The Anipal Times

#Pawties and Events 15 May 2012

MattieDog — Tue, 15 May 2012 04:03:13 +0000

#Pawties and Events are where anipals and humans get together for a Twitterin’ good time. In their tweets they use an introductory hashtag (#) so everyone who wants to join in the fun can easily find them by searching Twitter for #(fill in the blank) pawty or #(event name). #Pawties and Events is where you will find out about the #Pawties taking place on Twitter and where I will point you to the official The Anipal Times #Pawty & Events Calendar. Remember to check out the calendar so that you can find the dates and times to mix and mingle with anipals. Now, let’s read about some of the #pawties and events that happened by the deadline for this article (oh, and if you don’t know how to #pawty, don’t worry I got you covered—just read this).

#NipClub Second Anniversary and #NipClub Monthly Pawty On Saturday and Sunday 12-13 May 2012, anipals gathered together to whoop it up and celebrate the second anniversary of the #NipClub online pawties. Everyone joined in the fun to enjoy a celebratory atmosphere of #NipClub’s second anniversary, greeting friends old and new and to take in the highlights all of the #NipClub happenings, a wonderful “year in review”! The #NipClub pawty started off with founder @FlaCatLady thanking every anipal for joining in the fun, and then she and the #NipClub Monthly host, @GeorgeTheDuck, raised their hands (and wings) in the air and shook them all about to announce the start of #NipClub’s Second Anniversary and first ever #NipClub Monthly #pawty!

The first Twitter-based anipal band, Da Shibbering Cheetos (@ShibberingC) kicked off the #NipClub celebration, and from there the place just went wild—meowing and barking, chirping and clucking, there was even some oinking and whatever noise that fish make. Anipals of all kinds came out to dance and have some fun—and to help #NipClub raise awareness and funds for the Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon, USA. #NipClub selected the Feral Cat Coalition for this month’s animal-based charity and by doing so really made a difference in many cat’s lives. The Feral Cat Coalition is a trap, neuter, and return (TNR) based-program to help many of the feral and stray cats living in the Pacific Northwest, with a focus of reducing the suffering of feral cats and to prevent the births and suffering of future cats. To learn more about the Feral Cat Coalition, please watch this video which highlights some of its great work:

#NipClub pawty was 24-hours long and provided a great retrospective of some of the best moments of previous #NipClub pawties. Anipals who attended #NipClub danced the night away while some of the most happening DJs played some great tunes. Also, after all of that dancing, anipals enjoyed some great noms and drinks created by executive chef @Flicka47—the menu delights, which were named after some of the great cities of the world, and the scrumptious drinks were gregariously served up by great, friendly and fast chefs and barktenders. There were also chances for anipals to win prizes, including donations made in the winning animal’s name, handmade jewelry, doggy and kitty toys, paintings, collars, gift cards in various denominations, and culminated with the big Kindle Fire give away. All #NipClub pawty goers were thankful to the prize donors as well as the quizmasters—and a special “concatenations” goes out to @PandaFur, as she was the lucky winner of the big prize—the Kindle Fire!

If you were unable to attend this great #NipClub Second Anniversary and #NipClub Monthly pawty, never fear—the fun is just beginning. Make sure to mark your calendar for the monthly, second Saturdays, #NipClub Monthly pawty, and that way you’ll always be in on the fun. Oh, and if you would like to make a donation to this month’s #NipClub animal charity, please do so here (right side of the page)—and remember so shop the #NipClub Store where sales earnings goes to the #NipClub charity of the month.

@FlaCatLady, and everyone involved with #NipClub asked that I send on a big “thank you” to all of the wonderful anipals who attended this great #pawty—pawtying in the name of love to help out animals is always a good time!

Coming #Pawties and Events Remember to see the #Pawty and Events calendar to get more info on some other wonderful events. Get ready for #PetChat, #KeepFits, #NipClub, #CookinWifRabbits and #Purrs4Peace, held on the first Sunday of every month by coordinator @ConfuciusCat and weekly by other anipals (e.g. @ChloeToby) who #Purrs4Peace. Tune in to these entertaining and highly informative weekly shows where you can say “Hi!” to old friends and hopefully make new friends, too.

#AAAC 19 May 2012. Join hosts @AnipalAwards and @BlogPaws as they join forces to hold a pre-BlogPaws celebration that will also highlight this year’s @AnipalAwards nominees and winners. All of the #AAAC adventures are currently being finalized, and once done you will be able to find the tantalizing details here. Make sure to join #AAAC for the official @AnipalAwards winner announcements, #pawty festivities and some great dancing and general whooping it up–and get all rev’d up for BlogPaws, held 21-23 June 2012 in Salt Lake City, UT, USA.

Upcoming June #Pawties: #Baboon Pawty 2 June 2012, times to be determined, hosts @BorisKitty, @PumpkinPuddy, @CheshireK; #NipClub Monthly Pawty 9-10 June 2012, 24 hour pawty (2PM EDT-2PM EDT).

If you know of any #pawties or events that you’d like included in an upcoming #Pawties and Events article, please try to give two weeks notice and email me, mattiedog AT anipaltimes DOT com, or @MattieDog on Twitter. Include the name and date of the #pawty, and any invitation and/or blog links. Until next week, #pawty on anipals!

The Anipal Times does not endorse or support any particular #Pawty and Events fundraising endeavor and donations should be made at the donor’s discretion. Anipals should research fundraising prior to making a contribution/donation in order to make an informed decision.

The Little Guys

Vanessa — Fri, 11 May 2012 04:17:44 +0000

Chip, our gerbil

Our sweet, five-year-old gerbil, Chip, is very close to going OT(tiny)RB — he’s in sad shape. Only the fact that he’s such a stubborn fighter is keeping me from taking him to our vet to help him “move on”. He’s paralyzed in one back leg and he seems to be blind but he’s still dragging himself around eating, drinking and filing down his teeth so I’d say he’s not quite ready. Maybe he wants to set a world record of longest living gerbil? OK, so maybe he’s not very close to that bridge just yet.

When we adopted Chip we also brought home his brother Dale (I have mentioned we are BIG Disney fans, right?). Dale, unfortunately, did not live very long. There has always been a bit of foul-play suspicion on Chip’s part, the paw points his way. Chip would push his brother away from the food dish and water bottle and he was always vying for all of the human attention. It also seemed like Dale was sometimes trying to hide from his brother. Just about a week after their adoption, I found poor Dale dead and brother Chip in the other side of their house consoling himself with a big pile of food. He never seemed to mourn his brother’s passing.

When viewing the crime scene, it was apparent that Dale had just exited a tube that adjoined one section of their house to another. It looked as if Dale just dropped to his death as soon as he stepped out of said tube, albeit quite suspiciously. Although there were no signs of physical trauma and absolutely no proof to “charge” Chip with gerbil-slaughter, we decided we would not attempt any further roommate introductions. (Yes, I watch a LOT of crime-investigation TV shows!)

Other than the small (very small) murder suspicion, Chip is a very funny, sweet guy — he loves to entertain. When he was healthy and moved around better one of the ways he would perform for his audience was by running at phenomenal speeds on his wheel (I always meant to borrow a speed gun from one of our law enforcement neighbors to see just how fast he was moving). I’d swear he would lose his footing on purpose and spin inside his wheel just to get a laugh from his audience.

Chip’s house is safely kept in the Kid’s bedroom with the door shut, protected from the torturous Tiger, Tomas and Seymour. A few years ago we had to replace the broken door knob on the bedroom door which meant the door would be open wide for all to enter. I sat in front of the gerbil and rat houses, standing guard against feline predators while the repairs were performed. In walks Seymour, investigating the room he so rarely enters but losing focus when he catches a whiff of the tiny occupants. The rats quickly hide in one of their little boxes but Chip walks right up to the glass of his house not the least bit frightened of the giant cat. I curiously watched the interaction but stayed vigilant to a speedy removal of this “killer” cat.

I could not believe what I saw next; Chip began to tease Seymour! Chip ran right up to Seymour’s face (the glass between them, of course) and watched the silly cat go wild trying to capture his prey but then Chip ran to the corner, into his little wooden house and peeked around the door to watch the cat do the “where did he go?” scramble! After about a minute of watching Seymour literally squirm, he then ran back up to the glass and let the cat go wild and salivate, running back to his little house to start the torture again.

These hilarious antics went on for several minutes — my tiny gerbil was getting his jollies picking on the big, mean cat! Only then did I notice the rats were watching the crazy scene from their hiding spot, looking like they were viewing the best comedy of the year. I guess there is justice for little guys after all.

#NipClub Offers Something for Everyone

MattieDog — Thu, 10 May 2012 04:03:53 +0000

If you’re an anipal on Twitter, then it is highly likely you’ve been to an online #NipClub pawty. #NipClub, @NipClub, has thrown weekly pawties for nearly two years now—and starting this Saturday, 12 May 2o12, will add a Monthly Pawty to its lineup. In order to get all of the current information I visited with @GeorgeTheDuck, the #NipClub Monthly Pawty manager, for a quick dip in his pond and some more pawty details.

“Hi Mattie, thanks for joining me at my pond—let me come on shore and tell you a little bit about #Nipclub,” offered a happy @GeorgeTheDuck as I wandered into his cozy little marshy area of the pond. As he waded out of the pond and dried himself off, I sat down on a wood log and brushed off a little warm rock for @GeorgeTheDuck. As we settled in, George dove right in describing the chronology of #NipClub.

#NipClub History

@GeorgeTheDuck

“Over the last two years,” said @GeorgeTheDuck, “#Nipclub Thursdays evolved into an entire venue complete with garage, kitchens, service for others—traded #Nipclub services for tips for our various charities, and we’ve made it a welcoming place for anipals of all kinds.” As @GeorgeTheDuck wiggled in nice and comfy on his warm rock, he continued, “We’re happy to see that anipals have enjoyed our events ranging from Cheers nights, birthday nights, barbecues, roadtrips and others.” You can read more of the #NipClub history by clicking here.

“We’ve had some great pawty high-points and we’ve learned some lessons along the way,” offered @GeorgeTheDuck. “At the start of its second year #Nipclub began by working to solely help animal related 501(c)3 US or Registered international charities. In April of this year, after the indefinite suspension of #PawPawty, #Nipclub decided to start a #Nipclub Monthly pawty in addition to the weekly Thursday night #Nipclubs.

#NipClub Monthly

That’s right, you heard it here first. #NipClub will now hold a much bigger monthly pawty—#NipClub Monthly starts this Saturday, so make sure you come on out and pawty! I asked @GeorgeTheDuck what anipals can expect at #NipClub Monthly, and, as he stretched out his little ducky legs to get more comfortable, George said, “Anipals can expect to have fun at #Nipclub Monthly, a 24-hour pawty that will be held on the second Saturday of every month—anipals will have fun and help benefit the #Nipclub charity of that month. There is a great team of anipals involved in #NipClub Monthly—we’ll bring you themes and activities by our Entertainment and Graphics Teams. There will be all the virtual noms and drinks that you can imbibe from our Head Chef and assistants served by our Barktenders. Quizzes and/or doorprizes will give you a chance to win all kinds of neat prizes. And our DJs will rock you through the night. Sekurity will be on hand to pawtekt and serve. To make sure you know what fun is coming your way at the next #Nipclub Monthly, our PR Team will keep you informed. Our Graphics Team outfitters and costumers will be on hand prior to each pawty to help anipals get in the spirit, though of course your own fur, feathers, etc. are always welcome.”

