This is the homepage for Kattaztrophe Arts. This will remain as the homepage until the cat killing ends!
Save the cats of Monessen!
I read this letter today in the Washington Observer Reporter.
Killing cats not a good solution
Since the time of the pre-Socratic Pythagoras, prominent figures in the Western intellectual tradition have noted the relationship between our treatment of animals and our moral development. That wisdom appears to be lost on the city of Monessen as the city council has decided to promote the indiscriminate killing of homeless and owned cats who have the misfortune to be lured by baited traps.
Why are they killing cats in Monessen? Because some people have complained that they are using their yards as litterboxes. The mayor boasts she has the support of PETA.
Two questions need to be answered. Why are there homeless cats in Monessen? The answer is because irresponsible owners fail to spay or neuter their pets and keep them on their property. The second question is: Why does PETA support killing while inaccurately calling it euthanasia? The answer is because they claim that homeless cats lead horrible lives and are better off dead. While that may be true, without human intervention, it flies in the face of the facts. Homeless cats that are spayed or neutered and vaccinated (TNR) and cared for in a managed colony do very well and have the same disease rates as their owned counterparts and about the same life expectancy. Just ask Homeless Cats Management Team in Pittsburgh. They have spayed or neutered over 12,200 homeless cats.
It seems to me that the city council of Monessen has two options. The first is to continue on its current course and become known as "the cat-killing capitol of Pennsylvania." The outcome of which as predicted based on the vaccum theory is that once the cats are removed, the vacuum left will refill in no time. The second option is to sit down with feral cat experts and divise a compassionate, humane solution and become known as "the city were justice and reason prevailed." The choice is theirs to make, but it will be interesting to see if this small mill town secluded along the river has the moral fortitude to stay the course of justice.
Monessen, not only the lives of the cats but your reputation is at stake.
Faith Bjalobok
McMurray
I am asking all of the people who love cats, who care for cats, and who are sickened by cat killing to please call the Mayor of Monessen and tell her just what you think about her cat murdering policy.
DOX on Mayor of Monessen
Mary Jo Smith, Mayor.
Phone:(724) 684-5011
Address:100 3rd St, #3, Monessen, PA 15062
Cat Killer.
I am also asking that all animal lovers boycott Monessen. Take your business elsewhere. Also let PETA know that you are sick of their warped and disgusting views.
Love,
The Kattaztrophe Cats
KaBoose, Shirleena, Viktor, Mew, Mania Jones, RugBug, Shiloh Marie, Sweeney Todd, Watcher, Cheshire, Rorsach, Puppy(2Face), Longfellow, Kitten McNugget.
Here are links to people who are fighting for the cats of Monessen.
Alley Cat Allies has been to Monessen and is actively involved in the fight for the cats of Monessen.
CITY-SPONSORED CAT-KILLINGS PROTESTED IN PENNSYLVANIA TOWN
If you are on Facebook please join the group Coalition For A Humane Monessen
The Humane Approach for Feral Cats in Monessen, Pennsylvania
Anyone who thinks PETA is concerned with keeping animals alive should read this; PETA Kills Animals. PETA's way of dealing with unwanted animals is to kill them. PETA promotes itself as the only word on animals, but they are a bunch of murderous eco-terrorists who like to bilk people out of their money so they can promote the deaths of nearly every animal they come into contact with.They also support 'vegan' diets for cats and dogs.
I have spent the better part of the day today contacting other people and am currently doing a bit of research into law concerning cats.
I am updating with Faith Bjalobok's websites and info. Faith's cat, Fluffy Jean is who the Fluffy Jean Fund is named for. I'm so happy to hear that there is a great spay/neuter clinic open in Finleyville.
Faith Bjalobok runs the Fluffy Jean Fund Clinic in Finleyville Pa. Her cat Fluffy Jean is who the Fluffy Jean Fund is named after.
Save A Horse Stable is dedicated to horses and is also a friend of The Fluffy Jean Fund.
Amend PA.Humane Enforcement is dedicated to amending Pennsylvania's Animal Abuse Laws.
