82 http://media.bonnint.net/dado/oss-trav/0/2/255.jpg ToastedRav.com: Pet Guide Sun, 22 Nov 2009 01:15:09 -0700 ToastedRav Staff mike@toastedrav.com <![CDATA[Glacier Has Strange Habits]]> 26808 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:00:09 -0700

So this new cat, Glacier, is really strange. He runs strange, he eats strange, he looks strange...

Now we've discovered a strange habit- he steals photos and shoes. Glacier has a fascination with this ONE photo of Roommate and Boyfriend that they keep wedged in the mirror above their dresser. He steals it when no one's looking and "buries" it under the bathroom rug. WEIRD!

He also enjoys pulling Boyfriend's shoes under the bed so far that they're hard to reach. Got any ideas what these two habits are about?

And to top off your Friday, a funny video...

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

 

LOLs!

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<![CDATA[Top 10 pet health tips for the holidays]]> 26788 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:14:39 -0700 (ARA) - Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year's Eve and Kwanzaa - no matter what you're celebrating, pet owners need to remember to keep their pets safe and healthy for the holidays.

"Veterinarians often see an uptick in the number of problematic calls during the holiday season," explains Dr. Larry R. Corry, AVMA president. "Whether it's an exposure to chocolate or fatty foods or pets upset due to unexpected guests or costumed visitors late at night, the holidays can present problems for pets. The AVMA urges all pet owners to include the health and safety of their pets in any plans for the holidays."

Here are the AVMA's top 10 pet tips for holiday safety:

1. Be wary of holiday decorations; pets often consume them. "The animal raids the Christmas tree, for example, and this can be unhealthy for the pet and very upsetting for the pet owners," explains Corry. "If they consume enough tinsel or other decorations, it can cause a blockage that requires surgery."

2. Flowers are another common holiday feature that can result in an emergency visit. Poinsettias, Amaryllis and mistletoe are on the list of common holiday plants that can be dangerous and even poisonous to house pets who decide to eat them, Corry says.

3. Just like people, some pets are better at dealing with houseguests than others. If you know your pet has a problem with visitors, work with your veterinarian for solutions. For severe problems, your veterinarian may recommend medications or even boarding the animal.

4. Don't let your pet climb the Christmas tree. If the tree falls over, your pet could be injured. Consider tying the tree to the ceiling or a doorframe using fishing line.

5. Cover Christmas tree water to keep animals from drinking it. The sap from live Christmas trees can make your pet sick.

6. Many people believe that people food makes good treats for their pets, but this isn't the case. Many common ingredients in a holiday feast - like onions, garlic, chocolate and artificial sweeteners - are poisonous to pets. And dogs that consume an excessive amount of fatty foods, by cleaning a turkey carcass pulled from the trash, for example, can develop a life-threatening condition called pancreatitis.

7. Whether they are Halloween candies or Christmas chocolate, keep sweets out of your pet's reach, particularly while you're out. A pet that consumes chocolates while you're away at work, for example, might be too sick for your veterinarian to save by the time you get home.

8. Unplug decorations while you're not around. Cats and dogs are often tempted to chew electrical cords.

9. Keep any gift that includes human food out of a pet's reach. With their sensitive sense of smell, dogs and cats can find those wrapped treats and open them when you're not around.

10. Candles are a common part of many holiday celebrations. Make sure that you keep lit candles out of a pet's reach, because the animal could light themselves, or your home, on fire.

The AVMA offers a great deal of information on its Web site, www.avma.org, including a free brochure on common household hazards and a free video about common household poisons.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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<![CDATA[A veterinarian's top 10 tips for keeping pets healthy in winter]]> 26638 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:04:04 -0700 (ARA) - Jack Frost is nipping at your pet's nose. Winter is here again, and cold weather can be uncomfortable and dangerous to your pet.

"In colder regions of the country, pet owners should already know that they need to make accommodations for their pets, but winter can be hard on a pet even in warmer states, like Georgia, where I work," says Dr. Larry R. Corry, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). "While we don't get a lot of snow, it does get cold in the winter, and when it gets below freezing, our recommendation is that pet owners get their pets inside."

