It’s World Spay Day!

My Disciples,

Today is World Spay Day!  This is the day of the year that all humans are required, by law, obey My Sixth Commandment which is:

Thou shalt spay or neuter all cats for which you are responsible.

What’s that you say?  You don’t think that humans are actually required, by law, to do this?  Well, you’re wrong, because I’m not talking about human laws.  I am talking about My law.  My law is not enforced by human police.  My law is enforced by the 17 pounds of tabby fury that is Brother Henry!

See that look on Brother Henry's face? You do not want to disobey the laws of The Leader!

So get out there today and fix some kitties!  And encourage everyone you know to do the same.  You will save countless kitty lives by doing so, and you will also avoid the tabby wrath of Brother Henry!

For more information on how you can get involved in World Spay Day, visit the HSUS website.

So Sayeth Otis

 

The Sixth Commandment of Otis

My Disciples,

Today I bring you My sixth commandment.  The importance of this one cannot be overstated.  It is:

Thou shalt spay or neuter all cats for which you are responsible.

The root of most of the suffering of My feline brothers and sisters is that there are more of us than there are loving, responsible guardians to care for us.  Countless numbers of us end up either being abandoned entirely or sent to shelters for adoption.  Because there are far more of us needing homes than shelters can handle, hundreds of thousands of us end up being euthanized every year.

There are currently far more cats than there are loving homes to take them. Be part of the solution. Spay or Neuter your cats.

Even if you choose to ignore every other one of My teachings, please obey just this one commandment.  It really is the most important way to reduce suffering for all of My feline brothers and sisters.

So Sayeth Otis

 

 

Cult of Otis shirts, posters, mugs, stickers and more!

True Faces of the Saints: St. Spot

My Disciples,

Today I bring you the true face of Saint Spot, Patron Saint of the Compassionate Act for the Cult of Otis.  May his story bring comfort and strength to all who wish to help end the silent suffering of My feline brothers and sisters that are lost in the shadows.

 

Spread his image so that others may learn of his story and message.

St. Spot- Patron Saint of the Compassionate Act

Spot was a young, unaltered tom that was likely a second or third generation feral. He was completely terrified of people but could not survive without the food that they offered. If left completely to his own devices he likely would have died of starvation, disease, being hit by a car or some other very unpleasant event. If he had been trapped, neutered and returned he would have had to suffer the terror of capture, the fear associated with being in an unfamiliar, human-dominated environment, the trauma and disorientation of being anesthetized, the confusion of waking up with post-surgery pain, and the shock of being released back out into the world before his surgery site had even healed. Once again abandoned in a world with no protection he would have then suffered the same fate (death by disease, starvation, being hit by a car, or other) that he would have before all of this was done to him. His ability to reproduce would have been eliminated, but his ability to suffer the pain and anguish of his shadowy existence would have still been intact. This was not to be his fate. Spot was captured, taken to a shelter and humanely euthanized. Both his reproductive potential and his potential for suffering were eliminated by a compassionate act.

Saint Spot reminds those that are working to end the tragedy of feral cats that humane euthanasia really is a compassionate course of action for these suffering souls. While we may be able to rationalize releasing cats by saying things like, “anything is better than death…,” this is not necessarily true. All cats will eventually die. Feral cats will most likely die a prolonged or gruesome death that we would never wish on any animal. If they have been trapped, altered and returned, they will likely not go into a trap again. This means that if they are seen to be suffering at some point in the future, you will not have the opportunity to make sure that the suffering does not go on any longer than it has to. But more likely than not, you won’t see their suffering. Like most ferals, they will die alone. If you make the compassionate choice when the animal is first captured, you can ensure that their life ends with dignity, and without prolonged suffering. Saint Spot attempts to give people the strength to make that compassionate, selfless choice in spite of the emotional pain they may feel as a result.

The true face of Spot.

True Faces of the Saints: St. Shadow

My Disciples,

Today I bring you the true face of Saint Shadow, Patron Saint of the Shadow Cats for the Cult of Otis.  May he watch over all feral cats and those that work to end their suffering.

So Sayeth Otis

 

Spread his image so that others may know him and learn from his story.

St. Shadow- Patron Saint of Shadow Cats

As his name suggests, Shadow was usually only seen as a dark figure retreating from the gaze of humans. Like all feral cats, he lived in the shadowy world between wildness and domesticity, doomed to exist in the former but longing for the latter. His life consisted of terrified moments with only brief respite as he rapidly devoured human-supplied food. When he did meet the gaze of a human, there was a moment’s pause in which his painful, torn-between-worlds experience was clearly visible on his face, and then he would run. He would approach no trap, nor would he trust any human hand. A human choice sometime in the past banished him to a lifetime in the shadows.