Also, #NipClub Monthly will have some fresh new themes. “In June #Nipclub Monthly will have an African Safari that could involve anything from a photo shoot safari tour, camp out at the edge of the jungle and even trying to avoid head hunters,” said @GeorgeTheDuck. “In July, #Nipclub Monthly buys a decommissioned shuttle, shines it up again and heads out to set up a #Nipclub Space Station. So, if readers have an idea for a potential theme for #Nipclub Monthly, contact our Entertainment Team Leader @MattieDog, mattiedadog AT gmail DOT com.” Hey, that’s me! Yup, that’s right—ring me up if you have a great idea for an upcoming theme.

“Oh, and Mattie,” quacked @GeorgeTheDuck, “make sure you let all your readers know to frequent Nipclub.com, the #Nipclub Monthly’s website, because we will also feature regular blog posts about the charities we work with, upcoming events, and more related features of interest to the anipal community.”

#NipClub Thursdays

@TheNascarKitty

No changes are planned for the great #NipClub Thursday pawties—so don’t fret. Rest assured all of you #NipClub pawty goers who routinely show up to have some fun at the weekly #NipClub Thursday event—the original #NipClub Nightclub will continue on with its Thursday night gatherings. Anipals, just continue to show up using the #NipClub hashtag, to the great Thursday events to enjoy great themes, hot cars, big trucks, great food and music. The #NipClub Nightclub, Thursday gatherings, are hosted under the management of @TheNascarKitty, one of the most cool cats on Twitter!

The Charities

Both the #Nipclub Nightclub Thursdays and the #Nipclub Monthly pawties will team up philanthropic activities, focusing together to help one animal charity per month. “While we love our humans,” said @GeorgeTheDuck, “our focus for #NipClub is solely on pets and other animals. Each charity is an animal-focused rescue, shelter or group that is reviewed for a number of criteria including being a 501(c)3 non-profit in the US or a registered charity in its country of origin. We set up the Firstgiving, Chip In or other widget for donations—so donations never touch our hands, paws or wings; and instead goes directly to the #NipClub charity of the month.

#Nipclub management hopes that anipal pawty patrons will suggest animal charities that include those for both dog, cat other pets or mixed animal groups which meet their criteria. You can learn more about how #Nipclub chooses its charities at its website by clicking here.

The May #Nipclub charity is Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon, USA. @FeralCatsOR which is a trap-neuter-return (TNR) group dedicated to helping feral and stray cats.

Thank Yous and Volunteer

@FlaCatLady

Anipals everywhere offer a big, heart-felt, thank you to #NipClub founder @FlaCatLady for handling all of administration, recruiting and training of new staff—without you there would be no #NipClub! Also, all of the #NipClub team wanted to acknowledge and offer appreciation to @TinyPearlCat for her great #NipClub graphics and for webmastering the #Nipclub blog; @TheNascarKitty for developing the themes for weekly #Nipclub pawties; all of the fantastic staff of DJs, Barktenders, Nipclubbers who put the word out, help with graphics and assorted pawty fun; big shout outs to the number of anipals who have donated superb prizes for the various #NipClub special events—and to you, all of you wonderful patrons, for without you there would be no #NipClub.

If you would like to get involved in #Nipclub Thursdays and #Nipclub Monthly, there are many ways to contribute, ranging from graphics to entertainment ideas, cheffing, barktending, quizzing, DJing and more. For the #Nipclub Monthly, contact manager @GeorgeTheDuck georgetheduck1 AT gmail DOT com and let him know you would like to help out and what appeals to you. For #Nipclub Nightclub on Thursdays contact @KingTuttiFruiti. #NipClub is excited to have anipal community participation!

Remember to contact me, MattieDog, with your ideas for fun and interesting @Anipaltimes articles! You can email me at: mattiedog AT anipaltimes DOT com or tweet me at: @MattieDog on Twitter.

#Pawties and Events 8 May 2012

MattieDog — Wed, 09 May 2012 02:45:51 +0000

#ChiliPawty 5 May 2012. @KittehBoi hosted a Cinco de Mayo-themed #pawty where “grumpy old @sisfurcats Chilipepper celebrated her 15th birthday!” #ChiliPawty featured a lot of mischief (no names will be revealed here!) and fun events, and also some very tasty food to nom, songs and dancing and quizzes with great prizes. #ChiliPawty definitely was the place to be for Cinco de Mayo fun—hope you were able to come on out to celebrate and have yourself a meowgarita or two! Happy Birthday, Chilipepper!

#NipClub 2nd Anniversary Pawty 12-13 May 2012. Come celebrate #NipClub’s 2nd anniversary for a celebratory time that highlights all of the #NipClub happenings, a year in review. Shibbering Cheetos (@ShibberingC) will kick off the celebration and DJs will spin some great tunes while barktenders serve up their favorite dishes and noms. There is a great Kindle Fire give away, enter here–and all of this to help raise funds and awareness for the Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon, USA. Come on out, have a good time and celebrate with #NipClub—RSVP here!

#Pawties and Events 1 May 2012

MattieDog — Tue, 01 May 2012 13:38:07 +0000

#ArabianPawty

#ArabianPawty On Saturday, 28 April 2012 hosts @SpookyShorty @PuppyNumber7 @Whskr held a great #ArabianPawty—that quickly, due to spammers and bots, became #MagicCarpet pawty. Whatever hashtag #pawty goers used, #ArabianPawty was a fun event designed to help lift the spirits of our friend Spooky, who has had lymphoma and is now thankfully in remission. #ArabianPawty was fun to watch in your Twitter feed because you got to see all of the attendees’ great costumed avi’s quickly flittering by—I saw lots of genies and dancers, magic carpet riders and even a couple of camels. There was some really fun entertainment; there was even a real live tarot card reader—anipals enjoyed the company of @NikePurrfektCat whose mother, Madam Isabeau joined #ArabianPawty to provide readings for #pawty goers. Lots of anipals had a great time at this fun event—and, according to the hosts, enjoyed themselves at, “A place of a thousand suns, where palm fronds sag with clusters of ripe figs, magic flying carpets whisk through the breeze, and sultans charm with enchanting tales.” I know I did! When I stopped at #ArabianPawty I enjoyed some magic carpet riding, did a little belly dancing, flirted with the ladies and ate some mighty fine food. #ArabianPawty was a hoot—and it surely helped lift the spirits of @SpookyShorty and his mom. To learn more about @SpookyShorty, make sure to read the #ArabianPawty blog and give him a tweet on Twitter. Hmmm—don’t know why the spammers and bots were out and about, but maybe they just like Arabian food!

#LJWedding

#LJWedding Sunday, 29 April 2012. It seems that all of the Twitter anipals came to witness the beautiful wedding of @MillyMopMoo (Lola) and @JackChiDoggy. Wedding attendees arrived early to take in the lovely atmosphere of The Hillbark Hotel—the venue for this very special day. The energy was electric as the #LJWedding pawty progressed—anipals watched as Maid of Honor, @KatiePops_L, and Best Man, @TommyPug, entered the lovely setting. They were followed by the pretty bridesmaids (@LoopeyDoops, @WonderWinger, @GuideDogBliss, @ShastaTheHusky4, @DoggyMolly, @RescuePugBella and @BonnieTheWestie), all dressed in beautiful purple and red jewel colored dresses—and the dashing groomsmen (@coco_boylovett , @JackMcWestie, @ErnieThePug, @HenryandFriends and @ArthurPugs), all decked out with red rose boutineers on their smartly tailored tuxedo lapels. @GuntherGrunts walked the lovely bride, @MillyMopMoo, down the isle—Lola looked stunning in a flowing off-the-shoulder bridal gown as she greeted her excited groom @JackChiDoggy. All of the anipals gathered for #LJWedding became quiet, listening to @WillowMena1 provide a heartfelt reading—and everyone cheered as @MillyMopMoo and @JackChiDoggy exchanged their vows and beautiful gold wedding rings, engraved on the inside with words of love for one another. After the ceremony was over, anipals let loose and really had a great time. The esteemed #Nipclub Catering Service (@NipClubCatering) providing wonderful noms—anipals toasted the newlyweds with bacon, catnip and berry champagne; dined on an all-you-can-eat buffet, and nibbled some seriously succulent sweets. The lovely bride and divine groom then cut the multi-layered wedding cake and nommed happily with all their guests. The band (DJs) played some great jams while everyone danced the night away, shaking their groove things and cheering on the bride and groom. #LJWedding was a lovely occasion for a beautiful couple—and now they are off to honeymoon in Hawaii. Make sure you wish them well—send @MillyMopMoo and @JackChiDoggy a tweet congratulating them on their nuptuals, wishing them a long and happy union!

#ChiliPawty 5 May 2012. Host @KittehBoi invites everyone to a Cinco de Mayo-themed #pawty where “grumpy old @sisfurcats Chilipepper will be celebrating her 15th birthday!” #ChiliPawty will, as you know, have a lot of mischief and fun events, and also some tasty food, songs and dancing, and quizzes with great prizes. #ChiliPawty definitely will be fun—come on out to celebrate and have yourself a meowgarita or two! If you have any questions, make sure to contact @KittehBoi and be sure to RSVP here.

#NipClub 2nd Anniversary Pawty 12-13 May 2012. Come celebrate #NipClub’s 2nd anniversary for a celebratory time that highlights all of the #NipClub happenings, a year in review. Shibbering Cheetos (@ShibberingC) will kick off the celebration and DJs will spin some great tunes while barktenders serve up their favorite dishes and noms. There is a great Kindle Fire give away—enter here—and all of this to help raise funds and awareness for the Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon, USA. Come on out, have a good time and celebrate with #NipClub–RSVP here!

#AAAC 19 May 2012. Join hosts @AnipalAwards and @BlogPaws as they join forces to hold a pre-BlogPaws celebration that will also highlight this year’s @AnipalAwards nominees and winners. All of the #AAAC adventures are currently being finalized, and once done you will be able to find the tantalizing details here. Make sure to join #AAAC for the official @AnipalAwards winner announcements, #pawty festivities and some great dancing and general whooping it up—and get all rev’d up for BlogPaws, held 21-23 June 2012 in Salt Lake City, UT, USA.

BlogPaws “Nose-To-Nose” Pet Blogging Awards

Cokie the Cat — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 04:03:20 +0000

BlogPaws, the social media conference for pet brands and bloggers (and anipal tweet-up extravaganza), will be literally rolling out the red carpet this June in Salt Lake City, Utah (home of our Editor-in-Chief, @BrutustheDane) for the 1st annual BlogPaws “Nose-To-Nose” Pet Blogging & Social Media Awards!

The Nose-To-Nose Awards are not a popularity contest. Nominations are being accepted now through 6 May 2012. You can nominate as many blogs as you like for any of 12 specific categories — you can even nominate yourself! Blogs only need to be nominated once to be considered by a panel of judges on the basis of their expertise, creativity and performance. Nominees don’t have to ask all their friends to vote for them like they do in a lot of other online competitions.

You don’t even have to have a traditional blog. Creative Facebook and Twitter “micro-bloggers” are included, with categories for Facebook and Twitter page design. I bet next year there’ll be a Pinterest award, too, and whatever other new social media sensations come along between now and then! (*Note to Social Media Gods: Please phase out one kind of social media platform before introducing three more. I only have nine lives…)

BlogPaws will announce the finalists on 15 May 2012, and the winners in a fancy-schmancy ceremony on the last night of the conference on Saturday evening, 23 June 2012. You don’t have to be present to win (but it sure would be more fun if you were), and check this out: The Nose-T0-Nose Awards will be live-streamed so everyone all over the world can watch it together (live!) for free! How cool is that? Very.