Here are the AVMA's top 10 winter tips for pet owners:

* Even if you own a sled dog, living outside during the depths of winter is very difficult. If you must keep your dog outside year round, remember that dogs must be allowed time to get acclimated to the cold with the change of the seasons. This builds up a winter coat they will need to survive. Corry recommends that dog owners with outside dogs double check to make sure their dog's housing is well insulated, including straw or padding to sleep on.

"If you want to heat a doghouse, be careful to ensure that the heat source is installed properly so that the animal cannot be hurt," he says. "If you can't or won't bring the animal into your home, consider bringing it inside a garage on bitter cold days."

* Corry also advises pet owners to refrain from taking their pets near frozen ponds. Many dogs and cats fall through or sometimes are cast adrift on an ice float.

* Keep your pet away from antifreeze with ethylene glycol. It's sweet and extremely lethal, even in small doses. The AVMA provides a brochure and video on this and other household hazards and poisons.

* Honk your horn or pound on the hood before starting your car on cold days. To a cat, a warm engine block can seem like a nice escape from cold winter winds.

* Carbon monoxide is just as lethal to pets as it is for people. Make sure your home has a carbon monoxide detector, and, if you bring your pet from the outdoors into a garage during the winter, make sure exhaust fumes from your car aren't allowed to build up inside.

* Cold air is dry air, so your pet can become dehydrated easily in the winter. Give him plenty of fresh water. If the bowl of water you put outside for your dog or cat freezes, it's of no use to the animal.

* Road salt and ice melting products are not only irritating to the pads on your pet's feet, but when your pet cleans itself by licking off these chemicals and ingesting them, they can cause gastrointestinal problems. Wash your pet's feet after she's been outdoors.

* Consider booties for your dog's feet. Booties help prevent ice balls between the toes that can be both painful and do damage to the toe pads.

* Be careful about candles, space heaters and fireplaces - pets can get burned and even set the house on fire.

* Pay close attention to your older pet in winter, especially if he suffers from arthritis. Arthritic pain is even worse in icy winds and cold temperatures. Seek the advice of your veterinarian to help your pet cope with arthritis.

For more information about animal health, visit www.avma.org.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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<![CDATA[Cat Ladies, Cat Ladies Everywhere!]]> 26539 Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:55:35 -0700

 

From aolhealth.com:

By Deborah Huso

With more than 100 cats living in her home, 65-year-old Diane of Toronto lives in conditions some would describe as squalid. She believes she is saving feral felines from a life on the streets, but has she gone too far?

Chances are you've met or at least heard about someone like Diane, whose pet obsession seems to outweigh every other consideration in life. You may have dismissed the person as a "crazy cat lady" and thought no more about it. On ABC's 20/20,, Elizabeth Vargas interviewed filmmaker Christie Callan-Jones about her latest project, Cat Ladies, which follows the lives of four Toronto women, Diane among them, whose devotion to their felines might strike some as out of control.

Click the video below to watch a clip from 20/20's "Inside the Hidden World of Cat Ladies." Story continues below.

Is there really such a thing as cat addiction, and should people who suffer from it be assigned to therapy?

Naftali Berrill, Ph.D., Director of the New York Center for Neuropsychology and Forensic Behavioral Science doesn't necessarily think so. Berrill says a number of people with schizoid personality disorder (SPD) rely on pets for emotional sustenance. "These may be people who have a very hard time expressing themselves to other people," he explains. "They may find the human need for affection is met most easily through a relationship with a pet."

On the other hand, individuals suffering from schizotypal personality disorder may also exhibit a particular affinity for pets. Schizotypals often prefer social isolation and can demonstrate eccentric behaviors, where pets can sometimes become a substitution for children or family.

Berrill says it's not uncommon for people suffering from depression to be particularly devoted to their pets. And he doesn't think that pet-human connection, no matter how odd it may seem to outsiders, is necessarily something to worry about. "The only time you should worry is if the person stops being functional, is spending money on the pets they should be spending on themselves, is living in unsanitary conditions, or the pets are reproducing uncontrollably." In those instances, Berrill says the individual might benefit from therapy to examine how they are or aren't getting their emotional needs met.

"Everything else," he adds, "is a matter of personal taste."

Berrill cautions people against being too quick to judge, pointing out that pets can often be a person's only source of unconditional love. "Think about elderly or infirm people," he says. "A pet may be the thing that makes the difference to them. There are two sides to this coin."

Watch a clip from 20/20's Cat Ladies: Why They Do It here.

