Winged Cats!

There is a very special cat living in Chongqing, China. He is special because he has wings!

Even though the cat was born quite normal and healthy for a kitten to be, after his first birthday he started to develop the wing shaped appendages on either side of his back.

There have since been quite a few speculations about the cat's wings. Some people have said that they are the resemblance of a Siamese twin once growing inside the cat's body; whilst still others have speculated that they are a weird mutation of some kind. Even more people seem to believe that the wings are actually a result of the cat's mother ingesting some kind of chemical whilst she was pregnant with the cat.

Apparently, this winged cat does not seem to be bothered by his wings at all. In fact, claims his owner, he is loving all the attention that he is getting because of them.

However, he is not the only winged cat in China! There have been other reported cases of winged cats in China. In August 2008, tomcats that were living in the Sichuan province of China were also reported as having wings by the U.K. Telegraph.

It seems that during a period of exceptionally hot weather in Sichuan, a large province in the south of China where a devastating earthquake struck that spring, the tomcats living there started to sprout wings.

"At first they were just two bumps, but they started to grow quickly, and after a month there were two wings," said Granny Feng of Xianyang City, an owner of one of the winged cats. Her cat's wings measure approximately 4 inches in length.

She further went on to explain that due to the excessive heat in the province the female cats were in heat longer and she believes that her cat's wings developed as a result of stress that he suffered after he was 'sexually harassed' by female cats who wanted to mate with him.

"Many female cats in heat came to harass him, and then the wings started to grow," Granny Feng explained to the local Huashang News.

Even though the appendages look like they are quite fluffy, they are, in fact, made of bone. Scientists are not quite sure what to believe either. They can’t seem to decide whether the cats' wings are as a result of poor grooming habits, a genetic defect or if they were caused by a hereditary skin condition.

What they do agree on, however, is that the wings do not inhibit the cats quality of life or their safety.

There has been roughly 138 reported sightings of cats that have wings and 28 documented cases with physical evidence, including photographs and, more recently, a video.

One of the earliest reports of a cat with wings is that by Henry David Thoreau, an American author: "A few years before I lived in the woods there was what was called a 'winged cat' in one of the farm-houses in Lincoln nearest the pond, Mr. Gillian Baker's. When I called to see her in June, 1842, she was gone a-hunting in the woods, as was her wont ... but her mistress told me that she came into the neighborhood a little more than a year before, in April, and was finally taken into their house; that she was of a dark brownish-grey color, with a white spot on her throat, and white feet, and had a large bushy tail like a fox; that in the winter the fur grew thick and flattened out along her sides, forming strips ten or twelve inches long by two and a half wide, and under her chin like a muff, the upper side loose, the under matted like felt, and in the spring these appendages dropped off. They gave me a pair of her 'wings,' which I keep still. There is no appearance of a membrane about them. Some thought it was part flying squirrel or some other wild animal, which is not impossible, for, according to naturalists, prolific hybrids have been produced by the union of the marten and the domestic cat. This would have been the right kind of cat for me to keep, if I had kept any; for why should not a poet's cat be winged as well as his horse?"


Photo Credit: Eamonn.McAleer

Serial Cat Killer Stalks Cats in Florida

There is a very sick minded person targeting innocent cats in the Cutler Bay and Palmetto Bay areas of Florida, USA.

To date, this twisted individual has killed and mutilated a total of 25 cats!

The first reported killing was on 11 May 2009 in Cutler Bay and the latest was reported this past Tuesday, 26 May 2009 in Palmetto Bay by his owner, John Wellons. According to the police report, Wellons' cat's stomach had been sliced from front to rear and then skinned.

Wellons said that he saw his cat last at around 7pm on Monday night, alive. On Tuesday morning, his cat was found dead on his lawn.

Another cat that was killed over the Memorial Day Weekend was found by its owner in Palmetto Bay as well. Although the cat's owner did not want to be identified, she did state that:

"It was of course dead and it was laying on its side and one of its eyes was out and it was skinned from like the waist down. It was horrible."

Each poor cat that has succumbed to the killings has been left like a trophy on their owners front lawns.

Dee Chess, Founder of the Friends Forever Animal Rescue in Palmetto Bay, says: "This man is getting bolder and bolder. The cat that was found this morning was skinned from the waist down, and that takes longer and longer. It is very frustrating and it is heart wrenching."

So far, the Miami-Dade police have no leads as to who could be behind such atrocious murders and they are warning residents to make sure that their cats are kept indoors during the evening hours as this the time when the murders are happening.

What is worse is that modern research in the fields of criminology and psychology dictates that any individual, who can commit such an act of cruelty against a poor, defenseless cat, also has the potential to eventually kill adults and children as well.

A former executive director of the Cat Network, Cindy Hewitt, who is also the current free-roaming cat coordinator with the Humane Society, says, "Doing this to an animal is as serious as doing it to a person. Everyone is at risk - animals and their families alike."

Hewitt and the Cat Network (305-255-3482) have offered to loan out humane cat traps to the local residents so that they can help in effort of catching and taking care of stray cats.

The Florida director of the Humane Society, Jennifer Hobgood, told the local TV station, CBS4, last week that, "Anyone capable of mutilating a cat, let alone 18 cats, is certainly capable of hurting people."

Hobgood also announced a $2,500 reward for any information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the serial cat killer.

Crime Stoppers increased the reward to $3,500 and tax-deductible donations are also being asked for to increase the reward amount.

The spokesman for the Miami-Dade Police, Detective Bobby Williams, explained that the investigators are hoping that people will come forward with information about the serial cat killings.

"However small the information might be, it might be something we can use in the investigation," he said.

Sadly, the main problem that the police are encountering is that the cats' owners are removing their cats' bodies from their front lawns before they call the police.

Hewitt says, "I can appreciate the emotion behind that, but police need to examine the crime scene."

Removing the cat from the crime scene may also result in removing evidence from the crime scene as well.

The police are asking that if your cat has become a victim, you are urged to call 305-4POLICE immediately and cover your cat with a plastic bag, instead of cloth, which can actually taint any evidence. Never move the animal's body or place it inside a bag.

The residents of Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay are even doing their part in searching for the serial cat killer by making and distributing fliers throughout local veterinary clinics, pet stores and other businesses within both the communities.

"I'm still surprised by how many people don't know about this," Hewitt says.

If you have any information regarding the serial cat killer or of the killings themselves, you are asked to call the Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS, or call Miami-Dade Detective Dominick Columbro at 305-234-4237 or Miami-Dade Animal Services Investigator Fernando J. Casadevall Jr. at 305-884-1102, ext. 240.

If you would like to make a tax-deductable donation to increase the reward amount, you can make a check out to Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers and Donation-Cats should be printed in the subject line. The checks can then be mailed to 1030 NW 111 Ave., Miami, Fl., 33172.

