A few observations on the laws of pet ownership...

I thought perhaps I would do something on the laws of physics and how they apply to my pets anyway.

We've all heard "An object at rest tends to stay at rest", well that doesn't quite apply to pets now does it?



Here's my take on things:

1. A cat in full sleep mode attains a semi-liquid condition and cannot be picked up easily.

2. Waking a dog suddenly from full sleep mode tends to get the offender bitten.

3. If your book, magazine, paper, etc is open either on a lap or flat surface, this is an absolute invitation to your cat to occupy said space for maximum attention.

4. If you have more than 2 pets in a house, expect to find fur in your food and drink.

5. When you are in a hurry to be dressed to leave for something important will be the time the cat hacks up a furball into your shoes, or the dog to develop diarrhea on the carpet.

6. Forget being able to wear all black again, it doesn't matter the type of fabric, it is an absolute magnet for all possible light colored fur in the home.

7. Cat's tails will always find a way to be where you are just setting your foot down when you are never ever fully awake. You will be soon though!

8. Cats really do expand to fill a space! A kingsize bed is a necessity for the pets not a luxury.

9. Pets will seek out the warmest locations in cold weather, this means under the covers snuggled up to you until you try to roll over then you get the switchblade effect.

10. Trying to be considerate of your sleeping spouse and quietly creeping in to bed is a sure way to get bitten by the dog who thinks you're the bogeyman after his mamma.

11. Your having a tummyache is a sure invitation to the heaviest cat in the house  to come make you feel better by standing with all his weight on two feet or actively kneading your tummy.

12. Intimacy is an invitation for the pets to give you the "Oh Yuck" digusted look and stare at you.

13.  If you are looking for something important, and in a hurry, this is probably the signal that it's been chewed up by one of the dogs or been drug off an hidden by a cat as a toy for later.

14. Don't leave sparkly items out, like jewelry, the result is the same at #13.

15. Sneaking downstairs for a midnight snack is a sure signal that the dogs are to bark at you instead of barking at the person sneaking through your backyard.

16. You glass with ice water in it is much tastier when the paw is dipped in and licked off. This ensures that it is no longer the Hooman's water.

17. Never wear too much cologne, you will surely be watered down (peed on) by the dog before you can leave for your date, thereby ensuring you change clothes at least once to reduce the aromas.

18. Going to bed too early because you're exhausted is a mistake, it will ensure that the dogs feel you didn't spend enough time with them and they will howl and sing for the next 10 to 20 minutes.

19. Trying to be considerate of others still sleeping and not turning on lights ensures you will trip over a cat, especially if it's anywhere near the stairs.

20. If it's lit up and sparkly it must be the Christmas Tree and therefore requires climbing and playing with all the sparklies!

21. If the plate has food that has melted cheese or roasted meat on it, if you get up from the table to get something it will certainly be gone before you get back.



22. If it's a bag, or box and it's empty, it's now the cat's playhouse and ankles and toes are fair game.

23. No matter how frustrating they can be at times, they still give you unconditional love.

I am sure I have missed some in here some where, but these are what I can remember or come up with, have anything to add?

Extreme Sheep Herding? LOL

Oh, my! A friend shared this link with me and it is hilarious! Very creative Welsh sheep farmers.

Enjoy!

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/3SYVNfrZMN8" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

"Fur" Kids? Are you a "Fur" Parent?

  Do you consider your furry companions, who share your life, your kids? Do you pamper them, dress them, and doll them up as if they were your real children? If you do then you probably call them your "fur"kids. I guess there is a bit of hoopla over this term now, and it's becoming more mainstream in it's use. Heck, even I have used it from time to time. But, I don't dress mine up and pamper them quite so much as to buy them diamond collars, or give them pedicures with polish, etc.

Lately we see pictures celebrities carrying around their pampered pooches, we see halloween for pets, we see more and more pet shops carrying dog and cat sweaters and clothes. I wonder about how the pet feels, and have asked some I know and they'll blithely say that their pet loves to be dressed up! Ummmm, excuse me, but they have fur, why do we need to clothe them?



Ok, I understand the idea that because they are dependent on us for their care and safekeeping, in that way, they are like children. But for me I haven't quite wrapped my head around the idea that they need to be dressed like humans. It's been reported though that some people with both 2 legged and 4 legged "children" at times will dress their fur kids better than their actual kids.  Perhaps I have a problem with this, ok, but consider this, maybe if you're dressing your fur kid in better clothes, or they have better jewelry etc than your actual kids, there is in my estimation a problem. Is it perhaps still a wish to dress up the baby? Or is it more like dressing up dolls? Pets can't talk back to us about what you're doing to them, nor can they tell you perhaps they don't wish to be dressed up.

Sorry, I am just musing here, perhaps dogs don't mind it, but cats really don't like to be manipulated like this in my experience. And I am certainly not sure what guinea pigs or lizards or even ponies think of all of this. I understand that we truly do adore our furry companions, and they truly are part of the family, but they really aren't human (or hooman or bean if you're speaking "furkidese"). Please don't get me wrong, I truly adore my furry family members, but they get to be what they are supposed to be, kitties and doggies in all their furry glory. And even though they have personality and feelings they still aren't human.

As I said, these are just my musings and my feelings on the topic. What do you think? I am open to hearing you if you think differently on this topic.

Why do we love baby animals?

Baby animals, they make us think cute and cuddly thoughts, they also make us think of spring, and they bring out our protective instincts.