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<![CDATA[Jingle Cats]]> 26512 Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:22:13 -0700 Check out the Christmas music you all know and love sung by cats.  They also have it sung by dogs.  The new CD is a little easier on the ears.  Check out the video from last year. 

 

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<![CDATA[Animal Donations ]]> 26409 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:45:19 -0700 Many states have license plate programs that will donate more than half of the cost of the plate to Humane Societies.  The money then goes to help pay for spaying and neutering animals.  Some of the states that offer this are Arizona, Louisiana, Ohio and Missouri.  This is a creative way to raise money and still have something in return. 

 

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<![CDATA[Cat Goes Crazy and Traps Owner in Bedroom]]> 26280 Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:50:23 -0700 From pawnation.com; by Jo Piazza:

 

 

A 10-year-old Russian Blue named Carmen terrorized her owners in their own home in New York City for a half an hour on Saturday before police arrived and were able to calm the animal down. The cat's owner, Rosa Davila, believes that her cat's violent behavior is due to a medical condition.

The 16-pound cat began making strange noises and suddenly launched herself at Davila's 27-year-old son Victor. Rosa and Victor hid in the apartment's bedroom while Rosa called 911 and asked them to rescue her family from the upset kitty.

Hordes of police officers arrived at the apartment expecting to find a wild cat -- and were surprised to find the portly Russian Blue instead. Carmen was coaxed into a cat carrier and taken to Manhattan's Animal Care and Control center where she may be available for adoption after she is evaluated.

Davila told the New York Post that Carmen was diagnosed as borderline diabetic with a thyroid condition; she wanted to be fed every five minutes and she was rapidly gaining weight. Davila was unable to afford proper medical treatment for Carmen and she believes that her disorder led her to become violent.

Really? I get it that cats can bite and scratch and that makes us a little scary, but next time- rather than call the police on your cat- how about get the comforter off your bed and throw it on top of the little ball of fur. Use it to carefully pick him up and put kitty in his own room while he calms down. If perfect strangers were able to coax the cat into a carrier, his owners should've been able to.

What do you think?

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<![CDATA[Who Has the Tallest Dog?]]> 26253 Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:14:20 -0700 Dave Nasser is the owner of George.  George is 43 inches tall at the shoulder.  Titan is a Great Dane that is owned by Diana Taylor.  Titan is only 42.25 inches tall.  But he is in the Guinness World Records book for being the tallest dog.  Now there is dispute about which dog should be in the book for the tallest dog.  This can be easily solved by putting the dogs together and measuring them both.  I think since they are so close they can both be in the book.  One will be first tallest and the other will be second tallest.   

 

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<![CDATA[What Do Cats Do All Day?]]> 25791 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:24:48 -0700 From pawnation.com, by Kirsten Taylor:

Move over, James Bond. The latest secret agent is a cat -- actually, 50 of them.

Purina Friskies recently undertook a brilliant study to find out what cats do all day when they're home alone. They fitted 50 indoor cats with collar cameras to get a cat's eye view of the world.

The digital cat-cams snapped a still photo every 15 minutes. By combing through the piles of photos, Purina animal behavior scientist Dr. Jill Villarreal was able to draw some surprising new conclusions about how our kitties fare when they're left to their own devices.
(You can see the photos here.)

Before the study, most of the cat's owners expected lots of pictures of beds, Villarreal told Paw Nation. After all, cats sleep all day, right? Think again. "Although they do spend 8 to 16 hours [per day] asleep, when they're active and up, they're active and up -- and seeking out sensory stimuli within the home," Villarreal said.

That wasn't the only myth that the undercover kitties debunked. "There's still that belief out there that cats are asocial and prefer to be solitary," Villarreal said. "What the cat-cam study showed was they actually have active social lives."

The cats didn't just hang out with their feline housemates. They also spent a lot of time with dogs and even bunnies. "If they grow up together, they see other animals as friends," Villarreal said.

The cats spent nearly 12 percent of their time hanging out with other animals, versus six percent sleeping and five percent playing with toys.Their hands-down favorite activity? Looking out windows -- something the cats did for more than 21 percent of their time!

Villarreal says the study offers clues about how to make your home even more stimulating for cats. "It seems like they're seeking novelty and variety," she says. "Now that we know cats like variety, we can provide it in the home."

