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Pet of the Week
These are two kitties that were saved, brought to a cat shelter, and adopted out to fine homes!
It's easy to get your pet into the Pet of the Week feature - here is what you need to do!
They Need Our HELP!!
Is there anything more precious than a kitten? Probably not. Well, maybe a whole litter of kittens! But the reality is that there are thousands and thousands of kittens born every year with nothing but a very bleak future to look forward to. At the best, they might find an area that they can live outside and find meals here and there from compassionate people. At worst? A short life filled with disease, abuse and an early death. Too many kittens are born unwanted.
Please spay and neuter your cats (and dogs). They will live longer and have happier, healthier lives.
AHA! Alliance for Humane Action
Happy Mother’s Day
You know, this just never gets old. We have had two births in our shelter in the last two months and expect, I believe, two more litters. But I will never tire of watching. This video, from a very special mama kitty, is presented in honor of Mother’s Day.
Adopting a Pet? Know Your Rights!!
Well, it isn’t so much knowing your rights as in a civil liberties case. But it is important to know your boundaries AND the shelter’s or agency’s boundaries when you decide to adopt a pet. Adoption of an animal is a big step and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly.
I found this great “Bill of Rights” online, explaining what an adopter has the right to feel and experience, as well as the obligations of the shelter offering the pets for adoption.
Being that adopting a pet can be an emotional experience, it wouldn’t hurt to print this out and take it with you. It is very easy to become quite distracted by all the fuzzy faces eagerly hoping that you will want them. It is also easy to get caught up in a “hard luck” case that may or may not be the right type of pet for you and your family.
I would recommend that you make a list of “absolutes” to take with you to the shelter. There should be two sections: One section of qualities you absolutely must have, and one section of traits you absoloutely will not tolerate. For instance, a heavy shedder might be an absolute no if you have a family member with allergies. Another example could be that the pet must be of a size to sit on your lap. Some people have definite feelings about male or female dogs and cats.
Whatever you want (and don’t want) is your right. Remember Fido or Tabby will live with you for a long time. And making yourself happy with your choice will also make the pet you adopt happier and healthier.
Your New Pet - Cat or Dog?
Most people have definite feelings about the topic of dogs versus cats. It is like the war of the sexes. It will never end and proponents of each side are intensely loyal to the animal of their choice. We have heard of “cat people” and “dog people,” and some of us enjoy both. But when deciding on a pet, it is a personal choice as to whether cats rule and dogs drool, or the other way around.
Weight Loss Pills (?) For Dogs?
Is Fido fat? Does your best four pawed canine friend, need to go on a diet? It seems unbelievable, but a weight loss drug has been developed for dogs. Sentrol, the name of the new medication, works in two ways. It makes the dog feel full so he or she is less likely to want to eat, and it also blocks fat absorption.
The thinking behind this drug is that as Americans gain weight, so do their pets. Food equals pleasure according to some, and therefore if we are loving our dogs enough, they may very well be overweight. And an overweight dog has the same health issues as an overweight person.
What I don’t get is the whole reasoning behind this. The dog may not feel full and want to eat, but he can’t really call and order and pizza, or stand in front of the refrigerator for hours grazing on this and that left over from a previous night’s dinner. And he certainly can’t buy a healthclub membership so he can work off his extra pounds.
Part of the responsibility of owning a dog (or any other pet) is feeding it properly so that weight isn’t a problem. And much of the fun of having a dog is that you always have a partner to go for walks; no matter how much a friend might not want to go out on a cold and gray day, you can count on your dog to walk with you.
Perhaps these pills will have some use for dogs with medical conditions that cause weight gain. But for the vast majority of the dogs who need to drop a few pounds, the answer can be found in owners who feed responsibly and play with abandon.
