Please meet Bogey, the first "Gazette Pet". He is featured as a poster cat to spread the word that June is Adopt-A-Shelter-Cat- Month nationally.

Bogey is a short-haired tabby owned by David and Glenda Cross. He is a fun fellow and very personable. He has a roommate named Goldie. Bogey loves freeze-dried salmon treats which is how I got to meet him. The search was on for these delectable goodies and his owners put me on the prowl. They had bought them elsewhere but I rose to the challenge to find a new variety. Mission accomplished. I am awaiting his review.

Bogey did not take well to the hammering and noise associated with the seemingly endless roof replacement that followed the 2006 hail damage. Until I had heard that he had become nervous from the racket I had never given a thought to how our pets had reacted to the after effects. We all know that on July 4th the animals will become skittish but did any of us think about the constant activity of roof repair? Our cats and dogs peer out the windows while we are at work and they have been upset by all the strangers in their neighborhood and the noise they make. Not to mention the noise on their own roofs.

According to the APPMA (American Pet Products Manufacturing Association) 2007-2008 National Pet Owners Survey, there are 38.4 million cat households. 18% of cat owners adopt their feline friends from a shelter or humane society, 43% are obtained from a friend or relative and 33% are taken in as strays.

June 10th is World Pet Memorial Day and June 22nd is Take Your Dog to Work Day. Hey, these are real. I didn't make them up. I'm in the pet industry and I'm kept in the loop.

My cat of almost twenty years died two weeks ago. I just might adopt at the shelter this month and will definitely recognize World Pet Memorial Day.