Pet Monologues

Scrapper arrived with Kitty I in 1988. He was a big tough ex-feral trapped and snipped aged 10. He had beaten up other cats in the area, but was now down on his luck. He must have been a pet originally and been allowed to stray and go wild. Neutered, cured of fleas, ringworm and a variety of fight and bite wounds, he had sat in the cat shelter for many months awaiting a person who looked beyond his mangled features.
He was a black cat but rather dusty and motheaten. Scrapper sat forlornly in a cat basket for several days, unwilling to leave it while we were there. After a week he suddenly decided that enough was enough and came to watch Blue Peter with me on the sofa. From then on he was my little black shadow and walked to heel! Read the rest of this entry »

How to deal with controversy? Maybe talking about it will bring positive results. I just read in the morning Chicago Tribune how a three-year old pit bull had to be put down by the owner for killing a neighbor’s dog, an 11-year old lab. It reminded me of a jogger killed by ferel pits in Chicago two years ago. In my very brief research this dog has many support groups such as Pit Bull Rescue Central and there is factual evidence that this dog as a breed has a more positive temperment than a lab as cited in American Temperament Testing Society which comes as quite a shock to most of us.

I have met this dog up close on occasion via friends who own one or more. If you like large, powerful-looking dogs, you have got to like a pit bull. The owner’s will say that a pit bull with issues though raises a red flag. You might say the same thing about many people who can cause considerable damage to life or limb if you know what I mean.

But something is not right here. If you have a pit bull and wish to take it to the Humane Society, they will probably put the dog down, no questions asked. If you are lucky I guess, they will tell you so up front. And maybe we agree that most news reported today is of a tragic nature. If there is a dog in the story, this dog always seems to be in the vicinity of these stories. Stories about attacks, mauling, break-in by police, neighbor complaints, fighting, and death.

Is the pit bull to blame? Is the pit bull a loaded gun? A drunken driver? Can the pit bull live peaceably in our society?

Animal lovers flock to Dallas. DALLAS, Tex. – The world’s largest educational conference and tradeshow for animal sheltering professionals, hosted by The Humane Society of the United States, brings more than 1,400 animal sheltering professionals from across the U.S. and many foreign countries to the Hyatt Regency Dallas at Reunion Arena. For more information.

Danderless Dempsey, the hypoallergenic cat. Last year, it was revealed that a Greenwich Village family had purchased a $4,000 hypoallergenic cat from Allerca (not to mention the $3,000 in insurance and shipping). Now, the Daily News has visited the family and cat! [RK] Read the rest of this entry »

What’s the Big Deal?
Ah, the pitter patter of four-legged feet as they whip through your living room at overclocked speeds or uproot your prize gladiolas with manic fervor. But Snookiepuss and Mrs. Fluffypants are practically family, right?

So why should they settle for anything less than top drawer when their health and wellbeing are at stake? Throw the planet a bone while you’re at it; we’ve got the goods on how to reduce your pets’ carbon paw prints—without making your wallet roll over and play dead. Read the rest of this entry »

Marco, a large brown tabby cat, stately sits on his haunches outside Venice’s Ospedale Civile, welcoming all who come to visit loved ones at this hospital. Is that a smirk on his face, or do I imagine a smug smile when I notice a sign on the door showing a dog in a circle with the slash symbol through it? Marco is the hospital’s official greeter. “It gives people hope when they see him,” says Gabriella Sanna, secretary of Dingo, a non-profit organization that helps care for some 500 stray cats in Venice and its islands. Venice is but one Italian city where numerous gattare (cat ladies) take care of homeless felines and is the first stop on our 12-day “Cats and Culture” tour from Venice to Rome in October’s perfect weather.

Venetians’ affection for cats dates back centuries because of the feline affinity for rodents. Special Venetian cats even were bred in the 13th Century to go after rats carrying the black plague. About 40 cats — gatti, in Italian — live at Venice’s main hospital, which dates from the 15th Century. “The hospital has many mice, so the cats are welcome here,” Sanna says. Read the rest of this entry »

No bunny pets.It is Easter time again. Many parents are tempted to buy one of those cute little Easter bunnies that appear in pet stores. Read the rest of this entry »

So It’s Time To Buy A Dog!

After listening to your kids beg for a puppy for years, you’re finally ready to give in and buy a dog. Before you take this big step though, stop to consider a few facts that should influence your decision. After all, you are about to enter into a 10+ year commitment, and you want to make sure you’re prepared!….Don’t You?

[youtube]V-tNAIRdoTk[/youtube]

First, consider your impulse to begin with a puppy. Puppies are undeniably adorable and appealing, but they need lots of exercise, training, and supervision. Depending on your work schedule and the ages of your children, do you really have time to handle a rambunctious pup?
Read the rest of this entry »