It is my understanding that the whole cat killing spree that is endorsed and enforced by Mary Jo Smith and Monessen City Council was brought about from one or two people complaining that a cat took a dump in their yard. Monessen last time I heard was having a bad time with drugs and crime, much like Greene County is, but much like Greene County, nothing is done about it. But God forbid, a harmless, homeless cat takes a crap on your yard while someone deals crack on the street corner. I guess its easier to make your crusade against harmless cats than to tackle real issues, because real issues are too much like work.
Update,May 4 2011
Just received the mayors email address. If she doesn't answer the phone, she might catch an email.
mayor@cityofmonessen.com
I also viewed the photo's of the colonies on the Facebook page. Such beautiful cats.
The Mayor really needs to sit down and talk with all the groups that are trying to save these cats (and peoples pets) instead of ignoring everyone. I wonder if the Mayor realizes that she was elected (hint, votes) and that most Mayors only serve a term of 4 years, which means in 2014 she will be up for election again and that her reputation as a mean spirited,low down cat killer might not be enough to get her re-elected? Maybe she'll get the future serial killers in training vote.
Sign the Petition.
Save The Cats In Monessen Petition
Monessen feral cat policy draws protest Post Gazette, 4-28-11
Address for council and Mayor;1 Wendell Ramey Way, Suite 400, Monessen, PA 15062.
The money to fund the killing of Monessen's cats was through a grant. I am looking for info on where the grant originated from, which big state person (DeWeese, whoever) helped them get this grant. I'm telling you right now; any politician that condones killing cats will never get my vote! Any agency who gives taxpayer money (grants) to kill cats needs to be investigated.
Pa. Town Declares Open Season On Cats. From Animal Law Coalition.
Been doxing John Harhai, Ted Harhai, and doing some deep digging on these folks. Seems John Harhai has an income of $65,000.00 a year paid for by the citizens of Monessen. It also looks like some fishy business occurred when he resigned on council and was immediately hired by the city of Monessen. Talk about some conflict of interest, wow!
The more I dox the fishier it gets.
May 6 2011
Tried to email the Mayor, but the mail came bouncing right back. It seems she has blocked all incoming mail or disabled her account.
From Faith;TONIGHT, Friday, May 6, ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL on HLN (CNN Headline News channel)
7:00pm - 8:00pm
short segment on Jane Velez-Mitchell's show TONIGHT, on HLN, about the town of Monessen Pennsylvania rounding up and killing cats that were being well taken care of by local townspeople doing Trap-Neuter-Return and caretaking of the cats, the piece about the Monessen cats will be part of a larger animal story, this will be a short "insert" in the middle of the other animal piece (which will also be quite interesting!!!)
I suggested this story to Jane and helped put it together for her show.
Special thanks to Charlotte Luko of The Coalition for a Humane Monessen, and Patricia Jones, public relations specialist for Alley Cat Allies. Thank you both for all of your work and dedication on behalf of these cats, the lives of the beautiful, innocent ones who were killed will not be in vain!!!
This is Stripes, one of the 34 cats killed in Monessen.
Photo attached here is of Stripes, photo courtesy Charlotte Luko, Coalition for a Humane Monessen
Charlotte wrote about Stripes:
"This is Stripe. He went missing the first day of trapping and is presumed dead along with the cats that died at Fallen Timber. He was very sweet and I could touch and pet him. He welcomed it. I always thought someone threw him away and he came to me for care. Asking this of me is flooding my eyes with tears once again. You can't imagine the pain the City has brought to us here in Monessen, PA. Yes, he was beautiful and many more just like him are gone. Is it any wonder my heart still aches. He will always hold a place there. Monessen City can never replace them."
Special thanks to Charlotte Luko of The Coalition for a Humane Monessen, and Patricia Jones, public relations specialist for Alley Cat Allies. Thank you both for all of your work and dedication on behalf of these cats, the lives of the beautiful, innocent ones who were killed will not be in vain!!!
34 cats have been killed so far. 34! And the Mayor is not answering her phone, taking emails and probably just tosses paper mail in the trash.
May 8 2011
The Mayors inbox has become so jammed with emails that she can't even access it. Keep the letters coming though, just send it US Mail.
Transcript of the Jane Velez Mitchell show has been uploaded and in this article there is a pdf of an article that appeared in the Tribune over the weekend.
