Thursday, April 28, 2011

Take a Hike!


We don’t know how or when it happens, but it does. Those extra pounds just seem to creep up on us overnight every winter. We swore last year it wouldn’t happen again, but here we are struggling to zip up our favorite jeans.

The same thing happens to our four-legged friends. They slow down and sleep more during the cold weather. The other day I put a sweater on my little dog that was loose on her a few months ago and noticed it was fitting a little more snug. I refer to my dog as my little Pita pocket. My daughter-in-law says she is now a stuffed Pita pocket! How embarrassing.

I know what we are doing wrong at my home. My husband loves to give her treats. He does the same with our cats, but they are very slender (Siamese) and never have this problem. So we are cutting back with her food portions and really limiting the treats. Sorry, Pita, but it is for your own good!

Over-weight pets face a lot of health risks: diabetes, heart and respiratory disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis and many forms of cancer, to name a few. Overweight cats have the added risk of fatty liver disease and lower urinary tract disease. So what do we do? The best answer is to get moving.

Now that the nice weather is around the corner take your friend out for a walk around the neighborhood or a hike through the woods. Going out for a walk gives your dog mental stimulation as well as satisfies the migration instinct all dogs have. We are fortunate to have dog parks in a few of our area towns, and they are the perfect spot for your dogs to run and play and get the exercise they need while making new friends.

Before you go make sure your pets are up to date with vaccinations. Just like our children need to be vaccinated before they start school, the same goes for our pets. We wouldn’t want a preventable illness to ruin a good time.

Slimming down an over-weight cat isn’t as easy. When cats were in the wild, they had to hunt for food and be very athletic to avoid predators. In today’s world we know that keeping our cats indoors is the safest place for them. Studies show indoor cats live longer than outdoor cats. Because of this more relaxed and stress-free lifestyle, indoor cats can become bored and sedentary. Hence, weight gain.
 
Don’t be discouraged. There are many fun ways to exercise your cat, and by doing so you can also reinforce the bond you have with your pet. Before you start, have your veterinarian exam your pet and make sure there are no medical reasons for your pet’s weight gain. When you get the go-ahead from your veterinarian, have some fun. Cats love anything that moves. Throw a ping pong ball around for them. They love the bounce, bounce, bounce of the ball. My male cat loves me to throw the ping pong ball up in the air, and he jumps and slaps it back to me like a volley ball. Crinkle some paper and see how long they are amused by it. If you have two cats they may bat it back and forth.

Speaking of two cats, if you only have one cat, now you might consider getting a friend for your cat. They love to stalk and chase each other. This may be the simple solution to your cat’s weight problem.

If you have cats but no dog and you would benefit from a good walk in the park, see if you can “borrow” a neighbor’s dog to take on a stroll. I’m sure there is a dog close by that would love the extra attention that maybe its owner can’t give due to their age, medical condition or work obligations. Of course, you can always visit our shelter to see what dogs we have available and adopt your very own walking companion (the cat and dog pictured here are still waiting at the shelter for the new home). This is a win-win for everyone involved.

However you choose to exercise your pet, the important thing is doing it together, and this will definitely reinforce the bond you have with your animal. Just don’t forget to stop and smell the roses along the way.










Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Pillow Talk

Whether you consider yourself a dog person, cat person or both, we pet owners would agree they enrich our lives. Each one brings a different personality into our home. 

If you are anything like me, you like items that have cute sayings on them regarding our four-legged friends. My favorites are the pillows. I have them on my side chairs and in guest rooms. Every time I walk by I seem to read them over and over and still find amusement in them (I'm so easily entertained!).

It's amazing how just a few short words can get the message across. To me that message is how important our animals are in our lives. Every day they are here for us and bring us such comfort and enrichment in our daily grind. They are a constant in our lives, always waiting at home for us and giving us pure love and gratitude every time we walk through those doors. See if you agree with what these pillows are saying.