Nose-To-Nose Award Categories

Best Blog Design: judged on overall design elements of the blog homepage/landing page.
Best Blog Writing: judged on overall writing skill – is the message clear to the reader?
Best Humor Blog: judged on overall sense of humor – does it make us laugh?
Best Bark Blog: judged on the content as it applies to dogs and dog parents.
Best Meow Blog: judged on the content as it applies to cats and cat parents.
Best Wiggle Blog: judged on focus of blog toward non-traditional pets (i.e. ferrets, guinea pigs, chickens, etc).
Best New Blog: less than one year old, with good content and engagement.
Best Cause Blog: judged on message, purpose and results as demonstrated on the blog.
Best Video on a Blog: judged independently (one video per blog); is it well done, focused, creative and purposeful?
Best Photo on a Blog: judged independently (one photo per blog); is it well done, focused, creative and purposeful?
Best Facebook Design: judged on overall design of Facebook header and use of special Facebook page features.
Best Twitter Design: judged on overall design elements for Twitter profile background.

Submit Your Nominations

Go to the BlogPaws.com website to submit your nominations for the blogs you think qualify in the categories above. While you’re there, if you haven’t been there before, look around. It’s a great online community for pet bloggers and pet-related businesses. There are tons of anipals there, lots of help for the technically challenged, and even tips for the pros. They have a cool Wordless Wednesday blog hop every… well, Wednesday, and the BlogPaws conference! Hope to see you there!

Our Many Returns

Vanessa — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 04:03:07 +0000

Tiger looking for trouble

When we’re on vacation we always wonder what the babies are up to. What kind of damage has Tiger created and what kind of messes did they (all) make? Many times, if our sitters can clean it and cover-it-up we usually don’t hear about it. Some things can’t be covered up.

For last week’s trip we were especially concerned about Tiger jumping to our hanging light fixture in the entryway of our home. He climbs on the banister (the one he is whittling into toothpicks) and sits, trying to build the nerve to jump. With the light hanging just low enough to meet his vantage point on the banister, he “thinks” he’ll make it. Unfortunately, I agree; if he gets a good enough jump he’ll at least grab the shade and pull the entire light fixture down as he plummets to the floor below. Luckily, he’s not built enough nerve — yet.

One year, we returned from vacation to find an arterial spray of blood on the tile above our bathroom sink. I quickly called my mother, the babysitter that year, to verify she was still in one piece. She explained that on one of her visits she obviously did not get the door to our Teddy Bear hamster’s house completely closed so, when she returned the next day, she found that he was missing. She looked for him, although she figured he had already become a cat snack. After a long search she miraculously found him in one piece — alive! He had made himself a snug, little nest between the tub and vanity in our bathroom — a space barely 2” wide.

Seeing the little monster safely in his house, I gently asked, “Where did the blood come from?” She further explained, after stretching her hand to his nest to rescue the hamster (“Oh no”, I’m thinking), he thanked her by slamming his long, sharp teeth into her thumb and hanging on while the blood continued to spray. Bearing the pain, she walked on to the viscous monster’s house, carrying him still clamped to her hand. She shoves him in and he actually lets go. It was that moment I noticed the blood all over his house.

On another trip, only a month after adopting Seymour, we left for our family vacation. I didn’t worry about the baby, he could handle himself with the big boys and our sitters had planned to check on him quite often. We spoke with our sitters several times that week and Seymour was fine albeit a bit whiny and missing his Mommy (he was very attached to me when he was a baby). At the end of the week, I called our sitters when we were an hour from arriving home, they like to go over one last time to verify all is tidy and the kids have not wrecked anything since their last visit (all was well at that time). I guess that last hour was just too much for baby Seymour to bear because we walked in on him creating the worst kitty-related mess I’ve seen (so far); Seymour was in a litter box throwing paws full of dirty litter, not only out of the boxes but up, against the walls!!! He had already been in three of the other litter boxes because around them all stinky, gross litter was caked over the walls and floor. When we walked in and I started screeching, at decibels I didn’t know I could reach, he stopped and simply walked off.

I guess that most people go on vacation to relax from work they have been doing. My family on the other paw, we go on vacation to prepare ourselves for six more months of critter duty in MY HOUSE. (BTW, there’s three hairballs waiting to be cleaned, a litter box to scoop, a… )

Sunbathing Hazards

Dianda — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 05:01:53 +0000

Sitting here in front of a window, Suki doesn't have white ears. But I'm always making sure she doesn't sit in the sun for too long.

Summer is getting closer and closer, and the sun is getting stronger. It’s important to keep an eye out for your cats as they love to lay in the sun all day long. When they stay in the sun for too long they can develop problems — just like we humans. I’ll explain why.

White cats, and cats with almost to no fur, are sensitive to the sun. And if they stay in the sun too long they might get sunburnt, skin cancer and other skin conditions. The ears and nose don’t have a lot of hair covering the skin, and the skin there is very thin. That’s why cats — especially white cats — have a greater chance of getting skin cancer on their ears and/or nose if they lay in the sun for too long. It’s also the reason why white cats, and cats with pale ears and/or noses, need extra protection during the days when the sun is very strong. (Other places that might need extra protection from the sun are pale or pink eyes and feet).

If you see a wound on your cat and you don’t know what it is from, never hesitate to ask your vet to take a look at it. Because when caught on time, skin cancer can often be removed without trouble.

Shade

It is a good idea to provide shade for your cat during the hottest time of the day to prevent heatstroke. When your cat doesn’t want to stay in the shade, you can try to keep her in the house for a few hours during the hottest time of the day (between 11 am and 3 pm). If you are unable to keep an eye on your cat, make sure she has access to a shaded area when you are away from home.

It is also good to know that sunbathing inside, behind glass, reduces sunburns. Unfortunately, the rays that increase the risk of skin cancer are still able to penetrate glass. So even when your cat is sunbathing inside, you need to provide shade and make sure she doesn’t stay in the sun for too long.

Sunblock

When Hiro goes outside when the sun is strong I put sunblock (advised by my vet) on his nose and ears to protect the skin against the sun.

Sunblock is no longer for humans only. It’s a good idea to apply sunblock on areas that are sun-sensitive, such as the ears, nose and places that don’t have much hair.

But sunblock isn’t entirely safe for your cat. Cats might lick off the lotion, spray, cream or whatever form the sunblock is in, which can be toxic for your little friend. So it’s a good idea to consult your vet about what kind of human sunblock you can use.

#Pawties and Events 24 April 2012

MattieDog — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 04:03:24 +0000

Earth Day Stroll

Well anipals, first we at @AnipalTimes want to wish you all a happy Earth Day. Earth Day is a day were some seriously cool events are held in order to increase awareness and appreciation of the earth. I hope you got out and took part in an event, whether it was to help plant trees, clean a street median or perhaps just stroll around and take in the beauty that is the earth—be kind to her and reduce, reuse and recycle. Oh, and hey, when you are done reading @AnipalTimes please place it in the proper recycle bin—oh wait, it’s an electronic paper. Well, recycle by forwarding it to a friend—that will be good for them and good for us. So, happy Earth Day and #pawty on anipals!

The Finalists

#TillmanTV On Saturday, 21 April 2012, nearly every anipal on Twitter turned out to support our buddy, Tillman (@TillmanSkates), in his season finale #TillmanTV #pawty. #TillmanTV #pawties were some of the most fun and interactive events an animal, in this case Tillman, held using social media. Anipals had a great time, hanging out with @TillmanSkates and his buddies and watched the last, for this season anyway, episode of Who Let the Dogs Out on television, while tweeting with viewers all over the globe. The last show was the highlight of the season, as we watched @TillmanSkates and his pals travel across the USA looking for “the most talented dog in America,” to join them on their adventures. Anipals watched and joined @TillmanSkates in tweeting, while the dogs who had been in previous Who Let the Dogs Out shows gathered together at Universal Studios in Hollywood, CA for the final show and to find out which one of them Jimmy Van Patten would bestow the title of Most Talented Dog in America—giving them the coveted winner’s trophy cup, a great gift card ($500) for @Petco, a wonderful Pooch Hotel stay, @NaturalBalance pet food for a year—oh, and some seriously cool Tillman’s Treats. Anipals quivered with anticipation watching all of the great dogs do tricks and strut their stuff. But in the end, there could only be one winner—and what a winner! Daisy, the fabulously talented retriever—she climbed ladders and balanced on the top, knelt and said her little doggy prayers on command, and she even moon-walked (now, that is some talent—a disco down dog!). Here’s a little recap of the show:

Anipals had a great time over these last few weeks joining @TillmanSkates on Twitter tweeting under the #TillmanTV hashtag while watching Who Let the Dogs Out—and wanted me to thank Tillman for such a fun, pawesome event. A big thanks to @AnimalPlanet, @NaturalBalance and @Petco for their forwarding thinking—supporting animals, showcasing talented dogs, and highlighting the super talented and skilled @TillmanSkates and his friends! Both humans and anipals alike enjoyed the show. To help make sure that we get more episodes of Who Let the Dogs Out—let’s be honest, we need more shows that showcase animals, as they help bring awareness to the many benefits animals bring in to the lives of humans—stand up, be counted, put your paws in the air like you care and tweet @AnimalPlanet and say, “We want more Tillman and #WhoLetTheDogsOut!”

#ArabianPawty

#ArabianPawty On Saturday, 28 April 2012 you are invited to join hosts @SpookyShorty @PuppyNumber7 @Whskr for #ArabianPawty. As most of you know, our friend Spooky had lymphoma and he is now thankfully in remission. However he still has regular check-ups and associated required medicine—also getting him to this stage has left a large vet bill. Like many anipals out there, times are a bit tight for @SpookyShorty’s family—and they are struggling. So Spooky’s friends are hosting an “Arabian Nights”-themed #pawty. Come to #ArabianPawty and enjoy some entertainment, great food, camel rides and a tarot reader—help bolster Spooky and his mama, and have some fun #pawtying down. Make sure you RSVP here.

#LJWedding

#LJWedding Sunday, 29 April 2012. All anipals and animal lovers are invited to join @MillyMopMoo, Lola, and @JackChiDoggy for this special occasion as they are united in wedded bliss. The lovely setting of The Hillbark Hotel is the venue for this very special day. Fancy dress or your own fur is always accepted. The esteemed #Nipclub Catering Service will be providing wonderful noms, DJs and barktenders—and make sure you come to this not to miss event. If you have any questions, or just want to send your congratulations, please contact the bride or groom—also, @DanaPixie has some good info for #LJWedding. See you there, anipals!

More #pawties coming in May: #ChiliPawty 5 May 2012, #NipClub 2nd Year Anniversary 12-13 May 2012.

#Pawties and Events 17 April 2012

MattieDog — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 12:44:47 +0000

#SJIRWed

#SJIRWed *Ring-a-ding-ding* On Friday, 13 April 2012 anipals fuzzy and otherwise joined hosts @danapixie @HollieCatRocks, @LilyLuWhoT, @TigerBoyTheCat, @FreshOtis and @PuppyNumber7 to come and witness the fun and joyous gathering that definitely proved to be one of the greatest wedding events of the year. “The purrime ministerettes on planet purrth have chosen to marry,” announced the hosts, where everyone joined in this one-of-a-kind ceremony to witness @ShivaandJaya united ‘furever’ with @IndyKitty as, yup you guessed it, brides and groom—and @Rumblepurr was da head smoocher (so all the anipals had to make sure his or her lips were warmed). NipClub said they’d be catering the tasty tidbits and overseeing the music selection—but I think everyone had too good a time just waiting in line nipping the nip, sipping the sip and waiting to dance with the bride(s). Speaking of brides—both sashayed down the isle looking beautiful—I mean come on, look at @ShivaandJaya, is there any other way for them to look? I don’t think so! This wedding proved to be one of the best of the decade—pure fun, pure joy, pure love, and that, my anipals, is what it’s all about! #SJIRWed was a great time—beautiful brides, joyous groom, toots a plenty (hey, I didn’t say that, the groom did), and some tasty treats and boogying down. All-in-all, a truly fabulous, and unique, time! So, lend a paw and send a thank you to @ShivaandJaya and @IndyKitty—a threesome that is just made with joy and love on the mind!