Most babies are very cute, some are a bit homely, but it's the fact that they are mostly helpless, needing protection, and so tiny that we melt when we see them and want to protect them. I believe we are the only species that does this. Doesn't matter what species of baby it is, we melt. And usually the first words out of our mouths are, "AWWWWW! How precious!"

Generally most babies are in need of protection, are helpless to start feeding and surviving on their own, either due to size or needing a parent's care. Some species though are just as deadly as the parent upon hatching or birthing. Like Rattlesnakes for one. We do need to perhaps remember some important things in admiring baby animals. Most babies require very little to no interaction or interference from humans, even thought our wants and hearts tell us to do different.  The best we can do for the wild babies is to admire them from a distance, try very hard to have as little as possible interaction or impact in their lives, and "capture" them only on camera.

  If you feel or are worried perhaps that a wild animal baby might need intervention or help, please don't attempt to do it yourself unless you are trained to do so. Contact someone from Game and Fish or the Wildlife agency in your state. Observe from a distance if you can. But don't take it upon yourself to step in and care. Sometimes mom just isn't visible and the baby is where it should be so that it is protected, like a fawn. And if the situation is that the parent is truly gone or hit by a car or such, please still let your wildlife officials handle the baby, they will know how to provide the proper care for the lil' guy.

Here's some pics  of cute babies.....









Remember, the less impact or actual interaction you have with wild babies, ensures their survival on their own.

A Dog's top ten peeves they have about us humans

I thought I would share this as I receivd it from a friend.

 

'1'  Blaming your farts on me..... not funny... not funny at all !!! l ---------------------------------------------- '2'  Yelling at me for barking. I'M A FRIGGIN' DOG -------------------------------------------------- '3'  Taking me for a walk, then not letting me check stuff out. Exactly whose walk is this anyway? -------------------------------------------------- '4'  Any trick that involves balancing food on my nose. Stop it! -------------------------------------------------- '5'  Any haircut that involves bows or ribbons. Now you know why we chew your stuff up when you're not home. -------------------------------------------------- '6'  The slight of hand, fake fetch throw. You fooled a dog! Whooooooo Hoooooooo - what a proud moment for the top of the food chain. -------------------------------------------------- '7'  Taking me to the vet for 'the big snip', then acting surprised when I freak out every time we go back! -------------------------------------------------- '8'  Getting upset when I sniff the crotches of your guests. Sorry, but I haven't quite mastered that handshake thing yet. -------------------------------------------------- '9'  Dog sweaters. Hellooooo ??? Haven't you noticed the fur? -------------------------------------------------- '10'  How you act disgusted when I lick myself. Look, we both know the truth. You're just jealous. -------------------------------------------------- Now lay off me on some of these things. We both know who's boss here! You don't see me picking up your poop do you? EVERY DOG HAS HIS DAY. A DOG ALWAYS OFFERS UNCONDITIONAL LOVE. CATS HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT!

Re-establishment of River Otters in New Mexico and other ponderings.

Recently last month several river otters from Washington state were reintroduced and released in northern New Mexico. This was an effort to return the sleek mammals to their historic range in the state.  It has been more than 50 years since the last river otters were spotted in this state. State officials feel that trapping and loss of habitat contributed to their disappearance from our state.



This is the second release of river otters in NM in the last two years. Nearly two dozen states, including neighboring Arizona, Colorado and Utah, have successfully reintroduced river otters, which biologists say play an important role in keeping semi-aquatic ecosystems healthy and diverse.

So while cheering on the otter, we probably should think on other species that we have tried to re-establish into their natural territories. These efforts have been greeted with emotions and feelings from jubilant to fear to outright anger. Take the Wolves, from the Mexican Grays, to the ones trying to re-establish in Yellowstone. Wolves are an apex predator. When we eradicated them from their native ranges due to misunderstandings and ignorance, we upset the balance of other species. Now we have problems with the "prey" animals who are now nuisances, and spreading disease among our cattle etc. There is much ignorance even today where they are concerned and many myths. Most wolves would prefer to hunt their own native foods, however, if that balance is severly upset, or the pack is starving, yes they might kill cattle, but it's our fault for being so arrogant to think the land and control of the land and it's animals is all ours. Hello! You're just providing a simpler meal for these predators. It's not the wolves, or bears, or mountain lions' faults, and they shouldn't be hunted for it either. I can understand the rancher's plight, but find a better medium please? Too long has the policy been to kill and eradicate a species rather than find a happy medium.

Ah but I digress.....  I am estatic that we, as a part of a whole, are trying to restore balances in our natural surroundings. I just wish perhaps that some people would be a bit more open minded to learn the parts those animals play in the balance of things and how our role in things has thrown it way out of whack. And that we could learn to live with our wild neighbors better. As they have been trying to adapt and live with us encroaching on their habitat more and more everyday, shouldn't we try to do the same? Shouldn't we try to make exceptions and adapt to live with them?

Where the wild things are....

Where are the wild things? Well..... They're in your back yard of course!

I thought I would do a bit today about one of my coworkers whose neighbor had a momma Bobcat move into her yard. She had a pair of kits whom she's raised in this persons yard. Talk about an interesting co-habitation arrangement! Be sure to read my small warnings at the end. And yes this is in New Mexico.

Here are some pictures of them:















Now, that being shown or said, remember if you are lucky enough to share your yard, or living space with wild animals, please remember they are wild, no matter how inquisitive they might care to be with you and your home or space. And being wild they deserve the respect shown to them for all wild life, let them be, let them care for themselves, give them space and admire them from afar or through your camera lens. Everyone will be happier that way. Once you "befriend" a wild animal, they have lost their fear and respect of us, and that makes them a danger to us, and them a target for abuse and torment.