Photo Credit: Dawnzy58

Nutro Cat Food Recall

On 21 May 2009, Nutro Products voluntarily recalled a few varieties of NUTRO NATURAL CHOICE COMPLETE CARE Dry Cat Foods and NUTRO MAX Cat Dry Foods with a 'Best If Used By Date' between May 12, 2010 and August 22, 2010.

Nutro Dry Cat Food that is affected includes the following:

Nutro Natural Choice Complete Care Kitten Food
4 lbs. Bag with UPC Code - 0 79105 20607 5
8 lbs. Bag with UPC Code - 0 79105 20608 2
9.2 lbs. Bag with UPC Code - 0 79105 20695 2 (Bonus Bag)
20 lbs. Bag with UPC Code - 0 79105 20609 9
1.5 oz. Bag with UPC Code - none (Sample Bag)

Nutro Natural Choice Complete Care Adult
4 lbs. Bag with UPC Code - 0 79105 20610 5
8 lbs. Bag with UPC Code - 0 79105 20611 2
9.2 lbs. Bag with UPC Code - 0 79105 20694 5 (Bonus Bag)
20 lbs. Bag with UPC Code - 0 79105 20612 9
1.5 oz. Bag with UPC Code - none (Sample Bag)

Nutro Natural Choice Complete Care Adult Ocean Fish Flavor
4 lbs. Bag with UPC Code - 0 79105 20622 8
8 lbs. Bag with UPC Code - 0 79105 20623 5
9.2 lbs. Bag with UPC Code - 0 79105 20698 3 (Bonus Bag)
20 lbs. Bag with UPC Code - 0 79105 20624 2

Nutro Max Cat Adult Roasted Chicken Flavor
3 lbs. Bag with UPC Code - 0 79105 10228 5
6 lbs. Bag with UPC Code - 0 79105 10229 2
16 lbs. Bag with UPC Code - 0 79105 10230 8
1.5 oz. Bag with UPC Code - none (Sample Bag)

Nutro Max Cat Indoor Adult Roasted Chicken Flavor
3 lbs. Bag with UPC Code - 0 79105 10243 8
6 lbs. Bag with UPC Code - 0 79105 10244 5
16 lbs. Bag with UPC Code - 0 79105 10245 2
1.5 oz. Bag with UPC Code - none (Sample Bag)

Nutro Max Cat Indoor Adult Salmon Flavor
3 lbs. Bag with UPC Code - 0 79105 10246 9
6 lbs. Bag with UPC Code - 0 79105 10247 6
16 lbs. Bag with UPC Code - 0 79105 10248 3

Nutro Max Cat Indoor Weight Control
3 lbs. Bag with UPC Code - 0 79105 10249 0
6 lbs. Bag with UPC Code - 0 79105 10250 6
16 lbs. Bag with UPC Code - 0 79105 10251 3

This cat food recall, not only affects the United States, but also affects Canada, Mexico, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Israel.

The reason for this recall is that during an audit of documentation on 18 May 2009, from their Illinois based supplier of Nutro's mineral premixes, incorrect levels of both zinc and potassium were found in Nutro's finished cat food.

They found that two of the mineral premixes were actually affected: One contained too much zinc and also under-supplemented the potassium. The other premix that was affected contained under-supplemented potassium. Zinc and potassium are vital nutrients for cats to consume and are added to Nutro's dry cat food as nutritional supplementation.

Nutro is working with every distributor and retail customer in these countries, including the USA. By doing this, Nutro is hoping to ensure that all bags of the recalled products are quickly removed from store shelves.

Nutro recommends that any consumer, who has purchased any of these foods for their cat, should immediately stop feeding the food to their cat.

Even though no consumer complaints have been received regarding these recalled cat food products, Nutro is still advising all cat owners to carefully monitor their cat for the following symptoms: a decrease in appetite, weight loss, vomiting or diarrhea. If a cat is experiencing any of these symptoms, Nutro urges cat owners to immediately take their cat to the veterinarian.

If you have purchased any of the affected products, you should immediately return it to the retailer where you bought it for a full refund or exchange for another Nutro dry cat food product.

Consumers are also encouraged to call Nutro regarding the recalled products at 1-800-833-5330 between the hours 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM CST. Nutro also has more information regarding this cat food recall on their website.

This recall from Nutro only affects the above listed cat food and not any of Nutro's dry dog food, wet dog or cat food, or dog and cat treats.

Photo Credit: Bill in Ash Vegas

World's Ugliest Dog

Rascal is one ugly dog! And he knows it. In fact, Rascal is so ugly that he has been voted as the World's Ugliest Dog numerous times.

Rascal is a purebred Chinese Crested dog who weighs a healthy 7 pounds. He is a rescue dog that is the descendent of Chi Chi, a world famous dog that was voted as "The World's Ugliest Dog" 8 times and was also included in the Guinness Book of World Records. He is owned by Dane Andrew of Sunnyvale, California.

"He's the fourth in a dynasty. No other dog has ever won so many ugly dog contests", said Dane.

Rascal's mother, grandmother, and grandfather have each held the title of "The World's Ugliest Dog". In fact, Chi Chi, Rascal's grandfather was in the Guinness Book of World Records for winning 8 international ugly dog competitions. Rascal has since kept his family tradition going strong.

He has received 2 mayoral proclamations, including one from San Francisco's Mayor, Gavin Newsom. Rascal was also dubbed the official Fire Dog of Station in Newark. He also received an honorary doctorate in Animal Magnetism from San Francisco State University.

Since Rascal is a pure breed, he is naturally and entirely hairless all over his body, with the only exceptions being for his feet, tail and his 'mohawk'. Add to his hairless body, his warts and freckles, and the fact that he does not have many teeth, which means he is not able to keep his tongue in his mouth, and it is easy to see why Rascal was voted as the World's Ugliest Dog!

Rascal has become a household name amongst celebrities and even has a following of dog-loving fans. He has been cast in four different horror movies: "Tele-Zombie"; "The Last Nightmare"; "Curse of the Smoke O' Lantern"; and "Scanky Doo". He has also had a cameo role in "Carma", starring alongside Oscar-nominee, Karen Black. The Internet Movie Database even has Rascal listed as an official actor.

Dane has explained that: "People are calling him a 'space alien', 'Einstein', 'Phyllis Diller', 'Bat Dog' or 'Hairless Potter' but to us he is our loving little family member."

Not only does Rascal star on the big screen, he has also been on a variety of television shows as well. Jay Leno invited Rascal to his Tonight Show on NBC before he won his first title in 2002. It was the same show that also had Donald Trump appear as well. It is rumored that Donald popped into the Green Room to pet Rascal before leaving the NBC studios.

"He looked at the dog and let out this big smile," Dane exclaimed. "You usually don't see Trump smile but Rascal does that with people. Even people like Donald Trump."

Other television shows that Rascal has appeared on include 'The View', 'The Jane Pauley Show', 'The Carson Daly Show', three 'Animal Planet' shows and has also made Kathy Griffin's D-List.