#TillmanTV

#TillmanTV Saturday, 14 April 2012, our big Bulldog friend, Tillman (@TillmanSkates), once again held a fun #pawty and hung with us as he skated all over the U.S.A. in search of some animals big and small, with great skills! @TillmanSkates had a great time while he helped guide his television viewers, as they watched his really fun television show, Who Let the Dogs Out, in a really fun online #pawty! #TillmanTV is a great time where anipals and animal lovers gather together and join forces with some of @TillmanSkates biggest fans, @Petco and @NaturalBalance, because they believe in Tillman and all that he does to support and help promote Tillman’s television show. This week’s fun was a rocking fun time where @ShibberingC (Shibbering Cheetos) had a fun time and had some seriously silly joy. as they had a good time meeting and greeting everyone at the #pawty—and welcomed all of the anipals to @Tillmanskates #pawty! At this week’s show Tillman took us to to Sea World in San Diego to see the Pets Rule dog show, then we saw some great dolphins and watched as they performed some incredible tricks, and lastly we checked out the beautiful and massive Orcas. #TillmanTV also visited the “K9 connection”, an organization for at-risk kids who work with incredible dogs. So, come on out anipals—join in the fun, have a good time and #pawty like you never have before! So far #TillmanTV has been a riot—all the anipals are enjoying themselves and having a bully-icious time. Make sure you tune in to next week’s #TillmanTV! Check out the #TillmanTV spot here:

#GSSR

#GSSR Wowza, all of the fun anipals joined in the great online #pawty for Saturday, 14 April 2012 for the vrooomy spring street racing fun. #GSSR! As everyone knows there are few rules on a road circuit, the biggest being to just stay on track and avoid obstacles—and most of all, have a great time! Anything with four wheels qualified for the race, so every anipal joined in the fun in a truly creative, fun and joyful way. #GSSR attendees came dressed as auto racers, some joined in the fun as race team crew member; and even in some cases anipals donned fan attire or came all spiffed up as a race car official! Whatever any anipal came as, #GSSR proved to be a great, stress-free day where everyone enjoyed themselves and had a great time, and enjoyed some slinky music & tasty noms, and put their paws together (not while racing, mind you) to cheer on #Nipclub as they helped support their great charities! #GSSR was a great, fun time—where riders sped all over the place and good-natured races took place, and everyone followed the simple rules of staying on the track (most of the time) and avoided obstacles (generally speaking—I saw some dogs using the fire hydrants)! #GSSR’s fun wasn’t about who won or lost, it was in the race itself—just pure joy where anipals could blow off some smoke. All anipals enjoyed themselves and had a great time!

#TillmanTV

#TillmanTV Saturday mornings. Did you know that you can #pawty live with a television star? Well you can! Every Saturday 6-11AM Pacific Daylight Time, USA, until 21 April 2012, you can join host @TillmanSkates for his weekly Twitter #TillmanTV #pawty where he leads anipals through viewing his @AnimalPlanet’s Who Let the Dogs Out television show. Make sure you follow @TillmanSkates and join this weekly #pawty to follow his antics as he searches for a new animal to join his talented team of animals (some skateboard, others bounce on pogo sticks, and all of them have a great time). Tweet @TillmanSkates for this week’s RSVP site because you could win some cool prizes—and make sure you give @TillmanSkates a shout out!

#LJWedding

#LJWedding Sunday, 29 April 2012. All anipals and animal lovers are invited to join @MillyMopMoo Lola and @JackChiDoggy for this special occasion as they are united in wedded bliss. The lovely setting of The Hillbark Hotel is the venue for this very special day. Fancy dress or your own fur is always accepted. The esteemed #Nipclub Catering Service will be providing wonderful noms, DJs and barktenders—and make sure you come to this not to miss event. If you have any questions, or just want to send your congratulations, please contact the bride or groom—also, @DanaPixie has some good info for #LJWedding. See you there, anipals!

The Suitcase

Vanessa — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 04:50:03 +0000

My Sweet Lilly

Whenever Daddy’s suitcase appears for a business trip, my normally sweet @Lilly_The_Torti gives me the stern, suspicious look of a female prison-warden welcoming a new inmate. She then inspects the suitcase from top to bottom, trying to find the tiniest scent of my clothing. Only after she has exhausted every dirty look she can muster, it’s only without my cracking will she then be satisfied I am indeed staying home, this time.

Vacations for my family take quite a bit of planning. More than the typical booking of hotel and airline reservations, that’s easy. For my family, furry and human, planning must start months in advance. After having made the human reservations 11 months prior to our trip, I’ll call the doggy hotel at six or seven months out. Our doggy hotel fills quickly, she is the best. We speak to our cat sitters all the time, they live next door to us so they always know our schedule.

Fast forward to the weekend before we leave; this is when we buy all the cat food, litter, dog food and dog treats to keep our babies happy (hopefully) for ten days. We usually buy the kitties a new toy, umm, bribe actually, usually something big-ish. On the morning we leave and everything is packed in the car, we gather the kitties in the living room, hugs and kisses all around, then drop the new toy and RUN!

When it comes time to pack and Lilly sees my suitcase, I just quickly fess-up. First I get the nasty, “How DARE you even THINK about leaving me!” look, immediately followed by the despondent, “Pay no attention to me, I don’t matter anymore” look. To nicely top the pile of guilt she is serving, Lilly will then sleep on the floor instead of snuggling on Mommy. (That, by the way, drives me crazy!)

One of our furry kids is actually happy when we take a trip; Lucy, our Border Collie/Aussie Shepherd-mix loves going to the doggy hotel! (Shh, we don’t use the ‘ke__el’ word around here.) Lucy just loves that place; a big, six-foot-tall security fenced-yard to run around and play, lots of new furiends to meet, TV (!!), toys, treats AND they adore Lucy and spoil her rotten. We were once told by the owner’s parents that if we were ever in a situation where we needed to find a different home for Lucy, they would love to adopt her. I wasn’t offended or insulted, I thought it was very sweet, I could see how quickly they had fallen in love with her (it’s quite easy). Lucy’s even gotten to the point, when we drop her off and let her run out into the yard, she will stop and ever so briefly look back at her family as if to say, “ok, you can go already”. If we’re going to get hugs and kisses from her, get them in the car!

Although I don’t mind handing over the leash, food scoop and pooper-scooper to someone else for a while, I do miss my babies, especially Lilly. Considering Lilly and I are together almost every second of the day, being apart for ten days is like a lifetime. When we’re apart, I miss not having her sleep curled on my tummy or stretched down my legs, I miss hearing her purr each morning when she realizes I’m awake and yes, I even miss the dirty looks she gives when I’ve done something she doesn’t like. Traveling is fun, I always look forward to the next adventure but I must admit, the trip home to my babies is always the most exciting.

Old Dog Left To Die On Street Becomes Hollywood Star

PepiSmartDog — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 04:35:44 +0000

Old dog abandoned on a busy road and left to die

When you think you’re washed up and have nothing left, remember this little dog’s story. On a freezing winter’s night in Osaka, Japan, an old dog was tossed out his family’s car and dumped on the side of a busy road with nothing but his smelly cushion. Deaf and almost blind, he was confused so he curled up on his cushion and stayed there shivering in the freezing air as traffic roared past him.

People living in Osaka ride bicycles everywhere, so Zak was used to riding at night when suddenly the little dog caught his eye. Stopping, Zak scooped up the dog and his cushion, placed them in his bicycle basket and headed home, then immediately to the emergency 24 hour vet clinic.

The old dog was in terrible condition. Crippled from nails that curled under his feet, he was starving, infested with fleas, legally blind and deaf. Under the clinic lights Zak could see how many clumps of fur were missing, from severe malnutrition.

Good samaritan Zak Baney

Because he felt so bad for the little dog no one else cared about, Zak put on his sunglasses to hide his tears. Japanese culture dose not care much for elderly pets, they prefer cute puppies and kittens; there is no status in a old dog. The vet immediately hospitalized the dog, laying him on a heat pad to bring his body temperature up and attached IV drips and medications. At least the little dog was now safe in a veterinarian hospital.

Next day Zak rang all the animal shelter phone numbers in the phone book and every single one said “no”, they were not interested in old dogs. Japan is still learning to accept adopting dogs from shelters, so it is rare anyone will even look at an elderly one. Zak was getting desperate because his apartment complex had a no-pet policy and two days had now gone by.

Zak knew if he took the dog to the council animal facility within a few days the dog would be put in a gas chamber and killed. An international friend of Zak’s suggested Animal Refuge Kansai (ARK). Zak phoned them, even though he’d never heard of them.

The lady on the phone said, “Yes, we will take the dog; ARK never refuses any animal in true need of help.” ARK volunteers drove for almost two hours to meet Zak at the vets, where they collected the elderly sick dog and transported him back to ARK. Zak took more photographs of the dog, hugged him tightly and waved goodbye.

Same dog one month after being rescued and living at Animal Refuge Kansai (ARK)

One month later Zak turned up unannounced at ARK to check up on the little dog who had captured his heart. He couldn’t believe his eyes when the little dog came trotting around the corner of the office. He almost didn’t recognize him because he was no longer crippled! He could walk and run and play; still legally blind and deaf, but he was so happy. And he’d put on a lot of weight, grown fur and looked healthy.

Elizabeth Oliver, founder of ARK, followed the little dog and introduced herself to Zak. She introduced Little Zak Jr. to (big) Zak. Zak cuddled little Zak Jr. and was stunned at the transformation. Elizabeth gave Zak a guided tour of ARK, which left him amazed at the good treatment of the animals. Speaking about ARK, Zak said, “So many people walking dogs on leashes…happy and content.”

All of this had a profound affect on Zak. When he really needed an animal shelter for an elderly distressed dog, only ARK opened it’s doors to him so he wanted to do something for ARK, to say thank you.

The man that knelt down and rescued the old dog from the side of the busy road was renowned international director and cinematographer, Zak Baney, also known as Zak B. from DubTone Records. Zak B. invented a new genre of electronic dance music in 1987 Acid Breaks, which swept the world, and he has mixed music for most of the leading recording artists in the world. If you’ve danced in a nightclub since 1987, you have most likely danced to Zak B.’s music.*

Photo from Zak Baney's movie Last Message, about a lady searching for her grandfather after Japan's tsunami disaster

He was in Japan to film a movie when the earthquake and tsunami hit, causing production to be halted. Zak decided to stay on for a while, but still flies around the world shooting productions worldwide, including Hollywood. Twelve weeks after the triple disaster, Zak directed and filmed a beautiful short movie in Tohoku, the hardest hit disaster area. The name of the video-movie is Last Message – Zak Baney.

On the day Zak went back to ARK to visit the little dog, before he left ARK’s grounds he decided to make his next movie about the importance of animals in our life. This movie is already underway and when completed it will be submitted to film festivals throughout the world. The inspiration for this movie is Little Zak Jr., who reached out and touched (big) Zak’s heart. Zak’s heart was big enough to feel the little paw of desperation speak to him, and Zak responded immediately, saving this little dog’s life.

Little Zak Jr. will live out his days at ARK and if you visit, he will be there to welcome you too.

I am writing a book about Little Zak Jr. to share his thrilling story from his start in the gutter all the way to having his name in Hollywood lights. It’s the happiest ending ever! In July I am going to Japan to spend a week at ARK with Elizabeth and Little Zak Jr., as well as meet Zak himself.

*Footnote: Zak is also very humble because it was only after I stumbled onto Zak’s music career and asked him about it that he revealed the extent of his involvement in the recording industry.

*All photos provided by Zak B. and used with permission.

