- 10 Realtime And Reliable Photo Search Engines http://t.co/HoGUk218 via @zite
- Here they come to save the day! 10 Pet Heroes http://t.co/y3eMGNA2 via @zite
- Check out this article: Kemper’s director leaves http://t.co/CE7Usqk0
- This would've been very cool, I think....Steve Jobs' Dream Of iCar Revealed (VIDEO) http://t.co/ANCjjpwi via @zite
- Dogs helping their people..Dog Is Lifesaver for 3-Year-Old with Diabetes http://t.co/8HUXJWYW via @zite
Weekend at the Expo
I participated in the Great KC Pet Expo this past weekend and made some great connections. Followoing are some of the products, services and organizations I learned about through the Expo.
In the booth next to me was a team with a pet product line called Smoochable Rupert. The product originated in the Kansas City area and is manufactured locally as well. Products include pet dental spray (for both dogs and cats) and pet shampoo (unscented). I’ll be writing more about them in the near future, but if you’d like to check them out now, go to www.smoochable-rupert.com.
An organization I wasn’t aware of until the Expo is Johnson County Animal Response Team (JoCART). This is a nonprofit dedicated to helping animals after a disaster. They set up temporary veterinary relief shelters in disaster areas, work to reunite lost pets with their owners and coordinate animal evacuation activities. For more information on JoCART, go to www.jocartks.org.
The Knnsas City Ferret Hotline information on care of ferrets, fostering for homeless ferrets and helps coordinate boarding for ferrets whose owners are out of town temporarily. For more information, go to www.ferrethotline.com.
I also met a couple of great ladies from the KC area that happen to blog about pets. Emily Hawkins authors a blog called Waldo Bungle and you can check it out at www.waldobungle.wordpress.com. Crystal Wayward authors a great blog called Wayward Dogs, check it out at www.waywarddogs.com.
Here are some of the people and dogs seen at the Expo
It was a great time, met lots of nice people and pets and learned a lot too!
It’s Tornado Season! Are Your Pets Protected?
Jessie, the responsible dog: Well, it’s tornado season! What are you going to do? If you are Party Marty, the crazy cat, you run outside and play in the storm like a fool. If you are like me, you plan ahead…like this:
Find a safe area in your home large enough for your family and pets…usually a basement or the room most interior to your home on the lowest level.
Do some practice drills getting the family together quickly during calm weather. To keep the place pet-friendly, remove any dangerous tools or toxic products.
Have a crate for every animal at the ready. If possible, place these underneath a sturdy piece of furniture.
Be aware of your pet’s usual hiding places so you can find them in an emergency.
Be sure to have your pet properly tagged with identification.
After the storm has passed, keep your pets on leashes or in their crates until you are certain it is safe. Be aware of any objects that could cause harm to your pet. Keep pets away from any food or water sources that may have been contaminated during the storm and keep them away from power lines that have gone down and from any strewn debris.
As their environment may have become somewhat altered, allow your pets time to sniff around and get comfortable again to avoid confusion on their part.
Thanks to care2.com for this insightful information.
Keeping the Peace In a Multiple Cat Household
Having multiple cats can be fun but it also has its challenges. Following are 
ten tips to maintain order and keep all the feline residents purring:
- If you have one cat currently and are now adding another, choosing a new cat of the opposite sex can reduce fighting among them.
- If your current cat is older, rather than adopting one kitten think about adopting two so they can keep each other busy.
- Never leave a new cat alone with the resident cat(s) until you are certain they won’t fight.
- Never give treats to one cat and not another.
- Window perches create space and allow your cats to sun themselves and give some personal space.
- Grooming your cats regularly can help reduce their stress and yours.
- Do not allow play between cats to become aggressive.
- If fighting occurs between cats, do not attempt to separate them by hand. Distract them by making a loud noise and put them in separate locations.
- Learn to understand feline body language.
- Make sure each cat’s needs are met and that each cat is treated as an individual member of the family.
Enjoy your feline family members and have a purr-fect day!
Funny Pet Video of the Week
This cat is determined to get the hang of dribbling a basketball……check it out
Chip Bags Can Be Deadly
I just finished reading a story on the PETA.org site of a woman whose dog suffocated because of a mylar potato chip bag.
It seems Blue was quite a mischievous fellow, escaping when he got the chance or getting into the trash when his people were gone. One day, while his mom was at the store, Blue decided to raid the garbage can and found a real treasure, an empty potato chip bag with some crumbs left inside.
He stuck his head into the bag all the way to get the crumbs and the bag got stuck on his head. In his panic to get air, the mylar bag became a suction and he was unable to get it off. He eventually lost consciousness and suffocated by the time his mom got home.
The danger of mylar chip bags to pets and children is not widely known. Blue’s family is hoping to bring focus to this issue in the hopes chip companies will begin putting warnings on the bags and eventually change the bag materials.