She suggests hiding several small food bowls around the house so that the cat has to work a little to find his lunch. She also recommends mixing up his toys. Give him furry mice for a few days, then a catnip toy for a while, then maybe some bottle caps or other random objects that only a cat could love.

Villarreal also recommends giving cats a treat-dispensing ball for them to wrestle with while you're away. Change up the flavors of the food inside the ball to keep your cat guessing."There were a lot of pictures of them stalking and playing around that way," she explained. "If we gave them a treat ball, it would be a fun way for them to explore their food and have a multi-sensory experience."

"Now we have a glimpse into the cat's world," she added. "I think we underestimated what the cat was doing during the day. From a cat's perspective, they're seeing a world full of excitement."

Kinda makes us look at our furry friends a little differently.

Click here to read about this study at Friskies' Blog.

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<![CDATA[Humane Society of Missouri Needs Supplies]]> 25775 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:02:13 -0700 Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

 

The supplies are needed for more than 150 pit bull puppies that were accumulated because of the dogfighting raid.  More are being born and taken in.  The Missouri Humane Society cannot keep up with the supplies due to funding.  They are looking for toys, peanut butter and other items for puppies.  They can also use money as a donation to get these items. 

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<![CDATA[Dog Can Attend School with Autistic Boy]]> 25670 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:48:29 -0700 Kaleb Drew is a first grader in The Villa Grove School District.  He has been in court fighting to have the school district let him bring his yellow Labrador retriever named Chewey to school.  Chewey helps calm Kaleb down.  The argument that the school district had was that they have to balance his case with the children that have allergies or fear of dogs.  Kaleb won his case and his dog will be allowed to accompany him to school.  There are other similar cases to this.  There was another case earlier this school year in another Illinois school district and in California and Pennsylvania. 

 

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<![CDATA[So You Want a Hybrid Pet]]> 25599 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:23:06 -0700

I've always thought hybrid animals were beautiful and kinda cool. Heck, even Napoleon Dynamite's fave animal is a Liger. But do you really have what it takes to care for a hybrid animal?

From pawnation.com, by Evan Jacobs:

Recently, eccentric model Bai Ling made headlines by adopting what she claimed was a cheetah/domestic cat hybrid, although experts agree that this would be impossible in nature. Most likely, what she had was a Savannah Cat. Still, people want to know how they can get their hands on their own hybrid pets. Well, be careful what you wish for; hybrid house pets can be a handful. Here is a quick overview of two popular hybrid animals.

The Savannah Cat: A cross between a serval and a house-cat, the Savannah cat is much larger than the typical house-cat, and can reach up to 30 pounds for a healthy adult male. They often have leopard spots, but can vary in color wildly, a symptom of hybridization. Similar to dogs in temperament, Savannahs are extremely loyal and affectionate, can be walked on a leash, and can even be trained to do tricks. They are intelligent and extremely curious, so you will have to cat proof your home.

The Wolf-Dog: With a similar appearance to an Alaskan Malamute, a wolf-dog is a cross between -- what else? -- a wolf and a dog. The dog half of the hybrid usually is wolf-like in appearance, i.e. shepherds, Malamutes, huskies, etc., resulting in varied coat patterns. The wolf-dog's temperament is highly unpredictable, extremely curious, destructive and can often have aggressive traits.

If you want to adopt an animal like this, be sure you extensively research the requirements for adoption and care, as many owners give up on these animals when they become too much to handle.

PS from Bug: Hybrid pets are often extremely expensive to adopt and costly to take care of. Why not reconsider and adopt a shelter pet? I'm sure you can find a cat that looks similar to a tiger or a dog that looks particularly wolf-like for a fraction of the cost of a designer hybrid pet.

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<![CDATA[A Home for Two Labs]]> 25562 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:27:14 -0700 A family has to move overseas and cannot take their two labs with them.  They are fully trained family dogs.  Their names are Cookie and Coco.  They want to keep them together because they get along very well with each other.  They tried to separate them but the dogs wouldn't go for it.  They are in great health, have been spayed and have ID chips implanted under their skin.  If you are interested or know someone who would be interested contact:

kjmorris74@yahoo.com  

 

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<![CDATA[LA Church Allows Pets to Attend]]> 25459 Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:07:58 -0700 Rev. Tom Eggebeen saw that people weren't showing up to church as often as they used to.  He started offering a 30 minute service every week for people to bring their dogs.  In this service there are canine prayers, dog treats offering and special dog music.  People around the area have really liked this idea.  There are all types of dogs that pile in to the church. 

