Older pets and OCD's

Sorry about the delay in postings, ok, so I was lazy, it is my annual time off from work and I got preoccupied rather than spend time in front of the computer all day. 

Yes, that's my little man, Lil'Shit, he's the better part of 14 to 15 yrs old now. And he's a chihuahua whose ears never stood up. He is deaf now and having vision issues and most definitely balance issues. And yes, he has a hard head and a couple of OCD's. We love him anyway. ;-)

And Yes, as pets get older they do get obsessive compulsive disorders. He always had a thing for liking fabric, but now is it almost constant. He gets so focused on that, that no matter what you do to distract him, it doesn't work. The only time he doesn't like is when he's asleep or adamant about being let upstairs with us. His other focus is that he doesn't like either of us out of his sight for long or rather out of his range. This places him underfoot or a tripping hazard more often than not. So we have learned for the most part to shuffle alot. He also has balance issues and doesn't get around as well as he should. And oh god, poor little guy has rolled down the stairs more often than I care to think about. I do my best to carry him up or down, but there are times he will walk right past us thinking we are upstairs and not seeing us. And he'll get up there before you can get to him or if you aren't watching, then lose his balance and come tumbling down again. He gets up, reorients himself and stubbornly runs back upstairs. I haven't been able to find a way to block them yet, most kid gates are too tall and our banister and molding along the runners (steps) is funky. And if I block the bottom step or two, it then creates a hard spot for the front door. So I am actively looking for a solution. However, the four of us do our best to watch out for him.

He also has a phobia about going outside by himself now. So, I am buying stock in wee wee pads. Thank god for tile floors! I think it has to do with becoming disoriented outside by himself. He'll go out with the others as he can follow them around and find his way back to the door. But not by himself.

I love him to pieces, as do we all, even though some of his little "quirks" are driving us to distractions at times. So we do our best to pamper him and watch out for him. He loves to be with us as much as possible, and he absolutely loves the bean bags! I think he thinks they are nesting devices just for him, well.... his daughter, Thumbelina loves them too. 

Updates on the tribe of furry creatures occupying my home....

So, since last week things have been quiet and interesting. My brother and sister in-law flew home last Thursday to finish clearing out the apartment and get finished moving down here. So, that being said it's just hubby and myself and all these lovely furry creatures occupying my household. Seems lately you can't go anywhere in the house or sit anywhere without there being an animal in the room or on the piece of furniture you choose to occupy. Which is ok by me.

Currently I am off work for 2 weeks, hooray! And as I sit in my media/office room upstairs, I at the moment have 4 out of the 8 critters in here with me. Yummy the cat, and 3 dogs. The dogs absolutely love being up here with me. And there are two of them that zip right over and claim a bean bag for themselves.

Ok back to the topic. For the first evening, my brother's two dogs were rather forlorn that he and Peg weren't coming back immediately. But they have adapted fast. They are getting used to my bunch's routines about bedtime and where bedtime is. Usually my bunch are sectioned off in an area with their crates (I have one who has never learned not to soil where she sleeps and I simply got tired of cleaning the thing out!), and usually the other two, Corny and Biscuit, have been kept in their room at nights. Well, they don't get to do that without my brother here. So, they've been learning to sleep with the rest of the pack. And actually there was very little complaint about it from Corny. Despite my brother noting that he would talk all night. Although the first couple of nights Corny was completely intimidated by Poppy, who is probably 1/10th his size. She thought the fancy big bed could be all hers. And I would come down in the mornings and find him trying to be curled up on a chihuahua sized bed. Well, that's changed now. He gets to his bed first now.

And now Biscuit has become my constant sidekick. He and I talk, and play and he gives me lots of kisses. Even my husband is becoming attached. And I see him more and more engage my littlest dog, Thumbelina, in play. And they play kissy face, and wash each other's ears. Corny has mellowed some, and is very good and patient and plays in the evenings with us. And they all play outside. Well except for Lil'Shit who is just simply confused in his old age and if he's with one of us, becomes very protective.

Yesterday I went by Target and got a ball thrower for Corny and took him to the dog park over by the Animal Shelter not far from us. He loves to ride, and he knew right off that the new toy was for him. As I didn't have anyone else going with me, I couldn't take Biscuit too. So according to my husband, he pouted the whole time. Well, when we pulled up to the dog park and Corny could see all the other dogs frolicking and romping, he got so excited and barked and bounced around in my van, making the whole thing rock. But he minded well. When we got inside we played ball for awhile, but the smells beckoned stronger. So we went for a walk around the perimeter. He met and made new friends, played a bit with some of the others, loved on every person he met. And found the water bowl out there to drink and do a little dribble art! For his first time there, he was wonderful and had a great time. Now to get him there a bit more often.

On the way home from the dog park, he sat in the very back seat, leaned back and looked regal. Like I was his chauffeur or  something! Biscuit turned himself inside out when he saw me, as did all the others. I have to say that this is one thing that we are really enjoying, is coming home to all these furry bodies happily greeting us when we come in the door. Even the cats are all for the most part doing very well. No fights, and Djinn and Biscuit are also developing quite a relationship. They greet and play a bit almost every day. Hubby and I noted last night, that my brother's fur kids have certainly changed the energy and demeanor of us all, and it's a happy place and our bunch is so much more outgoing and animated. We laughed that we just might have to keep them all here.

Saving animals is not just for women!

Ok, so you think that saving or rescuing animals from abuse and neglect isn't a macho thing? You think caring about animals is not a manly thing? Well hang on to your seats gentlemen! Check out these tough guys, Rescue Ink.



I found out about them while surfing  ABC news and read a story on them. And then there is their website: Rescue Ink  I love their zero tolerance policy on animal abuse and neglect. Each member's history is a bit unique and varied. They will go in where other rescue agencies cannot or will not go in. And they not only rescue, they'll work to educate the abuser in the process. As you read their brief profiles about each one, I for one am happy that I am not on their target list. I am glad I am on the same side. But I mean, come on, would you want to piss them off?

Wow! Talk about an inspiring bunch of guys!  They break the mold on the idea that rescuing animals are only for women or wimps. And gentlemen, you know what I mean. Oh alot of you talk tough but would you really step out of your comfort zone to rescue an animal you witnessed being abused? Now, giving some of you the benefit of the doubt, I believe you would take time out to rescue or care aobut an animal that needed you.  Personally I think these guys do a great thing. I wish there were more like minded people like them across the country. And even though they are in New York, it isn't just household pets they rescue, they rescue horses, like the two colts here, and other animals, even chickens.



I am guessing that there is no rescue creature too small or large for them. And I imagine that when they put their efforts forth that there isn't much that would get in their way. I for one applaud them! Now if I only had the National Geographic Channel, I would certainly enjoy watching them in action. And maybe if the word got out a little more, maybe it would inspire others to step out of their comfort zone and help work towards a good cause and perhaps teach others a little bit about compassion along the way. And last but not least, remember, Never, Ever Judge a Book by it's Cover! You can not ever tell a person inside by his or her appearance.

Way to Go Guys! Join them on Facebook   and on MySpace  if you live in the New York area, voluteer!

General Dog Behavior and Some Observations

 Now, before I get started, let me note that I am not a animal behavioral specialist, nor a "know it all" on animals. This post is just some of my observations having lived with animals in my life my entire life. I admit I learn as much as I can about alot of topics, and I learn alot about people and animals by watching them. Body language says a lot you know. 

That being said..... I got home from work yesterday to a lovely happy sounding, tail wagging bunch. It made the day so much better and helped me smile after the long day. Later my brother and I got to talking about how much happier he felt his dogs were here. He noted that they had their tails up more, and were wagging them more and overall seemed less stressed. He talked about his concern with the grandchildren that had been living with them in their previous state, and how of course kids being kids, a couple of them the boy especially was always poking at Biscuit's face or pulling and grabbing or trying to poke at his eyes. There was concern there as the dog in his fear had nipped the kid several times as the kid didn't learn to leave him alone. The poor little guy was getting very stressed out. 

I talked to him a bit about it and some observations about dogs being protective and such. We went on to talk about why most dogs might bite a child. Alot of times the poor dog is blamed, and what might seem like an unprovoked attack might have other reasons why a dog would "out of the blue" and "unprovoked" attack or bite a child. The truth of the matter is, we simply don't know if there were preceding circumstances, perhaps the dog had been tormented by neighborhood kids, and came to associate kids with fear, aggravation, or pain. Or the owners taught it to be mean and protect and attack anyone within it's territory. Or perhaps it's an older dog, and the kid unknowingly or knowingly hurt it in some manner and the dog felt cornered and needing to protect itself. 

