Happy Halloween...

...hope any celebrations you have go well, even if you are as pissed off as this kitty looks. The good news is that it's only for today...

Are you kidding me?

Nancy Cook, Vice President of the Pet Food Institute, an organization that acts as the "voice" of the U.S. pet food manufacturers, has been quoted as saying the majority of pet owners are "confident" their pet food is safe, even after this Spring's massive pet food recall.

Huh?

Nancy, the PFI, and their membership should call on a few of us and get the real story. To this day, I still don't buy any gravy-based foods, and there isn't a new can opened that I don't wonder if there's something terrible in it that I might be unknowingly giving my pets. I'm sure I'm not alone in this worry and just because, as busy pet owners, we've had to return to feeding our pets purchased foods doesn't mean we're fine with things as they are without significant changes.

There are about 13 bills working their way through Congress that relate to food safety, and while additional bureaucracy may not be the solution, it can at least serve as a forcing function to clean things up. For Ms. Cook to declare that "we can't insult" China because they are "our largest growing supplier of ingredients in the world" is ludicrous. We have a competitive world market and opening it up for bidding on delivering non-poisonous ingredients seems to be a no-brainer, and this should have started the day the recalls were announced.

The good news is that Menu Foods, the pet food manufacturer that produced most of foods that contained ingredients with melamine, has discontinued their contracts with their China-based suppliers. Hopefully, they can lead the way to a more sane approach in addressing a problem that hits the very core of all families with pets.

Life goes on

For some pet owners dealing with the wildfires in Southern California, several refuges for horses and other pets have been set up, including one at Fiesta Beach, an island on Mission Bay. Along with a variety of smaller animals, including birds, dogs and cats, there are now dozens of horses grazing on hay in makeshift corrals or trotting along the water's edge. They are somewhat stressed, since many aren't used to the amount of surrounding activity, but the situation is still better than where they've been since this disaster started.

Christopher Richter moved his large menagerie of pets, including four horses, at least five times during the past week, and finds the peace of Fiesta Beach therapeutic.

"When we got here, there was smoke around, but the air quality for us and our animals was a lot better because of the breezes," he said.

A very nice up-to-date Google map of the wildfire area and the services available can be seen here.

Texas Alarm System

Many people think a dog is a wonderful deterrent in keeping a home safe from burglary. In Texas, a parrot seems to do the job nicely as well. Salvador, Mexican Red-headed parrot, who won't speak on cue but will say "hello" when visitors come in, alerted his owner, Dennis Baker, that it was not just the two of them at home in the middle of the night. And in making sure all visitors are equal, Salvador also chirped "hello" when the police arrived.

Being a guns-creep-me-out kind of girl, I won't even mention that Dennis followed up Salvador's call with a fully Texas (legal) action with his gun.

The beautiful picture is not Salvador himself but another Mexican Red-headed parrot from Bird Breeds.

Homeless in Silicon Valley

Those of us who make our home in Silicon Valley have been criticized in the past for not giving back to the community. That is changing overall, and Steve Wozniak has now joined in to help the cause of homeless cats. This three minute video gives a good overview of the problem and ways we can help.

It's interesting that one key argument against the Healthy Pets Act earlier this year was that euthanasia numbers continue to go down for unwanted pets. This video talks about the growing feral cat population (125,000 in Santa Clara County alone) and the non-stop work that many dedicated volunteers do to help control the numbers without having to resort to euthanasia. It's a constant battle regardless - even with their efforts, 30,000 of these cats are put down each year, in this county alone.

More information on this campaign is available via the Humane Society of Silicon Valley and Cats Without a Home.

Pets threatened as homes burn

With 18 wildfires ravaging Southern California, there is a lot of good and useful information being disseminated about how to keep pets safe during times of disaster.

The San Diego Humane Society is working non-stop within the fire zones to rescue animals that cannot be reached by their owners. Their site has regular updates on information important to pet owners, including evacuation centers that can accept them and their pets as a family. Another article gives practical advice for pet evacuation. Some of the tips include:

Always look for personal solutions (especially friends and family) and only use public services as a last resort. During a disaster, animal shelters and other public services become overwhelmed with thousands of animals very quickly.

Locate pet-friendly lodging in or around your area. Sometimes these facilities waive their no pet policy for one or two smaller animals in times of disaster...

Look for animal day-care facilities in the area, and if you are in a potential path of danger, do not leave your animal home alone for extended periods.

