A long winter's nap

If you're in the market to upgrade your pet's bed, it's worth taking a look at this Wall Street Journal article on the latest high-end offerings available. What struck me was that paying a fortune (upwards to $250 in the beds reviewed in this article) doesn't necessarily mean much to your pet. One heated bed kept the "test" dog in it for a short while, but after about a half hour, he moved to the non-heated floor.

I once paid almost $100 for a hooded bed for Chocolate, thinking it would cater to his doggie den-loving nature, but everything I tried to coax him into his new "cave" didn't work. The bed landed up being donated to Goodwill. As for Minnie and Doodah, I've given up trying to get them to sleep in dedicated cat beds, because they have made it clear that one bed can't beat the entire house as their boudoir.

In the end, I wonder if any pet bed will keep your furry one from preferring your own bed when you're not looking - there's nothing to compare with snuggling with Alpha...

Just when you thought you've seen everything...

...check out the surfing rats. Chopsticks, Harry, Curly, and Bunsen hang all fours and make their sewer-living ancestors very proud.

A simple solution to save lives

Out of Tennessee, Haley Ham, age 11, is turning a tragic event into positive action by influencing the state legislature to require anti-freeze manufacturers to add a bitter-tasting solution to the currently sweet-tasting and deadly solution. The Humane Society of the United States estimates that 10,000 pets and 1,400 children succumb to anti-freeze poisoning every year.

National legislation introduced in 2006 never made it into law. Sadly, that cost Haley's two best friends, Sam and Jessie, their lives when someone fed them a "stew" of poisonous ingredients that included anti-freeze. She dedicated her 4-H project to provide information and outreach to local officials, which resulted in State Senator Raymond Finney, R-Marysville, agreeing to introduce legislation during the next session of the state Senate.

In preparation for the upcoming session, Haley is collecting signatures via an online petition. Note that when you sign this, you'll be asked to give a donation, but it seems well worth it.

The pictures to the left are of Haley, Sam, a golden retriever, and Jessie, who looks to be a black lab. There's a video on the WBIR website that shows the bond Haley had to these two guys who were literally lifelong friends.

Thanks Willie

Willie Nelson has created a 30 second political spot to encourage the Georgia legislature to pass the anti-dog fighting bill that will be voted on in the Georgia House in January. It has already passed in the Georgia Senate.

''Dogfighting is against the law in Georgia, but the laws are so weak, the beautiful state of Georgia has become a haven for dogfighters from around the country,'' he says.

For more information, you can visit fightdogfighting.com.

Of note...

There's been a swirl of controversy around the safety of microchips the last couple of months. The charge is that microchips can induce malignant tumors at the site where the chip is implanted. This is a big concern for those of us who have chipped our pets as a safety measure in the event they become lost.

As I've looked over the articles, there's a lot of politics around interpreting the test results and who says what is safe and why. While it still looks like that could still be the case, a new report gives me enough concern to call out the potential danger.

In a study that was released last week, up to 10% of genetically modified mice developed cancer around the site of a microchip injection. This is the highest rate to be found to date, where earlier studies range from 0.8% - 4.1% with wide differences in the number of animals included in each study (177 to 4,279). There were also studies where cancer was not found, but they are challenged for their smaller sample sizes and overall study time lines.

It seems worthwhile to get serious about this risk and grant an independent study that will move from debate to core data that can be used to make the right decisions for ourselves and our pets.

The French Bulldog pictured here is in honor of Leon, who developed cancer from his microchip implant and caused Associate Press reporter Todd Lewan to write a feature length story on the issue in September 2007. Unfortunately, the article is no longer available for free online.

Look who's talking

Watch these two videos back-to-back and you'll see a very cute interpretation of two cats talking... very creative and fun. First video is in "cat" language, the second video is the "translation."

Cool dog trick

Jilli Dog shows her stuff in a Friday night poker game. Very cute, and it's also heartwarming to see the bond between her and owner Rick.

Coming to a Starbucks near you?

I'm not quite getting it, but DoggyLicious recently won 'Best New Dog Product of the Year 2007' for its Doggy Java products. It's really vitamin water, but looks like coffee. When more coffee houses loosen their rules on allowing our dogs on premises to enjoy coffee with us, I'll be sold.

In the meantime, I'll enjoy the cute picture...

Happy Monday

Ok, so I have a partiality to Yorkies - and here are two adorable models who took on the catwalk in Budapest last week as a part of a show for Luxury Brands.

In the news

If you remember from an earlier post, Winnie was awarded the ASPCA Cat of the Year award for warning her owners of a carbon monoxide leak in their home. Now, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Oreo is the latest hero to warn his family of the same danger.

Oreo would use his scariest meow, run in circles under the vent, and stare at the register whenever the heat was on. Once the heat turned off, he'd be fine. Luckily, his owners were able to connect the two events (heat coming on and Oreo going nuts), and after a visit by the local gas company, life went back to normal.

Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of Oreo, who is reported to be a black and white cat, but I do have a picture of Princess Doodah, who graciously shares her home with me and a couple of other "hangers on."

Funny Horse Video

You can almost see it coming, and it does... still, I was doubled over with laughter, and think you'll be too...

Today's Picture...

Meet Dweevil, a chihuahua who is all decked out and ready to ride in the Harley Davidson Love Ride in Glendale, California. "Live to Ride, Ride to Live."

Forget Dancing with the Stars...

Dancing with Snowball is where it's at!