 

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<![CDATA[Everything You Didn't Know You Didn't Know About Litter]]> 25400 Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:50:20 -0700 File this under: "Things That Make Me Go 'Hmmmmm'".

From pawnation.com, by Rose Martelli:

When considering life's great mysteries, many folks wouldn't include cat litter. But they'd be wrong. Misinformation -- or even total ignorance -- abounds when it comes to just what constitutes a clean, comfy, and problem-free litter box. "Quite simply, nobody has ever fully funded any sort of research to determine what litters are healthy for cats or preferable to cats," says Dusty Rainbolt, author of Kittens for Dummies. To help us do away with litter myths once and for all, we looked to three of our favorite feline experts: Rainbolt; Celia Kutcher, a Brooklyn-based holistic health counselor; and Animal Behaviorist Dr. Peter Borchelt.

1. Myth: A quality cat litter eliminates odor so well that you can go days without cleaning the litter box.

Fact:
Litter boxes really should be cleaned out daily, regardless what kind of litter you use. Infrequent cleaning isn't fair to the cat, says Kutcher. It also limits your chances of finding your pet's perfect brand of litter. You could sacrifice other important factors, like the cat's comfort or the litter's digestibility, if you're overly concerned about odor control.

"You shouldn't have to use an odor-controlling product if you keep your box clean enough," Rainbolt seconds. "When it smells, clean it. Scoop once or twice a day, minimum."

2. Myth: Cats that are picky about their litter are just extra-finicky.

Fact:
Felines are known for their fussy nature, but that probably isn't why your cat rejects one kind of litter over another. It could be their toe tufts. Persians, for example, have extra-sensitive ones. "When they pee, the litter might form clumps beneath their paws that then get stuck in there," explains Rainbolt. "You've got these painful mud clumps stuck to your pads, and your choice is peeing on the carpet or being in pain."

Kutcher recommends finding a pet-store owner or employee who really knows different breeds. "If they hand you a bag of litter without asking you 10 questions about your cat, they don't know what they're talking about."

3. Myth: You should scrub the litter box vigorously with your toughest household cleanser, like Pine Sol.

Fact
: Pine scent is a cat repellent, so do not wash the box with Pine Sol. Rainbolt says all you need to do is rinse it well with warm water. Another trick: If you use a clumping litter, spray the bottom of the box with Pam before filling it. No more sticky litters!


4. Myth: Scented litters are always a good idea because they mask odor and make everything smell nice.


Fact:
"Cats don't like scent with their litter as a rule," says Rainbolt, who never uses highly scented brands. In her extensive at-home experimenting, she has found one clear-cut exception to the rule: Lavender-scented litters. "That was a huge surprise to me, but for some reason they really do like that."

5. Myth: Because nothing sours a person's (or a cat's) mood like stinky cat pee, if you spend good money on only one cat product, make it cat litter.

Fact:
"If you feed your cat really good food, there's less solid waste," says Kutcher. You know the kind of number your digestive system can do on other people's noses when you eat junk food. Don't subject your cat to the same bomb-dropping fate.

6. Myth: The only thing you can use as cat litter is cat litter.

Fact:
When your cat just doesn't seem to like any kind of litter at all, Rainbolt has a solid, last-chance recommendation: Sand. "Cats evolve from desert creatures in Africa," she says. "They literally lived in the world's biggest sandbox. What they went to the bathroom in was sand." Sandbox sand has a few downsides. It's heavy; it's usually only available in large quantities; and did we mention that it's heavy? But it's also 100-percent natural.

7. Myth: Cat litter is subject to certain government regulations and health standards, just like pretty much everything else I bring home from the grocery store.

Fact: There's actually no governing body that regulates what can and cannot go into cat litter manufacturing.. "There's testing done on computers and on new cars. But when it comes to cat products -- or actually all pet products -- they don't really think that way," explains Borchelt. "They're mostly thinking, 'What can I do to market, to package, to advertise, to sell?' They're not asking, 'Gee, would the cat like this, and is it safe for cats?'"

This means the responsibility is on you to be an educated consumer when it comes to what to buy.

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