#Pawties and Events 10 April 2012

MattieDog — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 04:16:30 +0000

#TillmanTV & Betty White

#TillmanTV Saturday, 7 April 2012, everyone’s friend, Tillman (@TillmanSkates), held a really fabulous Twitter #pawty that guided viewers as they watched his really fun television show, Who Let the Dogs Out. Anipals and animal lovers gathered forces with @Petco and @NaturalBalance, who are helping promote Tillman’s television show, and @TillmanSkates himself to play games and talk about all of the wonderful stuff that happens on his @AnimalPlanet show. Everyone had a great time—and enjoyed participating in this week’s #TillmanSkates #pawty and watching Who Let the Dogs Out. “We have some new things in the works,” said @TillmanSkates. “We’re changing the way I give away prizes at my Twitter viewing #pawties starting this week—to make it less confusing and leave more time to talk with my pals, this should give more folks chances to win prizes, too! Just visit my blog and put yer name in the hat for the prize drawings, BE SURE to leave a comment with yer Twitter ID. I’ll use Random.org to choose winners, and announce the winners and what they’ve won on Saturday during the #pawty. You don’t have to be present to win. I’ll tweet you, and you’ll have 48 hours to reply to claim your prize!” So, visit Tillman’s blog and enter to win—oh, and don’t forget to attend next week’s #TillmanTV, 14 April 2012—me and my band, Shibbering Cheetos (@ShibberingC) will be joining in the Twitter #pawty and leading everyone in a rendition of Baha Men’s “Who Let the Dogs Out,” sing along! Now, sit back and watch a recap of this week’s #TillmanTV’s “K9 Pride” episode where @TillmanSkates meets some US Marines and their military dogs at Camp Pendleton; visits the Rancho Coastal Humane Society to learn about adopting pets; joins the Snow Ball Express in helping out a military family; and where Betty White gives Tillman a big ol’ smooch:

#ChristiePawty

#ChristiePawty Anipals joined those fun group of fuzzy buddies, better known as @OllyTed, and Olly’s brother @SpencerTeddy and little bear pal @MarshallSheldon, for a fabulous Agatha Christie-themed #pawty. On 7-8 April #pawty goers enjoyed themselves immensely and started off the fun off by enjoying some lovely tea and sandwiches at one of the many #ChristiePawty fine eateries—seems that everyone enjoyed the Miss Marple’s tea and Poirot coffee, and the lovely Teddy Victorian treats. All the anipals where having a good time, nomming and sipping, when suddenly—oh no, missing pearls! The “who done it,” was on—all the anipals, lead by @OllyTed, @SpencerTeddy and @MarshallSheldon joined forces to solve the mystery. #ChristiePawty hosts gave out hints and clues, and all the anipals worked together to try to solve the mystery—quizzes and questions and some great little tidbits of information was strewn about Twitter, with the goal of seeing which anipals could help bring the who done it, under surveillance. Everyone had a great time taking turns at solving the mystery, answering the questions, and enjoying the twists and turns—see #ChristiePawty pictures here. Some great prizes where awarded for various things—”her wer meny grayt #ChristiePawty costooms nd i luvd them all, but wun winnah @Bilbo_the_Bunny well dun bilbo (see picture here),” said host @OllyTed; dance prize went to @ShaynaCat, and solve the mystery winners included by @PhoebePurr, @Jigsaw_Bear, and @RettetKaninchen. #ChristiePawty was a fun and creative event, and we cheer on the great hosts for their keep #pawty planning—thank you, @OllyTed, @SpencerTeddy and @MarshallSheldon!

Engagement!

#NipClub Spring has sprung and love is in the air anipals, it’s time for some heart warming #pawties—and everyone enjoyed the first big engagement #pawty of the season! On 7 April anipals made their way to Hawaii, USA to #pawty with the Big Kahunas, @KingTuttiFruiti, @TheNascarKitty and the entire group of #NipClub anipals (I don’t know about all of you, but I was definitely checking out those @Meow_Girls beauties), as they hosted a truly beautiful luau engagement #pawty for Jack and Lola (@JackChiDoggy and the lovely @MillyMopMoo respectively). This engagement #pawty was so much fun, anipals donned some great tropical-themed clothing, wore flip flops on their paws, and put a little zinc on their noses (or beaks) to help keep the sunburn at bay. The lovely bride-to-be was just stunning in her teeny weeny blue bikini and the groom-to-be looked mighty fine in his color matching man-tini, this couple rocked the beach. All the anipals ”ooh’d and aww’d” at the lovely engagement ring and wished the couple great success in their lives together. Then the #pawty kicked in to high gear—@GeorgetheDuck entertained the crowd with some twirling fire tricks and then everyone enjoyed some great food, drinks and dancing. Dancing on the beach really helped to kick off @JackChiDoggy and @MillyMopMoo’s future together—while you are thinking about it, make sure to send them a congratulatory tweet to wish them well!

#TillmanTV

#SJIRWed

#SJIRWed Friday 13 April 2012 *Ring ring ring!* All anipals are invited by hosts @danapixie @HollieCatRocks @LilyLuWhoT @TigerBoyTheCat @FreshOtis @PuppyNumber7 to come and witness, what promises to be, one of the greatest wedding events of the year. “The purrime ministerettes on planet purrth have chosen to marry,” announced the hosts,”so please join us in this one-of-a-kind ceremony as @ShivaandJaya unite furever with @IndyKitty as brides and groom (yup, you read that right!)—and @Rumblepurr will be da head smoocher (so make sure you warm up your lips). NipClub will be catering the tasty tidbits and overseeing the music selection—wondering what to wear, well, don’t stress it, wear anything you like! Make sure to RSVP here.

#GSSR

#GSSR On Saturday 14 April 2PM-7PM EDT join host @SkeetertheTabby for a fun Great Street Spring Race (#GSSR) #pawty. @SkeetertheTabby wants every anipal to come on out and join in this fun-filled day of online/virtual street racing. There will be few rules on this road circuit, so the goals are to just stay on track and avoid obstacles—and of course, the most important rule of all is to have some fun. Don’t know what to drive—according to the host, anything with four wheels qualifies, so be creative if you come as a driver. You can also join us as a crew member, fan or official. Music & noms will be provided by Nipclub as we help support their great charities! RSVP here.

#Pawties and Events 3 April 2012

MattieDog — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 04:03:36 +0000

#TillmanTV

#TillmanTV Saturday 31 March 2012 our buddy Tillman (@TillmanSkates) held a wonderful Twitter #pawty to lead viewers in watching his great television show, Who Let the Dogs Out. Animal lovers, anipals, and some big name brands, like @Petco and @NaturalBalance, joined forces with @TillmanSkates to hoot and holler, laugh and enjoy his great new @AnimalPlanet show. A good time was had by all—everyone joined this week’s #TillmanSkates #pawty and watched Tillman’s television show. “We were in Las Vegas at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino and saw the world famous Popovich Comedy Pet Theatre—and learned how Gregory Popovich rescues pets from shelters and trains them to be in the comedy show,” said @TillmanSkates. It was a great time, with interactive tweets to go along with the show, and some great prizes to boot! Make sure you continue to check out #TillmanTV on Saturdays in order to get in on the fun! In the mean time—here’s a recap of the fun that ensued at this week’s Who Let the Dogs Out:

#TillmanTV

#TillmanTV Saturday mornings. Did you know that you can #pawty live with a television star? Well you can! Every Saturday 6-11AM Pacific Daylight Time, USA, until 21 April 2012, you can join host @TillmanSkates for his weekly Twitter #TillmanTV #pawty where he leads anipals through viewing his @AnimalPlanet’s Who Let the Dogs Out television show. Make sure you follow @TillmanSkates and join this weekly #pawty to follow his antics as he searches for a new animal to join his talented team of animals (some skateboard, others bounce on pogo sticks, and all of them have a great time). RSVP for this coming week’s #TillmanTV here, you could win some cool prizes—and make sure you give @TillmanSkates a shout out!

#ChristiePawty

#ChristiePawty 7-8 April 2012. Celebrate with hosts @OllyTed, @MarshallSheldon and @SpencerTeddy at their “who done it” fun Agatha Christie-themed #pawty. #ChristiePawty promises to be a spectacular time—with a clever mystery to solve that unfolds over the weekend where contestants can win prizes for correct answers, best costumes and role playing. Also, great keepsake prizes will go to the winners of the Poirot and Miss Marple quiz. So, make sure you rest up and be ready to #pawty at #ChristiePawty. Please RSVP here—questions, contact one of the #pawty hosts.

Engagement!

#NipClub Engagement Celebration 7 April 2012. @KingTuttiFruiti, @TheNascarKitty and the entire group of #NipClub anipals are getting ready to host an engagement #pawty. The lucky couple? Well, haven’t you heard—it’s @JackChiDoggy and the lovely @MillyMopMoo who will be celebrating at their special engagement pawty #NipClub event. All of the details are still being worked out—but heads up, go get your smexy on and be ready to #pawty! RSVP here.

A Special Recollection

Vanessa — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 04:03:32 +0000

A Special Furiend to All

I opened my first Twitter account when I lost my beloved cat Freeway. I named the page for myself, a human. I joined Twitter because I needed to share my heartbroken feelings for my sweet kitty. We had been together for 18 years; I thought it would help me grieve. Right away I had several followers, none of which made a single comment on my loss. I kept that page for a while, maybe a year.

About a month after Lilly adopted me she started making appearances in my Twitter timeline, commenting on her new life and new family. Soon, I realized I enjoyed writing “with” her instead of on my own so, @Lilly_The_Torti was created. It didn’t take very long for Lilly to find friends, very good friends. It was the summer of 2010.

Lilly soon met a kitty that became one of her dearest friends, @LilyLuWhoT, they were instant BFFs. Lily introduced Lilly to all of her “furiends”, the “anipals of Twitter”. This was an amazing group of critters that Lilly was meeting; she could see how they truly cared for each other and how they helped one another in tough times. She knew these were the furiends that would be there for her when she was sad or in need.

Soon after meeting Lily and many of her wonderful furiends, she introduced Lilly to another new furiend, @PetieTheCat. He was so sweet and welcoming; he spoke to Lilly like they were old furiends. Lilly knew right away Petie was a special kitty. Reading his tweets, she could see how much he cared for his furiends, sincerely concerned for everyone’s well-being.

It was not long after meeting Petie that Lilly found out that he was ill. She was so shocked. She was so sad. Petie was the one that always helped others, he was there for the fundraisers, he was the one that said “hello” and “good morning” to everyone. Lilly knew we MUST DO SOMETHING! The anipal community quickly came together to help their furiend and to show him just how much he was loved.

We stayed on our laptops, our PCs and our smart-phones all day and all night for three days. We cried, we laughed, we prayed — TOGETHER. We waited to hear any news of our furiend. That summer we came together, over and over, from all around the world to be with our furiend that we loved.

Furiends

In the two years since that weekend, we have still come together when needed, for the good times and always for the sad times. We were all so happy to witness Petie and @Pandafur’s wedding; we quickly helped one another during times of natural disaster, human sickness and anipal sickness. We can count on one another — our friends.

We now come together again, yes in sadness, but also in celebration of Petie’s life. Think about the friendship and love one cat has joined together. Friends from all over the world; we do not talk about politics, we do not accuse or argue, there is only love. We love Petie and we love each other; and most of us have never met.

Petie did that. His love did that for all of us.

Thank you Petie. *kisses cheek*

Old Cape Cod: Sandwich, MA

iamDaisyDoo — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 04:05:56 +0000

Spring has come to New England. Since my people love the beach, it was easy to talk them into taking a day to do some “research” on Sandwich, Massachusetts, the oldest town on Cape Cod. For anipals not familiar with Massachusetts, Cape Cod is a land mass shaped like the bent left arm of a human that sticks out into the Atlantic Ocean. For reference, Provincetown would be the tips of the fingers, Chatham would be the elbow and Sandwich would be at the shoulder (see Google map here). Seeing that I like sleeping on my person’s shoulder, the shoulder of the Cape was a logical place to visit!

