Will Purr For Food

Yesterday I saw the absolutely phenomenal movie, Julie and Juila (if you have not gone, this is must see movie). There is one scene (and I promise that I’m not giving anything anyway) where Julie’s cat is standing in front of an oven that contains a baking beef stew. The stew has been in there for some time so I’m sure the smell is heavenly. The camera zooms in on the cat and you can hear him purring. Believe it or not, this was the cat’s way of saying “can I please have some of that????”

The majority of cat owners believe purring is a sign of contentment. Actually there is a fair amount of controversy over why cats purr. While it does appear to be a sign of contentment, it has also been suggested that cats purr as a means of calming themselves. As well, I recently heard on NPR that cats will purr when they want food (I must admit that this one took my surprise since every cat I have ever known usually meows at the top of its lungs when it wants food). So the next time your cat starts purring and then biting your hand the moment you go to pet him, try offering him a bowl of cat food - that may be exactly what he’s asking for.

Help Your Dog Maintain His Diet During the Holidays

It’s hard to say who had a more difficult time sticking to a “healthy eating plan” (I’m told the word “diet” has become unfashionable) this holiday weekend - Jade (my 7 year old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel) or me. Now at first blush, the answer should seem obvious. In reality though, I would say both Jade and I failed spectacularly to stick to our “healthy eating plans.”

The cause of this failure is the same in both cases: family and friends. On Saturday for example, my husband and I got together with another couple who have two Lhasa Apsos named Sprint and Dash. The four dogs get along really well, so we always to try to arrange get-togethers where the dogs can be involved. This past Saturday, we somehow came to the conclusion that having a picnic with the four dogs was a brilliant idea. And I honestly honestly thought I was prepared.

Anticipating in advance the fact that dogs always find human food extremely interesting, I raided Petlane’s warehouse prior to the picnic and stocked up on treats and chews. My thinking was that the dogs would happily chew on their bones or bully sticks and we humans could enjoy our crackers and cheese, fruit, and sandwiches. What actually happened of course was that humans and dogs alike enjoyed the crackers, cheese, fruit and sandwiches. Judging by the fact that the appearance on my plate of even a single slice of cheese caused four dogs to take flying leaps onto my lap, I came to the conclusion that even bully sticks are no match for a good cheddar cheese. My husband and his friend Ron decided that the obvious solution to this problem was to first scatter a few handfuls of treats around our picnic blanket, and then after the dogs had scarfed those up, to simply share the cheese and sandwich meat with them.

Sunday night my husband and I joined my parents for dinner at their house. This is always dangerous because my father is literally a treat dispenser. The man throws treats to my dog and his dog the way three year olds throw bread to ducks. And, apparently feeling guilty that we got to eat roasted chicken, my dad put pieces of chicken on two plates so that each dog could have his or her own. I’m not convinced however that Jade didn’t scarf up both portions.

So at this point, I am choosing to appeal to you - my readers. For many of us, holidays with families are treacherous times when it comes to making good food choices. While I can control what I eat or don’t, does anyone have any suggestions on how you teach your dog to make good choices? как можно посмотреть порнофильм

Is Your Cat Right or Left Pawed?

Blogger Kristin Taylor, contributor to the blog Paw Nation, posted an article today that described the results of a study that showed that, like humans, domestic cats are either right or left, um, pawed. Psychologists at Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland gave cats small jars with bits of tuna tucked inside. They found that female cats tend to be righties, while the boy cats fell to the left. The gender divide was clear: Among 21 lady kitties, 20 nabbed the fish with their right paws. On the flip side, 20 of 21 males proved left-handed. One nimble-fingered male turned out to be ambidextrous, reports New Scientist magazine.

Interestingly enough, cats only show a paw preference when engaging in fairly complex maneuvers, like attempting to fish out treats from a jar. They seem to show no paw preference when batting at toys. As well, paw preference seems to be gender linked.

FDA Issues Guildelines for Safely Using Spot-On Flea and Tick Control

Dealing with fleas and ticks comes hand in hand with being a dog or cat owner. I removed FIVE ticks from my parents’ dog Shana yesterday (she was walking off leash and every time she dove headlong into the scrubbrush after who knows what, she came out with a tick attached to various places on her body - they seemed to be especially fond of her ears).

There is no doubt that fleas and ticks are more than a nuisance. Fleas cause allergic reactions in pets and humans alike (my dog had such a bad reaction once he needed cortizone shots to bring the itching under control) and ticks carry disease that can be fatal to humans and pets. The use of chemically-based flea and tick controls, especially spot-on products such as Frontline and Advantage, is a highly controversial topic in the pet world. A number of pet owners believe that these chemically-based flea and tick products caused their pets to suffer from severe health problems that eventually led to the untimely death of their pets. As far as I can tell however, these spot-on products still remain the most popular choice for flea and tick control.  All-natural flea repellent products (I suspect there are all-natural tick repllent products available as well), do exist; however they only repel and do not kill the eggs and larvae.

At the end of June, the FDA issued a report entitled Safe Use of Flea and Tick Products in Pets. This report is chock-full of great information, including the following suggestions for ensuring the safe use of flea and tick control spot-on products:

• Read the label carefully before use. If you don’t understand the wording, ask your veterinarian or call the manufacturer. “Even if you’ve used the product many times before,” says Stohlman, “read the label because the directions or warnings may have changed.”
• Follow the directions exactly. If the product is for dogs, don’t use it on cats or other pets. If the label says use weekly, don’t use it daily. If the product is for the house or yard, don’t put it directly on your pet.
• Keep multiple pets separated after applying a product until it dries to prevent one animal from grooming another and ingesting a drug or pesticide.
• Talk to your veterinarian before using a product on weak, old, medicated, sick, pregnant, or nursing pets, or on pets that have previously shown signs of sensitivity to flea or tick products.
• Monitor your pet for side effects after applying the product, particularly when using the product on your pet for the first time.
• If your pet experiences a bad reaction from a spot-on product, immediately bathe the pet with mild soap, rinse with large amounts of water, and call your veterinarian.
• Call your veterinarian if your pet shows symptoms of illness after using a product. Symptoms of poisoning include poor appetite, depression, vomiting, diarrhea, or excessive salivation.
• Do not apply a product to kittens or puppies unless the label specifically allows this treatment. Use flea combs to pick up fleas, flea eggs, and ticks on puppies and kittens that are too young for flea and tick products.
• Wash your hands immediately with soap and water after applying a product, or use protective gloves while applying.
• Store products away from food and out of children’s reach.