Pet Monologues

Man could be charged for trying to bury horse alive in Sanford.

SANFORD, FLA—A man could face animal cruelty charges for attempting to bury his ailing horse alive in Sanford on Thursday. Read the rest of this entry »

Sergeant arrested in K-9 death.

Sheriff’s Office books Chandler police official after animal-cruelty investigation. Read the rest of this entry »

In many families, a thorough search for ticks is part of any hike, camping trip or other journey into the woods. For people who live in rural areas, particularly those who work outdoors, looking for ticks is often a part of daily life. It’s easy to think of these tiny arachnids as something to watch out for in relatively wild terrain, but ticks don’t confine themselves to the wilderness. They’re adaptive and resilient, and you can find them in distinctly urban areas, like the parks of New York City.

feamle tick
Photo courtesy CDC/Dr. Amanda Loftis, Dr. William Nicholson, Dr. Will Reeves, Dr. Chris Paddock
A female lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum.

The typical response to finding a tick is often disgust. It’s partly because ticks are parasites — they feed on their hosts’ blood. Although people see them most often on themselves and their pets, ticks also attack wild animals, farm animals, birds and reptiles. On top of that, some ticks, particularly females, swell dramatically when they ingest a lot of blood. An engorged tick, or one that’s full of blood, can have a bizarre, even grotesque appearance.

In addition to their feeding behavior and appearance, ticks are disease vectors. They can carry illnesses from one animal to another. In fact, ticks are the primary disease vector in domestic animals. In terms of human illness, only one parasite spreads more illness—the mosquito. Ticks can spread a wide variety of disease-causing organisms, including bacteria, viruses and protozoa. Read the rest of this entry »

I was a good boy. I loved my family and always looked out for them.

I always greeted them at the door and showed them my happy expressions.

We exchanged lots of kisses and hugs, especially with younger members of the family.

I was happy. I loved going to the park and run around.

I loved jumping of the docks to water and roll around in the grass.

We all had a lot of fun and we were happy.

That was until my family took me to the woods.

I was beaming with excitement and smelling the unknown, cool misty air and hoping we get to explore the new playgrounds. That would be so great!

As the car rolled to a stop and a silence filled the air, the door opened and I was ordered to jump out. Read the rest of this entry »

Of all cat behavior problems, these are the ones owners complain about the most—and with good reason. Besides the mess and damage, inappropriate elimination is unsanitary and creates an unpleasant (and often malodorous) atmosphere in the home.

Cats have an instinct to dig in loose materials and bury their urine and feces, and many of them adapt this instinct to the litter box with few problems. But it’s still something they have to learn, and they often need help to get the lesson right.

Boxes, boxes everywhere. Litter boxes and litter should be the first things you buy when you decide to get a cat. Get them set up before the cat sets a single paw in your home. Make sure they are clean, easy to find, and numerous enough.

Many cats dislike using a box that another cat has recently used (even if that other cat is herself), so the rule of thumb is: The number of litter boxes in the house should equal the number of cats in the house plus one. Thus, if you have two cats, you should have at least three litter boxes; even households with just one cat should have at least two boxes. Read the rest of this entry »

Dogs to take over NY swimming pools.

RAMAPO, N.Y. (AP)—Every dog has its day, and for those in this suburban town it’s Sept. 9: That’s when the pooches will have a pool party. Read the rest of this entry »

From a lead role as Eve’s tempter in the Bible to regular appearances in the Harry Potter books and movies, snakes have slithered their way into world mythology and popular culture with tales born of fear as well as respect.

The Cottonmouth snake is also called the Water Moccasin.

In the more than 130 million years since they appeared, snakes have evolved into a highly versatile vertebrate, boasting the ability to climb straight up, dart through water and, in some species, even fly—all without limbs. Combine this mobility with a worldwide presence and a sometimes-deadly bite, and snakes can quickly become the stuff of myths.

In this article, we’ll shed some of their mystique. You’ll learn how snakes get around, how they kill and eat their prey, and how they court and reproduce, making note of some fascinating species along the way. Read the rest of this entry »

Court rules against Bush administration in global warming case.

Federal Judge Orders Production of Suppressed Scientific Reports on Global Warming Impacts< Read the rest of this entry »

When kids go back to school, pets can get lonely.

With children all over the area heading back to school, what happens to pets once their playmates are gone for the day? Read the rest of this entry »

Training a dog to stop barking.

Mostly, problem barkers bark because they are bored. Read the rest of this entry »