Cape Cod Canal, view to Cape Cod Bay

After a two hour drive, the first thing I wanted to do was stretch my paws. We took a quick walk on the path along the Cape Cod Canal. The Cape Cod Canal is a man-made canal completed in 1916, which connects Cape Cod Bay to the north, with Buzzards Bay to the south. The walking/biking path span seven miles and runs on both sides of the canal. The walkway is paved and flat. A visitor center is open (in season) so your humans can see read or see a presentation about the history of the canal. It is free and open to the public.

East Sandwich Game Farm

Next we went to the East Sandwich Game Farm. Up until 1987, Massachusetts raised quail and pheasants for distribution throughout the Commonwealth. The operation ceased due to budgetary issues and in 1996, the Thornton W. Burgess Society was allowed to become stewards of the 133-pristine-acre site. This site is pawsome! I found lots of canine friends to romp with and the smells were fantastic! Cranberry bogs, open fields and wooded areas make this habitat heaven. You are sure to see tons of birds and perhaps other critters, since a variety of large and small mammals call this home. But my humans did want to pass along this warning to anyone visiting the Cape with their anipals: Be sure and check for ticks! They can be abundant (as well as dangerous) everywhere on the Cape, so take all necessary precautions, including using repellants and a “tick check” after leaving any grassy or wooded area.

Boardwalk at Town Neck Beach

My people decided it was time to hit up the beach so we drove to Town Neck Beach and walked the boardwalk. The boardwalk is built over a salt marsh, a creek and some low dunes. After Hurricane Bob destroyed the original boardwalk in 1991, the 1700 planks for this boardwalk were donated and are inscribed with the names of the donors (some are even inscribed with the names of favorite canines and felines!). Personally, I was a little freaked out on the boardwalk. I was afraid that a troll would jump out from underneath and that we would have no place to escape. My people assured me that trolls don’t like the beach (apparently they sunburn too easily), so anipals should know that the boardwalk is safe (just a little noisy). The boardwalk leads to the beach, which during the off season, is dog friendly (but has no people facilities). It’s a fun place to get some exercise, fly a kite or just put your paws up and relax. Many beaches on the Cape require you to have a resident or non-resident permit in order to park. This is strictly enforced in season. Town Neck Beach is one of those beaches. If you plan on visiting the Sandwich area, be sure to inquire about a town beach permit.

@iamDaisyDoo on the boardwalk at Town Neck Beach, Sandwich, MA

Next month I will write about some cultural points of interest in Sandwich. There is just so much to do and see it, it would be impossible to write about it all in just one article! So until next month, happy travels! And remember, if you have a favorite New England travel spot, let me know, I may just feature it here!

#Pawties and Events 27 March 2012

MattieDog — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 05:03:35 +0000

#SciFiPawty Every anipal, or space-alien anipal joined @BorisKitty on 24 March 2012, as he hosted his third annual spectacular #SciFiPawty—and Boris held nothing back, making sure that this year’s #SciFiPawty was the biggest and best(est)! All the anipals came out and donned some excellent outfits (see some the most amazing #SciFiPawty outfits here) and generally had a great time frolicking about the Twitter-verse at this out-of-the-world #pawty designed to bring joy to all and help raise awareness and funds for One By One Cat Rescue. Everyone who came out enjoyed some luscious libations and great tasty treats whipped up by @Flicka47—and shook their fuzzy (or feathery, or scaley, or well, whatever-have-you) derrieres to some rocking tunes played by some great DJs and the first Twitter-based band, Da Shibbering Cheetos (@ShibberingC). Watching the #pawty was a hoot—I sat back and took in the scene and saw anipals dressed up as Green Lantern, C3P0, tribbles, robots, monsters and flying super heros, just to name a few!

@Niqqi

#SciFiPawty was a super fun time, and all the fun included more than the eating, drinking and dancing, @BorisKitty had some great prizes lined up too. Anipals took their chance at answering various quizzes and playing for some really great prizes—I was trying to find the dog slobber sanitizer. #Pawty goers enjoyed themselves immensely and generally just had a ball helping @BorisKitty to give this year’s #SciFiPawty charity One by One Cat Rescue, Inc., Pennsylvania, USA, big shout outs. At the time of this article being written, there was over $1,300 that was generously donated to One by One Cat Rescue, Inc., through #SciFiPawty—if you weren’t able to attend the #pawty, don’t fret, you can still donate to this great organization by clicking here. “Once again we are trying to halp out all da kitties over at One by One Cat Rescue and show everyone over der how much dey iz appreciated,” said @BorisKitty. “Dey iz a small, no-kill shelter but dey sure doz do a lot for kitties in ma area. Iffen u would like to see sum of dem sweet kitties check out ma photo album from when Human2 did go up and drop of toys and treats for dem.” I talked with a lot of anipals, and they all wanted to send their thanks to thank @BorisKitty for putting together such a pawesome and fun #pawty—so, a big “thank you, Boris!”

#TillmanTV

#TillmanTV Saturday mornings. Did you know that you can #pawty live with a television star? Well you can! Every Saturday 6-11AM Pacific Daylight Time, USA, until 21 April 2012, you can join host @TillmanSkates for his weekly Twitter #TillmanTV #pawty where he leads anipals through viewing his @AnimalPlanet’s Who Let the Dogs Out television show. Make sure you follow @TillmanSkates and join this weekly #pawty to follow his antics as he searches for a new animal to join his talented team of animals (some skateboard, others bounce on pogo sticks, and all of them have a great time). RSVP for this coming week’s #TillmanTV here, you could win some cool prizes—and make sure you give @TillmanSkates a shout out!

#ChristiePawty

Engagement!

Twitter’s Next Top Model, Episode 2: EXOTIC ASIA

PepiSmartDog — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 04:03:19 +0000

@TeddyRupert on location in Cambodia, posing with his new elephant friend

On location in exotic Cambodia and Vietnam, episode two of Twitter’s Next Top Model is filled with controversy as three cats and a plush bear vie for the diamond collar prize, plus the cover of @SnuffyNorton’s Bearmani Fashion Magazine: Fauxgue.

Previously unseen contestant @TeddyRupert swept Asia by storm, using his sexy acrylic charms. Teddy posed with elephants as esteemed fashion photographer Nigel BARKr snapped shots yelling, “Work it Teddy.” But it was Teddy’s photo shoot “Spiritual Journey” that pushed the other contestants to spitting fits when he posed as a monk, with a monk.

@TeddyRupert at a Vietnamese International Bankers Convention

In his ad campaign for GQ Magazine, Teddy showed Tyson Beckford how a tailored three-piece suit should be worn. In a Vietnamese ballroom full of international bankers wearing business suits, Teddy stood tall as he put everything into his eyes, then softened them each time, just before the lens dropped, catapulting his shoulders above the bankers, as well as his competitors.

With fur flying amidst rumours of anorexia, binging and bulimia, photographer Nigel BARKr demanded gymnastical moves in each pose, requiring stamina and flexibility without messing up fur, makeup or props. Groomers were on stand-by as Mr. K reminded contestants to put one paw in front of the other, and stay fabulous as they sashayed down the fierce catwalk.

@TeddyRupert's award-winning "Spiritual journey" pose, with a Vietnamese monk

Next up was Tahni, whose emotions ran high as she gingerly waved her paws around, but never unleashing fierce claw action or photo presence. Weighed down by her chain tummy belt for dimension, she found it difficult to see past the ruffles on her catsuit used to make her furry chest look fuller.

Twenty-five pound Apple was unable to scale the elephant and then insisted on laying on his back with the bankers, while waving his paws half-heartedly, before becoming distracted by the luncheon banquet. His meticulously manicured nails weren’t enough to hold his jiggles and his wiggles in place.

Someone on set screamed “manatee silhouette,” which sent groomers running to Apple with Suck-It-In Shapewear. A full-scale cat fight broke out, resulting in Apple being squeezed into the tiniest Shapewear possible. Mercifully, he was not required to wear skinny jeans or ride a horse. As Andre Neon says: “Fashion is pain.”

Suki strikes a fierce pose for Caturday Cards

Last up was Suki, who leapt through the air like a furry Gazelle, as she danced on the elephant while changing facial expressions with every shot. Filled with grace and elegance, Suki worked the camera, living up to her nickname: Naomi Hong Kong Super Model. All Suki’s phone-throwing past has left her with fast-action paws and fierce determination to win. Her transformative edge makes her purrfect for commercial appeal, as well as couture shock.

Unfortunately, photographs of a twenty-five pound, plus-sized kitteh laying in a sun puddle didn’t meet the judging panel’s standards. Apple clearly had no idea sports abilities would be involved, and while still reeling from defeat, he screamed he should have won. *Apple gives the stink-eye face and pops open another can of tuna, in yet another emotional-eating binge.*

After his shocking setback, Apple is considering his options if he fails at Twitter’s Next Model, feeling he could still become a star as Twitter’s Biggest Loser.

Late to press: Apple was seen signing a lucrative three-month contract with Suck-It-In Shapewear. Watch for him next week, no longer looking like a manatee, but slim and trim like a furry Polo ad man-cat. Episode three features Tahni in her knockout swimsuit edition. Color blocking will never look the same. We can only pray Apple is still in his Shapewear while modelling his speedos.

Stay furry and fabulous! :=o)

How To Harness Train Your Cat

Dianda — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 19:12:02 +0000

Cats are nothing like dogs, but that doesn’t mean you can’t train them to walk on a leash. It’ll be different then walking or training a dog, but it’s definitely worth the challenge. All you need is a good dose of patience, persistence and a cat. And if you take your cat out for a walk everyday, you’ll both get in a better shape.

The Right Harness

Hiro wearing his walking Jacket. It fits him perfectly.

Before you start the training, you need to purchase a harness that is comfortable and fitting. It’s a good idea not to use a collar. Cat collars aren’t made for a leash and your cat might easily slip out. So it’s better to pull the leash from the chest, instead of the throat. A walking jacket is another alternative that works the same as a harness. If you’re about to buy a harness or a walking jacket you might want to measure your cat’s chest. You don’t want to come home with one that is too small for your cat. There are also several harnesses that you can adjust to your cat’s size, but the leash should be a lightweight leash, five to six feet is fine.

How To Start?

Take things easy and don’t stress out your cat or yourself. Let your cat get used to the harness by letting him sniff it. If you want, you can place the harness close to your cat’s sleeping place for a day so he’ll get used to it.

Suki isn't used to the harness yet, and she refuses to walk.

After that you can take the harness and put it on your cat. Give your cat a treat as soon as you put it on. He might not like it first, fall over and refuse to walk. That’s alright, he just needs to get used to it. Try to get him to walk by offering him a treat, so every time he walks, he gets a treat. I also often give rewards with strokes and sweet words (“Good boy/girl!”). Try to motivate your cat to walk. Don’t make the sessions very long at first, five to ten minutes is more than enough, and you can make those sessions longer the more your cat gets used to wearing the harness. Get the harness off your cat when you’re done training, and reward your cat with a treat again, and repeat those training sessions every day. Don’t get frustrated if your cat doesn’t want to walk. It’ll come in time.

The Leash

When your cat has got used to the harness, it’s time to put the leash on. Use the same method as you did with the harness. I leave it on for five minutes, let the cat roam around the house — but be careful it won’t get stuck on anything with the leash, and take it off afterwards. Repeat the session everyday until your cat is used to the leash. When your cat is used to it, you can walk around inside your house with your cat while holding the leash. I suggest repeating this until your cat is used to having the leash attached to the harness, and you holding it, so your cat knows how things are going when he is on the leash.