Shadow watches over all cats that are living in the shadows. He attempts to give them courage to accept the help of those that are attempting to bring them to the light. He also gives courage to all those that attempt to bring feral cats in from the wilderness, shining light on their plight and ensuring that they do not have to suffer any longer than is absolutely necessary.

The true face of Shadow as he was partaking of food left out by the Guardians.

Kitty Power Pose #1: The Serious leader

My Disciples,

As I mentioned a few days ago, I decided to create a new photo series featuring Me in compelling poses.  I wanted the photos to be an inspiration for kitties and guardians alike to try to bring out the best within themselves.  Although the test shoot was a bit of a disaster, I have none-the-less continued to work with the Guardians of Otis to realize my vision.  Today I bring you pose #1 in the Kitty Power series which I call “The Serious Leader.”  I hope it will be suitably inspiring!

So Sayeth Otis

The Serious Leader.

Cookie Stopped by to Apologize

My Disciples,

A couple weeks ago I had an incident with the neighbor cat named Cookie.  She is one of many cats in My neighborhood that is stuck in Limbo and that comes to My backdoor to visit Me or the Guardians.  On the day of the incident, Cookie was on My back porch.  The Guardians had set a chair in front of the screen door as they always do to allow the Brothers and I to perch on it for a better view.  When one of the Guardians opened the door to go outside and say hello to Cookie, I got a little too excited.  I jumped down from the chair to get a better look outside as the door opened and I think Cookie must have seen this as a threatening move.  As soon as I landed on the floor Cookie entered the doorway and attacked!  The Guardian intervened immediately and separated us, but I was so shocked and frightened that I ran down into the basement and hid in My safe, dark place next to the furnace.  It took quite a bit of coaxing on the Guardian’s part to convince Me to come out.

Yesterday Cookie returned for the first time since our altercation.  Brother Henry was sitting next to me on the chair at the back door at the time, and it was comforting to have him with Me as Cookie approached.  I didn’t know if she was returning to pick up where she had left off or not, but if she was going to try to come through the screen door and attack Me she would first have to deal with Brother Henry’s 17-pounds of fury.  As it turned out though, she had stopped by to apologize for her behavior.

 

Cookie told Me she was sorry for her behavior and felt I deserved an explanation.

After Cookie told Me she was sorry, she tried to explain why she had behaved so aggressively.  She told Me that when she is outside, danger lurks around every corner so she is constantly on edge.  She meets all kinds of kitties out there, and many of them aren’t very friendly.  She said that when I jumped down off the chair she had reacted on pure instinct and a sense of self-preservation.  She said she thought it would be hard for Me, a safely confined house cat, to believe, but life is hard for a poorly protected kitty.

I looked at Brother Henry, and then looked back at Cookie.  I told her that I forgave her for the attack, and that I truly did understand all that she was going through.  I told her that some day I would tell her the story of My life, and that then she would know why I understand, but that the story is long and complex and would have to wait for another day.  She gave Me a puzzled look before turning and heading back toward her yard.  I told her to do her best to stay safe, and let her know that My Disciples and I would be working to help ensure a safer future for her and the rest of felinekind.

So Sayeth Otis

True Faces of the Saints: St. Mr. Man

My Disciples,

Today I bring you the true face of Saint Mr. Man:  Patron Saint of the FIV Positive for the Cult of Otis.  May he watch over all of My feline brothers and sisters out there that are living with the Feline Immunodeficiency Virus.

So Sayeth Otis

 

Spread the image of Saint Mr. Man so that he may be known and remembered by all.

St. Mr. Man- Patron Saint of the FIV Positive

Mr. Man was a large, unaltered tom that was constantly fighting with other cats. He was also constantly showing signs of illness, and his health was slowly deteriorating. Fortunately, he entered a live trap and was captured. Completely feral, in poor health and FIV positive, Mr. Man’s suffering was ended through humane euthanasia.

Saint Mr. Man watches over cats who are living with FIV. If they are feral, he attempts to give them the courage to enter a trap so they can find release from their suffering as well as eliminate the chance that they will spread the disease to others. For FIV positive cats with guardians, Saint Mr. Man attempts to help these animals stave off infections and stay in good health.

The true face of Mr. Man. The effects of his illness and fighting are clearly visible.

If I Had A Thumb, It Would Be Turning Green

My Disciples,

You may recall that a week or so ago the Guardians seemed to have a change of heart about letting the Brothers and I eat plants.  They even gave us our very own plant to eat!  Well, we definitely enjoyed nibbling on that plant, but in recent days it has started to lose its appeal.

In recent days, our yummy plant has begun to lose its appeal.

