Buy One, Get One Free Kittens from Michigan Humane Society

I've always been a cat lover as long as I can remember. Don't get me wrong, I love ALL animals, but there's just something mysterious and sassy about furry felines...

Unfortunately, my husband doesn't have the same love for them (or any indoor pet for that matter)...So, until we have children and they're pulling on his pant leg begging to get a precious pup or kitty, I will live vicariously through my friends and their furry "children."

An uber-cool program that was recently launched by the Michigan Humane Society provides the purrrfect solution for those looking to add a furball to their homes: buy one / get one free kitty's. I heard about it as a public service announcement on WWJ-AM and just thought it was (pardon the pun) the cat's pajamas (yes, click on the link for the definition).

Here's the scoop from the MHS Web site:

With “cat” season in full swing and cat and kitten intakes at peak summer levels, the Michigan Humane Society announces an exciting program that seeks more cats and kittens going home in twos! The “Purrfect in Pairs” program looks to double the number of cats being adopted by carefully matching pairs and charging only one adoption fee.

In addition to placing more cats and kittens in loving homes, the added benefit of the program is that many cats do better in pairs by providing exercise, social interaction and mental stimulation for each other. Adopters will see that two really is twice as nice - and results in twice the love without twice the work.

MHS will adopt together cats who are well-matched and have been selected for their suitability to the program. Placing two cats together will also help maximize the available cage space - which is critically needed this time of year.

MHS maintains a thorough adoption process to ensure each kitten or cat is placed in a loving, responsible home. As with all MHS adoptions, the “pair” will have the added value of the MHS adoption package, which includes: sterilization surgery, age-appropriate vaccinations, a medical check-up, 10-day health plan and more.

MHS encourages you to visit its three metro Detroit adoption centers, or visit www.michiganhumane.org/adopt to “meet” your potential new furry family members online. MHS adoption centers are located in Detroit; Rochester Hills; and Westland. Adoption hours are Saturday/Sunday/Monday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Talk about smart marketing! All I know is that whenever that fateful day comes when I am finally able to pick out a cat of my own, the hubby's not only going to be stuck with one, but two!

LUSH Tells the Naked Truth about what it means to be an environmentally-friendly company

I had to chuckle the other day when I heard about this PR stunt that was projected to get a lot of attention at the Somerset Collection in Troy...

LUSH, a global company that sells toiletries and shampoos was planning to have employees disrobe for a half an hour to promote its products' environmentally smart "naked" packaging (they don't use bottles or tubes). The employees that volunteered would have been wearing aprons that said "Ask me why I’m naked." Their butts would have been the only *private* part exposed.

The Somerset Collection was quick to veto the idea saying something along the lines of "our customers are too conservative for this type of promotion."

In my opinion, I think it was a genius way for them to get attention, even though the event didn't happen. I heard a few radio interviews and saw media coverage in the local papers and it made me curious, so naturally I checked out the company's Web site and made a mental note to stop by the store next time I'm at Somerset.

According to the site, more than 50 percent of the store’s products are package-free, and all of its paper bags, cardboard boxes and re-useable tins are made from recycled materials. It's also states that packaging contributes to 2 percent of overall greenhouse gases, and plastic uses 8 percent of the world’s oil resources. The U.S. consumes 79.6 million tons of packaging each year, and more than half ends up in landfills.

During last year alone, approximately 3 million plastic bottles were not manufactured, transported and disposed of because customers chose to buy LUSH’s solid shampoo bars instead of a bottled product.

To me, they have a wonderfully 'cheeky' idea. I give 'em mad kudos for trying something interesting, even if it doesn't take off with the masses.

Too bad Somerset doesn't seem to have much of a sense of humor in all of this...