MeFi Fundraiser: Pet Tax Wall

August 16, 2024 10:16 AM

Is there a better time to share your cute pet pics of you favorite animal shots, stories, or videos? It don't think so, because this time we're doing it as part of this year's Fundraiser. Come share, celebrate and help MeFi move forward with your support!

Our GoFundMe campaign is moving along, but is time to start having more fun with this.

To kick off this week's fundraising activity, share photos of your beloved animals (weather they are pets or wildlife you have encountered) and tell us stories about them here. While you have fun and share in this thread, we'll collect the pictures build a full Pet Tax Wall that will then be printed for auction.

posted by loup (staff) to MetaFilter-Related at 10:16 AM (53 comments total)

I have 5 cats and 2 dogs, but this time I'd love to show you Kumi, my first rescue cat. She came in terrible shape when she was less than a month old. Today, she's fully grown, healthy and loves to hang out with her tongue out.
posted by loup (staff) at 10:28 AM on August 16 [13 favorites]

Printed to auction? Or offered for sale with a fundraising kind of upcharge?
(Pics later, must find the right ones.)
posted by Glinn at 10:38 AM on August 16 [1 favorite]

We can do it either way, depends if there's enough demand. :)
posted by loup (staff) at 10:58 AM on August 16 [2 favorites]

Here's Charley and Milly watching a squirrel or something running in the yard this morning.
posted by briank at 2:04 PM on August 16 [4 favorites]

The hefty Kcat, my sister's dog in the cone of shame, and the fox who visits my garden.

My sister's dog should count as an honorary MF animal purely on the grounds of the many Ask questions which have nearly been posted about her. Her pregnant mother was rescued from a puppy mill, and probably as a result the dog has a lot of health issues. The most recent almost-question was about her waking at four most mornings. But her sleeping cage has been made into a mini-Xanaduan pleasure-dome with towel-swathed ice blocks, which has helped.

Re the garden, I would say I was doing no-mow May, but I have also done no-mow June, July ... you get the picture.
posted by paduasoy at 3:08 PM on August 16 [2 favorites]

Um, not to shit on this fundraiser itself (seems like a great idea), but maybe "Help Us Build This Wall" is not a great tagline?
posted by tivalasvegas at 3:56 PM on August 16 [8 favorites]

Mod note: Good suggestion, thank you! We've changed that tagline.
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 5:30 PM on August 16 [2 favorites]

Here is Tilly being judgmental.
posted by suelac at 6:41 PM on August 16 [4 favorites]

Did something in the banner change? I can't close it because the "X" is covered by the vertical scroll bar of my browser.
posted by lapis at 7:04 PM on August 16

Darla wants to borrow my flip flops to go to the beach.
posted by Scout405 at 8:05 PM on August 16 [8 favorites]

Did something in the banner change? I can't close it because the "X" is covered by the vertical scroll bar of my browser.

The banner seems to be broken in the Classic Theme as well. The "hide" button was no longer a link (and opening the site in a Private Window to confirm, the banner seems to break the Classic Theme far worse when not logged in, though I guess that's something of an edge case).

Click here to hide it in the interim.
posted by Strutter Cane - United Planets Stilt Patrol at 9:22 PM on August 16 [1 favorite]

Mod note: The banner should be fixed note, let us know if not!
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 6:36 AM on August 17 [2 favorites]

Stella photobomb, with Toki and Jimmy (cat) in background. In my office at work.
Toki with baby chipmunk we saw just this week - it had no fear and I hope it is doing ok.
Stella and Toki and their ridiculous can't-be-so-cute faces.