Birds and horses are extremely susceptible to smoke. Place birds in enclosed rooms without many windows and keep horses in a barn to cut down on smoke inhalation.

and probably the most chilling one is:

• If fire is rapidly approaching your home and there is no time to safely evacuate, release your animals rather than leaving them confined. This will allow them to escape (make sure the animal has a collar and tag with a cellular telephone number).

This is staggering work: consider that 1500 homes have been affected by this fire to date, and the evacuation of over 500,000 people is now the largest in California's modern history. A very conservative estimate of animals affected is easily in the thousands.

If you'd like to help support this effort, the San Diego Humane Society is accepting donations, including a wish list of supplies that will enable them to support the influx of pets they are saving for families like ours.

Seven Shopping Days Left...

...before Halloween!

An interesting overview in the Orange County Register shares these tidbits about us and what we're planning for our pets on Halloween:

• The National Retail Federation, the world's largest retail trade group, predicts 11 percent of us who celebrate the holiday will dress our pets in costumes. That equals 7.4 million households nationwide.
• Retailers are jumping into the trend by stocking more costumes this year and planning additional investments next year. And there will be social events as well, like Howl-O-Ween parties, sponsored by small boutiques as well as the large chains.
  
• This year's hottest costumes are animals pretending to be other creatures, including skunks, spiders, lobsters, ladybugs, bumblebees, and butterflies.
• While not part of the animal theme, an Elvis wig for cats is flying off the shelves, PetSmart spokeswoman Jennifer Ericsson said.

Another article recommends that we keep with the "made for pets" costumes and avoid using doll or baby clothes, as they can bind and hinder a pet's mobility. The manufactured costumes seem to address this to some degree, although Chocolate is never happy when I have anything on him but his collar and leash. I guess he's going as a dog.

More cute pics follow below...

Redefining Service Animal

Patty Cooper's miniature horse, Earl, which is short for Early to Rise, weighs 100 pounds and is 32 inches tall, equivalent to the size of a larger dog breed like an Irish Wolfhound. She is working with her landlord to have Earl accepted as a service animal, and by doing so, is sparking an interesting debate on which species of animals best quality to help people with disabilities.

Patty uses a wheelchair since breaking her back twice, a result of celiac disease which can, among other things, cause brittle bones. She and Earl have bonded on their daily visits, and now Cooper would like Earl to live with her and be her full-time service animal.

Odd as this might sound, it actually makes sense.

Earl's lifespan is about 50 years, compared to about 10 years for a service dog. Patty just lost her service dog, Tippy, to old age, and would prefer not to go through the pain of losing a friend as well as important service companion again. Earl could solve that problem for her.

But first she needs to convince the Central Vermont Community Land Trust, the organization that provides and manages her affordable apartment.

Their worries are centered around waste both inside and outside the apartment, food storage and grazing for the pony, and the structure needed to house him in the apartment.

All of these seem fixable: horse diapers are available, and look like they could be easy to clean up. There's a variety of storage containers the food could be stored in so that rats or other vermin couldn't access (note that this is a problem for all of us storing food for our pets). Patty is talking to a neighbor of the apartment building to see if it could available for grazing, and a portable stall (with protection for the floor) has been already been put together so Earl can use it when he visits Patty.

There's also a precedent - The Guide Horse Foundation's website gives many examples of how miniature horses serve in creating greater mobility for the visually impaired. Check out the cute pictures of them in the house (and note that they do need to have their outdoor space).

After some initial doubts, both sides are optimistic they can work something out. It would be great to see this have a happy ending for all parties, they seem to be on the right track.

Partnership

This was the first story I read in this morning's paper - Stephen Noetzel and Glicka love going to Fort Funston, where there is an off leash open space for dogs along the beautiful San Francisco coast. Stephen writes a story of love, partnership, communication, and trust that has set my day to an inspirational start. I hope you enjoy this story as much as I did.

A Chemical World

At her last checkup, Minnie was put under watch for feline hyperthyroidism, an increasingly common disorder in older cats. So it was interesting to read of research that links this disease to ethers in flame retardants that are widely found in household dust and some canned pet food.

The article, in the August issue of Environmental Science & Technology is a bit dry reading. A more palatable summary was covered in the October issue of Pet Age, however, an online version of that article is not available. I will paraphrase from the article, as it is a bit easier to understand than the scientific underpinnings cited in ES&T.