Dane remembers a time when he and Rascal attended a recent film festival. At the event there was a table where three men and three women were seated. However, as soon as the women saw Rascal enter the room, they immediately sprung up from the table to see and hold him.

"The men seemed put out that their dates had left them for Rascal," Dane said. "He has this affect on woman. They love him."

Most people are able to look past his 'ugliness' to see Rascal's true charm and character.

"To me, he's a beautiful dog, and those who know him kind of think so too after meeting him," said Dane.

Rascal is probably the only celebrity dog that has his very own cartoon strip! There is even a documentary film that is currently in production. Both the cartoon strip and the documentary are being called "The Ugliest Dog."

Dane is a professional actor and photographer and although he does not make any profit from Rascal's ugly looks, he is able to help Rascal gain a lot of exposure due to the movie and television producers and directors that he knows.

Rascal sports a leash that Dane made and had patented. Dane is now hoping to mass produce the 'hotdog' leash and sell them. He is planning on donating a portion of all sales of the leash to animal rescue groups.

Rascal not only wears the leash that Dane made him, he also wears an array of sweaters and jackets too.

Although they live in Sunnyvale, Dane and Rascal spend their summers in Tahoe. Dane explains why: "It gets pretty cold for him when he's here in the winter".

Rascal is much loved by Dane: "This dog will always get the best because he deserves the best."

Photo Credit: EReleases.com

Is Your Dog Your Best Man?

The warmer weather usually means that there will be many couples who are planning on tying the knot this summer. Most Brides and Grooms want to be surrounded by the friends and family, including their dogs.

If this is something that you have considered doing, then here are a few suggestions on how to effectively include your dog in your wedding plans:

To begin with you should first consider what type of personality your dog has. Ask yourself whether or not he is comfortable around strangers and new surroundings. Does your dog bark a lot or whine when he gets excited? If you believe that your dog's personality will fit in well with your wedding, your next step is to decide on where you are going to hold your event. Most churches and community centers do not allow pets inside. If dogs are allowed, make sure that you find out all the specifics, such as, whether a security deposit will need to be pain on behalf of your dog, or whether he has to be leashed at all times.

If you are having an outdoor wedding, then including your dog would be just fine.

There are many ways that your dog can be a part of your big day.

Kimberly Schlegel Whitman, a Dallas-based wedding designer and author of 'Dog Parties' suggests that: "A small dog or a cat could be carried down the aisle by a junior bridesmaid in a basket decorated with flowers."

She also suggests that a larger dog can be walked down the aisle tied to a leash that is made of ribbon and has both the bride’s and groom’s names printed on it.

If, however, you do not want your dog to have a role in your wedding, then you can always display a professionally taken photo of him and make mention of him in your toast. You can even include your dog's name in your ceremony program.

If you have decided to include your dog in your wedding then you should seriously consider your dog's wedding attire. There are a few great pet fashion websites where you can purchase the purrfect wedding dress or suit for your dog. If you have a small dog then you can shop on Pinkbellygifts.com to purchase a wedding gown or tuxedo for your little dog. Alternativley, you may only want to dress your dog with a manly bow tie or a loverly tiara. For these wedding accessories for your dog you can browse Quintessentialpet and Glamourdog.com.

Another wonderful dressing arrangement for your dog is to have your florist make your dog a wreath of your wedding flowers or, if you have a boy dog, then you can affix a single rose to his collar instead.

Be sure to include your dog during your wedding rehearsal so that he can practice walking down the aisle with you or his wedding escort, if he will be walking down the aisle alongside someone else. Also, choose a person whom your dog knows and trusts to hold onto your dog’s leash during the actual wedding ceremony. It is also a good idea to have plenty of doggie treats and water available for your dog. A nice, yummy treat given to your dog to chew on will put a quick stop to any disruption that your dog may be planning. Instruct a relative or responsible friend to accompany your dog away from your wedding ceremony if he gets out of hand.

You should also consider hiring a dog sitter to swing by your wedding to pick up your dog and whisk him away from your wedding party. In case you are leaving for your Honeymoon right after your wedding, you should make sure that you have arranged a dog sitter or doggie hotel stay for your dog beforehand.

During most weddings, dogs will usually work up a big appetite due to all of the excitement, attention and activity surrounding your big day. You should take some of your dog’s favorite food with you and serve it to him in a nice fancy or wedding themed dish.

Remember too that dogs are very good at picking up on their owner's emotions. No doubt you will be experiencing all kinds of emotions ranging from excitement to nervousness and you may even feel like you are on a rollercoaster ride of emotions leading up to your wedding day. Well, your dog is most probably on that same ride with you! Keep this in mind when your dog acts a bit strange or turn's his nose up at his food. Reassure your dog that everything is ok and try to set aside some time each day to spend some quality time with your dog.

Photo Credit: rodricq

Pets and the Swine Flu

A few weeks ago, most pet owners had not even heard about the Swine Flu that was spreading across the US. Now, pet owners are concerned about if and how the Swine Flu could affect their beloved pets.

It is good to know that every type of mammal and bird can become infected with a form of influenza virus, as there are three main types, namely A, B and C. However, Humans can become infected by differentl forms of all three of these main types of influences; however, most flu varieties in animals and humans that do cause major health concerns are Influenza Type A. Viruses are able to mutate quite rapidly, and since the hosts' immune systems usually do not protect against any new mutations, new strains are actually able to cause a widespread infection inside the host's body. Most of the time, new strains can result from the spread of an already existing flu virus from one animal or human species to another species. This provides the virus with the tools necessary to transmit between members of a different species to its usual host.

Swine Flu is a strain of Influenza Type A that is scientifically referred to as H1N1. The traditional Swine Flu outbreak amongst pigs can cause a low mortality rate in pigs. This is not the same strain that is now causing humans to become ill and die. This strain is a combination of genes from pig, bird, and human flu and is actually quite similar to the influenza strain called "Spanish Flu" that was responsible for a human pandemic during 1918.

"Bird Flu" is not the same virus as today's "Swine Flu". One of the most important differences between the two is that "Bird Flu" infected humans who had had a direct contact with an infected bird, whereas the "Swine Flu" is transmitted via human to human.

"Bird Flu" has the scientific name of H5N1 and is a strain of Influenza Type A. This type of flu used to pose a great risk to set off a new influenza pandemic because of the fact that it first killed humans in Asia during the 1990's. However, the "Bird Flu" did not mutate into a form that spreads very easily between humans.

H5N1 is unique because it is seen as a deadly virus to many animal species, including domestic cats, who had previously never been susceptible to any type of influenza virus. Usually, "Feline Flu" actually refers to an Upper Respiratory Tract Infection in Cats. Since most cats do not actually have any exposure to the influenza viruses, any case of flu that is actually able to transmit itself between a human, dog or cat would most probably lead to a widespread infection, since cats do not have any natural immunity to any types of the influenza virus.

