44 Pound Cat Found In New Jersey

Talk about a fat cat story.

This 44-pounder was found roaming the streets...with no collar or tags.

How does this compare to other fat cats? A 46 pound tabby was listed in the Guinness Book of Records, but the Guinness World Records has since dropped the category, fearing cat owners might harm their animals in an attempt to break the record.

Pet Theft On The Rise

Dognapping is on the rise as thieves are looking to turn a quick profit by stealing your pet.

The frequency might not be up there as property theft, but the occurances are growing.

Police reports don't make a distinction between pet theft and other property theft, so there's no way to pinpoint the exact number of stolen pets each year, but anecdotally, officers say that pet theft is increasing this year.

Toy breeds, puppies, and purebred dogs that look expensive or unusual are most vulnerable. Among the stolen breeds tracked by the AKC in 2008 are Yorkshire terriers, poodles, Pomeranians, shih tzu, bulldogs, corgis, a Norwich terrier and a mastiff.

Plus, people increasingly view their pets as members of the family and are willing to cough up big rewards if they go missing.

It's such a sick crime...and there was also an increase around Valentine's day, where it seemed people were stealing dogs so that they could bring a puppy home to their loved ones...but yet they took a loved pet from someone else.

It's Great to Have Pets

This is a neat little thing from the Are You Greatful Blog. Here is my statement of being greatful.

Not everyone can enjoy having pets and companions in their lives. I'm greatful that I can have friends, relatives, and of course, my pets, no matter how much they annoy me sometimes.


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In order to be able to achieve and maintain happiness we need to, actively, be able to do two things:
Complain and then let go (Dump the baggage, the roadblocks to happiness.)
Openly Express Gratitude (The open expression of gratitude promotes happiness.)After all, everyone has something to be grateful for and/or something to complain about. If you would like to accept the challenge, please follow the appropriate link and do so: "Are You Grateful?", "Complain Complain Complain."Contributors to "Are You Grateful?" & "Complain Complain Complain" are: 1-Attitude, the Ultimate Power 2-Max 3-DianaCA's Metamorphoses 4-Mental Poo 5-My Thoughts 6-Baba Doodlius 7-Wake Up America 8-Life is a Roller Coaster 9-Life and Me 10-pinay mommy's love blog 11-My Happiness Haven 12-And Life Goes On for a Filipino Mom 13-Blessed Sanctuary 14-Expressions And Thoughts 15-Memories by Jenn 16-Reminiscence of My Adventures 17-In the Life of Mne 18-Juliana's Lair 19-Pinay Wahm 20-Lucid Creativity 21-Winged Words 22-Irresistible Fascinations 23-A Little Time 24-See Me For What You Will 25-Greatest Reviews 26-ETC ATBP 27-Gandacious 28-We Are Family 29-Journey to this thing called LIFE 30-www.rajeshrana.net 31-www.rajeshrana.com 32-BaReFooTeD Me 33-Uncomplicated 34-Points of View 35-Pride & Prejudice 36-Colorful World 37-Nora's Notes 38-A Daily Walk With Bill & Gina 39-Strange but True 40-Everything Under The Sun ( Beth Rebokon ) 41-Kaleidoscope 42-Fil-Oz Blog 43-By Osc@r Luiz 44-Comedy Plus 45-Blogging by Sandee 46-Soul Meets World 47-Mae's Memoirs 48-Beyond the Rave Reality 49-Amori, poesie, arte, chat by Hanna 50-Attached at the Hip 51-Carver's Sight or is that Site? 52-Empress Reviews 53-Simple Pleasures In My Heart 54-Lourdes' mia 55-A Grateful Heart 56-Majorsleepyhead 57-Scrappy n Happy in Ohio 58-CHOC MINT GIRL 59-Extraordinary Things 60-ZOOROPAZOO 61-BeNolSatuEm 62-As The World Turns 63-Your Caring Angels 64-Life Is Wonderful To Know Everyday 65-Sugar Magnolias 66-Little Peanut 67-Creative In Me 68-Me and Mine 69-Pea in a Pod 70-the diary of the Pink & Brown Wedding 71-good thoughts, good trades, good life 72-My Blog - all things me 73-Rainbows 74-Little Corner of Mine 75-Me, Myself and I 76-My Planet Purple 77-Amel's Realm 78-A Handful of Surprises 79-A Detour 80-Something Purple 81-Vanity Kit 82-Are You Grateful? 83-A Simple Life 84-BlogTips.Com 85-Balitang Kalye 86-Mariuca 87- Emila Yusof 88-A Total Blog 89-My Life in this Wonderful World 90-MommyAllehs 91-Things That Suck 92-A Mother's Stuff 93-Princess Vien 94-My Inner Thoughts Revealed 95-Roxiticus Desperate Housewives 96-Apples Of The Eyes 97-Nita's Random Thoughts 98-Nita's Corner 99-Thomas Digital Services 100-A Mother's Thoughts101-Meltwater. Torrents. Meanderings. Delta 102-My Perfect Escape 103-Vanidosa. Marie 104-Confessions of a Supermodel Wannabe 105-Lynda's Loft 106-Listening..Learning..Living 107-LadyJava's Lounge 108-The Painted Veil 109-Poeartica 110-Maryannaville 111-the life of a psychotic weirdo 112-CARPE DIEM 113-Turn-u-Off 114-asian mutt international 115-Petty Ramblings of a Petty Queen 116-LIFE IS A ROLLER COASTER 117-AZZY'S BLOG-A-ROONIE! 118-glad to be here 119-WilStop 120-Dare to Blog 121-WebGeek Journal 122-Foster Me Up 123-This is My Life 124-DaveylynneDR 125-Life Realities 126-aNgRiAniWorld Dot Com 127-All That Matters 128-My Inspiration Sharing Land 129-Hidup Biar Sedap 130-Mutiara Hati 131-EM Muhammad 132-I Digress 133-Mapped Memories 134-Working It 135-Startin' A New Life too, 136-Little Secret 137-FEEL FREE to Express Yourself 138-iAM-Mai 139-SOLOFLIGHT 140-BLACKNICKEL 141-NEUROPATCH 142-EMJEI SAYS 143-Big Money List 144-daily information 145-TRCoach 146-LOVE YOUR LIFE! 147- INSTANT MESSAGES 148-MEME ME 149-mEldita's untamed world 150-mEldita's uncensored life 151-i.MEL.dific 152-SNAPSHOT 153-DAILY STOCK PICKS 154- The Pet Haven