Letter to the Editor by Joyce Kyle about no prior notice given to pet owners before the trapping and killing took place.
Letter to the editor by Charlotte Luko and Lori Cheroki
And a nasty letter from a rabid anti cat person Bob Pecarchik who also can't spell.Wonder if the wild life he is referring to are rats, mice, moles, voles, and other vermin? Wildlife is deer and other large animals which cats can't hunt, sorry. Guess old Bob here likes to walk in the park and feed the rats....
Vermin. Not wildlife.
May 9 2011 Come at me Bro.
Received a link to an interesting article written by Linda Fouco in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette Pet Tales;Cat fight continues I believe she mentions my website in her article, stating that I "urge(s)people to bombard Mayor Mary Jo Smith with telephone calls and emails."
I carefully looked over the page and do not see reference to this. Obviously Linda Fouco hasn't visited my page personally,lol!
Also, this website is not new. It was put together in 2008 to promote Kattaztrophe Arts and other artists in the community. But I feel so strongly about the senseless,ignorant actions of Mayor Smith and Monessen City Council that I changed the home page to help support the cat lovers, not only in Monessen, but all over the world. It seems Linda Fouco forgets that it is a 'worldwide web' out there, and that one of my own cats is featured on a French website dedicated to cats (its so cute too, MeowMarie surrounded by hearts.)
But, I am not here to debate someone who writes for the media (please, we all know you write for money and will spin whatever way the wind blows you)I am here to bring a voice for those who cannot talk:The cats of Monessen.
What I find interesting is the curious statement that cats decimate bird species. I happen to live in a bird sanctuary and have 14 cats, and there are probably more than 100 cats that live in this bird sanctuary. We still have plenty of birds, let me tell you. Birds that crap all over your car and lawn furniture, on your fresh wash hanging on the clothesline (ugh, berry season is dreadful!), who dive at you from trees, who peck out all your seeds from the gardens, that build nests in your attics, garages, and gutters, spreading bird lice. We have some class A 'special' birds who insist on building their nest in a little overhanging section of the rain gutter. This happens to be over my swimming pool. Guess who ends up cleaning dead birds out of the pool?The baby birds get too big for the small nest and end up floating dead in my pool. That means extra shock treatment, clean out and sterilizing the pool before we can go swimming again.
But do I advocate killing birds? No. And from spring through fall I end up releasing back to the outside dozens of sparrows, chickadee's, catbirds, mocking birds, doves, swifts, red birds, jays that end up in my house from flying down the fireplace or flying through the door when we open it.
Birds are food for many other animals. Racoons, opossums, snakes, fox, coyotes to name a few. Skunks will eat an entire nest of birds. Waterbirds fall prey to snapping turtles and 'Mr Muskie'. I watched a mother duck and her ducklings get eaten on the river by a muskie. (Thats why we avoid the river, too many large things waiting to eat ya,lol!)
To blame such decimation on cats is not only an outright lie, it is harmful to cats at large. But it seems that the prejudice against cats that existed in the dark ages continues today.
The dark ages were so Emo.
So cat haters and spinners take heed; Come at me Bro.
Read here about a place Linda Fouco defended for its 'work' with cats. Tiger Ranch, where cats went to die
Update
Vox Felina has already responded to the Post Gazette article by Linda Fouco.
Anyone who would like to respond to the article should write a polite, articulate letter to the editor of the Post Gazette.
Many thanks to Faith for the link =)
How to submit a letter to the editor at The Post Gazette; Letter submission FAQ.
Also, in the LULZ department I found a blog that really demonizes cats. Read the blog, then read the comments.The BirdchaserThis particular article was written in March 2008. If people want to use the tired argument that cats kill birds as a reason to kill cats, then here's a tasty tidbit to think on: Cats have hunted birds for millions of years and we still have birds. Man shot and killed all the passenger pigeons during the mid 1800's, along with the buffalo, and many other animal species just for the LULZ. The cat hunts because its their nature, they also eat what they kill. Man hunts because he's bored to pieces and its a great excuse to drink beer and play with guns.Man usually does not eat what he kills.So, do we round up all humans and kill them? Humans are the biggest predators, not cats. Sorry.Now we can add cats to the list of things humans kill for the LULZ.