Some dogs that are sadly deemed vicious by police may not really be that way at all. In Albuquerque, NM there have been several incidents where police felt they were being attacked by a "vicious" animal and shot and killed the dog. In actuality, perhaps the bigger picture needs to be considered here. A dog is very much a part of the family "pack" unit. And it knows it's job is to protect it's family, that is instinct. In ANY situation where the police will become involved, the emotions are heightened of the people involved. And the dog will react to those heightened emotions, and it becomes confused and upset. Now, enter the police. All the dog knows is that there is something terribly wrong, and strangers are invading it's territory and space and acting very authoritative and aggressive.  The dog reacts to this by barking and perhaps lunging to try to warn the strangers away and protect it's family unit first. Then if the officers don't heed the warning, it may attempt to bite them. Again the poor dog suffers a sad and terrible fate, just for trying to protect. I am sure perhaps the officers may have told the people to restrain the dog or control it, or put it up. But the people are too focused on each other to think of their loyal family member. And so, quite often the dog is shot, because they are in a hurry to end a volatile situation and don't call animal control to come control the animal in a humane manner. And of course when people are calling the police hurriedly to come end the situation, they don't ever think to tell the dispatcher there are dogs involved. Ah well, it's a hot button issue for me. And is very heartbreaking to read about. 

So my point was, that dogs that are so firmly bonded to the family unit can act irrationally based on how we act. And something I learned long ago that my folks taught me was to show respect for all animals, because any one of them can do me injury. And like people if you treat them with respect you gain respect and trust back from the animal or person. Perhaps that is why so many animals do get along with me. I immediately show respect to them in their territories, while my body language shows nothing but calm and compassion. It works, and I always try to talk to them in an upbeat manner, positive. They will always respond to it. Some dogs though who aren't used to this approach or who were only taught what their owners called respect by beating them into submissionor cowing them, will be afraid of you at first, but soon are curious and crave it and will come to you. When you treat your dog with respect, understanding and compassion, you have a much healthier and happier to comply companion. 

My brothers dogs show it in our house, they are more content, less stressed, and very happy to communicate back with us or play gently and lovingly. Biscuit and I have this little smoochie game going lately. He'll play and talk if I gently blow on his head somewhere, and rub his tummy. He talks like a little Ewok, and if he could say words he would. Then I'll start making kissy noises, softly, and even though he has his mouth open, he'll turn a cheek towards me for kissies. And I make the soft kissy sounds, and he talks like he's giggling when I do it. Then we start it all over again and do the other cheek. He just loves this, and where he was once very afraid to have his face touched, has learned to trust me to touch his face gently with love all over, I can clean his eyes and tickle his whiskers now. And he loves to give me kissies back. This is a big change and trust issue for him due to the kids that wanted to grab his face and poke at his eyes. 

And my little girl, Thumbelina loves to be held close and whispered to, give a little kiss on her cheek and she'll reciprocate. Licking and lightly chewing on your fingers is an acceptance behavior. And they do communicate emotions that way.  And with each dog, they have such a different personality, and how they choose to communicate with you is very different from the others. But when you have a content, and happy dog, they won't hesitate to protect you. And if emotions are heightened, they do become confused and worried and want to make you feel better, and they will protect you at all costs. 

Please, consider you pets and their wants and needs too, don't become so wrapped up in each other you forget the protector of the family. 

 

 

Yes Scientists, Animals can think for themselves

While everyone is oohing and aahing over the cute octopus using coconut shells for shelter and as a safe place, it brought to mind my junior year in high school and my anatomy and physiology instructor. I don't even remember his name, but I will always remember this statement, " Animals cannot think for themselves, they only know what you teach them." I remember thinking back then what a crock and I still think he's an idiot. Anyone who lives with animals knows better.

So then why for all of us who know better and learn from our pets, are we all surprised that animals can think for themselves? Or that they problem solve? There are stories all the time of our closest relatives, the primates, using tools for many different tasks, like sticks to check water depth, or stones to open food or process food differently. Sea Otters who have long used stones to open  shellfish (clams, oysters, etc) to enjoy the good stuff within. Racoons that wash or moisten their food to eat and can open any garbage can we care to invent to keep them out of it, and they manage to get it open within minutes.

Or as the video shows below a compiliation of animals using simple things and solving problems to get to their goal.

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/2En6zyJPs3I" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

So, again I ask, why are we surprised or amused by this? Sometimes we need to look to the animals to learn to think outside the "box" to solve problems. They are the original creative thinkers, perhaps we need to think more simply, more creatively and not over think things. Because when you over think things they never really work as well as you perhaps envisioned in the first place.

I know my bunch are very creative thinkers, and they are great observers of human failings and inattentions. Take for instance, Yummy my big cat, he can figure out who is the most likely to not be as attentive at the doors when going in and out or letting the dogs out so he can escape. Lil'Shit was a very creative thinker in his younger days, and he still is I guess. He figured out like the dog in the video how to use the desk chair (which rolls), to get onto the desk by the kitchen counter and onto said counter to eat the left over burrito my husband kindly left for him. He also learned how to get onto windowsills and if there were blinds in the way, get through them (by chewing through them) to enable him to sit and watch for me to come home. Lately though, he doesn't get around too well in his age and sometimes seems very senile, but he's still smart, the little bugger. He now has a game that changes daily to work to avoid going back outside after feeding. I watch the intelligence that is very visible in my brother's collie's eyes. And I for one am a believer that talking to them through the expressions in your eyes and verbally enhances the intelligence and betters your communication with them.

I am sure that at least 50% of the scientists who study animal behavior are pet owners, and if they are, why aren't they learning what their pets teach them at home? I'm sure they'd say to them and us, "Think outside the box, use your creativity,  live simply, and use only what you need to to survive. And be happy with each day."

 

 

The very sad and tortuous reality of pure bred dogs

I am not sure how I stumbled across this report from the BBC in 2008, but it has left me angry and heartbroken for the poor animals. It was a documentary from the BBC on the ugly truth about purebred dog breeding. We have so inbred these poor animals all in the quest for the "perfect" dog that we are killing them. And while the BBC focused on the Kennel Club rules and such, our American Kennel Club is no better. There is no regulation or stoppage of inbreeding.

Inbreeding is breeding a daughter back to a sire, or the son to the dam, or siblings. This was all done in the quest to obtain the perfect features, and traits. And for many many unfortunate pups, early suffering and death.

This was probably the best video link  on it I could find. It is posted on MySpace, and is titled:  Pedigree Dogs Exposed 



Of course there were numerous responses for this documentary. One is posted on Wikipedia ,  and there are several others out there if you Google it.

Again, as in the inhumane treatment of dogs we see through the raids done by the ASPCA and HSUS for puppy mills, here we have a majority of breeders unintentionally creating a devastatingly cruel situation for the pups they produce. Granted, I accept that not all breeders are intentionally irresponsible this way.  BUT there are those out there only focused on the money and refining the breeds.

I also must admit until this video I did not think much about "properly" bred pups. I had owned one many years ago, and while I was very much bothered when the breeder told me that the dam had been bred back to her sire, I never had expected to see my pup suffer as he got older and eventually had to be put down because of neurological issues. Since then I have owned almost all rescues or been given the few I have. I have one dog now who is the daughter of my male, Lil' Shit. If I can help it though I will never intentionally buy another "pure bred" pup. It is not fair to them. And it is wrong to encourage this type of breeding. And cats are no different regarding pure breds.

I guess what I am saying is PLEASE Watch the documentary before you consider buying a purebred pup. And even though they are so cute and lovely to behold, by buying that pup, you are encouraging that breeder to breed more pups who will be devastatingly in pain and ill. And we need to make sure the kennel clubs get the message that inbreeding is wrong. That the dogs you see today are not what they once were originally, even remotely close to what they were.

Please watch the video, here is the link again, http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=44215931  Having a purebred dog is no longer right nor a status symbol. Personally I feel that if you support adoption of abandoned and strays, you are saying ever so much more positive things about your character and you as a person than you would if you "had to have the purebred" to show how great you are. Having the purebred for vanity only tells me that you are vain and shallow and care nothing about anything but your image. Sorry, but that's how it comes across.

Again, please take time to watch the video, and care enough to perhaps make the changes needed. It only takes one person convincing 2 or 3 others and each of those convince 2 or 3 more, and it goes on and and make a profound impact. Why are we making these poor babies suffer because of our vanity or what we think they should be? We aren't God, we shouldn't be playing him either.

Is the media and our culture to blame?

Reading the headlines and news articles this morning is depressing. The article that caught my eye was an AP article about the massive amounts of Chihuahuas being abandoned in shelters in California. As we humans are a morbid bunch, I read the article, knowing it wasn't a very happy article.



The article cites that the shelters in California are up by over 30% for intakes of chihuahuas and small dogs. Many blame our media and culture on the initial popularity of the breed, celebs like Paris Hilton and movies like Beverly Hill Chihuahua. Then as soon as the "new" wears off, they are being dumped by the hundreds.

