Pet Monologues

We have often heard, and probably experienced, that a human bite can be more infectious than an animal’s bite. Well, what about your pet hamster as a deadly-germ machine? What’s a parent to do?

chicago tribune

The American Academy of Pediatrics, just published that pets pose serious health threats to young children.

Here’s the lineup of no-no pets:
• Reptiles. Small turtles were banished from pet stores decades ago because they harbor salmonella, which causes intestinal problems that can be deadly in children. But other reptiles, including iguanas, lizards, and snakes, also carry salmonella that doesn’t sicken them but could land your kid in the hospital.

• Hamsters. These small, furry rodents are not just cute. They’re carriers of salmonella and have sparked outbreaks of lymphocytic choriomeningitis, a virus that causes brain inflammation and can lead to permanent nerve damage.

• Hedgehogs. These adorable nocturnal critters are increasingly popular in the United States, despite the fact that they can spread salmonella, yersinia pseudotuberculosis (which causes appendicitis-like abdominal pain), and rabies. Hedgehogs’ prickly spines also make it more likely that they will transmit fungal skin infection.

• Monkeys and other primates. Macaques spread herpes B virus, which can cause fatal meningitis in humans, and primates spread a host of other nasty germs, including tuberculosis. A more likely risk is injury, since even “tame” primates have seriously injured trained handlers. Read the rest of this entry »

SLAMORADA, Fla. — A dog is recovering after a Florida Keys carpenter dove in to save his pet from a shark. Read the rest of this entry »

Oldest of cats

Life-span is determined by several factors: good genetics, good general care, good health care, good diet and a relatively safe environment. Cats reach maturity quickly, but as they grow older, their rate of ageing
slows down.

In the wild, cats fall victim to accidents, illnesses, food shortages and predators and may live 6-8 years. The average life-span of a neutered domestic cat (barring accidents) is considered to be 14 years old although there are signs that this may be increasing. More and more cats are reaching their late teens or early twenties.

It’s commonly believed that indoor cats are longer-lived than indoor-outdoor cats. This does not always hold true since many indoor cats, while they are protected from traffic and other animals, may have their lives shortened through obesity (sometimes leading to diabetes or heart disease), lack of exercise and stress. Though cats generally slow down with age, not all elderly cats lose their vigour. Some remain active hunters until their late teens or beyond. On 21 December 1975, a 19 year old tabby female owned by Mrs F Arnot of St Neots, Huntingdonshire, killed a stoat (a small mink-like British carnivore able to kill rabbits) in a fierce fight. Queenie, a one-eyed tabby from Chelmsford, England, was still stalking pigeons (unsuccessfully) at the age of 19. Read the rest of this entry »

Cougar in bedroom kills dog.

IDLEDALE, Colorado (AP) — A mountain lion crept through an open door into a house outside Denver, snatched a Labrador retriever from a bedroom where two people were sleeping and left the dog’s dead body outside, wildlife managers said Tuesday. Read the rest of this entry »

U.S. donates tigers to Iraq.

BAGHDAD—The Baghdad Zoo on Friday welcomed a pair of rare Bengal tiger cubs that were donated by a North Carolina animal sanctuary despite protests by animal rights activists. Read the rest of this entry »

Australian pokes shark in eye to survive mauling.

SYDNEY, Australia (AP)—An Australian swimmer says he survived a mauling by a 16-foot shark by wrestling with the beast, finally getting free by poking it in the eye. Read the rest of this entry »

This is off topic. A dose of year-end wisdom.

This may save your life.
Refresh yourself
of these things to do
in an emergency situation…

This is for you,
and for you to share
with your wife,
your children,
everyone you know.

1 Tip from Tae Kwon Do:
The elbow
is the strongest point
on your body.
If you are close enough to use it, do!

2 From a tourist guide
in New Orleans.
If a robber asks
for your wallet and/or purse,
DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM .
Toss it away from you….
chances are
that he is more interested
in your wallet and/or purse
than you,
and he will go
for the wallet/purse.
RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION! Read the rest of this entry »

Is this a “punish the deed” episode two? PM has in less than a year been exposed to a lot of animal stories finds these “death row” stories a bit too commonplace.

This quilt was recently auctioned on ebay. The image on the quilt looks a bit like Duke the pitbull currently on death row.

The accused animals in these stories both have pretty good cases. Is it enough to save them? Is this a case of a bad animal, a neglectful owner, or an act of self defense? Are the rights of animals different than the owners/victims?

Here is the latest story.

Congo is a 2 1/2-year old German shepherd from Princeton Township, N.J., who was sentenced to death for mauling gardener Giovanni Rivera, 42, on June 5. The dog’s owners maintain that he was simply defending his family from a perceived threat. Read the rest of this entry »

Man gets 6 months for killing wife’s kitten.

A BITTER husband who killed his wife’s kitten by putting it in a tumble drier is starting a six-month jail sentence. Read the rest of this entry »

American Bar Association hosts “Prosecuting reckless owners and muzzling dangerous dogs.”
December 1, 2007, New York University, New York City Read the rest of this entry »