Pet Monologues

For Halloween one needs a creative tool to dress up Fluffy and Buddy. Here it is! Dressup games. My cute pet dressup.

Playing with your food! Pumpkin art!

cheshire cat

scorpion

elephant

unknown pumpkin head

unknown pumpkin fishhead

turtle

charley m submits cheshire cat - scorpion - elephant
designapplause submits unknown pumpkin head
steve dahlke submits turtle

hunter

kokoa girl
Think your little Ethan’s a David Bowie in Crocs, your Isabelle’s the next Gwen Stefani, or your bulldog’s a ringer for Bono? Dress up your pint-sized guitar hero like a rock star, snap a picture, and upload your entry to the Independent Film Channel ( IFC ) “Dress Your Kid (and/or Pet!) Like a Rock Star” photo contest. Runners up win $500 each and the grand prize winner earns a cool $5000. Plus, the highest rated photo each week wins a $50 iTunes gift certificate. Enter as many photos as you like (one per day). And make sure to check out the photo gallery daily to rate the rockers. ( thank you john mccartney )

We were invited to vote for the winning pumpkin in a carving contest. Below is our nominee and our favorite.

Superbly crafted and a labor of love

Hello pussycat

Thanks Anna! Source: Anna Goodson Management

Puuurrrrr!!

* Carnival of the Cats #188
* Weekend Cat Blogging #125 ~ Halloween Edition
* Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos #16 ~ Halloween Edition

AND Boooo!!!

October is adopt a shelter dog month.

ASPCA’s message this month is “Think Globally, Adopt Locally.” They encourage people who are considering adding a four legged barking buddy to their family to adopt from their local shelter. And, if you do bring a new friend home, they also have tips that will help make the transition go smoothly for you and your new dog. Here are some of their tips…

1. You Better Shop Around
Stock up on supplies before Fido arrives! Your new pal won’t need much—the Burberry overcoat and crystal tiara are optional—but essentials include food and water bowls, safe chew toys, grooming tools, a collar and leash, an identification tag and a crate with bedding (towels will do if you don’t want to spend money on a fancy crate pad).

When it comes to food, try to buy the same brand he’s already eating. If you want to change foods, make the switch gradually, mixing old food with new, over a period of a few weeks. Read the rest of this entry »

Here is a glimpse on pet literature today. One writer says that with all the attention from publishers, you’d think pets could read.

Dogs and cats have taken up residence in American homes in record numbers, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association. Its 2007–2008 National Pet Owners Survey found that 63% of U.S. households—71.1 million homes—own a pet. Households with dogs number 44.8 million, while felines can be found in 38.4 million homes. The cat populace, 88.3 million, outnumbers the 74.8 million dogs, that’s because pet parents with cats are more likely to have more than one. However, that in spite of the larger cat population, dog-related books still outsell any other category, the dog-related books outnumbered cat tales by about six to one. What are the books about? Here are 44 titles to think about:

Health and wellness

According to a 2004 American Animal Hospital Association survey, 94% of pet owners take their pet for regular veterinary checkups to ensure their pet’s quality of life. And animal medicine, like its human counterpart, the information and options available in terms of treatment and diagnoses have become vastly more complicated over the last decade. People are, therefore, looking for resources that will help them make sense of it all. Now it is becoming commonplace procedures for dogs as organ transplants, joint replacements and cancer treatments. There are also books, from home remedies to cutting-edge alternative homeopathic therapies.

There’s an author that offers practical strategies for keeping mature dogs young and healthy in mind and body. Among her findings is that only 20%–25% of a dog’s longevity is determined by its genes; the owner can influence the remaining percentage by how he or she cares for the animal. Read the rest of this entry »