FDA Approves Weight Loss Drug For Dogs
Prevent Pet Loss: Identifying Dogs & Cats
Is your four-legged friend, whether it be a cat or dog, your treasured best friend? Then surely you have protected your 
FurBaby with the means to locate him or her, should, Heaven forbid, Socks or Rover get lost. A missing pet is one of the worst scenarios possible for those of us who live in a world of “meows” and “bow-wows.” (I have never actually heard a dog say “bow-wow” but it is the common translation for a bark, so we’ll just go with it.)
My cats are strictly indoor residents so the risk of them getting outside and becoming lost are slim. But it has happened. One of my good friends had a beautiful purebred Maine Coon cat escape through the smallest opening possible near an air conditioner. Seven days later we had all but given up hope. The hundreds of “Lost Cat” posters she had put up finally paid off one evening, with a late phone call, that resulted in Trevor returning home. He had lost weight, brought along a few hundred of his new flea friends, and had ear mites. But no matter. Trevor was home and some good meals and minor vetting had him in tip top shape in no time at all.
My Pembroke Welsh Corgis are only outside on a leash. Again, the risk of them becoming lost is minimal but leashes can break. Dogs that are in a fenced back yard can come up with the most cleaver methods of escape as well; Houdini would have been impressed at some of the escape antics I have heard about.
So how do you prevent this problem? How do you do everything you can to avoid that sinking feeling the first night that you go to bed not knowing where your lovable best friend is?
This problem not only applies to all of us with our beloved pets, but is an issue for purebred dog and cat breeders. Animals that make regular appearances in the show ring, or that are used for breeding, can be at high risk for kidnapping. This is not only an emotional issue, but a financial concern as well for the professional breeder.
Four basic tips that are the smartest ways to begin with identifying your dog, or cat, are featured by Cesar Milan, The Dog Whisperer. These tips are easy, inexpensive and can save lots of tears and worry. They can also save your pet’s life.
Four Tips on Dog Identification
Global Pet Finder - GPS for Your Dog or Cat
When a Cat Says “Let Me In”
Well, suffice to say, a cat wanting in is a whole different story than a dog wanting in. It doesn’t matter if the cat is outdoors and wants inside, or if it is an indoor cat that just wants access to a different room that is closed off to him. If the cat is one place, he wants to be in the other. And what will he do to achieve that goal? Take a look; I just know cat owners will be laughing with a knowing look - we’ve all been there!
Dogs and Cats Blog Too!
You can still have a blog if you have four feet! After all, dogs and cats have things to say too and they are just as interesting as all the nonsense us humans blog about - maybe more interesting! My boys, the Pembroke Welsh Corgis pictured above don’t have a blog but they are still puppies and have the attention span of a gnat (on a good day). Until they have their own blogs, they can pitch in here as a guest at their leisure.
One of the most popular blogs by pets, is authored by Max. Max is a golden retriever living in North Carolina. He has a good readership too, judging from the amount of comments posted on the blog.
So why do pets have blogs? Psychologist Larina Kase of Philadelphia says it is, “21st-century dog walking.” It creates social bonds between pet owners; who better to socially network with than a person who is devoted to their pet as you are? Interestingly, dogs blog a lot more than cats. 34,000 dogs visit “Dogbook,” (like our “Facebook”) daily but cats are clocking in at approximately 20,000 fewer logins each day.
Larina Kase also believes that pet blogging gives pet owners a way to connect with what their dogs or cats might be feeling and experiencing. “Pets are part of the family, yet we can’t communicate with them about many things, so pet owners may blog about their pets as a way to better understand how their pets think and feel,” she says.
My personal favorites for pet networking sites are Catster and Dogster. They are just plain fun sites and very informative as well. The interaction between the pet owners is great. I enjoy looking at the various photos and stories about the dogs and cats. You can meet three of my kitties there; one does have a diary but hasn’t made an entry for awhile. (Hey, her life is busy!!)
Personally were my pets to set up blogs, I believe it would be my cats. As I said the corgis aren’t focused enough yet. That will come in time. But my cats? They have much wisdom to share I am sure. Perhaps they could get together for a joint blog and appoint the polydactyl to the keyboard; with his opposable thumb, I would think he would be a natural!