Despite it's size a small dog can be just as expensive for care as a large dog. And if you have small children, you quickly find that small dogs are not suited well to a household with small children. For one, a small dog is much more breakable than a larger or stockier breed. And small dogs tend to be more timid and can nip or bite quicker when they feel threatened. Small dogs prefer to bond with one or two people.



However, chihuahuas aren't the only small victims of our media and culture, Guinea pigs are also being abandoned by the hundreds. Our shelter alone has quite a few guinea pigs and other small rodents for adoption.



Other animals like ferrets and  rabbits are also left looking for care and homes. And species or breed specific rescue organizations are filled to capacity too.

My heart breaks for all these homeless animals, being bred by the thousands, bought as presents or because they are the "animal d'jour"  or the latest fashion trend. Then they are being disposed of, abandoned by the thousands by uncaring people or people who find themselves financially incapable of caring for them anymore, or because their kid lost interest, or being left to starve in the foreclosed house. And with the economy still in the tank, there just isn't anywhere for them to go anymore. Millions of animals are being put to sleep (euthanized) daily because they are overbred and there is simply no home for them.

And yes, I do blame the media for alot of this predicament. Animals have really become a "fashion statement" or a statement of how well off a person is. Many people feel the need to show to the world how affluent they are by owning only a purebred, etc. And when the poor animal becomes a nuisance or out of fashion, it is disposed of without a care for it.  Less and less is seen about the truth of the over population of pets, and what happens to them. Even less is seen in the media about responsible pet ownership or spaying and neutering so animals like these don't have to die for our vanity. Even if you read today's article on the overpopulation of chihuhuas in the CA shelters, you won't see the mention of spaying or neutering your pets at all. Just a mention that these little dogs most likely come from puppy mills. And a great majority of puppy mill dogs sold in pet stores have many inherent health problems.

Yes, for those of us who do care, we need to help spread the word, educate friends and family about not buying purebreds, many great purebreds and dogs period come from adoption from shelters. We also need to help educate for spaying and neutering. If you must give a pet for the holidays, give the recipient a leash and collar and perhaps a gift certificate from the local shelter, or take them there to pick out their pet, and pay for the adoption. Let's all promise for the new year to help reduce the overpopulation of pets and help to decrease the numbers from the shelters by vowing that your next pet will be from the shelter.

Watching your pets for diabetes symptoms

This was my Scooter, who developed secondary diabetes from original pancreatitis. She left me after developing Cushings and Congestive Heart Failure, all complications from the original pancreatitis.



Adapted from a newsletter from American Diabetes Wholesale, by Dr. Gary Edelson, DVM

My cat, Tiger, has been drinking a lot of water and losing weight. My veterinarian diagnosed diabetes, but what does this mean?

Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common endocrine diseases of dogs and cats. To better understand the disease process, let's review the normal metabolism of an animal. The body's cells need energy in the form of glucose, a sugar, which is delivered by the bloodstream. Unless the hormone insulin is present, the body cannot absorb the glucose to use as energy. The pancreas, an organ that is located next to the stomach and small intestine, produces insulin into the bloodstream to regulate blood sugar. In addition to secreting insulin, the pancreas secretes digestive enzymes into the small intestine to aid in digestion.

Insulin acts like a key to “unlock” the cell so glucose can enter from the blood. Inside the cell, glucose is either used for energy immediately or stored for future use in the form of glycogen. Without the key (insulin) to unlock the cell, glucose builds up in the bloodstream, resulting in too much glucose (hyperglycemia) in the blood, which causes problems.

When the glucose is about double the normal value in the blood, the kidneys cannot process it properly and the level increases in the urine (glucosuria). Glucose in the urine leads to increased production of urine (polyuria) as water is drawn out with the glucose, and consequently more water consumption (polydypsia) results. In addition, an increased appetite results as the sugar present in their blood cannot be utilized without being unlocked by the key - insulin. As time goes on, the body uses protein, starch and fat for energy. When diabetes is left undiagnosed, ketones, a waste product, accumulates leading to vomiting, dehydration and depression. The disease can ultimately progress to coma and death if untreated.

Diabetes mellitus is a classic disease in humans and has been classified into two main forms: type I (juvenile, insulin dependant) and type II (adult, non-insulin dependant). With type I diabetes, there is no insulin (key) production by the pancreas. With type II diabetes, the shape of the lock and key is different, so even though the insulin is present, it cannot be utilized. Nearly all dogs have type I diabetes, whereas their feline counterparts are mostly type II diabetic.

The cause of diabetes in dogs and cats is multifactorial. In dogs, there maybe a genetic predisposition where German Shepherd dogs, Schnauzers, Beagles and Poodles have an increased risk. Golden Retrievers and Keeshonds are most predisposed to developing type I. Middle aged (6-9 years old), female dogs are more likely to develop diabetes. In contrast, male cats that have been neutered (fixed) over 6 years old are predisposed.

The four main clinical signs of diabetes are excessive drinking, urinating, eating and increased weight loss despite an increased appetite. If any of the signs above are recognized in your four-legged friend, contact your veterinarian immediately as it may be a sign of a serious illness.

One other thing I would like to point out, is that in the case of most cats, as the Dr stated, it is multifactorial, meaning there are several other endocrine or gastrointestinal diseases that can trigger diabetes. I do not personally agree with the statistic on neutered male cats being more predisposed than others. It can happen to any cat.

There are several theories concerning the onset of diabetes in our pets. One is the feeding of commercial pet foods that are actually inappropriate for your pet, this can cause triad's disease, or pancreatitis. Feeding too many or rancid fats, people food, etc. can bring on these also. Other diseases can create secondary problems like diabetes, this can also be Acromealgy, Cushings, and several others. In our pets, their systems are smaller and the digestive tract is shorter than ours, so say they have inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), this can travel up the ducts to affect the pancreas and liver.  Diet plays a very big role for our pet's health as Dr. Pierson notes below.

Dr. Lisa Pierson, DVM  points out these facts:

Diabetes is one of the most common feline endocrine diseases and, while we do  not know all of the causes of this complex disease, we do know that many diabetic cats cease needing insulin or have their insulin needs significantly decrease once their dietary carbohydrate level is decreased to a more species-inappropriate level than that found in many commercial foods. 

Although all dry foods are too high in carbohydrates, please be aware that many canned foods also contain far too many carbohydrates making them very poor choices for cats.

Feeding a diabetic cat a high carbohydrate diet is analogous to pouring gasoline on a fire and wondering why you can't put the fire out. 

Cats are obligate carnivores and are not designed by nature to consume a high carbohydrate diet.

Dogs aren't necessarily obligate carnivores, but the main make up of their diet should be a good quality meat base. Dogs have a very hard time digesting corn and wheat. Rice is tolerated, but grains aren't the best for them either. I mean come on, how many dogs, or cats for that matter, do you see out hunting grain? Yes they may eat grass, but then that isn't a grain, it is the leaf and thereby could be considered a vegetable.  And usually eating grass is to help them purge their stomachs, and leave you a wonderful vomit puddle where you really don't want it. Be sensible, their teeth are built for meat eating, not grain eating.

I will keep saying it over an over, the first 3 minimum ingredients in your pet's diet should be meat and meat broth, not meal or by products, and if there is to be a grain, it should be rice and it should be lower on the list.

So, getting back to the original topic, also watch your pet for excessive vomiting, and very liquid loose stools that may be smelly or have some blood in them, this can be a sign of pancreatitis and IBD, which can lead to diabetes. On the urination bit, if the urine smells sweet, or is sticky, then you know you have sugar in the urine. And any dramatic weight loss despite the amount of food you feed (diabetic pets can't get enough to eat) is a cause for alarm, and they should go to the vet immediately.

Dogs, Snow and Beanbags

Ok, so we've gotten hit with a pretty good snow storm last night and this morning. And we had a delay by 5am for work, so I tried to sleep in. I had to giggle quietly listening to my brother let all the dogs out and do the feeding routine this morning, knowing my 3 don't like the white, wet, cold stuff. I am sure they ran out did their business and sat at the door shivering while looking martyred. His two I am sure thought it was a blast. And when I did get up, it was obvious by the tracks in the back yard all over, that this was so. Usually as soon as the dogs finish eating they go back outside to do more business. He had a roadblock there. My three weren't at all excited about that idea!

I don't think they were outside longer than two minutes than he gave in to the martyred look and the heavy shivering from my three and let them in. Of course he thought he'd get his two to come in too. He had a hell of a time convincing them to come in and quit frolicking in the snow. His dogs aren't used to a whole lot of snow in Portland, so they think this is fun, then come in and jump right back into bed with my sister in-law. I was expecting shrieks for that idea, however, I was disappointed.