MY GOAL IN LIFE IS TO BE THE KIND OF PERSON MY DOG THINKS I AM

No matter what, your dog would lay down its life for yours. Without question you are the single most important thing in your dog’s life. Your dog doesn't care about much else but being by your side. Dogs are happiest doing whatever as long as you are doing it with them. The sound of your voice is music to their ears. When you are away from home, most of the time they sleep. As  soon as you get close to home, and believe me they know when you are near, they get a burst of energy and wait (im)patiently staring at the door and then you magically appear.  How'd they do that? Doesn't matter how to them—all they care about is their “master” is home!

OUR PERFECT COMPANIONS NEVER HAVE FEWER THAN FOUR FEET

They never judge, hold a grudge or retaliate. I do have an exception with this saying, however. When I was young I had a pet duck (two feet). Way back when, this was very odd. I went to the movies one afternoon with friends and next door to the theater was a pet store. It was Easter time, and the store was selling ducklings. I just had to have one! When I went home, I pleaded and begged, but honestly I didn't have to work that hard because my mother is a true animal lover also. So, I got my duckling. I used a cardboard box for her bed and she lived in my bedroom. When she got older, she moved outside. We lived on a main road in Bethel and turned a shed under our porch into her house. Every Saturday we went to the feed store and brought home bales of hay/straw for her bedding. She was the best “watchdog” ever. Whenever someone came into the yard. she would start quacking and quacking. I forgot to mention her name. You guessed it—Quacker.  We had a child’s plastic swimming pool that we would fill in the summer, and she would splash and play in it.

Early on we weren't sure if she was a boy or girl but soon found out when we went to her house one morning and SURPRISE, there was an egg! We could never eat her eggs because to us it would be like eating her (we also saw what she ate—yuk!). To this day, I have never been able to order duck at a restaurant.  Our many years of enjoyment ended when we lost her to a wild animal. Very painful.  It is not a good idea having animals that live outside in this part of the country. There are too many hazards and elements that can harm our best friends. That is why Animal Welfare is always suggesting our adopted cats not be let outside. It is estimated that indoor cats have a lifespan of five more years than outside cats.

Thank goodness pet stores don't sell ducklings anymore at Easter time because there is always another child that “just has to have one” and without careful thought would purchase one.  The same thing applies to bunnies that are sold at pet stores.  Think, think and think some more before you decide to buy a bunny, especially as a present. The novelty soon fades, and most bunnies end up at our shelter.

This past summer we had a lot of rabbits that people either got tired of or didn't realize how much work was involved. Believe me, I know how cute and cuddly they are. But reality soon sets in and the day-to-day work begins. So please, no impulse buys.  Rabbits can be great pets, just know what you are getting into.

NO OUTFIT IS COMPLETE WITHOUT DOG/CAT HAIR

This saying is a favorite of mine, because I figure if it is put on a pillow then I’m not the only one with this problem. All pet owners know the necessity of having those sticky rollers in their cars, hall closets, garages, kitchen cabinets, office drawers, etc.  Whoever invented them should get an award. All kidding aside, I have always said, “I'd rather have pet hair in my home than not have a pet in my home.” Pets are definitely worth a little extra time spent vacuuming.

DOGS HAVE OWNERS, CATS HAVE STAFF

True, true, true. Dogs hang on our every word and look to us for constant approval. Cats, on the other hand, have us wrapped around their paws. We are drawn by their purr as if there was magic in the sound. We get hypnotized by those amazing cat eyes, and when they talk to us we listen. Currently, we have 60-plus cats at the shelter. I'm sure that number will grow fast now that spring is here. We have had more than 100 in the past, and I never want to get to that number again!

Each and every one of those cats has its own personality. We have many cats that may look the same at first glance but when you look again you know which is which. The playful strut across the floor, the pounce, pounce, pounce on the toy mouse, the leap and jump on the sunbeam coming through the window—all express themselves in different ways. Each and every one is special and unique. Just as we each have our own personality, so do they. We have cats that will suit everyone’s taste and style.

Another pillow needs no explanation.

CATTITUDE

Need I say more?

(*Both animals in today's blog are currently up for adoption at Animal Welfare on Dodd Road in New Milford.)