Is Your Dog Bored?

Are your dogs home alone all day? With little or nothing to occupy their time?

Many people leave a radio or television on for their dog when they leave. The "white noise effect" does seem to have a soothing effect and thus may have some redeeming features. Any lilting/melodic sound (not "heavy metal") or even just background music is probably better than the sound of silence or a clock ticking on the mantelpiece. Most animals seem to prefer seeing images of other animals or nature programs.

Another tip is to exercise your dog before you leave. My dogs go for daily walks both to calm them, and also so they can "do their business," so the exercise has a dual purpose.

Exercise generates serotonin in the brain and thus has a calming and mood -stabilizing effect on man and pet. A dog that has had a good run for 20 to 30 minutes before the owner departs will be less anxious, more composed, and prepared for a little R & R in the form of a good nap.

Dog Dials 911

This story comes from Florida about a dog who dialed 911.

A Beagle named Belle started clawing at his owner when the owner started acting funny. Belle's owner was diabetic. When the owner's blood sugar fell and he passed out, Belle ran to the phone and called 911.

How could Belle do this? Well, Belle is a trained service dog - trained to help his diabetic owner. Dogs are able to sense high and low blood sugars. Dogs can smell many hundred times better than humans. When your blood sugar starts to rise, your breath starts to get a sweet smell to it. So you're able to tell the highness. But when you start to drop into the low, it drops into the seizure.

As a part of Belle's training - if she detects problems - she finds her owners cell phone and bites down on the #9 key. The phone then connects and Belle barks or whines into the phone. This alerts someone to call for help.

Don't Buy Live Fish at Wal-Mart

This is such a pet peeve (pardon the pun) of mine, but why does Wal-Mart sell live fish? Everytime I go to any Wal-Mart with tropical fish, they look sick, many having ich (white spot disease) or even worse - dead floating in the tank.

But still, they always have rows of tanks full of dying fish. And they keep buying more from distributors since the tanks are always full of semi-alive fish covered with ich or fungus.