My little old man then came up to the top of the stairs at the kiddie gate and started whining to be in with us. Oh well, so much for sleeping in. So here I am, blogging a bit this morning, ending up with a day off (thankfully due to weather), and watching him sleep in one of the bean bags. I do believe he and his daughter, Thumbelina, think we bought those bean bags just for them. Or that they are the best invention since sliced bread.

He likes the pink one as it's a bit smaller and easier for him to nest in.

What do you think your pet does all day?

Today's bit comes about from an article on MSNBC.com about what cats do all day when you're not around. They apparently did a study with about 50 housecats and a collar with a video cam. The results for me anyway were somewhat expected, but I guess others thought otherwise.

I think most of us would like to think our loving little furballs either sleep the day away or watch from some window for us to come home to entertain them. Not quite..... They're busy little bodies, playing, watching kitty tv (watching life go by out the windows), tormenting or playing with the other pets in the household, getting into mischief, and only 6% of the time is actually spent sleeping. For cats anyways. Some are a tad destructive or fascinated with other household item to keep themselves entertained, like this kitty who found the water flushing in the toilet fascinating.

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For our bundles of bouncy drooling joy, the dogs,  some of them for the most part are pretty mellow and lounge around or watch the world go by out the window. But there is the occasional dog who will be pissed off that you leave him alone all day or has separation anxiety.



They can get into mischief. Some even sing or howl or bark all day when you are gone. If yours is a singer (howler) your neighbors will be sure to let you know this as it can be rather disruptive. Usually it's the single dogs who do this. And sometimes having a companion they can bond with like another dog or even a cat will provide them the company and a playmate.

I know when Lil'Shit was younger if he was mad at us for some reason he was quite the acrobat and would get up on the darndest places and wreak havoc, so that I came home to a visual and tangible mess to document his displeasure. Usually it was the coffee table being cleared off, or if he found tissues, or paper towels or the like they would be shredded everywhere. We learned to pen him and the others up whenever we left the house just for sanity's sake and to preserve things. Now he'll howl and get all the others singing too usually as we are falling asleep just to let us know he's not happy with us.

But unless we're ready to install video surveillance while we're out I guess we don't really know what they're up to unless they leave us an aftermath display for us to draw conclusions from.

So.... do you really know what your pets do when you're not home or even asleep for that matter?

Holiday giving, going beyond to help your shelter

I mentioned I would post other ideas and things to help your local shelters. Well I wanted to talk about a dear friend who truly goes above and beyond to help our shelter. She is also a very big supporter of spaying and neutering your pets so we don't have the sad jobs of euthanizing so many unwanted animals.

Some time ago she decided to raise money to help the shelter help others with a spay and neuter fund. She and her husband own a local business here, for auto repair. In her spare minutes she makes these magnificent origami peace cranes and sells them at $5 each. All the proceeds of the sales goes to the shelter's spay and neuter fund. She also takes in gently used books to sell for a buck or two and that money also goes to the fund.

Those of us who are honored to have her as a friend also catch her contagious drive to help with all efforts to raise funds and supplies for our shelter. This past summer, she got us all out to go through our closets to clean out old linens, blankets, towels etc to donate and to compete to help donate the most pet food as the shelter had just taken in a fair amount of dogs from a hoarder north of our town and they needed help to provide for care for the new residents. My goodness, not only alot of us, her friends, turned out to help, but her customers filled a vehicle with pet food to donate also.

Her current project is the new thrift shop at the shelter's spay and neuter and wellness clinic in town and raising donated items to sell there to help raise funds.  She has asked us to donate to the store directly or bring them to her business and she'll make sure they make it to the store.

She truly is an amazing and inspiring lady. We all love her dearly and are very honored to have her as our friend.

Here are some of her peace cranes, if you are interested in them, please let me know and I'll be happy to email you with her information to order one.

Pet Obesity.....

Lately you read a lot about the human population and how obesity has literally become an epidemic  in the US. Well it isn't just us humans who are reaching epidemic proportions, it's out pets also who are suffering from obesity.

Face the facts here, like us over 40% of our pets are obese and dangerously overweight. Obesity shortens their lives also and creates compounding illnesses, such as Diabetes, Arthritis, Pancreatitis, Inflammatory bowel disease, Congestive Heart Failure, Cardiac disease, thyroid problems and a myriad of other problems.

One myth on the cause of obesity, spaying or neutering your pet will cause obesity. This is absolutely untrue. Any pet, altered or not will gain weight if it is over fed and not exercised enough. And aging will naturally alter a pet's metabolism, therefore burning off calories at a slower rate.

Types of overweight pets:

The Nibbler: this type probably has access to food all day, and nibbles off and on all day. Thereby giving you the impression that they hardly eat anything. However..... over a 24 hour period they have probably taken in an excessive amount of food and thereby gaining weight.

The Beggar: This type has learned that by begging, (the sad starving puppy look) or by being annoying they can get what they want which is your food and scraps. They have trained you to give in to their desires and cravings for things that probably aren't the best for them in the first place. The more fuss and noise they make the more likely they will be rewarded with food.

The Good Pet: This one is overweight because the owner's signal of affection has been focused on feeding. Usually each person in the household will secretly offer the pet treats and doesn't know the other people are doing the exact same thing. Unfortunately for the pet, too much of this can be a bad thing.

The Gourmet Pet:  The usual excuse to the vet will be, "But Doctor, she just refuses to eat her pet food!" In thi scase the pet has trained it's owners to feed it select foods like chicken, ice cream, cookies, etc. Although some table scraps are ok to feed, and there may be times when you need to feed a special made food (i.e. boiled chicken and rice), this type of pet has been given a choice of what it wants to eat and it has chosen people food. This type also usually overeats because it isn't getting a proper balance of nutrition, plus everything to him tastes so good there is a reward factor in eating.

Ok, so how do you help your pet be healthier and live a longer, happier, more energetic life? Well here are some ideas....

Find a good quality food, you choose, the pet doesn't. A grain free or one with very low carbs. Pets need more protein than carbs and grains really aren't so good for them. The first 3 minimum ingredients should be meats, or meat broth. No meat by products, or meal, these are just the unedible parts, like beaks, feet, feathers, etc. Canned is preferred over dry. Dry simply does not have enough moisture content, and is too easy for it to get spoiled. When you are feeding a good quality food with good quality meats,  your pet will require less as it is using all of the food for nutrition and to keep their systems running properly. Weight loss foods simply don't work, they are lower in protein and higher in the fillers, carbs. One way to know you are feeding a good diet is the amount and how often your pet defecates. When they are using the maximum of their food, their stools will be much smaller, much less frequency, mostly dry looking and will crumble easily, and don't smell hardly anymore!

Take your pet on longer walks, play more, or find your area dog park so he can socialize and play with others. For your cat, provide more toys to keep him entertained and moving more.

And always make sure there is fresh water available. Change your pets diet slowly, this helps avoid digestive upsets, and yes, it is ok to provide a variety of good meals so they don't get bored with one flavor or type.

You will find as you get your pet on a good food, that the weight will come off, slowly, but it will come off and they will maintain a healthy weight. And as their body adjusts to having nutritional food in it, instead of fillers that don't do anything for them, that their craving and amount they eat will decrease naturally too.

There are many resources of good feeding practices on the web, my favorite is Dr. Lisa Pierson, DVM's site: www.catinfo.org , however, her site mostly pertains to cats. But the basics are not that different for dogs.

Giving pets for gifts during the holidays

  Thought I would post a bit on this issue as the holidays are here. Many, many puppies, kittens and bunnies are given as gifts during the holiday season. And many, come March, find their way back into shelters looking for a home again. Mostly because the "new" has worn off and the true scope of pet care and responsibility has set in.

Before you think about getting that cute puppy or kitten for someone or for your child, please remember that a pet is for life, not just for Christmas. There is a lot of forethought that needs to go into giving someone or a child a pet. Unless you are an integral role in the family, you wont know what kind of animal would fit in best with their household, and situation. If you are a family member, a family meeting should be held so that everyone  can openly express their thoughts and ideas or likes and dislikes regarding pets. In addition, a discussion should happen about who will will take on what chores  will make things easier in the long run.

Research on proper care and the necessary equipment should be done beforehand. While something like a large dog breed might have sounded good, might need scaling back to a smaller breed that will cost less to maintain. And puppies and kittens are always adorable, but an older animal might be easier to incorporate into a busy household where both adults work.

On a more emotional and philosophical level, should a living creature ever be given as a gift? Do you think perhaps that it belittles the animal, reducing him or her to a mere possession like a doll or puppet that can be bought and sold, and passed on from one individual to another as a token of their consideration or affection? Shelters, rescuers and even some breeders refer to placing animals in homes as adopting them out. Their thought is that the adoptee then becomes a member of the family, rather than a possession obtained through the reception of a gift.