Dexter, my friend I lost to big grassy fields in the sky last Dec where the air is so pure anyone can breathe it, even him.
posted by Glinn at 11:35 AM on August 17 [7 favorites]

Zelda the cat. She will many other tactics first to get us to give her extra food, but when she's really desperate, she breaks out this signature move.
posted by Larry David Syndrome at 11:50 AM on August 17 [9 favorites]

And also Monte the cat.
posted by Larry David Syndrome at 12:04 PM on August 17 [6 favorites]

Babka loves to wink.
posted by Pitachu at 2:36 PM on August 17 [5 favorites]

We had to say goodbye 4 months ago, but the memories Scout the beagle and I created together will always be in my heart.
posted by Scout405 at 3:59 PM on August 17 [8 favorites]

My little chonky buddy Zacky likes to pant-smile when it is toasty outside.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 5:08 PM on August 17 [5 favorites]

Pippin and Nessie
And then Mab, (Nessie's half sister) and Nessie
posted by Windopaene at 5:24 PM on August 17 [5 favorites]

And I think the site I uploaded to, has some licenses and such.

Please note that I am fine with MetaFilter using my images for whatever they want.

Aren't Standard Poodles just the best? Except for Goldens, and those sweet Bernese Mountian dogs...

they're all good dogs Bront...
posted by Windopaene at 7:27 PM on August 17 [1 favorite]

I so want to volunteer at a shelter. But I can't imagine letting a good dog get Euthanized.

Has anyone dealt with this? Should probably be an ask. Apologies
posted by Windopaene at 7:38 PM on August 17

Windopaene, I did it for a number of years. The value of bringing comfort to unwanted, often mistreated animals, even for a little while, made it worthwhile to me. It's hard but I believe you can make a positive difference to them, even if the comfort you offer seems small and they don't get to stay very long. Some people do find it too hard but you won't know until you try.

There's a lot of cleaning up, of course. They really need that help too, so often you'll do a bit of the chore side and then get to spend some one-on-one time with them. Depending on the rules they have.
posted by Glinn at 8:17 AM on August 18 [2 favorites]

This is Rocket - he was my cancer kitty, on my lap and at my side throughout 18 grueling months of treatment and rehab.
He died about a year afterwards. He was such a kind kitty.
posted by dbmcd at 8:30 AM on August 18 [4 favorites]

Mica the border collie
posted by Redstart at 6:30 PM on August 18 [4 favorites]

Our dog Luna has been with us for about 18 months now - she's a Kelpie crossed with something (we think maybe Staffy) and is just the best dog ever. We got her from a shelter and when she came home with us, she was underweight, incredibly anxious and had scabs on her legs from living on concrete. On her first day, she figured out how to open the front gate and wandered off until some kind person saw the dog and our nearby open gate and brought her back. Now, we can leave the gate open and she doesn't even have a thought about going anywhere. She's super well-trained, very quiet (except when someone rings the door bell or walks up to the gate) and loves everyone (except that little snappy dog from around the corner). If my wife and I are walking her together and are too far apart for her liking, she herds us back to where we belong. Despite being abandoned (microchipped, but previous owners must have moved or something as they couldn't be contacted), she's now living her best life, cruising around the waterways, which she's not too keen on when we go faster but would never tolerate being left behind. The occasional special treat keeps her occupied for days.

Luna replaced Soxie, who was a Very Good Cat. She lived a long and happy life dominating the neighbourhood and everyone in it, but we had to say goodbye about two years ago when she got very sick and was miserable and in pain.
posted by dg at 6:56 PM on August 18 [8 favorites]

These two lovely looking ladies are not our pets... YET. If all goes well, we'll be bringing them home next saturday.
posted by Too-Ticky at 12:17 AM on August 19 [10 favorites]

If it's not inappropriate, this may be a good place to ask for help. It's cat-related and for a good cause, so hear me out, if you would!

You know how I help fundraise for MeFi by posting batches for six movies on a chosen theme when nice people donate $25? A very nice MeFite asked for a list of films about cats that do not involve any cats dying. This is a cool idea.

Here is the thing, though: I am not a cat person. I have seen next to no films about cats. I keep checking out excellently rated films about cats (4 or 5 so far) ... and cats keep dying. I am at my wit's end because I'm not seeing the results I need and I don't know how many more days I can watch feature length movies about cats before I lose my mind. (Best wishes to all the kitties, but it's a long time to stay on one topic!)