So, please, don't buy your fish from Wal-Mart. It's not just because of my little soap-box, but adding unhealthy fish to your community tank can effectively wipe-out all the other fish in you have. Before adding any fish to your tank, inspect it closely for torn fins, fungus, and white spots. Make sure the fish is alert, active, and swimming around while not at the surface gasping for air.

Most likely, you won't find any fish like this at Wal-Mart. And even adding one unhealthy fish to your aquarium can introduce diseases that can destroy your community.

Still Another Reason to Hate PETA

Jan, over at the Poodle "and Dog" Blog just posted a story that give us another reason to hate PETA.

Recently they used a fake business name to place this bogus classified ad in Dog Fancy Magazine:

"Just bought a brand-new purebred puppy? Welcome him or her into your home with a free gift bag! Call us today at 1-866-xxx-xxxx to claim your bag and hear about our products."

Readers who called the number found that the “bag” in the offer was a body bag, given to them because by purchasing a purebred puppy they caused the death of a rescue dog.

First of all, this is illegal, deceptive advertising. Second, it's not the fault of someone buying a dog that other dogs are put into shelters. I understand the arguments for adopting, and that's fine, but at the same time, worry about cracking down on the puppy mills who are abusing the dogs. Worry about better educating people who get a dog about doing their homework, so that these people aren't bringing dogs back to the shelters.

I'm interested in hearing your opinions.

Morning Lesson From My Dogs

Every day when my dogs wake up, they are excited. The are wide awake, full of energy, ready to start the day. I find that there are some lessons to learn from my dogs early morning routine.

The first thing my dogs do in the morning is come over to my side of the bed, bark, and wait for me to react. They then jump up and wish me a happy good morning. The Lesson? - Maybe we should all wish our loved ones a happy good morning.

Then, when I get up for them, they are excited to start their next day. They are happy to be here, happy to be able to start anew after a restful night. Lesson - We should also be excited that we are starting our day anew.

Even if I yelled at them the night before, they are always there the next morning happy to see me. Maybe I should take that lesson to heart as well.

The dogs never tire of their early morning walks. They don't make a fuss about seeing the outside world, or being able to walk around the block. Instead, they embrace the fact that they are able to leave the house and be with their care taker on another new morning. I guess I should follow that lesson and enjoy my morning walk and be thankfull for the exercise, and the fact that others can't walk and enjoy their mornings in this way.

I never thought I could learn so much from my dog's example in just a few hours each morning.

dog, pet lessons

Childproof Medicine Isn't Dog Proof

Just because prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications are marked childproof doesn't mean they're dogproof. In fact, most dogs find it way too easy to chew through plastic pill containers if given the opportunity.

And many the most common drugs and supplements are potentially lethal to dogs, even in relatively small doses. Keep your pet safe by storing all meds, vitamins, and supplements in a secure cabinet that's out of your pet's reach.

Magic Lamp of Blog Luck

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Dog Pause Bowl adds Matching Water Bowl

I recently wrote a .review on the Dog Pause Bowl The bowl is made to slow down your dog's eating pace. Now the company has released a matching water bowl. The water bowl doesn't do anything to slow down your dog, but it does match the food bowl. Here is some of the press release:

DogPause (R) Dog Bowl adds matching water bowl to product lineup
EVERGREEN, Colo.--(Business Wire)--
Long Tail Pet Products, LLC, of Evergreen, Colo., parent company of
DogPause® -- The Healthy Dog Bowl -- has begun selling a matching water
bowl product based on consumer demand and feedback from online dog
communities.

"When launching our DogPause® Dog Bowl, we reached out to many influential
bloggers to get their and their readers' feedback on our product. Fortunately, their
response was overwhelmingly positive, wanting more, which is why we are now
adding a great-looking water bowl product to our lineup." says John Funk,
president of Long Tail Pet Products.

Hydration is just as important as the way your dog eats. Without proper
hydration there cannot be proper digestion. When customers started asking for a
matching water bowl, the company started working another product that helps
with canine health and meets customer needs.

The DogPause water bowl has the added benefit of being dishwasher safe to
help prevent bacteria and allows for easy cleaning and care. Also it is a durable
high grade food safe plastic so customers know that they are giving their dogs
only the best. Together with the DogPause food bowl, this is the only proven
effective slow feeding system with aesthetically matching food and water bowls.