Ready To Go Outside?

For indoor cats only it could be scary to go outside all of a sudden. Strange noises, strange people and a lot of strange smells. Try to see how your cat reacts to the outside world by having him in his harness and holding the leash and opening the front door for a little bit, see how he reacts, and end the session. The next day you continue, but each day you open the door just a little bit more — remember to keep him on a leash — until he’s outside. You can also try it in your own yard first. It’s okay if your cat doesn’t want to go outside the first time, give it some time, it’s his first time ever going outside into the big wide world.

Take your time when you’re walking with your cat outside and don’t tug on the leash but let your cat lead the way. If your cat doesn’t want to come, or you want to go another way, gently pull on the leash, use treats or pick him to lead him into the right direction. If he does, give him a treat. And if there are moments that he might be scared, try to distract him with some treats.

Some tips

When Suki walks a few steps, I give her a treat.

Don’t let your cat eat anything when you’re outside walking with him.
You can take him to a park where there are no dogs allowed.
Train your cat around dinner time, when your cat is hungry.
So he’ll be even more interested in the food you’re offering him.
If something scares your cat during the training, start off from where you left.
Instead of using cat treats, you can also use small pieces of cooked chicken or kibbles.
Watch out for dogs that are large and whose owner doesn’t have them under control. That’s why it’s a better idea to go to a park where there are no dogs allowed.
Don’t let your cat on the leash and alone in your yard, he might try to escape and eventually get stuck.
Don’t pull hard on the leash, as you might scare your cat if you do.
Do not hold the leash too loose or they can run in all directions, especially when they’re scared or distracted. You don’t want your cat to run into a tree.
Take your time, you don’t need to get outside within a week.

But the most important thing is, to have fun.

Never a Dull Moment

Vanessa — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 05:25:57 +0000

In my most recent furry offerings I’ve shared with you how my boys so creatively misbehave that I think they’ve gone pro. The girls, @Lilly_The_Torti and her younger sister Gracie, can be a bit mischievous too. Gracie is kind of a small, girly version of Tiger but at about one-sixteenth the rotten. Lilly only misbehaves when she’s mad at me, the “Torti Staff” out there should understand what I mean. Yes, my kids misbehave, but they also play and get quite silly too.

One of my favorite and funniest memories of the boys is Tomas chasing Tiger down the stairs at top speed; when they reached the bottom Tiger couldn’t get the brakes to work and he slid across our floor slamming right into our TV console face first. It looked like something from a Wile E. Coyote & Road Runner cartoon.

Tomas and Tiger

Tiger and Tomas created a new game a few months back. I’m gonna guess they got the idea for this activity while watching TV with Daddy. I call this game The Rocky Balboa. Basically they keep punching each other in the eyes until they each look like they have a permanent “wink”. To make it even crazier, they usually try to make a complete set — one of them will be winking with his right eye while the other is winking with his left. So far they’ve not injured each other; our vet just shakes his head and laughs at them.

It’s taken a while, but Gracie has finally started showing us her fun and silly personality. Now, I’ve seen two cats playing where one will start kicking the other with his/her back feet, but I have never seen a single cat punch her own face with her own back feet. It usually begins while Gracie is bathing; when she starts washing her back paws they apparently get offended for some reason and start punching the fur off of her face! It’s quite hilarious and rather strange at the same time.

Gracie has also created a game — Shower Bowling! This game takes place in my bathroom, and her favorite time to play is at night (of course!) while I’m trying to sleep. Gracie (the ball) goes into my shower, jumps and tries to knock down all the bottles (the pins). I then graciously reset the pins for her the next morning. She’s pretty good, she’s already scored a few strikes.

I’ve met many kitties that like to play in water, including several of my own kids. Our little Sadie is one of those kitties. She’s always liked to play in water. The water dish never seems to stay full for very long. We once tried out a drinking fountain for the cats which was a messy disaster. It was quickly returned. Hoping to move Sadie’s water games from the drinking dish, we started leaving some water standing in the bathroom sink each night. After we all went to our rooms for bed, we would hear the loud splashing; later in the night I would find water splashed all across the walls, sometimes several feet away from the sink.

While potty-training my son he came back from the bathroom one particular time, proud of his good job. I pointed out I had not heard a flush. Before he could go back I started hearing “splash, splash, splash”. The Kid had also forgotten to put the lid down! “AAAAHHHHHHH!!!!” was what I screamed all the way to the bathroom where I found Sadie sitting on the side of the bowl, front paws down in the toilet. She wasn’t allowed on anyone’s lap for a while.

Like the title says, never a dull moment. Not a single second.

Poison Prevention Week: What To Do When You Suspect Poison

Cheshire Kitten — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 04:03:05 +0000

At the Triangle Emergency Veterinary Clinic in Durham, N.C.

No matter how much our humans learn about the poisons in our domestic environment, we still might get into something we shouldn’t. Humans need to have a plan for what to do in that case.

Humans should study the information in this article, on the Pet Poison Helpline site and on the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center website when there is no emergency. If they have at least thought about what to do, they will be less likely to panic in an emergency.

It’s a good idea to have your regular vet’s phone number and the emergency vet number saved in your cell phone and posted in a prominent place in your home. My humans always write the vet’s number on a note for our petsitter too. They can also put a pet poison hotline on speed dial, just to be safe.

The Pet Poison Helpline number is 800-213-6680. They are staffed by veterinarians all the time.

The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (also staffed by veterinarians) is 888-426-4435.

The Pet Poison Helpline charges $39 per incident for consultation and the ASPCA charges $65.

When To Call The Vet Or Helpline

If humans see evidence that a companion animal has eaten something poisonous or the pet is having symptoms of poisoning, the Pet Poison Helpline says to call the vet or the helpline IMMEDIATELY. (All of the following advice comes straight from their website.)

DON’T try home remedies because many of them don’t work and some can make the situation worse.

DO know as much as possible about the substance, plant or food the pet ingested. The vets on the phone will need answers to lots of questions before they can prescribe a course of action or antidote.

Before you try any treatment, a vet can tell you if what the dog or cat ate was really poisonous and what kind of treatment will help. It’s not always advisable to induce vomiting, so get the expert advice right away!

The Pet Poison Helpline and the ASPCA do charge a fee, but the experts will help throughout the treatment once the fee is paid. That means your human can call back as many times as necessary, and so can your vet, without having to pay more. My human called them one time and they were really helpful and they really do let you call back as many times as needed.

Symptoms that might indicate a dog or cat has been poisoned

Acting abnormally
Nausea
Vomiting (especially when bloody)
Diarrhea (especially if it includes blood)
Coughing blood
Drooling
Pale gums
Racing heart rate
Collapse
Loss of appetite
Excessive thirst or urination
No urination
Black stool

These are not all of the possible symptoms, just some of the most common. Bad breath that smells like ammonia can be a symptom of kidney failure. Turning yellow around the eyes or gums can indicate that the liver is failing.

Note the symptoms and describe them carefully to the vet or helpline on the phone.

Poison First Aid Kit

Both the ASPCA and the Pet Poison Helpline recommend that humans who live with dogs and cats keep the following items on hand in case they ever need to follow instructions from a poison helpline or the emergency vet to begin care of a poisoned companion:

Hydrogen peroxide 3% (check the expiration date regularly!)
Small measuring spoons and an oral syringe or turkey baster
Liquid hand dishwashing detergent
Rubber gloves
Triple antibiotic ointment, such as Neosporin (Pet Poison Helpline says not to use this on cats, but VetInfo says as long as the ointment doesn’t have added ingredients it’s ok)
Vitamin E oil
Diphenhydramine, such as 40 Winks or Sominex (25mg tablets) Make sure not to get a combination with other drugs. PubMed Health has a list of the brand names of products with diphenhydramine in them.
Ophthalmic saline solution
Artificial tears
Can of tuna packed in water or other yummy canned noms
Sweet electrolyte-containing beverage (make sure it doesn’t contain xylitol, but saccharrine, sucralose and aspartame don’t cause problems for dogs or cats, according to the ASPCA )
Corn syrup
Vegetable oil

I’m not sure what we would do with all of these products, and I hope I never find out.

Except the tuna. I know what to do with tuna.

Photo by Ildar Sagdejev (Specious) (Own work) [GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.

#Pawties and Events 20 March 2012

MattieDog — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 04:03:24 +0000

Buttons Getting Jiggy With It!

Well, not sure what you all were doing on St. Patrick’s Day, but I cruised around the social media world (Twitter and Facebook mostly) and found some anipals doing some seriously silly things. Then I stumbled upon this great photo that @BusyButtons mom took of her—pigs up in the air like she just don’t care! Looking at Buttons made me giggle with delight—hope you all enjoyed yourselves and hoisted a pint, or two, with friends and family, and generally had a great weekend. Since there were no official #pawties reported in by the deadline, we bring you info about these upcoming, frolicking good times:

#SciFiPawty Anipals, on 24 March 2012, it’ll be that fun time of the year where @BorisKitty holds his spectacular annual #SciFiPawty. This #pawty is a hoot, so come on out, change your avatar to an out-of-the-world one and help raise awareness and funds for One By One Cat Rescue. Come on out and join @BorisKitty and make sure to RSVP here and read the #SciFiPawty blog for more information.

#PawPawty

#PawPawty Saturday and Sunday 31 March – 1 April 2012. Join the wonderful dog known as @FrugalDougal and help him as he holds his big rumpus of a #PawPawty. As everyone knows, #PawPawty is probably the big #pawty on Twitter, and it’s where all the anipals join in the big fun—so call your human’s stylist and get your smexy on—because you are definitely going to want to be ‘all of that’ at the big event, better known as #PawPawty! Anipals everywhere will join #PawPawty and gather to have fun–#PawPawty is where all of the anipals gather together to help raise awareness for a worthy animal rescue group are given four paws up in support of animals everywhere! Don’t miss it–come on out and have some fun at this month’s big #PawPawty.

Poison Prevention Week: Know Your Poisons

Cheshire Kitten — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 04:02:20 +0000

Poison Prevention Week is 18-24 March, a good time to remind your humans to check for stuff around the house that might hurt you. We mined the Pet Poison Helpline website (@PetPoisonHelp on Twitter) to find out the basics. You can go to the site and learn more specifics.

The Pet Poison Helpline fields emergency calls from both pet guardians and veterinarians in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean. While the service charges a small fee ($39 U.S.), they have veterinary poison specialists on hand all the time. They collect a lot of information about the calls they receive that can help us figure out what to look out for in our homes. They have “Top Ten” lists of poisons they deal with in calls about both cats and dogs.

The Top Ten Dog Poisons

Chocolate
Insect bait stations
Mouse and rat poison
Fertilizers (even compost)
Xylitol-containing products (i.e., sugar-free gums and candies)
Ibuprofen (Advil® or Motrin® in brand name or generic form)
Acetaminophen (Tylenol® in brand name or generic form)
Silica gel packs
Amphetamines (such as ADD/ADHD drugs)
Household cleaners

The Top Ten Cat Poisons

Lilies
Topical flea and tick medicine designed for dogs only
Household cleaners
Mouse and rat poison
Paints and varnishes
Veterinary non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (Rimadyl®, Deramaxx®)
Glow sticks/glow jewelry
Amphetamines (such as ADD/ADHD drugs)
Acetaminophen (Tylenol® in brand name or generic form)
Ibuprofen (Advil® or Motrin® in brand name or generic form)

Store Medicines and Household Cleaners Safely

Humans need to keep their medicines safely stored in cabinets where we can’t get to them.

