's children's services, said.

"Kids love animals and this event gives them a chance to find out more about dogs and cats who don't have homes," she said.

Educating children and their parents about homeless animals was the primary reason the animals made the trip to downtown Marion, Bruce Carter said.

Carter, a member of the humane society's board, said the event helped raise awareness about unwanted animals and ways people can assist in limiting those increasing numbers.

"We talk to the children and their parents about being responsible, controlling unwanted population and treating the animals humanely," Carter said.

Spaying and neutering animals is the most effective method of controlling the population, he said.

"For instance, one unspayed female cat can be responsible for the birth of 73,000 kittens in six years," he said.

Carter said the shelter has about 230 cats and 45 dogs available for adoption, including the animals at the event.

Zaria Collins, 8 of Marion, said she enjoyed the chorus of meows and wagging tails that accompanied the night's literary recitations.

"They're so little and cute," she said. "I love them."