The Dog Pause food and water bowl is each available online at
http://www.dogpausebowl.com for $17.95. For a limited time, visitors can
purchase any two bowls for only $29.95. Both offers include free shipping

Dogs Can Learn Words

According to a post from DogAge.com the average dog can learn about 165 spoken words. Recently, German scientists reported that a 9-year-old border collie named Rico actually knew the names of more than 200 objects -- similar to the vocabulary of a 3 1/2-year-old child. A dog's understanding of our language and inflection can enable responses ranging from singular to more elaborate.

So how do you expand your dog's vocabulary? According to Dr. Stanley Coren, author of The Intelligence of Dogs, you simply need to talk to your pet. "You should always use the same words for the same things and whenever you're doing any action which the dog is involved in, you tell the dog," he says. Dr. Coren also recommends using the dog's name before any command, and using the same commands every time.

A smarter dog is a happier dog. Learning can actually make your dog more
confident -- about himself and about his relationship with you. So helping your dog expand his mind will make you both feel better.

Dog Breed Profile - Scottish Terrier

The Scottish Terrier is a smart, spunky breed widely recognized by its dignified appearance.

Scotties tend to bond closely with their owners and families and are usually not as interested in attention from strangers. Because they can be strong-willed, it's important for owners to start training early to avoid power struggles. Although they are generally gentle with humans, they can show some aggression towards other dogs.

Scotties typically make better pets for older rather than younger children because, although they're generally fun and playful dogs, they can occasionally become moody and snappy.

Booking A Flight With A Dog

Found some great tips on how to fly with your dog.

The tips, from petside.com, are good pointers for booking a flight that will be less stressful on your pooch.

Beijing Takes Dog Off the Menu for Olympics

Concerned that canine dishes might offend animal rights groups and Western Visitors, Beijing has asked restaurants expected to be popular among tourists, to stop serving dog meat "to respect the dining customs of different countries."

Ok, I'm disgusted, anyone else?

Did Nemo Inspire Flushing?

According to a blurb in Aquarium Fish Magazine, Australian scientists believe six platies species of fish, found in New South Wales, are a case of "Finding Nemo Syndrome."

It is believed the platies were flushed down the toilet in an effor to release them into the wild.

In the Finding Nemo Movie, one of the themes was "all drains lead to the ocean." Nemo is depicted escaping back to the wild via a sink drain.

The platies, discovered in a drain that connects to a ditch, are the first found in the wild, and experts worry they could devastate the native fish population. Although the act may have been well intentioned, platies eating habits and competitive nature with other fish concern experts, who are encouraging pet owners to seek other solutions for unwanted fish.

Pet owners prefer McCain over Obama

In a poll that may very well be one of the first to break down opinions based on pet ownership, McCain is leading among pet owners, according to a recent Yahoo News Article.

Here's a look at the poll results from the article:

— All pet owners: McCain, 42 percent; Obama 37 percent; Nader, 3 percent; other, 3 percent; undecided, 14 percent. Margin of error, plus or minus 2.9 points.

— Do not own a pet: Obama, 48 percent; McCain, 34 percent; Nader, 3 percent; other, 3 percent; undecided, 12 percent. Margin of error, 4.1 points.

— Dog owners: McCain, 43 percent; Obama, 34 percent; Nader, 3 percent; other, 3 percent, undecided, 12 percent. Margin of error, 3.6 points.

— Cat owners: McCain, 41 percent; Obama, 38 percent; Nader, 3 percent; other, 4 percent; undecided, 14 percent. Margin of error 3.9 points.

The population breakdown of who has pets and who doesn't also may be a factor.

For example, the poll found 47 percent of whites own dogs, compared with just 24 percent of blacks. Whites tend to favor McCain, while blacks overwhelmingly favor Obama.

Some 64 percent of dog owners are married, slightly higher than the overall population. The poll found 47 percent of married people own dogs, compared with 39 percent of non-married people. Married people tend to favor McCain.


While the Pet Haven Blog will refrain from making an endorsement (read - undecided), this is an interesting poll and I don't think candidates ever imagined that pet ownership could make a difference in getting elected.

Also interesting is the overall stats of how many households own pets. It seems like everywhere I turn, someone I know is getting a new pet, so I'm not surprised about those particular results.