Dog Blogs
March 7th Recall of Cat Vitamins
The Hartz Mountain Corporation is voluntarily recalling a second specific lot of Hartz Vitamin Care for Cats due to concerns that bottles within the lot may have been potentially contaminated with Salmonella. Hartz is fully cooperating with the US Food and Drug Administration in this voluntary recall. Hartz recalled a specific lot code of Hartz Vitamin Care for Cats last November due to similar concerns. Both lot codes were manufactured for Hartz by UFAC (USA) Inc. in 2007, and were removed from distribution last November. However, bottles from the second lot had been shipped to customers prior to their having been removed from distribution.(FDA)
The Hartz Mountain Corporation Recalls Vitamin Care for Cats Because of Possible Health Risk
The Last Great Race on Earth: The Iditarod
The Iditarod is a race of over 1150 miles, from Anchorage in south central Alaska, to Nome on the western Bering Sea coast. Teams of 12 to 16 dogs and their musher cover miles of the most extreme terrain known to man.
Versus.com
If you have never watched or followed The Iditarod, be warned. You just might get hooked. There is something about this race that just can’t be duplicated in any other sport. Maybe it is the Alaska wilderness. Maybe it is the way the waiting crowds cheer just as much for the last musher as they do the first. Maybe it is the unbridled enthusiasm of each team of dogs. Whatever it is, once you watch the videos of this race, you will want to watch every year.
I can’t even imagine what it must be like to be all alone on the isolated landscape of an Alaska only other dogs and mushers have ever seen. To see that sky at night and to feel the rushing frozen air against your face as you push yourself further than you ever thought you could, must be the most exhilarating experience anyone could ever have.
To finish? A sense of accomplishment like no other. To win? What must it be like to win The Iditarod?
For two years in a row, Lance Mackey could tell us what it would be like. The first win, some thought was fluke but this year, Mackey proved that he and his team had the skill and fortitude to take this last great race, from start to finish, and be first in doing so.
NOME, ALASKA - (March 13, 2007)
Last year Lance Mackey proved the impossible is possible again. The Fairbanks Alaska musher is now in a league of his own. At 2:46 am Mackey (Bib #6) arrived on Front Street after a battle against Mother Nature and a huge field of ultra competitive athletes to claim the crown of Iditarod Champion for the second year in a row. He arrived in Nome with 11 dogs on his team taking 9 days, eleven hours, forty six minutes, forty eight seconds.
Mackey now has the distinction of being the only musher on the face of the planet to win back to back one thousand mile races (The Yukon Quest and The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race) two years in a row. Mackey set the pace in the 2008 Iditarod after taking his 24 hours in Takotna. From that point forward he kept his team together and in front of four time Iditarod Champion Jeff King.
Thousands of fans lined Front Street in Nome to get a glimpse of the 37 year old musher make Iditarod history in a big way for the second year in a row. Mackey was greeted by his family and friends. Alaska Governor Sarah Palin stayed up late and called to congratulate Mackey. He returned the favor and congratulated the Governor on her soon to be “addition to the Palin Family.”
Presenting Sponsor Wells Fargo Representative Loren Prosser presented Mackey a check for $69,000. In addition, Mackey received the keys to a brand new Dodge Ram Pick Up Truck from Presenting Sponsor Anchorage Chrysler Dodge.
Iditarod Press Release
The race may be over, but your ability to check out the highlights isn’t. Versus.com, a sports network on the Internet will begin broadcasting tomorrow, Sunday March 16th, at 7pm EDT. The videos are free so check it out. These are one hour broadcasts and begin with the start of the March 1st start of the race.
The Iditarod Official Web Site
Versus.com Iditarod Race Coverage
Join! The Iditarod Insider - I have been a member for awhile now. This gives you full access to the Iditarod site, up to date information, and all the inside information. Join now and have access for the 2009 race!