If the previous concerns have not dissuaded you, I might suggest that you rethink your timing.

Introducing a new animal into a household during the tumultuous holiday season is generally an invitation for trouble. Homes are bedecked with poisonous plants, lit candles and fragile decorations, all of which are decidedly not pet-friendly. People in the house are stressed out and preoccupied and routines suffer as people rush to and fro to go to parties, visiting loved ones, and possible vacations. Think about if it is fair to the animal to come into a chaotic environment to start with. Think about too if there is really time for housebreaking a new puppy or conducting the water tests necessary to set up a new aquarium? In most households, the answer would be a resounding "no."

Does the 3 year old child know what caring for a pet really means, and cries the first time Puppy nips or bites her on the hand while the two are playing. Mom and Dad then take the puppy off in the car and drop him off at the local animal shelter along with the three to five million other dogs and cats returned to shelters each year.

Sometimes though you have given thought to every possible angle and the present actually works out. But not always.

If you are giving thought to this,  and you still want to give a pet as a gift, I would sincerely like to encourage you to give thought to adopting a shelter or rescue pet to give. We have so many beautiful homeless animals out there already looking for their forever home wouldn't it be just as wonderful help them have a home and someone to love for the holidays too?

Think things through and discuss with the others if this is what you really want for the holidays. And perhaps fostering a pet for the holiday would be a good trial run.  But do remember that there is fear and anxiety on the part of the animal too coming to a new home a people that he or she doesn't know, there is always a big adjustment on all sides and learning to co-exist and adapt to one another. Be sure you have the time and the capability. When you take in an animal you are taking full responsibility for it's care and life, treat that life with love, compassion, and respect.

Dose of Cuteness for Today

My brother shared this link with me, I had to share it with you all, it's simply too cute.

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Updates on our fur family and doggie art

  This is Corny, actually waiting for someone to say that they'll play with him.

It's been a couple of weeks now with the new critters in the house. The dogs for the most part all get along great! Corny and Biscuit very much enjoy the backyard, and having them go in and out off an on during the day has helped most of my bunch go outside more.  Which is always a good thing with little dogs.

Saturday morning it snowed a little here, of course it hit the ground and melted right away, but it was snowing. Corny loved being outside and playing. I also got to see him do dribble art. My brother says he does this all the time and he's making art, I wasn't sure whether or not I believed him until I saw the dog doing it. I'll try to describe what he does. There were a couple of things on the back porch (concrete pad) that had collected water from the melted snow and rain. Corny would put his feet in the water or get water in his mouth and on his snout, then he would wander around the porch with his nose down watching intently as he dribbled onto the concrete in patterns. He was very intent and serious about this. Needless to say I was  a bit flabbergasted.  I have decided when it's a bit warmer and I have a vid camera ready I'll try to film him doing it and post it here.

My littlest dog, Thumbelina and the Peke, Biscuit have obviously gotten to be buddies now. Where he goes pretty much, she goes, and vice versa. And she'll even play with Biscuit and Corny. However, Biscuit has another obsession he's developed. Our neighbor has a beagle and a dacshund and a young grandkid. Their dogs bark at us if someone is in the yard, and our dogs bark at them. Well Biscuit loves to go over to the fence and watch and bark at the other doggies, he really is trying to meet them. So they have this very intense conversation through the fence, unless their dogs aren't out, then he'll wait at the fence for them to come out to "talk". Sometimes it's hard to get him back inside.

My buddy Lil'Shit prefers to stay warm and cuddle a lot with us.  He is getting less and less coordinated lately, and I worry about him. He is less comfortable outside, so I have to be sure to keep puppy wee wee pads down. Thank god for tile floors! He will always go on the pad though. Overall though, he's been a good boy.

Cats..... Well where Yummy is concerned, it has been a trial. He has become a tyrannical bully lately. He has Corny completely buffaloed, all he has to do is hiss at him, and the dog will give him a wide berth. He is also intent on bullying and fighting with my brother's cat, Chronic. At first water squirt bottles would help chase him off, not so much now, he gets a one track mind and there is no deterring him except to lock him out of the room for a bit. Then he gets all pissy and goes and takes his frustration out on Djinn. What a mess he is! I think the Feliway is preciptating the fights now. Because it seems that the only areas that Yummy will attack Chronic is in the areas the Feliway is. Believe I will go unplug it when I get home this evening.

Djinn has figured out the big furry beast isn't going to eat him and could care less that Djinn is anywhere. He still sneaks by Biscuit most of the time though. But overall he's doing just fine.

Of course this past weekend, the dogs were a mess about food and stuff during our meal time. Poppy had absolutely no manners whatsoever! She quickly figured out the new person was a sucker and perhaps we could steal food off the plate. Naughty girl...... My dogs never used to beg for food at the table or during our mealtimes, my mother changed that. For the brief time I lived at home in 99, my mother would give the dogs scraps at the table. It used to drive me nuts! The only one who doesn't beg or run around under the table is Lil'Shit. My brother and sister in-law think it's humorous at mealtimes because of the sound Poppy makes. She will methodically run around the table and under it sniffling for crumbs or dropped food. The funny part is when she is sniffing she sounds just like a grunting little piglet. And nothing deters her from this routine. And don't even think of trying to retrieve the dropped item, it would be like putting said hand into a piranha tank, you're liable to get mistaken for noms and get bitten. Sad thing is, I rarely if ever feed any table scraps, only once in a very great while would I give them anything, and even then it's never at the table, only after everyone has finished eating.

Oh life is never dull around our house, no siree.

Declawing cats and other regularly practiced forms of cruelty

I have to give kudos to some California cities recently. Back in 2003, West Hollywood California outlawed declawing cats noting that it is in an of itself a form of animal cruelty. More recently several other California cities have followed suit. I am very happy to hear this. And yes, it has always been in the back of my mind that this practice was barbaric and extremely cruel.



Wikipedia gives this description of declawing:

Onychectomy is an operation to surgically remove the claws and part of the toes, most often of a household cat, though occasionally of other animals such as circus lions or dancing bears. This process involves amputating all or part of the distal phalanx, or end bone, of the animal's toes, and is popularly known as declawing.

Although common in North America, declawing is rarely practiced outside North America and is considered an act of animal cruelty in certain other regions (see "Declawing practices" below).

Apparently other regions in the country have outlawed it also.

Back in the 70's I worked for a veterinarian in Florida. I cried the first time I watched him "de-claw" a young cat. At that time all he did was anesthetize the cat, and using regular toenail (scissor type) clippers, lopped off the nail and last joint at the "knuckle". Imagine taking those selfsame clippers and removing your fingernail permanently at the first knuckle. But the poor kitties, coming out of anesthesia and you could see the pain in their eyes, you could see that it hurt to stand on the bandaged feet. My grandmother had her last two cats declawed, and they were forever tender on their feet, and were terrified to have them touched at all. The same type thing was done for removing puppy dew claws. Except curved scissors were used then to stop the bleeding a styptic powder or q-tip used on the wound. No anesthesia, and it was done within days of birth.

Docking tails on puppies wasn't much better as they were done so young and there was no anesthesia done on puppies. And Docking was done with a pair of sharp surgical scissors, and then a couple stitches put in. At least pups who were to have their ears cut, got the benefit of anesthesia. But it was after ear cutting that they had problems. In order to get the ears to "stand" tongue depressors with, hopefully cotton taped to the bottom, would be inserted in the ears, then the ear tips taped to the depressor to train the ear to stand straight up. This was done mostly on breeds like Dobermans, Pit  Bulls, Great Danes, and Schnauzers. Either way, it was still a painful and traumatic experience for the animals.

Other animals suffer tail docking also. Sheep are docked, mostly using very tight rubber bands to cause the circulation to stop and the end of the tail to drop off. Many horse breeds still have their tails docked as foals either for "fashion" or because they still believe that without docking working horses' tails that they become entangled in harnesses, or will cause other problems or are difficult to deal with.

Any of these for any animals is unacceptable anymore. It is mutilation, plain and simple. Fine if we make a conscious decision to mutilate ourselves, but why should we purposely mutilate our animals?

Why would you declaw? People who are very vain about their furniture will cite they don't want the cat to scratch the furniture, or them. Well then, provide plenty of scratching posts sprayed or rubbed with catnip to attract them to their "furniture" rather than yours. And yes you can train a cat, it's easier than you think.

Why dock tails? Vanity? On horses, how do they swat flies then? Flyspray is really ineffective, flies happen period. Their tails are the best defense. On dogs? Why? Is it because you are afraid the tail will sweep off your coffee table? Is it the style? No need for the style anymore.

