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Maukie the cat!

When death comes calling, so does cat.

Posted in Death, Mammals, News on July 26th, 2007 by PM

When death comes calling, so does cat. PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island (AP) — Oscar the cat seems to have an uncanny knack for predicting when nursing home patients are going to die, by curling up next to them during their final hours. Oscar the cat doesn’t like to be put out in the hall when a patient is dying. Read the rest of this entry »

Implications of Human-Animal Interactions and Bonds in the Laboratory.

Posted in Health, Issues/Opinions, Professional on July 24th, 2007 by PM

Abstract

Relationships inevitably develop between humans and animals, regardless of the function or use of the animal partners. The need to recognize the existence of these human-animal bonds, as well as acknowledge the use of the animals, is widespread. Religious memorial services for animals in certain areas of the world provide an historical basis for such acknowledgment activities. The diversity of sacred and secular approaches to memorializing or acknowledging animals is illustrated by representative examples of such events. The need to establish such events, particularly in academic and research settings, is emphasized. The pros and cons of developing and establishing acknowledgment activities in addition to the benefits of implementing such events are discussed. Read the rest of this entry »

Doolittle. Doctor Doolittle.

Posted in Issues/Opinions, Law, Professional, Tips/Info on July 11th, 2007 by hesso

Somewhere between astronaut, basketball player and “American Idol” winner, veterinarian is the job of choice for kids today. The thought of working with furry, four-legged friends and cuddly cats is just too good to pass up, and veterinary work may be the only animal career people think of.

But you don’t have to be a vet to work with animals.

safari-1.jpg

Art: Dorling Kindersley

In reality, there are a variety of other ways to combine a love of animals with a paying job. Do you enjoy teaching and working with people as well as pets? If so, you might want to be an animal trainer. Do you have an interest in rescuing or offering a helping hand to neglected animals? You might want to work in an animal shelter, wildlife refuge or zoo. Or maybe you’d like to make animals comfortable and neat by starting your own grooming business. Read the rest of this entry »

Why the cat was ‘tamed’ — but stayed aloof.

Posted in Mammals, Tips/Info on July 6th, 2007 by hesso

Inside the cells of every pet cat lies a history book, a story detailing the journey from the wilds of Asia to the comforts of a windowsill perch.

Combining the fields of genetics and archeology, scientists have cracked open the book to find that cat domestication occurred near the beginning of human civilization, long before many previous archeological estimates. The circumstances of this early association between man and cat may explain the friendly but tenuous truce between felines and humans.

Published Friday in the journal Science, the research used DNA from modern house cats to trace the origin of domestic cats back to a specific time and region thatcoincided with the settlement of humans in the Middle East region known as the Fertile Crescent. Read the rest of this entry »

Prozac for pets can be useful but on a short leash.

Posted in Health, Issues/Opinions, News on June 18th, 2007 by hesso

Prozac for pets can be useful but on a short leash. Published June 17, 2007

A week after Chicago’s Katharine Pflaum adopted a temperamental calico cat named Stella, she knew she had a serious problem on her hands. Stella wasn’t just warlike during the day; she also pounced on Pflaum in the middle of the night.

But Pflaum didn’t want to give up on the cat, who already had been abandoned twice. So she started her on a behavioral program that included Prozac, the same antidepressant given to humans. Read the rest of this entry »

Pet #4: Sparky.

Posted in Death, Mammals, Stories on June 13th, 2007 by PM

sparky

Photo of myself in the same wheelbarrow with a now full-grown Sparky.

Sparky was a gift to me from my father on my 8th birthday: July 29, 1955. This was a year after our last dog, Kim, was killed by a car.

Sparky was six weeks old, born on June 17. I think I remember that because Pop’s birthday was July 17 and Mom and Pop’s aniversary was August 17. I think Pop chose Sparky because he had the same coloring as Kim: white with a black head and highlights of brown around he eyes. He also had a black spot on his back. Neutering male dogs was hardly ever done in those days, so naturally I spent a lot of time chasing after Sparky, just like I did chasing after Kim. Unlike Kim, however, Sparky would come eventually, but only when Mom called him. Although I loved Sparky like a brother, he was more of a mama’s dog. That’s probably also because Mom was better at feeding him. Read the rest of this entry »

How to tell if your pet has eaten poisoned pet-food.

Posted in Death, Food, Health, Questions, Tips/Info on June 7th, 2007 by PM

How to tell if your pet has eaten poisoned pet-food. Every pet owner in the country is concerned about whether their four-legged family member is at risk due to the recent pet food and treat recalls.

To date, kidney failure has been the cause of death in pets that have eaten the poison food.

Do you know what symptoms to look for? Read the rest of this entry »

How pet psychics work.

Posted in Mammals, Questions, Tips/Info on April 17th, 2007 by PM

If you have pets, you may have wondered whether they know what you’re thinking. Perhaps your cat hides when you start planning a trip to the vet. Or maybe your dog runs in circles when you think about going out to play. Both of these events can have logical explanations. Your cat might have heard you pull the carrier off the shelf; your dog must have seen you glance at a favorite ball. Read the rest of this entry »

Run away dogs - part one.

Posted in Humor, Mammals, Reader's choice, Stories on April 5th, 2007 by Mr. Rodney

We are flying from Long Beach on Jet Blue, our first flying experience with the upstart. We flew in from Chicago for a surprise birthday party for a beloved cousin and a long getaway weekend with family and friends. The last night cousin David showed us a six-month effort at digitizing old family photos that went back four generations. Memories came back in a flood of emotion and wonder as we revisited cherished photos and ones we had never seen before. In many of the photos were our pets that in some cases marked milestones in our lives. On the plane I decided to recreate the comings and goings of my pet dogs. Read the rest of this entry »


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