Those who love their pets tend to enjoy all animals. Our animal owners are no different. Check in on News-Herald staffers Robin Palmer and Cheryl Sadler as they share their own animal tales and announce upcoming events in Lake and Geauga counties.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Ponderings by Picasso
The you-know-what has hit the proverbial fan at the Palmer household.
Seems the humans figured out a I got a hold of their credit card.
They were tipped off when the UPS guy delivered 1,000 of those furry mouse toys to the house the other day.
I love eBay.
Now it seems I am grounded.
They took away my iPad, iPod, Smartphone and Kindle, and disconnected my Twitter and Facebook accounts.
I'm no longer LinkedIn, either.
The best part of all?
They cannot return the toys because they have cat spit on them.
One of my co-workers is having some issues with his cat, who can apparently open doors when he is supposed to be shut in a room. So we took to YouTube to see exactly how this phenomenon occurs:
-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl Make your day a little more bearable with a weekly feature on Pets Unleashed: Animal Crackers. Think of it as a mid-week snack that just might crack you up. Send an email or tweet with your suggestions for future Animal Crackers.
The director, board members and volunteers at the mostly cageless Happy Tails Cat Sanctuary in Chester Township — none of whom are paid a salary — hope that people in the community will be generous to the sanctuary’s cats during this time of holiday cheer.
“Even though more than a year has passed since a devastating fire at Happy Tails, the financial challenges are still great,” said Jeanne Bones, the sanctuary’s founder and director.
“We are grateful to people in our community for their contributions that enabled us to keep the sanctuary functioning even during our darkest hours following the fire. Many of our resources are greatly depleted, however, so we hope the holiday season will inspire people to make donations to help us continue to provide heat in the buildings, cat food, kitty litter, and veterinary care.”
Since 1982, Happy Tails has provided food, shelter, and other care for many previously neglected, abandoned and abused cats.
Some of the cats are adoptable, but a number of them are not because of their ages, disabilities or temperaments.
Bones said some of the cats are feral or semi-feral and will not ever be suitable as house pets, so they will probably spend the rest of their lives at the sanctuary.
The sanctuary is a nonprofit, charitable organization, and donations are tax-deductible. Contributions can be sent to: Happy Tails Cat Sanctuary, P.O. Box 581, Chesterland, OH 44026.
For more information about the sanctuary (which is currently filled to capacity and cannot take in any more cats), call 440-759-0076.
Thankfully, I don't have to deal with this kind of thing around the holidays:
-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl Make your day a little more bearable with a weekly feature on Pets Unleashed: Animal Crackers. Think of it as a mid-week snack that just might crack you up. Send an email or tweet with your suggestions for future Animal Crackers.
Following up Tuesday's post on pet health and diet during the holidays, I have some information on pet safety during the holidays. I recently received a news release with tips from small animal veterinarian Dr. Jessica Vogelsang, the founder of Pawcurious.com. Check out the release below for her advice on keeping your pet safe during the holidays. (And if you missed it, scroll down for the blog post on pet health and diet during the holidays.)
With all the holiday visitors and festivities, it’s easy for stressed pets to slip out the door or backyard. Be sure your pet has its tags and microchips updated with your current address and phone number.
Consider a GPS product like Tagg – The Pet Tracker to calm your fears. Tagg attaches to your pet's collar and will send you an alert if your pet does slip out, and then allows you to track your pet’s location in real time so you can pick him up and bring him home!
Be aware of holiday fragrances
Candles are a fire and burn risk, of course. Many owners turn to scented potpourri, thinking it is a safer option, but it is extremely caustic when ingested and can cause esophageal ulcers.
Mind the string
Cats love ribbons, string and tinsel. But when ingested, they can lead to a painful condition called "string foreign body" and can actually perforate the intestine.
Keep an eye on the holiday treats
Although everyone knows chocolate is toxic, the most common reason pets wind up in the ER is because they ingested too much fatty food and gave themselves an upset stomach or pancreatitis. If you have a relative who insists on feeding the pet treats, keep a bowl of special pet-friendly holiday treats nearby and ask them to feed your pet those instead of pieces of sausage!
Know where the emergency vet is located
If your pet has an emergency, you can't call 911. The last thing you want to have to do in that situation is look up directions to the vet clinic when you're stressed and in a hurry! Know their phone number and map out the location ahead of time.
Animal Crackers: Teddy Bear, the talking porcupine, likes pumpkin, too!
I had no idea that porcupines could make noise like this, nor that they were so adorable. Thanks to Danielle Capriato for sending me this guy.
-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl Make your day a little more bearable with a weekly feature on Pets Unleashed: Animal Crackers. Think of it as a mid-week snack that just might crack you up. Send an email or tweet with your suggestions for future Animal Crackers.