Later I am going to look up some actual stats on bird predation by cats. The results will astound you.
May 11 2011
Two articles in the letters to the editor section of the Observer Reporter.
Keep your cat at home or on a leash
And....
Cat killer loose in Waynesburg read the comments.
Why do people hate cats so much? I believe its because of so much misinformation, superstition and just all around general ignorance. When people say cats kill birds, cats become the ONLY killers of birds. When people say cats destroy lawns (how is my question) every cat becomes a lawn killer.Its like mass hysteria or the kind of deadly belief systems that lead to the deaths of cats during the 'Dark Age's' that helped decimate most of the earths population due to Bubonic Plague. Or the millions of cats that died a few centuries ago because of the witch craft hysteria.
A sobering thought for the bird lovers; Every bird carries in its system the Spanish Flu that wiped out millions during the epidemic of 1917-1918. Nobody knows when this virus could be released again. But the bird population you so ardently defend as the victims of cat predation could and will be the death of mankind.(just one of many articles on this subject)
May 12 2011
As promised I located a PDF of actual predation rates. This is from a New Jersey study dated April 5 2010 I've also found some interesting articles about the history of cat persecutions.
History of Human - Animal Interaction
Cats persecuted as familiarsThis one is really nice because it contains the tale of how the Tabby cat got its markings.
More to follow.
May 14 2011
Tomorrow on Bob FM 96.9 at 6:30 a.m. and at 7 a.m. on Q97.9 Carol Whaley director of low cost spay/neuter at Animal Friends will be on to discuss TNR and Monessen and to once again offer their mobile unit for free. So if you're up early (like me) tune in.
May 18 2011 New loonies join the cat persecution.
Some group that call themselves the The Wildlife Society have offered to trap and kill the cats in Monessen. I found this interesting blog piece on their website.
What do cat haters and Hitler have in common? That DEATH is the only solution to perceived problems.
PSST! Wildlife Society.... U MAD?
Cats not welcome back, says Mayor Mary Jo Smith.
May 25 2011
Mayor Mary Jo Smith says that the cats can be trapped and spayed/neutered, but they are not welcome to return to Monessen. Feeling emboldened by such fringe whacko groups such as PETA and The Wildlife Society (who have bravely offered to trap and kill the cats to defend rodents and birds) the cats of Monessen are now doubly homeless.
What or who will be next? Homeless people? Red headed kids with freckles? Fat people? Pit bulls? Hamsters and guinea pigs?
I wonder if any of the people (fringe whack jobs)are familiar with Pennsylvania Consolidated Cruelty Statute?
Even though the cats are discriminated against we can at least rest assured that Mayor Smith will not be re-elected, cat lovers will move away, and the town of Monessen will soon be over run with vermin.
June 15 2011. This kid is a hero & maybe more adults should be like this.
How could anyone ever injure a cat? Let alone a MOTHER encouraging her own kids in beating kittens to death with a baseball bat?
Check out what this brave little kid did. And I hope 'Little Dexter' gets to live with the little boy who saved him.
July 17 2011 State of the kitties
To date there have been no more council condoned killings of cats in Monessen. Things are still at an impasse with council, but somethings got to give.
Monessen has more important problems to deal with than some cats you would think. With all the abandoned, vandalized homes piled high with junk and jungle like yards, you'd think community reclamation would be job 1. Not so. Its a dismal, urban decay eyesore. Council really needs to get its priorities straight. Get on those absentee property owners and get those places either cleaned up or torn down.Every street there, with the exception of one road, is house after house that is empty and trashed.
If it wasn't for the cats Monessen would be neck deep in rats and mice.
And if I were a property owner there my first concern would be having to live next door to a festering dump.If properties surrounding the lived in houses were cleared of trash and debris then a lot of problems would be solved. But when your community looks like a dump what do you expect people are going to do? They will come and dump unwanted things (including cats) there.
When I think of the money council spent on trapping and killing cats I shake my head. The money would have been better spent in issuing citations to absentee property owners.
August 13 2011
Big news coming soon.
And the cat killing has stopped!