In the meantime, if you have empty chip bags that are made of mylar, please cut them into pieces before putting them in the trash. Blue’s family has established a Facebook page to enlighten people on the danger of mylar bags. Check out their page at https://www.facebook.com/PreventPetSuffocation
How to Keep a Cat from Becoming Bored
Party Marty here, still a little worn out from watching that NCAA basketball game last night: So, Kentucky won. Oh, well…what are you going to do? Let’s play! That’s right! Play! As a cat, it sometimes can get boring sitting around all day, waiting for the occasional belly rub or treat. I need more stimulation than that. Just because I am no longer a cute kitty, I do need more mental and physical excitement, if anything, for my state of mind and well-being. After all…would YOU just like to lie around all day and do nothing? No worries? (Don’t answer that!)
Unlike dogs that usually get a walk or two each day, all we live for involves eating, sleeping and, well, pooping. Boring after a while, wouldn’t you think? Let’s switch things up a bit! Take a few minutes out of your busy day and play with me! You just need the right playthings. C’mon! I’ll show you!
Cats love to play! If it involves chasing, swatting and pouncing, we’re in! Besides, just imagine the entertainment value it will hold for you in watching us have fun. Try this one: Tie a feather to a string and then attach it to a stick. As if you were fishing, dangle the feather above your cat’s head and watch him swat for it. Raise it up a bit higher and see what he does. Be sure to let him catch it and “win” a few times or he’ll just get bored and walk away.
Why not make a ball out of a few pipe cleaners? Throw it a few feet away from the cat and watch him go for it…and then try to pull it apart.
Next time the bagger at the store asks you, “Paper or plastic,” opt for paper. I don’t know any cat that cannot resist an empty paper bag. Put it on the ground on its side and watch your cat explore the bag. Scratch the outer surface of the bag when your cat is in there and watch him try to paw your hand from the inside. For more fun, cut a few holes into the bag and poke a feather or pipe cleaner in them to see if he will lunge for them! Just be careful not to poke him in the eye!
Thanks to pets.ca/cats for this great information! Now that March Madness is over, I need a new interest!
Beware The Lily
As stunningly beautiful as they are, lilies are a health risk to your cat. Members of the plant genus Lillium, which includes Easter lilies, Tiger lilies, Rubrums, Japanese show lilies, Stargazer lilies, and Daylilies can pose a toxin risk to your cat. When cats chew on the leaves of these plants, they can sustain kidney damage or even death. All parts of the plant are toxic, and your cat can become ill just chewing on one leaf.
Dogs, rabbits, and rats do not seem to respond to the toxins in lilies as cats do. While dogs may experience some minor tummy troubles from eating the leaves off these plants, they typically do not get renal damage.
Cats who are afflicted with the toxins of these plants will start vomiting, usually wtihing two to six hours after ingestion. While the vomiting may stop for awhile, it will usually return over the course of the next few days.
If your cat has ingested any part of these types of plants/flowers, please get him or her to your veterinarian immediately. If you postpone treatment more than 18 hours, your cat is at risk for kidney failure or death.
Cats and Dogs Working Together To Find Lost Pets
This story was featured on the Animal Planet Show Must Love Cats. Cheeto the cat helps train dogs to help find lost cats. Check out Karma the Pit Bull Detective…..this is a cool story!
Funny Pet Video of the Week
I always thought cats weren’t fans of water, but as you’ll see in this video, there are some cats that really love it, and some that……well, you’ll see. :)
The Powerful Presence of Cats
Welcome! The Spirit of Bo returns! I hope you all have missed me! I could not help but return for a visit on this beautiful Spring day. Party Marty is napping away and Jessie is probably admiring herself in a mirror somewhere. They left the computer on, so I could not resist. Here are some more of my amazing cat trivia tid bits, courtesy of catsinfo.com. These words will make you appreciate cats even more! Enjoy!
“There are two means of refuge from the misery of life – music and cats.”
- Albert Schweitzer
“There are few things in life more heartwarming than to be welcomed by a cat.”
- Tay Hohoff
“Cats are smarter than dogs. You can’t get eight cats to pull a sled through snow. “
- Jeff Valdez
“Way down deep, we’re all motivated by the same urges. Cats have the courage to live by them.”
- Jim Davis
“There is, incidentally, no way of talking about cats that enables one to come off as a sane person.”
- Dan Greenberg
“Beware of people who dislike cats.”
- Irish Proverb
“You will always be lucky if you know how to make friends with strange cats.”
- Colonial American Proverb
“I have studied many philosophers and many cats. The wisdom of cats is infinitely superior.”
- Hippolyte Taine
“Time spent with cats is never wasted.”
- Unknown
“Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea.”
- Unknown
” How we behave toward cats here below determines our status in heaven.”
- Robert A. Heinlein
“People who hate cats, will come back as mice in their next life.”
- Faith Resnick
Follow Us!