Check out this video from a blogspot neighbor - Bird Lovers Only Rescue - that has Snowball, a medium sulphur crested Elenora cockatoo, dancing to the Backstreet Boys. It is the most amazing minute-plus of bird dancing I've ever seen and a pure joy to watch. I love the way he kicks his feet and keeps time with the beat of the music. And the bows he takes at the end of the song are priceless.

Wash Day

Chocolate:
not a water or bath day dog

A BBC news report on a washing machine for dogs is getting a lot of play on YouTube. In an accompanying article, the $33,000 machine is being used in France, and the owner insists that it's safe for pets, and he even climbs into the machine to prove his point.

I don't buy it. The video reports that the 4-minute bath doesn't seem to bother the recipient, but my observation is that the dog is showing his stress not only by the look on his face, but in how he's moving his body. In running a pet service, I would think these business owners would know better and want to make sure their "clients" are as happy as possible when in the "spa."

In our house, Chocolate does a lot better dealing with baths if I consistently talk to him and give him reassurance that it will be over soon. Having my hands on him also seems to have a calming effect, as it translates to him being supported while also being washed. There is no reassurance or support when they're in this machine, and it seems to show in practice.

This is one invention better left on the drawing board.

Happy Friday

This is an adorable cartoon that every family with a cat will relate to... enjoy...

Going mainstream

In testament to the significance our pets now have in being an integral part of our lives, the Progressive Group of Insurance Companies has added a payment of up to $500 if a customer's cat or dog is hurt in a car accident.

The coverage is automatic for those who have purchased standard collision coverage and is being offered in 46 states, including California. The company believes they are the first within this conservative industry to offer this coverage, and I not only like it but also see it as a brilliant marketing strategy.

If you'd like to learn more, you can visit the Progressive site for additional details.

Gibson and Boo Boo

In an earlier post, we had the world's biggest horse meet the world's smallest horse. Now we have the world's tallest dog, Gibson, meeting the world's smallest dog, Boo Boo. There's a comment in the article that worries about Boo Boo looking terrified. But as Boo Boo's guardian points out, and we small dog owners know, these little guys carry with them the full attitude of a big dog. And there's not too much to be worried about with Gibson, as he's fully in tune with his softer side as he makes regular visits to children's hospitals, putting smiles on all faces he encounters.

Party animals

These just arrived in my mailbox, thought they were very funny... just goes to show how some cats (and one dog) really know how to party hardy!

Sleeping Positions After Drinking


The way you sleep after two beers...

After three glasses of wine....

After four Kamikazes...

After a few shared bottles of wine...

After a few margaritas...

After two bottles of Jack Daniels...

And after an evening of two beers, three wines, four kamikazes, margaritas, and that bottle of Jack shared with those friends in Mexico...

In the science corner...

Scientific history is being made by Cinnamon, a 4-year-old Abyssinian cat, who now has most of her DNA decoded. This important step benefits both felines as well as humans since cats get upwards of 200 diseases that are similar to what we humans get. By understanding a cat's DNA, researchers can develop vaccines and treatments that address both species. Currently, there is a cat version of AIDS, SARS, diabetes, retinal disease, and spina bifida that has been identified.

This new work, based at the National Cancer Institute in Frederick, Maryland, identifies 20,285 genes in the cat, which is about 95 percent of their full DNA map. That's similar to the 20,000-25,000 genes estimated for us humans.

The underlying report at Genome Research was also used for this summary.

To feel good today...

...check out this news report on the ASPCA's Dog and Cat of the Year Awards. The summary:

• Toby (pictured here with Debbie Parkhurst, his owner), a 2-year-old golden retriever, saved Debbie's life by performing a "doggie" Heimlich maneuver when she was choking on a piece of apple.
  
• Winnie, a 14-year-old domestic shorthair cat, woke her owner up just moments before they would have become overwhelmed by carbon monoxide.

There were also five humans honored for their roles in working with animals, including a firefighter who saved a dog and cat from a burning building.

The video gives a glimpse of these great animals and will generate a big uplift to your day.

Holiday Cheer

Christine Keith has a very nice column in the San Francisco Chronicle outlining what we, as busy pet owners, should be aware of as the marathon of holidays approach. Hopefully everyone within your family came through fine for Halloween, now here are some tips for a Happy Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and other winter celebrations leading up to a great New Year.

• The increase of holiday parties can stress pets out, so giving them an option to hang out in a quiet room is often best, rather than encouraging them to mingle among the crowd.
  
• Too much holiday cheer in the form of unfamiliar foods can affect cats and dogs in not-so-cheerful ways. A little goes a long way when feeding pets fatty foods.
• We know that thawing meats on our counter top has risks, especially with cats. But Christine tells a story on how her dogs were able to get her thawing turkey out of sink and feast on it on the floor. That would not have been a good Thanksgiving for the people-part of the family!
• Especially watch the string that has tied the turkey together. Very dangerous to have that flavor absorbed by something that can knot and choke pretty much anywhere on, or in, the body.
• If you want to share a sweet with your dog, think about apple slices - apparently they love the taste and a little won't hurt them. I need to try this at home...
• If you have a real tree in the house, and a dog that might like lifting his leg on it, try surrounding it with inexpensive brass fireplace screens - Christine tried this and she said it looked nice as well as solved the problem.
• If your dog chomps down on a glass ornament, that's an immediate 911 call to your local emergency vet.