If you happen to know about a good, feature-length film that is about cats (or prominently features cats) that is not yet on FanFare, could you hit me up by MeMail? Or, alternately, if you might be available to look over a list of candidates or maybe even screen a cat movie for me to see if it passes the test, that would be awesome. I would owe you a favor.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:59 AM on August 19 [4 favorites]

It looks like That Darn Cat is not on FanFare. The original was from 1965 and apparently there was a 1997 remake. I doubt that I would call either a "good" movie, but I don't know what your criteria are, and I haven't actually seen the movies. But I looked at the plot summaries on Wikipedia and the main cat character is still alive at the end.
posted by Redstart at 9:20 AM on August 19 [1 favorite]

DirtyOldTown, "Keanu" isn't showing up on FanFare for me
posted by Iris Gambol at 11:54 AM on August 19

Um, also not coming up with the FanFare search feature, for me: Bell, Book and Candle; Babe; The Incredible Journey (nor its remake, Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey); The Three Lives of Thomasina (spoiler, the cat does die BUT gets heartwarmingly reincarnated! starring Number 6/Patrick McGoohan). And sorry, upon reread I see your 'please Memail' request. I'm going to try rebooting my laptop, which is always behind on updates.
posted by Iris Gambol at 12:06 PM on August 19 [2 favorites]

The Cat from Outer Space (1978)
posted by biffa at 12:47 AM on August 20 [2 favorites]

Here's Patti and Bridget. They were both family dogs, and both crossed the rainbow bridge a number of years ago. I still miss them dearly, especially Patti (on the left; light apricot-colored)—we were especially close.
posted by dubious_dude at 8:09 PM on August 20 [5 favorites]

These are my babies, Dolly and Carmela! They came with their own catstagram when I adopted them. As far as we know, they're sister cats, and they've been together since they were in the shops/streets of Long Island City here in New York. Carmela is the tortie and Dolly is the calico. When I first came to visit them, they both came right up to me, like they knew I was there for them. They're very well-socialized and friendly with everyone, and so brave and sweet for such little cats.

Let me know if you need a higher-res version of that photo or any other photo of them!
posted by limeonaire at 8:02 AM on August 21 [5 favorites]

Bellatrix enjoys a good box. She is 14 now (with us since 2 months old) and a spoiled, squeaky princess. We love her so much.

Herbert always joined me on the couch for an afternoon read. We had to say goodbye to him in January (after almost 14 years since he was a little baby). I still miss him so much. He was the Love Bug.
posted by supermedusa at 9:27 AM on August 21 [5 favorites]

Everybody always asks, "Does the dog die?" But dang, movies kill a lot of cats, y'all.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 9:36 AM on August 21 [1 favorite]

Has anyone seen the Japanese documentary Cat Heaven Island and if so, do any cats die in it?
posted by DirtyOldTown at 9:47 AM on August 21

I think there is a lot more cultural divisiveness around cats compared to dogs. some people dislike cats, think cats are mean or aloof etc., so maybe there is a lesser sense of concern re showing cats in peril (certainly not for me!!). I definitely wouldn't want to see any kitties getting hurt, any more than I want to see doggos die. maybe we need a new website: does the cat die?
posted by supermedusa at 9:59 AM on August 21

They do track that on DoesTheDogDie.com, as well as any other trigger you can think of, but the kinds of movies I recommend aren't always on there.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 10:04 AM on August 21

I requested the cats theme, with caveat, from DirtyOldTown, and now feel bad for making several of you consider dying cats. I'm very happy to take the will for the deed and not put DOT through any more!
posted by paduasoy at 10:51 AM on August 21 [1 favorite]

I was glad to live up to the challenge, padusaoy. Your six films are up now!

Tomorrow, I may post two of the movies that didn't make it, an odd doc and a Japanese horror action movie about an alien cat.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:20 AM on August 21 [2 favorites]

that was a very impressive turn around DirtyOldTown!!

there is a documentary about the feral cat colony that lives in the Roman forum, but I could not find it. it's at least 10 years old. really cool and fascinating exploration of cat colony dynamics. lotsa cuties.
posted by supermedusa at 11:46 AM on August 21 [1 favorite]

Shout-out to Iris Gambol. Keanu and Babe were already up, but I had forgotten how good-natured and sweet Homeward Bound is.