Another strain of the Influenza Type A virus, H3N8, or "Equine Influenza", was found to cause Canine Influenza in 2004; and, since dogs never had a natural exposure to this type of virus before, they do not have any natural immunity to the "Equine Flu" virus.

Even though this new strain of influenza is being called "Swine Flu," it is actually spread from one human to another and not from pigs to people. This is proven by the mere fact that none of those people living in North America that are infected with this "Swine Flu" virus have had any type of contact with pigs, and, subsequently, there are no pigs living in North America that have been found to be infected with this "Swine Flu" virus.

Therefore, even pigs that are kept as pets are not known to be able to contract this viral strain of "Swine Flu", although they can contract normal "Swine Flu", the consequences of such usually are no different than the season flu that affects human beings.

Generally speaking, most of the influenza viruses are not transmitted from one species to another species. That is, dogs and cat do not catch the flu just because their owners have the flu.

Theoretically it is possible for any new influenza strain to transmit itself between humans and other types of domestic animals, such as dogs and cats. However, it is highly probable that such an influenza strain would only be transmissible between humans and one other type of animal. And, since the "Swine Flu" virus actually contains a few genetic elements of pig, avian and human flu viruses, it would be very unlikely that this type of Influenza strain would actually be able to infect hosts that are humans, pigs or birds.

The American Veterinary Medicine Association has issued the following statement:

"There is no evidence that pets are susceptible to this new strain of influenza; it appears to be transmitted solely from person to person".

Photo Credit: telachhe

World's Oldest Living Dog

A Dachshund living in New York recently celebrated her 21st birthday!

The little dog from Port Jefferson Station in New York was also honored by the Guinness Book of World Records as the World's Oldest Living Dog.

The Dachshund, named Chanel, was thrown a birthday party by her owner Denice Shaughnessy at the New York Dog Spa and Hotel in Manhattan.

But Chanel's birthday 'day' started even earlier than that with an appearance on the Today Show!

Chanel was escorted by an entourage of mounted police and news reporters and photographers just to prove how important she really is. During the television show, Chanel and Denise were awarded a plaque from an official from the Guinness Book of World Records.

"On behalf of Guinness World Records, I'm here to present the record to Denice Shaugnessey for the World's Oldest Living Dog at 21 years," announced the Guinness official.

Denice explained that Chanel used to have reddish hair which had turned white over the years. Due to the fact that Chanel has cataracts in both of her eyes, she now has to wear Doggles, special glasses made just for dogs. During the summertime Chanel will also wear a small sun visor on her head to protect her from the sun's harmful rays.

As she has aged, Chanel has become less tolerant of other people whom she believes is infringing on her personal space.

"She doesn't like to be bothered," Denice said. "She doesn't like to have her face washed. She doesn't let anybody hold her except me nowadays."

Chanel also feels the cold terribly and so Denice keeps the temperature of their house at 72 degrees Fahrenheit and makes Chanel wear a sweater. Because her teeth are not as strong as they used to be, Chanel eats a diet consisting mostly of boiled chicken and other soft foods.

"Up until a year or so ago, she would eat table food," Karl Shaughnessy said. "Baloney, liverwurst or ham, whatever she felt like chewing on. Now, she won't do the ham, but she will eat the liverwurst. She is pretty finicky."

"There are things that you give them, just like you do people, to keep their bones healthy. You have to love them. It's not a sometimes job, it's a full-time job," said Denice. "She's just been my best friend."

Ironically, Chanel started her life in an animal shelter in Virginia and was adopted by Denice when she was only 6 weeks old for her then 12 year old daughter but Chanel quickly became Denice’s dog instead.

Denice said that she and Chanel would run at least 4 miles a day when Chanel was much younger.

"She's an old lady," explained Denice's husband, Karl, a former New York City police officer. "You treat her like you would treat your grandmother. You have to treat her that way. You keep her sweater on at nighttime."

The Shaughnessy's used to joke about Chanel's age becoming recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records.

Karl explained that: "When she turned 18 or 19, we wrote an e-mail to them, and they said, 'We won't do anything until she is 20.' Then, when she turned 20, we had to get a letter from the vet, and three letters from people who have known her since she was a puppy. It's actually amazing, I remember when the [Guinness] certificate came and thinking, 'Wow, 20-years-old. Can she make it to 21?"

In doggie years, Chanel is 120 years old! This is based on the scientific calculation that a dog's first year equals 15 human years and the dog's second year is 10 years. After that, it's five years for each year after that.

Sadly, Denice says that she has thought about what she will have do when Chanel's age really begins to show, and hopes that she will never have to make that kind of a decision.

"I absolutely love her so much, and I am really just hoping that when it is time to go, she just goes in her sleep," Denice said.

Before Chanel there were other 'old' dogs. Such as a Labrador mix called Bella who died in September 2009, at the age of 29 and Butch who died in 2003 at the age of 28.

However the oldest dog that was ever recorded was a sheepdog from Australia named Bluey, who lived to be 29 years old.

Photo Credit: kdka.com

Long Distance Pet Adoption

Petfinder.com has over 12,500 shelters and rescue groups that list their adoptable pets on PetFinder's website. And, whilst most of those organizations will only allow local adoptions, there are a few that allow long distance adoptions.

However, Sparky's adoption is the longest, long distance adoption in the history of PetFinder.com!

Rose and Chris Rasmussen were browsing the adoption website looking for a special cat to join their family in Britain, when they came across Sparky's profile. The Rasmussen's instantly fell in love with Sparky, a black and white cat, and knew that he would make the perfect addition to their family. The only problem was that Sparky was living at the Clare County Animal Shelter in Harrison, Michigan, as their unofficial mascot. Sparky had been living at the Animal Shelter since August of 200.

After contacting the Clare County Animal Shelter and filling out an adoption application online, Dave Gendregske, Clare County Animal Control Director, approved the Rasmussen's application and then proceeded to complete mountains of paperwork to allow Sparky to be adopted.

Sparky had to be micro chipped, vaccinated against Rabies, quarantined for 6 months and have a blood test done to make sure that Sparky was immune to the disease before the Rasmussen's were able to travel to Harrison, Michigan, to collect their new cat.

Although the Rasmussen's could have had Sparky shipped to their home in London, they decided to fly 7 hours and almost 6400 miles across the Atlantic Ocean to him instead, making an adventure out of their US visit by also visiting Detroit and Chicago before picking up their newly adopted pet. Once in the UK, Sparky will have to undergo another 6 month quarantine before being allowed to move into his new home with the Rasmussen's in the suburban home in London.