Some old timers think animals don't feel  the pain, they are just an animal. Uh excuse me? What makes them think this? Do they know personally that young animals, babies included here, don't feel pain at losing an appendage? Do you think an infant wouldn't feel it if you cut off his finger at the first knuckle? No different than declawing or docking. All the same actually, you are cutting off an appendage at a joint.

Ear cropping or docking, hoo boy, talk about a fashion gone way out of acceptance and style. Every so often I read about people cutting off their pit puppy's ears with common scissors and getting busted for it and charged with animal cruelty. They used to cut of pit's ears to give less purchase or one less appendage to be torn to shreds by the dog it is fighting. It's awful, ears provide protection to the inner ear of the dog. So stupid.

And my last gripe of the day is this, Spay and neuter your pets! Even "responsible" breeders are only adding to and compounding the over population problem. Majority of the litter your un-altered animal gives birth too is probably going to be euthanized because it cannot find a home.

While I don't agree with PETA most of the time. I mean their topics are not bad ones, they just get a little over exuberant on their efforts, this poster is probably one of the best ones I've see in support of spay and neuter.

Following up....

After yesterday's post with the brief blurb about the Shelter in Elkhart Indiana and the massive amount of abandoned pets they receive monthly (the original article on MSNBC). Apparently this plight touched many hearts nationwide and the donations have poured in, and people offering to adopt and pay to have the animals shipped to them. Read on the followup here.

Personally I feel this shouldn't have had to happen in the first place. We should all take the time to be concious about our own area shelters and instead of turning a blind eye to the over crowding, or massive amounts of pets being euthanized, pay attention and help however we can.

Petfinder.com along with many shelters have a program going called; Foster a Lonely Pet for the Holidays  This program is another good way to help ease the overcrowding, share love with an animal and perhaps help that animal find it's forever home.

 This is Thanksgiving Day, share some love, compassion and give thanks to those who work to help save lives.

Shelters, abandoned pets, and animals needing help

There are some upsetting things happening to animals that perhaps I feel we should pay attention to.



Currently I see more and more articles about pets being abandoned in record numbers. As the economy fell, and people started losing jobs, one of the first things they gave up to save a little money was their pets. One shelter in Elkhart Indiana is reporting an average of 600 to 700 animals being dropped off there a month, and sometimes as many as 30 animals a day, they are overcrowded and in crisis mode. They are also having to put the majority of those animals to sleep. They aren't the only ones in crisis. Local pet rescues or foster groups and sanctuaries are also running out of space, food and funds.

Many towns who have food depots for people who need the extra help for food are also taking pet food donations to help people care for their pets, so that they don't have to give them up. It is done with the hope that by providing food and for some areas, veterinary assistance the animals won't be given up and can stay in the home, and thereby help ease the load on the shelters.

There were also many, many reports about pets and livestock being abandoned when a house was being foreclosed. Many of these pets were just left in the house to "fend for themselves", or turned loose to survive on their own. I am not sure what the owners of these animals were thinking when they did this. Is it pride? Are they embarrassed to take the animal to a shelter or sanctuary and admit they can no longer care for it? Do they not realize that what they are doing to the animal is much much crueler than voluntarily giving it up?

Pets are just as hurt and confused and heartbroken as a human might be when going through all this.   The separation from all that they know, the upheaval, the fear of the unknown, yes they share those feelings.

Then there are the shelters who are closing because they have no funds coming in, as in the case of one in Colorado. And there is no knowing where the animals will go or if they'll just be euthanized.

The one thing that is most upsetting for me that I am seeing more and more articles on are reports of shelters with poor public relations, or very poor policies on how long they will hold an animal that is picked up and not claimed. Or poor and abusive management or directorship.

I read one incident in another pet forum about a shelter in Pennsylvania (I have not been able to corroborate this yet) about their policy of only holding an animal for 48 hours from pickup. Apparently this person posting this had a friend who had been out of town and had someone taking care of their dog. The dog got out and was picked up. When it was discovered and the shelter was called to see if they had a dog with that description, they were told no, no dog of that description. The reason for the no, was that the dog had already been euthanized. Apparently this is standard practice for this shelter.

Poor management happens. A shelter in Memphis, Tennessee has fired it's director for animal cruelty and abuse and an inability to follow proper procedures for euthanizing animals. It was also found this person had a previous history of this at the shelter in Albuquerque, NM. There are other articles out there about poor shelter management, doing a Google search turned up many such articles and complaints.

Despite all this sadness, there are good things. Like people coming together for a cause, extending their capacity a bit to help take in an animal, to help provide food and care through donations for those that may need it. And to help get the word out about local resources for people in crisis to help care for their pets.

To help with problem shelters Petfinder.com posts these tips:

Theres Something Rotten in My Town

Most animal shelters and humane societies are staffed with dedicated, caring individuals and operated with the animals best interests at heart. But should you ever come across a substandard organization

 

• Document problems before taking action. Write times, places and specific problems in a journal. Be specific. Be reasonable. Be sure.


• Talk to the shelter staff and management. Focus on apparent problems and learn why they exist. Then explore ways to help remedy them: improve phone service or animal care by volunteering; prepare a grant proposal to fund kennel improvements; consult with local veterinarians about establishing a program of health care.


• Rather than pointing fingers, try to improve the shelter from the inside. Offer to join the board of directors if your skills make you a likely candidate to organize volunteers, to oversee a fund-raising event. Encourage other like-minded people to join you.


• If you meet resistance or indifference, you might take your concerns to the board of directors; or, if a municipal shelter, to the city or county administrator who oversees it. Enlist the help of sympathetic people with clout (public figures, donors, media folks) and expertise (veterinarians, animal welfare advocates).


• Rather than expending energy on a seemingly fruitless struggle, direct your energies elsewhere. Work to support a humane society that does have strong and effective programs. Or organize a group of individuals to fill a void in your community: establish a nonprofit low-cost spay/neuter clinic; fund spay/neuter surgeries for low-income dog and cat owners; establish a network of foster homes that will rescue animals, have them neutered, set adoption criteria, and place them in permanent homes.

Resources

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
424 East 92nd Street
New York, NY 10128-6804
212-876-7700
Contact The ASPCA for Throwaways, a spay/neuter video available in English or Spanish ($15); adoption posters and public service announcements (cost varies). The National Shelter Outreach department provides materials, resources, training, referrals and advice to animal protection organizations across the country and maintains a library of resource articles on www.petfinder.com. Email outreach@aspca.org.

American Humane Association
63 Inverness Drive East
Englewood, CO 80112
303-792-9900
AHAs offerings include national and regional training conferences for shelter workers; Protecting Animals magazine for shelter staff; a comprehensive shelter Operations Guide; large publications catalog (free); public service announcements and posters (cost varies).

Humane Society of the U.S.
2100 L Street, NW
Washington, DC 20037
202-452-1100
HSUS offers a free publications catalog; Simple Things You Can Do To Help End Pet Overpopulation booklet; Be a Pal (Prevent a Litter) kit; Animal Sheltering Magazine for shelter staff; national annual training conference and trade show; breeding moratorium campaign packet.

Take some time, if you truly care for and love animals, offer to be a foster home, or donate what you can in food or time or money to help make life easier for animals or ease the burden on your local shelter. Help get the word out to spay and neuter your animals. Maybe you are crafty like one of my good friends, she makes origami Peace cranes that she pays for the supplies and makes and sells for $5 each and all the proceeds goes to the shelter for their spay and neuter fund. She does these at her and her husband's place of business and sells them there. They really are beautiful and the monies raised do help the shelter and pet in our community. You can donate old towels, blankets, etc to the shelter, they always need those. If you know someone in trouble, find out all you can about local resources for the pets and owner, if you can even offer to provide the food for their pet if you have no local pet food depot. Or offer to care for the animal for awhile for them. Sometimes just these little things help a lot.

Anyhow, don't be a sideline watcher, get in there and help. It really doesn't take much time to do. Help stop the endless euthanasia of animals, do what you can!

The Tellington Ttouch, my experiences

Almost 2 years ago I literally fell into and became reacquainted with the Tellington Ttouch. I was researching another alternative medicine modality for my class and the page hit for Ttouch.com  kept coming up. I remembered when my brother back in the early 80's tried to get me interested in her technique which at that time, if I remember correctly,  was then just called the TTeam method and it primarily was for Horses. I guess at that time I wasn't interested or drawn to it. But this time, it felt as if I was meant to include it in my life.

So, for my research project and final paper I  learned about the Tellington Ttouch. I bought Linda Tellington's book The Tellington TTouch. From the moment I opened it to read it, I was sucked in. In the copy I have, there were very few illustrations to help me learn the technique. But I figured the basics out. And I would practice on the animals in the house. The dogs took to it very quickly, Mushy was also quick to become addicted, and Djinn took a little longer to accept it. Yum, eh, he didn't mind it, but it wasn't his cup of tea. So, I set out to learn more and found out that her headquarters were actually here in New Mexico. And as I poked around the website more, I found out that she was to be in town for a 3 hour seminar! I quickly bought 3 tickets to go.