Also thanks to pangolin party, who suggested I look at Kedi. It had shown up on a "has cat death" list but watching it, that seemed a not quite fair read. I included it with notes on the scene in question. Great movie, though.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:59 AM on August 21 [1 favorite]

Well, as I am all too apt to remind you, I have two extremely snuggly cats named Gatsby and Nick. They came to me last October when I attended an 1) adoption event in 2) a real estate office 3) on the way to brunch 4) during a hurricane. And I am the luckiest girl in the world.

But I live on a pond on the edge of the woods about two miles from the middle of town, so i have lots of animal friends. There's Clarence, who likes to perch on the deck rail and help me control the copperhead population in the back yard. There's also Ralph, who is absolutely gorgeous but has fallen off a stop sign at least once (I watched it happen. He was okay). Then there Ambrose, who is quite glamorous and seems like he might have good advice which is why I try not get offended that he only walks in my yard to poop in it.

Fiona is the laziest squirrel in the world and I love her, even though she's the reason I can no longer have a hummingbird feeder. Brenda is either my tenant or my landlord. She spends a lot of time just staring at me while she eats my plants. Her husband, Ron, is a very handsome (and knows it). And her son, Todd, repeatedly eats things the people at the nursery assure me are deer-resistant. His sister, Denise, is a doll, though, so I have a hard time getting angry.

Oh, and there's Hal, of course, and Miranda. And all of their extended families in and around the pond. Neither Jeremy nor any of his friends have cracked the seal of my bedroom window screen, but it's only a matter of time. I dread it; the cats, however, cannot wait.
posted by thivaia at 2:05 PM on August 21 [12 favorites]

Thank you very much, DirtyOldTown! Looking forward to going through these.

Enjoying the pictures here too - small good things.
posted by paduasoy at 12:09 AM on August 22 [2 favorites]

dbmcd, your Rocket sounds lovely. The picture is 404ing for me.
posted by paduasoy at 1:17 AM on August 22 [1 favorite]

paduasoy, I also added two cat movies today that did not make the list for multiple reasons... The Cat, a bloody, bonkers Hong Kong exploitation flick from 1992 about an alien cat, and the 2009 documentary Cat Ladies.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:55 AM on August 22 [2 favorites]

This is Phil (short for Philomena) a cutie rescue who's a troublemaker when it comes to board games. picture
posted by PistachioRoux at 12:57 PM on August 22 [6 favorites]

My girlfriend is taking care of a French Bulldog while several parties argue about who exactly owns him, and I walk him frequently, so this isn't my pet but meet Kilo.
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 6:27 AM on August 23 [1 favorite]

Here's my girl Kenda, diving into the lake. This was taken many years ago; she'll turn 16 at Christmas and she is my heart on four little feet.
posted by workerant at 11:06 AM on August 24 [2 favorites]

My partner has been having a tough time recently, with work and health issues. But for the past year or so she's been adopted by a local outdoor cat. It's not ours, though Im not sure if it has an owner generally, but over time it's really come to love my partner and run at her for pets whenever she sees my partner. Well I'm not sure what it is, but whenever my partner is having a tough time, that night the cat will be out in our back yard waiting for her. And this week has been tough and she's been waiting every day this week for attention, treats, and a game of strings. We call her Spaghet, and I think she's just the cutiest cat.
posted by Carillon at 8:46 PM on August 30 [4 favorites]

We lost our beloved 18-year-old Ms Kitty three years ago and I was resigned to a life without cats for the first time in adulthood. Then in around May of this year, Buddy Kitty started showing up at our house. We fed him outside at first, then he moved inside to eat. He now spends a good part of his day in our house but still no sleepovers inside...yet! He brings joy to our life; it's so great to have a cat around again! ♥
posted by Lynsey at 11:16 AM on September 2 [4 favorites]

Here's Dexter, the world's largest Jack Russell Terrier, enjoying a winter walk:
Dexter in Winter
posted by JimInSYR at 7:27 PM on September 2 [3 favorites]

He's already upthread, but Nick really wanted me to add this picture of him scolling through Metafilter this morning.
posted by thivaia at 2:02 PM on September 5 [1 favorite]