According to an article in The Morning Sun of Mount Pleasant, Rose Rasmussen was quoted as saying: "He took me here on the other side of the Atlantic. I thought they would say 'you guys are completely mad.' "

A volunteer at the Clare County Animal Shelter, Betty Beadle, told the newspaper that Sparky is fond of exploring and has twice destroyed Christmas trees during his almost nine month stay at the animal shelter. All the volunteers at the Animal Shelter say that they will all miss Sparky once he leaves for his trip across the Atlantic Ocean to the UK.

"They all have to come to England to visit him," Rasmussen said.

Dave Gendregske explained that: "A lot of people would ask, 'Why come from England?' When people meet Sparky, find he has a dynamic personality, they fall in love with him."

Chris Rasmussen said that "There's no turning back," even if the couple has second thoughts about adopting Sparky.

Sparky's adoption case is obviously a case of love at first sight! Although, any true pet lover will tell you that when you see the one', they will do whatever it takes to bring him or her home, no matter the cost or travel requirements.

What is truly amazing is that prior to the launch of the PetFinder.com website, pets that were available for adoption were only able to be seen inside the animal shelters in which they lived. Now, thanks to PetFinder, 8 month old Sparky (who to most people does not seem that much different from any of the other 3000 tuxedo cats that are waiting for adoption) is now living happily with his new pet parents in London.

Photo Credit: Telegraph.co.uk

Teething Puppy Troubles

Every dog owner can relate to the troubles that are caused by a teething puppy. They can chew through anything within a matter of minutes!

Puppies will have 28 baby teeth by the time they are 8 weeks of age with fourteen teeth on their upper jaw and another fourteen teeth on their lower jaw. These baby teeth are usually replaced over the next five months by 42 adult teeth, with 21 on each of the upper and lower jaws.

During this time, it will seem as if no matter how many soft chew toys, rawhide bones or nylabones you give to your puppy, nothing with prevent him from finding something to chew on that they shouldn't chew on.

Teething puppies also have a tendency to relieve their sore gums by chewing on things that they shouldn't, such as shoes, books, socks, upholstery and even carpets and rugs. Although it may be extremely annoying and frustrating to the puppy's owner, such chewing is actually a form of massaging the puppy's gums. This chewing not only reduces the pup's discomfort but also helps loosen any weak baby teeth and breaks the skin on the puppy's gums so that a new tooth can come through.

The best thing to do is to make sure that you provide a variety of toys for your puppy to chew on. You will want to give him things that have different textures and tastes. However, never give your puppy any old shoes or socks to chew on as a puppy cannot differentiate between old and new shoes or socks. You also do not want to set your pup up to become a chewer right through their adult life.

Whilst your puppy is going through his teething troubles, make sure that you teach him what items are ok for him to chew on and what is not! There are quite a few different toys that you can purchase for you're your puppy that will help him during his teething stage. A great one is a Kong toy that can be stuffed with Peanut Butter for Puppies. These are made of very tough rubber and can be filled with small treats as well for your puppy to chew.

Another option is to give your puppy Bully Sticks, which are 100% natural and 100% digestible dog chews that are low in fat. Nylabones, which are made out of solid hard plastic and have little bumps on top of them, help soothe a pups teething gums and are another great option to give to your teething puppy.

Always reinforce which toy is good for your puppy to chew on. If your puppy does start to chew on something that is not acceptable, immediately take it away and replace it with one of his chew toys. Soon enough your puppy will know which toys are his and which are not his to chew on.

Be sure to remove anything that the puppy can chew off of the floor and out of their reach. Keep an eye on your puppy at all times as some pups who are suffering from a calcium deficiency will find you're your walls to be a sufficient supplement!

If you are not able to watch your pup, you should consider crate training him instead, just be sure to place plenty of chewy items inside the crate so that he will not become bored and chew up the crate. Be sure that your pups crate is big enough for him to turn around in and make it to be a safe and relaxing place for your pup to be in. Crate training your puppy will not only prevent any destructive chewing from happening, but it also has the added benefit of potty training your puppy as well.

Another important thing to train your puppy during his teething period is to not mouth. Puppies that are teething will put their mouths around your hand and will light apply pressure with their gums. You will need to teach your puppy that this is not acceptable and may even lead to biting when the pup grows up.

If you are planning on showing your pup, you will need to monitor the growth of their teeth to ensure that they fall out and grow back in on time. If a pup's baby teeth are not replaced in time they can cause deformities in the pup's adult teeth. Your pup will then need to see a veterinarian who will have to extract the tooth so that the other teeth can grow in straight.

If you are concerned about your puppy's teething or of his baby teeth, it is highly advisable to take your pup to visit the Veterinarian as they can usually give you expert dental advice specific to your puppy.

Photo Credit: ten safe frogs

Crate Training for Cats

Dogs are not the only household pets that can benefit from crate training. Cats can be crate trained as well!

However, the main difference is that cats should have free access to their crates rather than being enclosed in their crates for long periods of time like dogs usually are. This basically means that a cat will be able to quickly learn that his or her crate or carrier is their own, safe haven to where it can retreat to when things in the household are too stressful for the cat or kitten to handle.

A crate can be any type of fiberglass or plastic pet carrier that usually is able to be broken down into three parts: top, bottom, and door, for easy cleaning and maintenance. Cats need a crate that is big enough to fit their litter box, bedding, and their food and water bowls.

The advantage for cat owners to use a carrier for their cat's crate is that the owner can close the door of the carrier with the cat inside and move the carrier to another room if necessary. This helps immensely when there are visitors who are allergic to cats.

There are three basic cat priorities that warrant free access crate training for cats:

Establish and protect the territory
Find food and water
Reproduce

There are five major benefits that cats experience when they accept their crates as their personal space:

1. Cats will view the rest of the home, outside of their crate, as neutral territory which will then reduce their need to protect it.

2. Since the cat will not think that the rest of the house is part of their own personal territory, they will not be territorial if another cat should be brought into the household.

3. The cat will quickly perceive the crate as his or her 'home' within the home and as such, his 'home' will go with him wherever he goes, such as to the vet, or moving house.

4. Because they are crate trained, these cats will be better equipped to deal with emergencies that force both them and their owners from the home, such as a natural disaster. Being crate trained will also allow the cat to stay with its owner in an emergency shelter, as long as pets are allowed of course. And if they are not allowed, then the cat will feel secure in his homely crate wherever he may be.

5. Being crate trained allows cats to have their own getaway where they can relax and get away from any screaming children or barking dogs.

Crate training kittens will prove much easier than crate training an adult or senior cat. Kittens are very curious by nature and will explore any space that has soft bedding, water and food. Soon enough the kitten will feel quite comfortable coming and going from their crate.

Early experiences will forever be entrenched in a kitten's mind, so crate training them will stand them in good stead for the years to come. Also, kittens develop a sense of how much personal space they really feel that they need to feel comfortable and this may become more difficult to alter as they get older. Therefore, giving a kitten free access to a crate, it will quickly be seen as the cats own personal space and will free the cat from carving out their own niche in any environment in which they find themselves.