The flame retardant underlying chemical is polybrominated diphenyl ether, or PBDE, and is very common in household products, including upholstered furniture, carpet padding, and electronics. In the 30 years that the chemical has been used in home products, the incidence of feline hyperthyroidism has also increased, and studies found "cats can have extraordinarily high concentrations of PBDE flame retardants in their blood."

To get us off the hook as bad housekeepers, the ES&T article shares the hypothesis that it's because of a cat's meticulous and continuous grooming habits that could be the reason for their high PBDE levels. They also see cats as "sentinels for both [human] exposure to PBDEs and examination of endocrine disruption."

The ASPCA gives a broader overview of this treatable disease and makes the following suggestions to help keep pets safe:

• Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter and change the filter regularly.
• Use an air conditioner with HEPA filter and change the filter regularly.
• Cover tears in upholstery that expose polyurethane foam, particularly if the foam is crumbling.
• Cover mattresses with tightly woven allergen barriers to reduce dust. Do not remove the mattress label, as it will tell if polyurethane foam was used.
  

Get A Grip

Well. I've only peripherally followed the Mutts and Moms/Ellen DeGeneres saga, believing that these reasonable, pet loving people would work to find a solution that would keep the best interest of the puppy in mind. This morning I viewed the ABC coverage of the story, and this is one of those times where I feel compelled to get on my soapbox.

It is clear Ellen is a devoted pet lover. It is clear that Marina Baktis, the owner of Mutts and Moms, is also a pet lover and has started her business to ensure the dogs she shelters are given great homes. As part of the evaluation for home placement, Marina and her team inspect the home and when things check out, an agreement is made that the puppy will be returned to Mutts and Moms if, for some reason, the placement doesn't work out.

As a business owner myself, I've learned that businesses evolve over time. This is a good thing, as an initial approach may not turn out to be the best path to overall business success. In this case, the business success was to find a good home for a puppy.

Yes, Ellen signed papers saying she would not "re-home" the puppy. Marina most likely had this clause in place because of a prior bad experience of finding one of her charges in less than desirable conditions. But Ellen didn't place the puppy in a questionable circumstance, unless you firmly believe that puppies shouldn't be with children under 14. Then I would argue that you are just wrong. My daughter was 8 when Chocolate came to be part of our family at three months of age. The bond they formed was magical, and each learned from the other.

Again, it's using our brains and forging a reasonable solution. Puppies are children themselves, so of course they need to be supervised in all situations, among human adults, other pets, and human children. If a guardian, such as Ellen's hairdresser agrees to that, what on earth is the issue? The puppy receives an abundance of love, the family welcomes a new member, and the children build wonderful memories that will stay with them all their lives.

Marina, get a grip. Fire your attorney and follow your heart. You began this business for the wonderful purpose of finding orphaned pets good homes. Whether you place them directly or they are placed by a trusted party seems inconsequential. Stay true to your dream and it will work out.

Survival of the Fittest

Jackson, a Newfoundland, pictured here with two Suffolk County, New York firefighters, used his innate smarts to survive a house fire by putting his snout in the drainpipe of the bathtub and waiting it out until he was rescued. Because he likes to chill out in the bathtub when the weather is warm, it was the natural place for him to go when things started heating up. That he figured out to get fresh air via the drainpipe even impressed the firefighters - Vince Egbert and Edgar Trejo had 10 minutes to go in and find the dog. They pulled aside a shower curtain and found him "actually sucking air out of the drainpipe, which is an old-school thing that a fireman would do," Egbert said.

"That's what really saved him, was getting his snout as low as he could and finding the drainpipe."

The house has severe damage, and Jackson was the last resident to leave the house. All are safe.

Hard at Work

A cute picture to launch the Cat Fanciers' Association 5th Annual CFA-Iams Cat Championship in New York October 10, 2007.

Cats In War

John Burns wrote a mesmerizing article for the New York Times last weekend about his life as Bureau Chief in Baghdad and the effect of living with war amid a growing colony of cats inside the Bureau's walled compound.

Somewhat disturbing are the facts that neutering the cats isn't an option, so the colony grows substantially (up to 60 cats) during "good" times (no disease or feral dogs to take them out). Feeding them makes them vulnerable to possible abandonment if the Bureau should need to close down abruptly. The military has written bans on soldiers adopting or feeding stray animals, and while that rule gets stretched, it's unfair to think they could absorb this task if the Bureau were to close.