I must admit I was very moved by Linda and the energy in the room. I got to visit with her briefly and she showed me the difference in the way I was holding my hand and fingers and helped show me the correct way to do the moves. Wow! I couldn't wait to get home and try it and perfect it on the pets.

Well, proof positive came to me that there are fundamental changes that occurred in my pets as I did more Ttouch with them and as it became an intuitive movement for me. As it became more intuitive it also opened the door for my reiki healing to flow so much easier than it ever had before. The cats who were shy, weren't anymore, or if they did not like to be held or loved on closely at all, changed so that they couldn't get close enough to me. Mushy was one of those. The dogs were much more settled around strangers than they had been. And animals that I had never met before, would be instinctively drawn to me and would lean into me to get closer.

As Mushy grew closer to me (I probably have blogged about this earlier) he reciprocated the love and healing back to me when I needed it through being very close to my chest and purring and altering his  frequency until it resonated within me for what needed healing. While Djinn is trying to fullfill Mushy's place and help when I need it, I really do feel Mushy's loss, he became my heart companion and I miss it.

I also learned to use it on myself and my husband. I found it to help him with digestive upsets and nausea, and help some with achey joints and inflammation.

Anyhow, now it has become an intuitive and integral part of me. And I have been using it to perhaps help all the animals in the house to help destress and calm down. It has had some interesting effects on one pup. The Peke, Biscuit, just simply loves it and blisses out. And now likes snuggling with me.  Corny the collie, likes it but prefers to stay focused on my brother. Their cat, Chronic, for some reason is terrified of me. This is very unusual for me, as I am primarily a cat person and have never ever had a cat be afraid of me. They have always been drawn to me. I cannot fathom why, unless for some reason my energy scares him. He'll come out, wander around but if he makes eye contact with me, he'll run or slink off. So other than when my brother first introduced me to him that first morning, I have not been able to have any contact with him. I am in hopes that he'll soon figure out that I'm not such a scary person.

This is Biscuit with his very blissful little expression while getting Ttouch.

Overall though, it has been a wonderful experience to learn the Ttouch, use it to help better another life. It certainly helps keep them healthier and more active as they age.  And it does help with fear and stress.

Guest Blog: Meet Cornelius (A.K.A. Corny / Corndog)

Meet Cornelius (A.K.A. Corny / Corndog)

Hi Corny tell us about yourself...

Corny: Well, I'm a Border Collie, Guess you could call me a tri-color Black and white with a bit of brown mixed in.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Corny:  Ummm  I sleep alot when im bored, I like to play ball... you got a ball I can play with? Food is good! hey look a ball... wait that's not a ball thats a duck... ooo it squeeks!  yay!!!  *SQUEEK**SQUEEK**SQUEEK**SQUEEK**SQUEEK**SQUEEK**SQUEEK**SQUEEK**SQUEEK**SQUEEK**SQUEEK*!

Uh... Corny Tay appension....

Corny: uh ....ok. sorry.

So do you like to go for walks?

Corny: Oh yeah!  You got a leash? Lets go? Hey look a ball!  Oh wait... Walk cmon let's go...let's go!let's go!let's go!let's go!let's go!let's go!let's go!let's go!

Hold on buddy...  just a few more questions? 

Corny:  Ummmm ok....

How do you feel about cat's?

Corny: Oh... They're ok...  I like Cats.  Although there was one cat Katelyn,  She used to pick on me alot.

Ummm You're a dog and a big one at that... how does a 15 pound cat pick on you?

Corny:  You dunno Katelyn... She was mean.  And claws hurt!

So you just moved here from Portland right? 

Corny: Where's here?  I just know im not where I used to be at home.  bunches of little doggies here...  They Bark alot.

Did it take a long time to get here to Santa Fe?

Corny: It...took...FOREVER.  It was so cramped in the car with me and mom and Christy and Biscuit and Chronic.   But I was a good dog.  I let them know when I needed to go potty and behaved myself and I got treats (I..just...love...Cheezburgers!) OH And when we were in this place called denver a big red truck went by and was singing real loud it made my ears hurt so I sang back and I guess it hurt Biscuits ears too because he was singing too AWROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooo! You got a Cheezburger?

LOL no I don't but maybe later we can get one...

So how do you like it here

Corny:  Lot's of little doggies! and new Kitties...I like kitties.  Although they close me up now with the other doggies when they all go out and one of the little doggies took my bed and growls at me when I try to lay on it.  She's so mean...  But now theres a big yard I can go and explore...  I like to explore lots of new smells! Hey look a ball!  *NOM**NOM**NOM**NOM**NOM*

Hey Corny?

*NOM**NOM**NOM**NOM**NOM**NOM**NOM**NOM**NOM**NOM*

Corny?

*NOM**NOM**NOM**NOM**NOM**NOM**NOM**NOM**NOM**NOM*

Darnit...

Moving along....

Ok, I can happily say the doggies are getting into the routine bit quite well and are overall socializing well. Well being relative I guess where Poppy is concerned though. She is so grouchy or touchy if she thinks some other animal wants to usurp her spot. So she gets snarly.  With the new bigger doggie beds for Corny and Biscuit she believes that the biggest one is now hers. So poor Corny gives us the martyred look and sits on the mat.

The Feliway is working and seems to make Chronic more inquisitive than usual at night now. And my two are slowly figuring out the new "beasts" aren't going to swallow them whole.

Supper time for the furry kids, is becoming easier and less like a chaotic chinese fire drill. And Chronic who has been a carbovore most of his life is now appreciating that he doesn't have to survive on cereal and is enjoying the canned food a little more each day. Tonight he'll get a little intro of raw. The less waste I have to clean out of the litter box the happier I am!

Oh and Corny, the Border Collie, is feeling comfortable enough that he will now dribble water all over after noisily slurping at it. I realized this last evening when I stepped into the kitchen and thought at least 2 dogs had tinkled everywhere! My brother dashed into the kitchen and said, "Oh, no, that's Corny's water art! He is dribbling again!" I thought I still needed to get the mop out, but strongly controlled my small ocd by not instantaneously cleaning it up. Thank god for tile floors! And right now, I am actually glad I have less pets than I did have once upon a time. Talk about being stressful!

A few pics.....

Chronic the cat



A critter Christy pile in the morning:



The enclosure with all in while we go out for a bit:

Day 3 of our adventures.... :)

So it's day 3 now with all the critters in the house. Things are starting to get better.  HOORAY! Well except getting ALL of the doggies outside for the feeding routine, that's more like a chinese fire drill. I think it's easier to herd cats personally.

Got home last night from work all the dogs were outside and my brother was starting the supper routine for me. And my 2 kitties were sitting on the stairs with very confused expressions on their faces. They finally went in to eat when I went back there and called them. We got the doggies dishes all ready and set down. Now, his doggies didn't eat breakfast really and we withheld free food during the day so they would be hungry for supper and pick up the routine that much easier. Hey it worked! Once the initial confusion died down where Corny's and Biscuit's bowls were and who got what, there was much smacking of doggie lips and slurping to be heard. No one left a crumb anywhere. Polished dishes and they all went out fairly orderly after supper. YAY I  thought.

My brother had gotten the Feliway during the day and we plugged that in to settle the cats more. And so far that seems to be helping.

After we let the doggies back in, my two kitties had returned to the upper levels. We played a bit with Corny who is obssesive about toys and playing all the time, we finally got him to settle down. Djinn decided to brave coming downstairs, but lo and behold there was a very large black and white scary beast laying on the floor between the stairs that he was on and his mom, me. I thought perhaps he was trying to figure out how to get past the fur to get to the litter box. So my brother put Corny outside. Djinn quickly figured out the fur was outside and made a beeline for me for loving. That worked until we let the dog back in, then poof cat disappears or teleported. It was so fast I am not sure which.

Last night worked much better with the dog / cat situations. But last night Yummy and Chronic had another discussion, verbal, no fighting, just lots of talk. Then Yummy came back upstairs and slept with us. But my brother reported this morning that then Chronic, who is more nocturnal than my two, got very active and explored everything and played with anything he could in their room, disturbing their attempts to sleep.

This morning was an adventure unto itself. I let my pooches outside, fed the cats, and had planned to not bother my brother and his wife trying to get his dogs outside with mine. I figured he could feed them outside later if need be. I know, lazy of me right? Well my brother woke up, and brouught his dogs out to put them outside, of course my crew thought it was time to come back in and I hadn't even gotten to setting up the dog food bowls yet.  After much wrangling, and us pleading with the dogs, we got them all outside. Got their dishes set up, opened the door and let them in, and it was that damn chinese fire drill all over again! Everyone had to find their bowl and check each other's to see who got what and if we wanted to be a piglet and eat a bigger portion, well you get the picture. Got them sorted out with minimal fuss, they chowed down, checked each other's bowls looking for leftovers before we could get them back outside again. "Sigh" I can see this will still take a few more runs to get them down pat. But overall it was all good natured and worked out ok.