Tips for managing your pet's health and diet during the holidays
Humans aren't the only ones at risk of overeating during the holiday season. Passing an extra plate to your dog or cat can harm their health (just scroll down for yesterday's post on pet obesity). I recently received a news release with tips for managing a pet's health and diet during the holiday season, and I thought now while we're planning for the holidays might be a good time to pass along the advice. So read the news release below, and keep your pet's health and diet in mind when you're eating over the holidays.
Though the holiday food is tempting, be mindful of what you feed your pet!
SEAACA provides fun and helpful tips to help you manage your pet's health and diet during the holiday season
The holidays are a time to share wonderful meals with family and friends. For pets, however, the risk of overfeeding and eating dangerous food items during the holiday season can pose significant health risks. From Thanksgiving to New Year's and beyond, the food keeps coming and the guests revel, but the pets can suffer. To help resolve this holiday dilemma, Southeast Area Animal Control Authority has created a list of tips to help pet owners enjoy their holiday meals while maintaining their pet’s health and welfare.
Don't supersize them. Please do not feed your pet human food. But, if you do, avoid giving large amounts of cooked turkey or ham during the holidays. Humans are much larger and heavier than dogs and cats and can handle bigger food servings; our pets cannot. During the holidays, it’s very easy to forget this and overfeed pets, thus upsetting their digestive system and compromising their health. Should you feed your pet human food, also avoid food that has been out of the refrigerator for a long period of time. Pets need to be protected against food that is undercooked or subject to spoilage because of lack of refrigeration.
Watch the richness. Holiday food can be filled with spices and seasonings, which can cause health problems in pets. Try to keep you pets on their regular schedule with their regular food.
Ain't to proud to beg. As pets become accustomed to human food, they can learn irritating begging habits that can be rude to family members and guests during mealtimes. Try to keep pet meals in a separate room with designated pet food rather than human leftovers.
No bones about it. Do not feed pets bones, particularly chicken, turkey and other poultry bones. Bones can break apart cause intestinal pain, and sometimes choking, in pets.
Sweet are not treats. Candy and highly sugary items can wreak havoc on a pet's diet. Also, candy wrappers can be eaten by dogs and cats and can result in choking or digestive pain.
Beware of non-edibles. During the hustle and bustle of holiday meals, it's easy to lose track of pets. Make sure you keep an eye on them so that they're not eating non-edible items, such as food packaging or gift wrap, that might have fallen to the floor or left somewhere in the home.
Treat dogs and cats as individuals. If you have both dogs and cats, remember that they might have different dietary preferences, and that they need different portion sizes. Use discretion and don’t hand out holiday leftovers blindly.
"Holidays meals are special family moments, but they can be a problem for pets," noted SEAACA Executive Director, Dan Morrison. "If we remember to prevent overfeeding and to use discretion when giving pets meals during this festive season, everyone will benefit," he added.
Worried your pet is a bit overweight? You should be.
Excess weight can cause several health problems for cats and dogs. Check out the infograph below for information on how much your pet should eat, how to tell if your pet is overweight and risks of excess weight in pets.
Holiday pet food drive through area dental offices
This month, area dental offices are collecting non-perishable pet food items and supplies to support area animal shelters. To find out which offices are participating or to make a donation, call Margie Carr at Dr. Gary Woznicki's office at 216-731-7555.
Apparently, humans aren't the only ones who are making donations to the pet food drive this month.
Drop off donations through Dec. 17 at one of the following locations:
A Balancing Touch Wellness Studio, 32417 Vine St., Willowick, OH 44095, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday (closed Sunday and Monday)
Best Friend Self Serve Dog Wash, 640 E. 185th St., Euclid, OH 44119, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, or 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday (closed Sunday and Monday)
Herchick's Tire Service Inc., 854 East Aurora Road, Macedonia, OH 44056, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday (closed Sunday)
Pet People (Chagrin location only), 27299 Chagrin Blvd., Woodmere, OH 44122, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Donations will be accepted through Dec. 10.
Anyone who would like to donate but cannot make it to one of the above locations can make other arrangements with OA4CA by emailing oa4ca@yahoo.com or calling 440-382-8983.
OA4CA will deliver food donations to the Emergency Assistance Center food pantry at 1 p.m. Dec. 19, and other items will be delivered by Santa to the City of Cleveland Kennel at 1 p.m. Dec. 22.
On OA4CA's event page for Project Santa Paws, the group says donations will help families who have had to give up pets during the difficult economic time, and will help homeless animals in the area.
I came across this amusing and entertaining infograph on "17 things worth knowing about your cat." Check it out to learn something - or maybe just get a good laugh.
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