But there are points made that resonate with pet lovers and can be completely understood by our demographic:

• Mr. Burns writes how the cats enable him to focus on life and positive contribution rather than death and destruction, keeping a close count of the colony's population and tying it with his own morale as the war progresses.
• The Baghdad cats were reported in the journal Science to have noble lineage, as they share the same terrain occupied by felines who were the forebears of all domestic cats along the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates more than 10,000 years ago.
• As he plans a trip home, a female cat and her kittens accompany him, no easy feat when trying to exit a country where the human suffering is severe and a cat carrier can be seen as something foreign enough to be destroyed on site by local security.

Seeing how terrified the cats were within all the turmoil at the airport, he begins talking to them about what lies ahead in the hope that hearing his voice will be calming:

...the 3,000-mile air journey, detention in the quarantine center and, ultimately, liberation into a green and pleasant land where they would be full citizens, never again wanting for shelter, warmth and food.

Overhearing this conversation, one traveler approaches Mr. Burns and asks:

This proposal you make, is it for four legs only, or also for two? Six months’ detention, British passport, free to stay, guaranteed home, this is excellent. I will take, and many other Iraqis, too.

This is the stuff of hard choices and legitimate opposing points of view. But I'm glad to read of humanity within this tortured part of the world.

A related link is to John Laurence's Book, "The Cat from Hue: A Vietnam War Story", from which today's picture is sourced.

Lost is Bad Enough, But Stolen?

It's bad enough to lose your pet, but what about when it's stolen? In Beaverton, Oregon, Kristy Saint Clair's Pomeranian puppy went missing last week. She wasted no time in putting up posters that also included a reward for Riley's safe return. But it was when she was out and about in her neighborhood that she saw a dog that looked remarkably like Riley. The man walking her was firm that he was the owner, but Kristy persisted. Riley's face was still the same, but his fur had been cut short and he had a new collar, new leash, new tags, new name, and was wearing a sweater. Just goes to show that we pet lovers know our brood and will see through feeble attempts to disguise their image.

Riley is back home, safe and sound.

Today's Picture...

If you haven't seen this through your own browsing, it's a joy to behold: Longfellow crosses the finish line to win the Annual Savannah Wiener Dawg Races on Saturday, Oct. 6, 2007, in Savannah, Georgia. Longfellow lost his back left leg after being hit by a car a couple of years ago. A quick Google search on three-legged dogs shows their adaptability in maintaining a happy lifestyle sans a paw. Competing against 175 four-legged dachshunds, he's an inspiration to all of us in the two-legged variety of dog.

Happy Thursday.

Does This Sound Like You?

This morning's front page story in the San Francisco Chronicle reports on the amazing amount of money we're devoting to our pets - an estimated $40 Billion in the United States for 2007 alone. What I found most entertaining, however, were the "on the street" interviews with people discussing the most extravagant expenditures they've made for their pets. Here's a sample of my favorite quotes:

The "It's Hard to Top This" Quote:

When I moved from Chicago to San Francisco, I paid for first class so my bird, LaRue, could sleep on my shoulder and have plenty of wing room.

The "Love is Found in All Kinds of Places" Quote:

I have one guinea pig; he's not the school pet you take home for the summer. Cost is at least $1,200 a year; exponentially more if I get a vet bill. He's referred to as the "golden pig" at the vet's office.

The "Yes, I'd Do That Too" Quote:

Right after college, my 2-year-old golden retriever nearly died. I borrowed $6,000-plus from my parents to cover her medical expenses. It took me nearly 10 years to pay them back, but I never regretted it.

The "You are Living My Life" Quote:

I can say that the most extravagant expenditure would have to be the number of stuffed octupi we've bought our dog. We buy one, he rips it in two days. Then we buy another, and he rips it.

Amazing Pictorial Story

A couple of years ago, I was part of a behind-the-scenes tour at the San Francisco Zoo. When approaching the polar bear area, we were told to stay very alert and within a safe distance because polar bears don't bond and would attack if there was an opportunity to do so. I have no reason to believe that my seasoned zoo caretaker guide had erroneous information - she had been immersed in this world for her entire working career and knew the finer subtleties of zoo life.

Then I came upon this story. In nature, it seems polar bears approach other life forms very differently. The key pictures are listed here, but the two minute video presentation with commentary is also worth looking at. What you see are two huskies and a polar bear, who from the very beginning are not threatened by each other, and do form a bond. I hope you enjoy.

It looks like the husky might be growling, but in an extreme closeup (shown in the video) no teeth are showing.

