"There's no need for a piece of sculpture in a home that has a cat." from the Monastery of Poor Clares in Brenham, Texas.   — Wesley Bates

I love to go to this website, www.monasteryminiaturehorses.com, because the sisters raise miniature horses and have beautiful pictures of them. Since last Sunday was The Feast of St. Francis, the patron saint of animals, I thought I'd just put in a quote from Sister Bernadette, one of the nuns who lives at the monastery.

"I just think that He's [God] given us responsibility, and He's made it not only a responsibility, but a pleasure. We've got tiny baby chicks, some bunnies, and the donkey, and a deer, and an emu. I could spend all day just watching them as I go about feeding and giving them water and hay and things like that...to just sit there and enjoy them. I think how they are giving glory to God just by being themselves."

* * * This is from my Yahoo news site.

"Seventh grade students at Edwards Middle School work on guinea-pig heart during their science class Thursday, June 18, 2009, in the Charlestown neighborhood of Boston."

I know students need to learn all the sciences, but we have many alternatives to using animals nowadays, so the fact that this school would use guinea pig hearts is wrong to me — especially when many kids have guinea pigs as pets. I have always had trouble with that same aspect of 4-H clubs. The 4-H is a wonderful organization in many respects, but the raising of an animal to be later sent to market is strange to me. I understand if the child is going to be a farmer who raises animals for that purpose, but the animals are not usually a single creature, lovingly cared for by a child. How about waiting until an agricultural college or until he or she actually works on a farm as a young adult to teach them the horrors of going to market?

* * * A friend of mine needs a home for a lovely, adult, neutered grey male cat. He was left at her farm and she just cannot really keep anymore cats. Her phone number is: 744-6557.

I received an email about two labs who need a new home, because the family is moving overseas. It sounded legitimate, but in the story they said that they had to go in two weeks and someone just told me that they received the same email in June. The people never say where they live either, so I am not going to include this. I cannot imagine what the scam could be if it is one. Maybe it is a rescue trying to get people to adopt dogs and use urgency as a gimmick? Bulletin... I have just been informed that it is a total hoax. But why?

* * * Have you seen the new show, Rescue Ink? Five big biker guys with lots of tattoos go around in a van and respond to cruelty charges on Long Island. It is on the National Geographic Channel on Friday nights at 10 p.m. I love it! These tough guys are such marshmallows when it comes to helping animals and the people who just don't know what to do. Their best line, in a Long Island accent is: "We're just here for the dawg."

* * * I took Foley cat to Walker Valley Vet Clinic last Thursday. I was so worried that he would be uncontrollable, but no, the boy was a sweetheart. I guess he felt happy with Drs. Kate and Alice tending to him. He is definitely a neutered male about three years old. So that means someone lost him or dumped him. I found no lost ads for him and he has been out since February. Whoever the coward was, not to take him to a shelter, should be ashamed. Just by chance he came to my house. What if I hadn't looked out the door that evening? He could have starved.

* * * Finally, the residents of Kerhonkson where the stray cats are need to each agree to take the kittens to the shelters and to each pay for a spay or neuter. If they all do their part instead of complaining, the population will be reasonable.