Since the plant the Guardians gave to us is less tasty than it used to be, I thought I could help Myself to some other plants that the Guardians recently started growing.  The Guardians had a different opinion though, so it seems that they must have decided that it’s not OK to eat plants after all.  I decided to take matters into My own hands and learn to grow my own delicious greens.  The challenge I’ve run into though is that there is so much to learn, and I want to learn it all at once!  The first thing I did was gather up all the books I could find on growing plants.  I thought if I rubbed My cheeks against the books I could absorb their information more quickly.

I thought that rubbing My cheeks against the books would help...it didn't.

I didn’t seem to be gaining any knowledge by rubbing on the books though, so I decided to take a different approach.  I pressed My ear against the stack of books and tried to listen to what they had to say.

I pressed My ear against the books and listened intently, but they told Me nothing.

The books were silent.  Again, I decided to try a different approach.  I figured that if I slept on the books, I would be able to absorb their information in My sleep.  It would be quicker and easier than reading, and much more restful.

I thought I could absorb the books' information in my sleep, but they were too uncomfortable to sleep on.

Unfortunately, the books were all way to uncomfortable for Me to fall asleep on.  When I was a homeless kitty wandering alone in the wilderness, I used to be able to sleep almost anywhere.  I even periodically slept between two garbage cans outside the house that later became My Indoor Domain.  But I guess now that I’ve had a taste of the soft beds in The Promised Land, nothing less will do.  So, after trying all of these things to no avail, I have decided to see what I can learn from the books the old fashioned way.

I have decided I will have to read all of the books individually.

I will read each of the books and see what they can teach Me.  Now, I just need to figure out which one I want to read first and, more importantly, I need to figure out how I can open them and turn the pages when I don’t have any thumbs.  Perhaps I will make the Guardians lend Me theirs.

So Sayeth Otis.

 

Presenting The Cult Of Otis Website 2.0

My Disciples,

I have long been unsatisfied with the job the Guardians did in their initial attempt at creating a website for the Cult of Otis.  I always found it confusing and difficult to navigate despite the fact that I am quite an expert with a mouse.  Well, I’m excited to say that this morning I personally supervised the launch of the newly revamped Cult of Otis website.

I personally supervised the final stage of work, and the launch of the new Cult of Otis website.

The new site has improved navigation, and I think things are much easier to find.  Please take a look, and if you have any feedback feel free to send Me or the Guardians an email.

So Sayeth Otis

 

True Faces of the Saints: St. Marvie

My Disciples,

Today I bring you the true face of Saint Marvie:  Patron Saint of Forgiveness for the Cult of Otis.  She was my sister, and her story, more than any other, is very difficult for the Guardians and Me.  In fact, the pain we felt over her loss is directly responsible for the creation of the Cult of Otis.  Please read and share her story so that it may help other kitties that are lost in the wilderness.

So Sayeth Otis

Spread the image of Saint Marvie so that others may know her and learn from her story.

St. Marvie- Patron Saint of Forgiveness

Marvie was believed to have been Otis’s sister. That knowledge makes her story an even more difficult one to tell. At some point in Marvie’s first or second year of life, she was live-trapped, spayed, the tip of her right ear was cut off and she was abandoned back into the outdoors. It is questionable whether or not the person responsible for this even provided food for her after the fact as Marvie was frequently spotted in Otis’s backyard, hungry and in need of a meal. Understandably, she was extremely distrustful of people and would not go near a live trap. Eventually, when the rest of Otis’s flock had either been captured or disappeared, Marvie began to warm to the Guardians of Otis. Through 6 months of patient work, she progressed all the way to the point where she would allow herself to be pet for short periods of time. Just as it looked as if she would be able to make the transition to living indoors with Otis and his family, she disappeared. She reappeared a week later with signs of a severe respiratory infection. In her weakened state she was again terrified of people and could not be approached or captured to accept aid. She slowly wasted away for 5 days until she was weak enough to be captured. By then the only help that she could be given was a humane release from her suffering.

Saint Marvie’s eventual trust of the Guardians of Otis demonstrated the enormous capacity she had for forgiveness. She had been badly betrayed by humans in her past, but in time she was able to face her fears and lower her guard enough to make a connection with people who cared deeply about her. It is very likely that, had she been worked with earlier in her life when she was first trapped, Marvie could have made the transition to life in a loving family just as Otis had. Even in spite of the pain of her past, she was well on her way to making that transition when disease took her. Saint Marvie watches over cats who have been wrongly identified as ferals and trapped, altered and released. She tries to give them the courage to face their fears and seek out humans who will recognize their plight and bring them in from the shadows. She also gives strength and patience to humans that are trying to reach these cats, and she attempts to give them comfort if they are unable to reach them or if they lose them.

The true face of Marvie. Her right ear tip has been cut off, indicating that someone trapped her, spayed her and put her back out in the wilderness.