If you have an Adult cat that associates their carrier with veterinary trips, you will need to be more patient in crate training them effectively. Try by first placing your cat's favorite blanket or toy inside the carrier.

If this doesn't work, you can try breaking the carrier down and allow your cat to become accustomed to each part of the carrier one side at a time. Place your cat's food and water dish on the bottom of the carrier and once your cat has become used to eating and drinking there, you can add a side to the carrier and then the top and door. Make sure that your cat is given a lot of praise whenever he is or around the carrier.

Crate training cats has the added benefit of helping to curb or eliminate any unwanted spaying or improper eliminating as the cat gets older. For this reason it is important to remember that preventing problems with cats is always easier and less expensive than actually trying to treating them.

Photo Credit: JoshBerglund19

Animal CSI

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals investigates over 5,000animal cruelty cases each year and either issues a summons to or arrests more than 300 people. Such animal cruelty cases can include issues of neglect, abandonment, animal hoarding and, sadly, even bloody sports like dog fighting.

Unfortunately, not all of these cases are solved. This is simply because most of the investigators lack the proper training in animal forensics and toxicology.

A new university forensics program will hopefully change all of that!

The ASPCA has joined forces with The University of Florida at Gainesville to develop courses for students in the fields of animal forensics and toxicology.

The University's new program will launch in the Spring of 2010, will be the first veterinary forensics science department at any major university in the USA.

Melinda Merck, the Senior Director of Veterinary Forensics for the ASPCA, confided that: "I didn't think this would ever be possible."

Ms Merck has so much faith in this new program that she plans on moving from her home in Atlanta, Georgia, to Gainesville to supervise the program's launch. She believes that such training will increase the success rates of animal cruelty cases everywhere.

"I've spent years trying to network and bring people with their areas of expertise together, to get specialists to help me with cases," Merck said. "I've been having to piecemeal cases for all this time, and now we are going to be able to unify, to bring the forensic community together. When you add forensic science and testing to an animal case, you get a lot stronger cases, you get greater investigations, I should say, and the outcome is better."

Most animal crime scenes are dealt with just as a human crime scene is dealt with. However, since animal bodies and human bodies actually decompose differently and bleed less, it is very challenging for the investigators to try and identify exactly how and when an animal died, especially so without having the proper education and training.

An associate professor at the University of Florida, Jason Byrd, who is also a forensic entomologist, explained that: "When pathologists get contacted by law enforcement to assist in cruelty cases, they may have tried to assist on their own, but they feel uncomfortable, because they don't have the formal background and training that is required."

Even Veterinarians that are sometimes asked to form an opinion on how an animal died based on their remains, often also lack the formal training that is necessary for them to make a complete and accurate assessment, explains Merck.

Ms. Merck goes on to explain further that the crime labs in most States across the USA: "don't want to do animal sources of testing because they want to keep human and animal tests different, for quality control."

"We have to go through private specialists, or a private lab or individuals, maybe through a university, in order to get the tests done. It's very challenging."

Because of this, some of the animal cruelty cases can be abandoned for what appears to be no apparent reason, says Byrd.

"I realized there was a disconnect in the animal anti-cruelty movement," Byrd said. "There wasn't a lack of interest from the vets or the law enforcement - it was quite the opposite. They knew what was needed to successfully follow through on a case, but they didn't have the tools to do so."

There has been a lot of support from university students and veterinarians for the new veterinary forensics program at the University of Florida since it announced its new program.

Ms. Merck describes the enthusiasm for the program as: "It kind of had a ripple effect. The excitement is there, and the interest is going to be tremendous. This is the first program, but I doubt it is going to be the last."

The University's new program will initially be offered as a 15 credit certification course that will include both undergraduate and postgraduate courses and will ultimately spread out to be an entirely separate veterinary forensic science program, explained Byrd.

Such courses include forensic entomology, remains excavation, blood spatter pattern analysis, bite-mark analysis and animal crime scene processing.

"Within that program, we will have a vet science track, and a pre-professional program on a master's level. Eventually, we will offer a PhD program in forensic medicine."

The certificate course will be offered to the University's students as well as continuing education for veterinarians, law enforcement, animal control officers and other people that are involved in animal cruelty cases.

"The more we can educate, the more investigations will get underway," Merck said. "Education is key ... There really is no limit on where we can take this. This is a groundbreaking, exciting time."

Photo Credit: exfordy

Training your Dog Not to Jump Up On People

Dogs are extremely friendly animals and, unlike cats, they have a rather strong desire to want to see and to interact with people on a face-to-face basis. But unfortunately, this can actually lead to most dogs jumping up on people so that they can have that valuable face-to-face contact with people that they so desire. When dogs are just puppies, it may seem cute when your puppy jumps up on people, but once that pup starts growing up to be a bigger, stronger dog, it's jumping up can become a problem. Your dog can be seen as being intimidating when he jumps up, not to mention it can also even be painful.

For this reason it is best to train your puppy from a young age that jumping up on people is not appropriate behavior nor is it behavior that you will allow your puppy to do.

If your dog was never trained not to jump up as a puppy, then you should start immediately to try and eliminate the jumping problem.

One of the best tactics you should take in combating your dog's urge to jump to jump, actually involves a bit of reverse psychology. Before your dog has a chance to jump up on you, kneel down so that you are at your dog's eye level. By doing this your dog will be able to see your face, which in turn, eliminates one of the main reasons he wants to jump up in the first place. By lowering yourself down to his level, you are letting your dog know that you do see and acknowledge him.

If, however, that tactic does not work on your dog, then you can always try to turn your back on your dog as soon as he starts to jump up. But do keep in mind, that some dogs will see this action on your behalf as a willingness to play a game!

By refusing to acknowledge your dog until he has settled down and sits, you will be subtly teaching him what is acceptable behavior from him in order to get your loving attention. You can also do this by simply looking upwards and not down at your dog.

Keep in mind that almost every dog hates to be ignored, especially if that is the reason for their jumping up on you in the first place. Try to remain as committed as possible to not making any eye contact with your dog until he has calmed down sufficiently, as the slightest little bit of acknowledgment from you will make your dog become excited all over again and you will then find that you will have to start teaching him again from scratch to not jump up on people.

Some dog trainers advocate grabbing your dog's paws as he jumps up on you. This is supposed to work rather well with large breed dogs. Once you have a hold of your dogs' paws, you can slowly walk your dog backwards for a few steps and then gently place his front paws back down on the ground, whilst repeating the 'down' command.

The reason this seems to work is that most dogs really do hate to walk backwards, and by doing so will force your dog to start to associate this unpleasantness with his jumping. Also, by repeating the 'down' command as you place his paws back down on the ground, your dog will soon learn to associate it with keeping his paws on the floor and not jumping.