Good news this morning, my two kitties are doing much better about coming downstairs and while wary of the 2 new dogs, they are much better about them and are realizing they aren't going to be eaten or chased.

Hope supper this evening goes smoother, so we'll see.

A plea please, help stop this!

This morning I read an article I would very much like to share with you from the Humane Society of the US  about pets and animals being used in experiments in medical research and such. Please consider writing your senators and encouraging the end of this barbaric practice. We have the technology now that we don't have to torture animals for research anymore.

Read on....... (Copied from HSUS)

The Humane Society of the United States is urging 50 research institutions to stop purchasing dogs and cats from "Class B" dealers. The dealers are licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to round up dogs and cats from animal shelters, individuals and other "random sources" and then sell them for experimentation. The HSUS released a study identifying the institutions that still purchase from these dealers and support this dying industry.

A National Academy of Sciences report issued earlier this year concluded that Class B dealers are problematic and no longer necessary for supplying dogs and cats. In the wake of this report, The HSUS gathered information that identified 57 research institutions that purchased random source dogs or cats from Class B dealers within the past four years.

The information came from HSUS surveys of the institutions and Freedom of Information Act requests submitted to the institutions and state agriculture departments. (In some cases these records were unavailable or prohibitively expensive, so there may be other research institutions that still purchase random source dogs and cats from Class B dealers.) The HSUS then contacted each of the institutions.

The survey suggests that research facilities are re-evaluating their use of Class B dealers. Officials from seven institutions indicated that they no longer purchase random source dogs or cats from Class B dealers. Five facilities reported they still do (or reserve the right to) purchase these animals, and the remaining 45 institutions did not provide any new information, raising the possibility that they still buy animals from the dealers but do not want to admit the practice.

"The Humane Society of the United States applauds those research facilities that have switched to more reputable sources and stopped purchasing random source dogs or cats from Class B dealers," said Martin Stephens, Ph.D., HSUS vice president for animal research issues. "We urge facilities that still patronize these dealers for random source dogs and cats to abandon this practice immediately, to make sure stolen pets and fraudulently obtained animals don't end up in the pipeline."

The following institutions indicated that they still purchase random source dogs and cats from Class B dealers: Aurora Sinai Medical Center (Milwaukee); Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine (Maywood, Ill.); Masonic Medical Research Laboratory (Utica, N.Y.); Medical College of Georgia (Augusta, Ga.); and University of Georgia (Athens, Ga.). The HSUS appreciates their honesty and urges them to discontinue this practice.

The HSUS applauded the institutions that have recently discontinued the practice, according to the survey, include the Carolinas Medical Center (Charlotte, N.C.); Cleveland Clinic (Cleveland); Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital (Hines, Ill.); Baylor College of Dentistry (Dallas); University of Florida (Gainesville, Fla.), University of Illinois at Chicago and The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (Oklahoma City).

The institutions that purchased from Class B dealers in the past but declined to respond to the HSUS survey are listed here, along with the institutions that indicated they still buy from Class B dealers.

The Class B dealer system is rife with abuse of dogs and cats. USDA inspectors and undercover investigators from animal protection organizations have documented a long history of illegal and inhumane activity by dealers of random source animals, including buying animals from "bunchers" (unlicensed dealers) who steal pets and deceptively respond to "free to a good home" ads, as well as mistreating animals at their own holding facilities before transporting them to laboratories.

Most research institutions are already operating successfully without buying Class B dealer dogs and cats. These institutions recognize the long-standing animal welfare concerns associated with the B dealer pipeline, the public ill-will generated by continued business dealings with these middlemen and the inherent problems with conducting research on random-source animals. They choose instead to procure animals purposely bred for research, rather than from random sources.

Facts

• More than 1,400 research institutions are registered with the USDA to conduct research on dog, cats and other regulated animals.


• About 500 research institutions use dogs and cats, including animals obtained from Class B dealers.


• 94,724 dogs and cats were used in research during FY 2007.


• From November 2007 – November 2008, Class B dealers sold about 3,000 random source dogs and cats to research facilities.


• Only 11 dealers of random source dogs and cats remain in business. Of these, seven are currently under investigation by the USDA for apparent violations of the AWA, and one dealer's license has been suspended for 5 years.


• Because of the problems with Class B dealers, the USDA spends a disproportionate amount of time and resources trying to track their activities, but the agency's oversight system is inherently incapable of ensuring compliance.

Timeline

• October 2009: U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, and U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Pa., introduce the Pet Safety and Protection Act to put an end to the practice of animal dealers rounding up dogs and cats and selling them for experimentation.


• May 2009: The National Academy of Sciences releases report, "Scientific and Humane Issues in the Use of Random Source Dogs and Cats in Research," finding that Class B dealers are not necessary for research institutions to obtain random source dogs and cats and that "testimony provided to the Committee by USDA officials made it clear that despite new enforcement guidelines and intensified inspection efforts, not all origins of animals are or can be traced. The USDA simply cannot assure that stolen or lost pets will not enter research laboratories via the Class B dealer system."


• 2007: An HSUS and Animal Welfare Institute survey of about 1,200 USDA-registered research institutions indicates that 96 percent of the 192 respondents do not purchase random source dogs and cats from Class B dealers. According to a survey by the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges, at least 19 of the nation's 28 veterinary schools do not use live, random source dogs and cats from Class B dealers.

Day Two.... :)

Ok, it's day two for the critters now co-habitating with 5 adults in the house. Yummy for all his bravado and bluster, I am finding is a chicken at heart. He seems somewhat intimidated by my brother's cat Chronic. And poor Chronic is just absolutely scared to death. He mostly is hiding under their bed, but does come out to use the litterbox and eat. Last night he and Yummy had a verbal but polite conversation over the food bowl I believe. Just some talk no fighting thank goodness.

Both Djinn and Yummy are absolutely terrified of the 2 new dogs. And they will only come downstairs if it's quiet and they feel safe enough to get to the food and litter area. Otherwise they just hide upstairs right now. But I did get them down while all the dogs were outside this morning to let them eat some. Then Yummy came down later on an exploration trip until Biscuit decided to get off the couch to make his acquaintance, which sent Yummy quickly heading back up the stairs with a very disappointed Peke following. He actually did only want to say howdy.

Biscuit, the Peke, he figured he needed to keep all other animals away from his human mom and dad all night. LOL.... So anytime the cats tried to sneak into the litter box he'd chuff and they'd split. I think the collie could care less, just so long as he's with his humans he's ok. And won't leave their sides all night.

We will be trying the Comfort Zone Feliway for the cats and the dog version for the stressed out dogs. My bunch of pups I don't think care one way or the other. Well, except Poppy, she still won't share her space with anyone and thinks all the extra food bowls now are for her enjoyment. LOL I am sure there are more adventures around the corner.

Family and pets moving in....

Ok, as of 5:30 this morning, our little home currently has 5 adults and 8 critters in it. My brother and sister in-law have moved in with us with their pets.

Either my bunch is old enough they don't care, or they were still in shock by the time I left for work this morning. As most of you know, I have 3 older chihuahuas and 2 cats left to my herd. My brother has a wonderful mellow, happy go lucky Border Collie, a Pekenese rescue, and a very plump black and white kitty.

I have had him visit with the collie before, and they all did fine. The cats weren't so sure though. And after having met his kitty, Chronic, this morning I think he may outweigh my Yummy. Wonder if the house can stand two kitties who think they're rhinos. LOL

This should be an adventure with the animals at least. By the time I left this morning, Djinn was absolutely acting like he was traumatized from the get go, and was hiding upstairs, Yummy and Chronic we just staring at each other over the food bowl, and the dogs were actually doing all ok together so far. Only Thumbelina had to bark at the new person who she hadn't met until today.  And at last report via my brother before lunchtime, my bunch and the peke were all ensconced on top of Christy his step daughter on the couch while she slumbered away. Of course I worry about Lil' Shit probably the most as he is rather territorial. So we'll see.

And Sir Yummy is the laird of the manor, so if Chronic is as laid back as my brother claims there won't be a problem. LOL

In the meantime, I think it  is going to be a bit hectic round the house. And if need be while they adjust I may try a aromatherapy essence for pets to keep them calm, it was recommended to me by a friend, I think it's called Feliway. They claim it's the ticket to reducing stress of introducing a new pet to the household.



Here is Djinn watching from the bookshelves.  Hmmmm, think I will have to get new pics soon. Maybe take my brother and his doggies over to the dog park to socialize.