The photographers were certain that the husky was about to lose his life.

Then they started to see the transformation...

This is the smaller husky, which is showing his throat to the polar bear...

It was clear at this point that they had a special bond and communication.

The polar bear returned to play with the huskies every night for the next week.

National Geographic's October 2007 online magazine has two very informative, at-a-glance graphical presentations of what taboo foods to watch out for with your dog. One is general food taboos, and the other is the effects of various types of chocolate that differs according to the weight of your dog.

Unlike a lot of lists on taboo foods, these lists cover enough background on the "whys" to make it really interesting. For instance, I wasn't aware that the effect of ingesting small amounts of onion can be worse than "wolfing down the whole bulb." And that the yeast in raw bread is particularly dangerous because the expansion of the dough can prevent blood flowing to the heart. Scary. But useful information.

Very Smart Animals

This video is a big hit on YouTube right now - check it out - it's amazing to see the ingenuity of each of these guys.

It's That Time of Year

With Fall rushing in, there's a new crop of Halloween pictures being circulated that are really funny - hopefully these are new for you too - enjoy!

Today's YouTube Video...

This is definitely worth watching - you become mesmerized with the animal shapes and forget that it's all human fingers and hands making the images... enjoy...

Downtown Dog...

This is a dog that has it goin' on... this adorable picture was taken in downtown Tokyo on October 1st.

Taking Great Pictures of Our Pets

The ASPCA is celebrating October as Adopt a Shelter Dog month. As part of the festivities, there's a photo contest, and as a part of that, some tips for how to take great pictures of our pets. I'm quoting the main steps here, I like the direct approach which makes me feel even I have a decent chance of getting a great picture of my brood if I follow through on the guidance.

The Great Outdoors: Natural light is your best friend when photographing animals. Shoot outside. Always try to avoid using a direct flash, which often results in no eye detail. An animal’s eyes are the window to his soul, and you want to see them. If it is impossible to take a dog outside, try to find natural light inside—next to a window, etc.

Made in the Shade: When shooting outside, avoid harsh, direct sunlight that washes out detail. Opt instead for shady spots or overcast days. Make sure that you are using a “film” speed that will allow you to shoot in lower light without things becoming blurry. Most amateur cameras have intuitive “ISO” or “ASA” settings that automatically adjust to changing light conditions, but you can also set these manually. Very simply, the higher the ISO number, the faster the “speed” and therefore the less light you need. Beware of going much beyond 500 or so though, because you could get really grainy, pixilated photos. Experiment with what works best with your camera.

Up Close and Personal: Make the shot about the dog, not the wall behind him. Most cameras have a macro or close-up feature on them. This enables you to get closer than usual with your camera without everything being blurry.

Trick and Treat: Most dogs are highly motivated by food. Even the most untrained, nervous shelter dog will usually focus temporarily on the food you are holding. If you have someone helping you, get them to hold the treat over your head while you’re shooting in order to get a nice straight-on face shot. If you’re alone, use one hand to shoot and the other to maneuver the treat and the dog’s gaze.

The Dog Whistler: The idea behind photographing animals is to catch them in a state of simply being themselves. High-pitched squeals, whistles, meowing, bird calls or any odd noise that isn’t threatening often immediately grabs their attention and natural curiosity. Be ready with the camera—these candid moments don’t last long!

Patience Is a Virtue: It often takes many, many shots to get just the “right” one of an animal. (For this reason, I recommend always shooting digitally.) Plan to edit through as many as 20-40 images per dog at first. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll find that you fall into a routine and will need to take fewer photos. You may also want to get someone else to pet or play with the dog, and then photograph them while they are engaged in this enjoyable, disarming activity.

Practice Does Make Perfect: Some digital cameras can shoot many frames per second, but most are bit slower to respond. In these cases, you need to know your camera and learn how to anticipate the fleeting moment you want to capture. If there is a half second delay between when you push the button and when the camera takes the picture, that delay should become intuitive to you the more you use the camera.

Rabbit, rabbit, white rabbit...

This is worth a second posting today. A friend just informed me of this old English saying, to be delivered on the first day of a new month to receive good luck for the whole month. May all of you have the best of luck coming your way this and every month.

Spectacular Picture

When I first saw this picture, I was certain it was "Photoshopped". But when looking at the full story, it's clear that Animal Control had their hands full in bringing this 250 lb. bear to safety in Truckee, California.