If your dog does not seem to remember what the command 'down' or even 'sit' means, then order your dog to go and get his 'toy'. This will help by redirecting your dogs energy away from jumping up on you or anyone else, and will focus her attention on finding his toy.

Once you feel that your dog has mastered this, invite a few friends over and let your dog practice his 'no jumping' skill and commands with your friends. Be sure to have your friends give your dog a lot of praise and a few treats as soon as your dog sits and does not jump up on anyone.

Make sure, however, that you are consistent with your dog's training, regardless of whichever method you decide to use to teach your dog not to jump up. It won't take too long to train your dog not to jump up on people anymore.

Photo Credit: abbynormy

Liver Disease In Cats

Not all cat owners are aware that liver disease is quite a common disease that is found in cats. Even so, it is extremely important to understand that if your cat does have liver disease and it is left untreated, it may eventually result in your cat's liver actually shutting itself down, which may cause your cat to die. The easiest way to describe liver disease in cats is that a cat with liver disease will quickly starve to death, if they are not treated properly. One of the earliest signs of liver disease in cats is jaundice, which shows as a yellow coloring of the cat's eye whites.

However, it can sometimes be quite difficult to identify whether or not your cat may be suffering from liver disease as the signs and symptoms vary so greatly, even amongst those cats that do have liver disease. There are a few cats that may have a decrease in appetite, weight loss, vomiting, diarrhea, depression and even jaundice. And there are other cats who may display inappropriate urination and defecation behavior. This happens as a result of the fatty liver disease causing the cat's liver to become weighed down by the rapid fat accumulation and will then simply shut down.

With the purpose of recover from the liver disease in mind, immediate medication treatment is necessary for the cat. This type of treatment should largely depend on the cause but may also include treatments such as antibiotics, coagulation treatment for bleeding, intravenous fluid therapy, appetite stimulants, anti-emetics as well as diet management.

If you are going to be cooking and preparing your cat's meal at home by yourself, it is best to remember that your cat will need a high quality protein diet that is served in moderate amounts, with most of your cat's caloric intake coming from non-protein sources. A good example of this would be to make your cat's food with eggs, cottage cheese, rice and liver. You may also want to add a multivitamin supplement to your cat's diet as well.

Alternatively, you can also go the more holistic route and offer your cat a dose of Milk Thistle. It is a very effective herbal remedy that is actually very well known to be an effective treatment for liver disease in cats, dogs and even in humans too. Surprisingly, it is good to know that to date, Milk Thistle has no equivalent in conventional Western medicine.

You can buy a bottle of Feline Milk Thistle directly from Pet Wellbeing. There Milk Thistle contains Silymarin as its most active ingredient. Silymarin is said to help prevent any toxins from binding together to your cat's liver and helps to stabilize the liver membranes. It is also a great aid in regenerating your cat's liver by stimulating the production of new liver cells and replacing any damaged cells in your cat's liver. Not only does Milk Thistle support your cat's liver, but it is also a wonderful restorative elixir that can be given to your cat at any time that he or she is sick to help in a speedy recovery.

According to the PetWellbeing.com's website:

Feline Milk Thistle helps combat the toxic side effects of drugs like:

Chemotherapy drugs
Chemical heartworm medications
Antibiotics
Corticosteroids

An all natural, herbal product, feline milk thistle is safe for long-term use.


Be sure to feed your sick cat frequent meals that are both small and easily digestible, as this is the meal regimen that is highly recommended for cats with liver disease. Another alternative is to feed your cat organic foods since they are not exposed to chemicals, artificial colors or preservatives.

Although it may seem like a lot of work that you will have to do in the beginning, if you truly love your cat, it will be well worth all the effort. Even just preparing a special diet for your cat shows him or her how much you truly love and care for your cat. It is good to bear in mind that, if you have more than one cat, you will certainly need to keep your cats' feeding stations separate from each other. This way you can watch the cat that is ill and you will be able to make sure that he or she is actually eating their food and drinking their water and that your other cats are not eating it all for themselves.

Photo Credit: seasideshe

AVMA and SPCA Change Their Policies

The American Veterinary Medical Association recently changed its Dog and Cat Population Control policy to state that they no longer support any regulation or laws that make it mandatory to spay or neuter privately owned, non-shelter dogs and cats.

The policy changes were recommend by the Animal Welfare Committee which reads, in part, as follows: "The AVMA does not support regulations or legislation mandating spay/neuter of privately owned, non-shelter dogs and cats. Although spaying and neutering helps control dog and cat populations, mandatory approaches may contribute to pet owners avoiding licensing, rabies vaccination and veterinary care for their pets, and may have other unintended consequences."

This policy was originally approved during November 2004 and was actually considered by the Animal Welfare Committee in accordance with a five year review directive. However, after extensive discussion, members of the Animal Welfare Committee agreed that the American Veterinary Medical Association should not support any regulation or legislation mandating spay/neuter of privately owned, non-shelter dogs and cats due to a variety of different reasons. Such reasons were established in the background of the recommended policy changes.

Even though spaying and neutering is a vital part of successful population control programs, and do actually benefit both individual dogs and cats, if they are performed during the appropriate time, "whether and when to spay/neuter specific animals requires the application of science and professional judgment to ensure the best outcome for veterinary patients and their owners."

The Animal Welfare Committee acknowledges that spaying and neutering offers such benefits as:

"the prevention of unexpected litters; reduced incidences of some cancers and reproductive diseases; and prevention and amelioration of certain undesirable behaviors."

Other potential health risks that are associated with spaying and neutering cats and dogs that have been identified are: "an increased risk of prostatic cancer in males; increased risks of bone cancer and hip dysplasia in large-breed dogs associated with sterilization before maturity; and increased incidences of obesity, diabetes, urinary tract infections, urinary incontinence, and hypothyroidism."

The Animal Welfare Committee also believes that making it mandatory to spay or neuter a person's cat or dog may actually increase the chances of canine, feline, and zoonotic diseases that are spread because there will always be pet owners that will try to avoid exposing their unaltered cats or dogs by not taking them to veterinarian when they are ill or injured.

There also seems to be many different conflicting reports surround the actual euthanasia rate as well as animal control costs that are incurred in those communities that have already made spaying or neutering a cat or dog mandatory.

To read more on the American Veterinary Medical Association policy on "Dog and Cat Population Control", visit the AVMA website.

Another well-respected animal welfare organization, the SPCA, has also made a statement regarding its stance on mandatory spaying or neutering of cats and dogs:

“To the knowledge of the ASPCA, the only method of population control that has demonstrated long-term efficacy in significantly reducing the number of animals entering animal shelters is the voluntary sterilization of owned pets (Clancy & Rowan 2003; FIREPAW, 2004; Secovich, 2003). There is also evidence that sterilizing very specific, at-risk sub-populations of companion animals such as feral cats and animals in shelters can also contribute to reductions in overpopulation (Zawistowski et al., 1998; Clancy & Rowan 2003; Levy et al., 2003; Lord et al., 2006; Natoli et al., 2006). In contrast, the ASPCA is not aware of any credible evidence demonstrating a statistically significant enhancement in the reduction of shelter intake or euthanasia as a result of the implementation of a mandatory spay/neuter law."