1-800-Save-A-Pet

Save-A-Pet is a totally free service where 5,000 animal shelters have 80,000 pets listed who need homes today.

1-800-Save-A-Pet.com is a non-profit pet adoption charity that helps shelters, humane societies, SPCA's, pet rescue groups, and pet adoption agenicies advertise their homeless pets to adopters for free. They use the power of TV, the Internet and a toll-free phone number to connect adopters with shelter pets and help pets go from alone to adopted.

Check it out - http://www.1-800-save-a-pet.com/adopt-a-pet

Chewing Can Clean Teeth

I've hardly ever brush my dog's teeth, even though I know I'm supposed to do so....in fact, I have brushing my own teeth, especially when I'm half asleep at night.

But, just as in humans, stinky breath isn't normal or healthy, and gum disease is an all-too-common doggy ailment. Brushing every day is the best prevention. But choosing hard food over soft can also help scrape your dog's teeth clean as he chews, and it's less likely than soft food to get stuck between teeth. Chomping on chew toys can also have a cleaning effect. If you're considering treats or food formulated for oral health, ask your vet if any of the products would be helpful.

Info from dogage.com

Redesign

I get bored easily, so I changed up the site a bit, my first major design change since I started the blog over a year and a quarter ago.

Let me know what you think of the design. I tried to make it a bit more cleaner and easier on the eyes.

Happy 4th of July

4th of July has always been a fun holiday for me. Growing up, we always had picnics and celebrations full of red/white/&blue, along with the family pets running around trying to steal the food from the BBQ. And of course, a summer holiday wouldn't be complete without the sounds of a baseball game on the TV.

It's a time to feel pride of being able to do the things we do in this country, and to be able to have the pets we have and treat them the way we do. For all the crazy, negative things in this country, there are also the happy, positive things that we need to remember this time of year.

So, I'll be celebrating like I always do; accidentally dropping food for the pets, watching fireworks, taking in a ballgame, and listening to the songs that only get played this time of year; including "We're Coming to America," "God Bless the USA," and all the classic American Marches.

Happy holidays to your family, friends, and pets. And let's go Yankees!!

Cataracts Can Lead to Blindness in Dogs

A recent press release from the NYC Veterinary Specialists and Cancer Treatment Center discusses one of the leading causes of blindness in dogs - Cataracts.

WHAT CAUSES CATARACTS IN PETS?“Cataracts can be caused by injuries or diabetes, but most canine cataracts are inherited and come with age,” explains board certified veterinary Ophthalmologist, Vanessa Kuonen at NYC Veterinary Specialists in Manhattan. “Most cataracts will progress and ultimately cause blindness, so animals with cataracts should see an ophthalmologist as soon as possible!” Kuonen adds that “cataracts can cause complications inside the eye that are irreversible and painful, including retinal detachment and glaucoma.”

“Even if an owner thinks they may not do the surgery, it is always recommended they talk with a specialist so they understand the possible outcomes and the risks of the decision either way,” adds veterinarian Dr. Jennifer Mlekoday of West Chelsea Veterinary in Manhattan.

LIVING WITH CATARACTS:For pets, seeing through a mature cataract is similar to looking through white frosted glass. The lens is located behind the colored iris, so when a cataract occurs, the pupil may even appear white.

Cataracts are treated with surgery to remove the lens and uses phacoemulsification, the same procedure used in people. Once the lens is removed, it is replaced with an artificial lens inserted into the pocket formed by the original lens capsule which remains in the eye.

Dr. Kuonen advises, "Pet owners should talk with their veterinarian if they suspect their dog is losing their sight. The best time to perform cataract surgery is when the dog has significant visual impairment, but is not completely blind. When cataract surgery is performed early, the success rate is typically 90 to 95%."

CATARACTS IN DIABETIC DOGS: If dogs diagnosed with diabetes are monitored for a year or more, almost all of them will develop cataracts. In diabetic dogs, the glucose concentrations in the lens increases. Over time, the extra glucose is converted into sorbitol, which causes an increase in the influx of water to the lens. The increase in water causes a breakdown of the lens fibers and a resulting cataract. Cataracts in diabetic dogs can develop extremely rapidly, especially if the dog is not regulated. They generally affect both eyes.