To read more about the ASPCA's statement visit their website.

Perhaps with the position statements of the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals being made public, law makers should rethink their own position on mandatory spaying and neutering of dogs and cats.

Photo Credit: mickeymox

Stress Busting Dogs!

It's that time of year again for all students - FINALS!!

Everyone who was ever a student can surely relate to how stressful finals week can be! Along with the stress of the exams, students often find themselves in the library or in study groups, frantically trying to cram in every piece of information that is offered to them in their text books. Often times this means that the students will even cut down on their free time, just so that they can study more in order to get a good grade or even just to pass their class.

This loss of their social life, coupled with the anxiety of the looming examinations, can cause some students to actually fail their examinations. They become so stressed that they forget the information that they originally learnt.

However, some schools are trying to help students cope with their exam stress by bringing stress busting dogs to the schools.

One such school is the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Here the school's department of University Health Services hosted a counseling canine day during the University's annual Pet Therapy study break.

Every year the University holds its Pet Therapy Study Break where not only are school counselors available to talk with students about stress, but so are their dogs! Each counselor brings their own dog to work with them for the day so that the dogs can 'work' with the students.

Such a large variety of dogs means that there are plenty of dogs available to be petted and played with by the University Students. This provides the students with a much deserved break from all their hard studying.

University Officials report that the canine counselors have proven to be a great stress buster for their students.
Rob Sepich, the Student Relations Manager at the University Health Services says that:

"Taking brief study breaks - even five minutes per hour - can reduce stress and help you recall information".

Central Michigan University does something quite similar. They invite Dog Tales, an organization comprised of certified therapy dog handlers and their certified therapy dogs, to the University's campus to help the students release their exam stress.

Dog Tales also made appearances at a variety of different residence halls and has been an active part of Central Michigan University for the past five years.

Sophomore, Julie Mitchell exclaimed: "I love dogs. I don't know if (petting the dogs) relieves stress, but it makes me feel good. I think it's a neat idea, I never heard of it before."

The Founder and Coordinator of Dog Tales, Betty Lewis, who is also the executive secretary for the philosophy and religion department at Central Michigan University, explains that: "It's actually proven by statistics that petting a dog lowers your blood pressure and stress level".

Dog Tales not only visits the Universities but also visits various elementary schools and libraries as well.

David Rudzinski, one of the certified dog handler that is a part of Dog Tales, said "We bring the dogs to schools and libraries, and the elementary school kids read to them. We take them to medical centers, give the residents an opportunity to play with them."

According to Ms Lewis, the Dog Tales program was mainly designed to help children improve their self-esteem and their reading skills.

"We know we're helping the children read better, we help them overcome their shyness," Lewis said.

Not every dog can become a certified therapy dog though. Therapy dog wannabe's have to go through extensive training, which includes obedience classes and as well as a variety of different performing tricks. Once certified the dogs enjoy an assortment of benefits, including insurance.

"Each dog is insured by a $3 million coverage," Lewis said.

David Rudzinski explained that "(The title) Therapy dog means he is certified to have a good disposition, he works well with people, works well with other dogs".

It has long been known by psychologists, veterinarians and researchers that pets are perfect tools to encourage better mental and physical health in both children and adults. In fact, pet therapy is not only comprised of dogs, but also of cats, parrots, horses and other animals too.

Therapy pets are brought into hospitals, nursing homes and schools so that they may be able to help both children and adults to better deal with difficult situations that they find themselves in.

There is even a funeral home situated in Flat Rock, Michigan, that enlists the help of Zoey, a golden retriever, as a grief therapy dog. Almost two dozen grieving families have invited Zoey and her owner to attend visitations since last November. Zoey 'works the room' by walking amongst the attendees with her owner and stops whenever someone wants to pet her.

Photo Credit: yourfunnyvalentine

Is Your Cat Right or Left Pawed?

Like most American kids, Michael, had to enter a science project into his school's science fair. And, just like most American kids, Michael was having a hard time trying to decide what project he wanted to do.

His mother decided to help Michael out by doing some online research of her own. Luckily, she came across a website that allows children to answer a questionnaire about their interests and hobbies. Once all the questions are answered, the website then gives the children suggestions for their science projects based on their responses.

After finishing the questionnaire, Michael decided upon the perfect science project: to attempt to discover whether cats are right or left pawed!

Basic science tells us that, as humans, we have certain left or right hand preferences because our brains have both a left and a right hemisphere that is specialized. This simply means that each hemisphere or side of our brain is in control over our specific bodily functions, like talking or being right or left handed.

But Cats do not ever carry out very complex tasks that are mentally challenging; at least not on the same level as humans do. Rather, cats prefer to use their paws whenever they are interacting with anything in their environment. Which paw they choose to actually use in a particular instance, was once thought to be dependent on the cat's individual environment rather than individual preference for one paw over the other.

Since Michael did not live too far away from the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah, and, being that he loves cats, conducting his experiment at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary just seemed the logical choice.

Just like any other scientific experiment, extreme caution should be taken to manage the parameters of such testing. All the facts and figures need to be made on an unbiased basis and should reflect on the most dedicated and enthusiastic participants. Given all of this, Michael knew that using cats to be his guinea pigs was going to be quite challenging, to say the least!

Michael set up creating a set of three different tests for the cats at the Sanctuary. His first test was to simply dangle a toy in front of a participating cat and then to count how many times the cat would use his or her left or right to swing at the toy.

Michael's next test utilized a few yummy treats that were positioned inside of a very skinny glass jar. Again, Michael had to record how many times a participating cat would use his or her left and right paw to reach into the glass to get the treats out.

Michael's third test involved holding a spoonful of wet cat food just out of reach of the cats' mouths. He would then take note of which paw the participating cats would predominantly use to swat at the spoon to get the wet food.

In spite of how meticulous Michaels was regarding his little experiment he tended to forget that cat's love to just be cats! Quite a few of the cats at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary refused to participate and actually gave Michael a cold shoulder!

Although there were a substantial amounts of cats that simply wanted to participate in Michael's three tests over, and over, and over again. There was also at least one or two cat's per room that actually attempted to interfere with Michael's science project by attempting to steal and get away with the treats outright!

However, both Michael and his mother remained steadfast and were able to evaluate the cats' performances and collect enough information for Michael to earn a top grade on his science project.

After evaluating almost 39 participating cats, Michael was able to determine that 59 per cent of the cats were left pawed whilst 26 per cent were right pawed. A mere 15 per cent of these cats were actually ambidextrous.

Try using Michael's testing techniques above with your own cats to see if they prefer their right paw over their left paw!

Photo Credit: RBerteig