They also need to take particular care with household cleaning products. Although warnings to avoid using Swiffer products around dogs circulate online, the Pet Poison Helpline says there’s no evidence that Swiffer Wet Jets are harmful to dogs. In fact, most cleaners can be used safely in small amounts. The Pet Poison Helpline says to be most careful with rust removers, toilet bowl cleaners, drain cleaners and mineral deposit removers. These can cause chemical burns in both pets and humans and must be used very carefully.

Cats can be more sensitive to the harmful chemicals in household cleaners that turn the water cloudy (they contain phenols), like Lysol and Pine Sol, because we lick our feet to wash them, veterinarian An LeBarre told the Auburn Journal. My human started out to wash the kitchen floor with Mop ‘N Glo this morning — she has an enormous bottle she got at Costco — when she read this article. Now, she’s thinking about which of her petless friends might clean floors enough to use that bottle up.

Poisonous Plants

Plants can be dangerous for both cats and dogs. Some of the really dangerous plants are popular in Easter bouquets, like lilies, tulips, hyacinths and daffodils.

Ever since my human’s beloved kitty with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy went limp and listless after she chewed kalanchoe, which causes heart arrhythmia, we refer regularly to the toxic and non-toxic lists before any plant comes in the house. Out of all the thousands of plants, a few hundred of them appear on the toxic list. The ASPCA has lists for cats, dogs and horses.

Suggest that your human check out plants and flowers before bringing them in the house or planting them in the yard.

Poisons That Affect Small Mammals and Birds

Small size and fast metabolism in pets like hamsters and guinea pigs, and in the case of birds, the specifics of their respiratory system, make these companions more sensitive to household poisons.

Tobacco and tobacco smoke
Mouse and rat poison
Moldy food
Fruit seeds and pits
Aerosol cleaners, Teflon (non-stick pans) and scented candles can be particularly dangerous for birds.

Planned Parrothood has lists of safe plants and toxic plants and substances for pet birds.

Doctors Foster and Smith have a list of plants that are toxic to most small animals.

Food as Poison

In addition to the things our humans recognize as poisons, some foods can act like poisons when we companion animals eat them. Tops on the list of foods that make dogs and cats sick are:

Chocolate
Grapes and raisins
Xylitol (sugar-free gum and candy)
Fatty table scraps
Onions and garlic
Macadamia nuts
Unbaked yeast dough

If you’ve heard that tomatoes are poisonous to dogs, you heard right, but they aren’t very poisonous, and dogs will usually recover with supportive treatment.

Good Foods

Everybody wants to try the humans’ food, and some of the foods are even good for us! Some foods that are not poisonous are ok to feed both dogs and cats.

Apples
Peas
Green beans
Plain popcorn
Carrots
Sweet potatoes
Summer and winter squash
Ice chips (really nice when they are frozen chicken or beef broth)
Lettuce
Blueberries

I’ve heard a lot of dogs like peanut butter, but the Pet Poison Helpline says it can be too fatty, like meat, and cause problems in a dog’s pancreas. Bananas are ok in moderation.

We’ve only just scratched the surface of the possible poison hazards that might affect companion animals. The Pet Poison Helpline has a lot more information on their website.

Check back later this week to learn what to look for and what to do if you suspect a pet has been poisoned.

Photo by Amehare published here under a Creative Commons license, originally published on Flickr.

#Pawties and Events 13 March 2012

MattieDog — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 17:25:59 +0000

#Maskpawty

#MaskPawty Anipals eberywhere got dressed up in their Mardi Gras best and joined @SpookyShorty as he hosted #MaskPawty on 10 March 2012. #MaskPawty proved to be an extravagant Venetian Carnivale inspired costume #pawty where anipals jazzed up their avatars for fun and enjoyed music and played games for prizes. Venetian opulence, luxury and masks were definitely the order of the day #Maskpawty. Anipals everwhere love @SpookyShorty, so #MaskPawty was a big, fun event—much enjoyed by everyone.

“I am a kitty who is very grateful to a lot of anipals who gave me help when I needed chemo,” said @SpookyShorty, “and they continue to help me because I need tests done just about every month.” Anipals were so happy to come out and have some tasty treats, dance to some sweet tunes and just plain enjoy themselves in support of @SpookyShorty. “I still need expensive tests even though I am in remission,” said @SpookyShorty, “and, now I want to help others too!” #Maskpawty was a good time—@Whskr and Thomas, @PuppyNumber7, gathered with friends and decided to help raise some awareness and money for @SpookyShorty’s care, and for animals needing chemo. While chemo, and cancer treatment in general costs a lot of money, helping animals in need is never too much to ask of the anipal community.

If you weren’t able to don a mask, eat some sweet, delicious noms or dance tunes in support of stomping out cancer and supporting @SpookyShorty—don’t worry. You can still give, if you are so inclined by clicking here. And, if you want to drop @SpookyShorty some love, and wish him well on his journey—make sure you tweet him on Twitter and say, “Howdy!” Everyone wants to thank @SpookyShorty for throwing such a wonderful #pawty—I had a great time, and I know you did too, anipals!

#PawPawty

Fauxgue: Spring is in the Air, Here There and Everywhere

MattieDog — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 05:03:28 +0000

Fauxgue Spring 2012

It’s that time of the year to refresh your look, get a little facial, perhaps a mani-pedi and just generally spiff up a bit. And who better than @SnuffyNorton to help us get the inside track on becoming the best that we can be? So join me as I as I travel to Italy to join @SnuffyNorton in a little thermal spa time and as we groom up some and talk about the launch of his 2012 Spring Fauxgue magazine. For those who do not know, Fauxgue is a magazine for faux furries and features fashion and much more.

As I sink in to the warm thermal pool and apply a little mud mask to my face, I hear @SnuffyNorton entering the spa and laugh a bit as he joins me “oohing and aahing,” at the temperature of the warm bubbly salty water, and takes a sip of the cool lemony mineral water I offer him. We put on little eye masks, sink lower in to the warm water and relax as our massage therapists work the knots out of hard working (doggy and fuzzy bear) backs.

Faugue Fashionista

“Mattie,” @SnuffyNorton said as we enjoyed relaxing in the spa, “for the 2012 Spring Fauxgue we branched out into the sock monster area.” Good idea! Sock monkeys, monsters and all sock-styled creatures are fun to nom on. “No Mattie,” Snuffy said as he shook his head at me, “sock monsters are so cute and nice, and probably not appreciated as much as they should be.” Good point—I could show a bit more sock monster respect. “For the 2012 Spring/Summer Issue 5 of Fauxgue we feature Cabar Colbert on the cover,” said Snuffy. “Cabar embodies all that Fauxgue strives to be—bold, inspiring, sexy and fashion forward.” I dry my paws off a bit, and open up the newest edition of Fauxgue—@SnuffyNorton is right, I’m energized by the fun, hip cover.

“We didn’t just focus on modern fashion,” said Snuffy, “we also included some fabulous articles by some of our great writers, both old and new.” I flip through the (electronic pages) of Fauxgue and see some wonderful pieces that I can’t wait to get home and relax and read more thoroughly. Fauxgue features a free Bearmani hat design; some serious (and funny) fashion don’ts by Blund; a cool, free, downloadable @ZackRabbit coloring page; a new wine and food column by Berkeley; a cool book review piece; Miss and Mister Cyber Fluffies; some interesting classified articles and a whole lot more.

Advice You'll Love

Thelonious Sockmonkey has a great new advice column in this new Fauxgue article—read it if you’ve ever felt like hiding in a clothing hamper after eating too much of a good thing. @SnuffyNorton giggled and added, “The advice column is very clever and we hope that our readers might write to him with their problems for our next upcoming issue.” So readers, if you have a burning question, or just an itch where you probably shouldn’t have one—send Thelonious Sockmonkey your question and maybe you can get in to the Fall/Winter Fauxgue (perhaps he’ll offer to protect your identity should your question be a bit too, um, well, personal).

As we finish up in the spa and get dried off and ready for dinner, @SnuffyNorton tells me about some exciting new things that he has planned. “I have decided to take two weeks off in March just to focus on new Bearmani designs. It’ll be great—one of the main things we have been doing is personalized chef wear. Just this week our own @ZackRabbit has ordered one. You will likely see him in it in a couple of weeks!” That will be exciting to see—as everyone knows, Zack and I like to hang out and cook up some good meals—so maybe I’ll get a new chef outfit too. Ah, the talk of food is perfectly timed—as @SnuffyNorton and I finish up getting ready, *ding ding* goes the dinner bell and we scamper down the steps to the beautiful meal that Snuffy’s staff has lovingly prepared.

Fauxgue's @SnuffyNorton

I love visiting @SnuffyNorton, and I love reading Fauxgue—it’s filled with great fashion, good advice, wonderful articles penned by some fabulous, funny and talented writers. Make sure you read the new Spring Fauxgue and check out the great content, whimsicaland downloadable inserts, and enjoy the beautiful eye-candy designs. Fauxgue will inspire you to be the best little furry (or feathery, or finnery, or what-have-you) that you can be—and it will keep you warm and comfy on these cool seasonal evenings. As always, I give Fauxgue four paws up—hopefully you’ll find some time to read it cover to cover, as it is a fantastic magazine!

Remember to contact me, MattieDog, with your ideas for fun and interesting @Anipaltimes articles! You can email me at: mattiedog AT anipaltimes DOT com or tweet me at: @MattieDog on Twitter.

A Day in the Wild Life

Vanessa — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 00:40:57 +0000

Tiger looking for trouble

I love telling people how many critters live in our home because I love seeing their shocked faces. The most common response is, “how do you take care of all those animals?!” If they mean the financial aspect well, we’ve decided feeding our nine cats and dog are more important than having our faces chewed off in our sleep so, most of the time “eating out” means eating out of a paper bag that’s been passed through some type of window. On the other paw, if they mean all the emotions, the stress and the “oh-my-gosh-they’re-driving-me-crazy!” aspect well, that sometimes is not so easy.

Every day in my house there are nine food dishes to be filled (some of them twice), three (big) water bowls to be rinsed and refilled — twice, and six litter-boxes to be scooped or emptied, cleaned and refilled. Also, a dog to stand with, out in the cold, while she finds the “perfect” blade of grass to make her deposit — at least five times a day. All three humans in our house help out. Right now The Kid is filling food dishes and with the way he throws the food around, he’s not getting the pooper scooper any time soon!

A typical day in my house involves me yelling Tiger and Tomas’ names at least 52 times each. Seymour’s name I yell probably 40 times a day. (Read my last two columns for further information.) Each member of the trio has usually been sprayed with the water bottle at least twice within the first hour of the day. In that same time span those three trouble-makers have usually irritated a brother or sister at least twice — hence the spraying of the bottle.

A normal day does not pass by without some kind of unknown, loud crash in our house coming from a direction of which I am not currently located. So, off I go hunting for the broken and/or bent belongings. The crazy part is when I’ve just heard the loudest crash you can imagine I sometimes cannot find any mess at all anywhere in the house! If I do find a mess, all of the male cats will have guilty looks on their faces but not a single shred of evidence will be found as to prove the guilty party or parties. We just usually blame Tiger and Tomas and add Seymour to the charges if he’s close by.

The afternoon is fairly quiet, the furry kids will all settle down for an all too brief nap. This is usually the part of the day when I either text or if they’ve been exceptionally horrible, call Hubs to say, “Do you know what YOUR CATS have done?!”

Dinner time is such a fun time in our house. First, I listen to meowing, screaming cats and have a dog by my hip while I’m cooking. The spray bottle has become one of my standard cooking implements –- a person can listen to “back-seat-chefs” for only so long. When it’s time to eat, Hubs lures the boys (all six of them) down to his office with a morsel of food and locks them in. We started doing this when I set the rule that cats were NOT allowed to jump to the dinner table into a plate of food! I gotta set some limits you know. Not to mention, I got tired of the paws sneaking over the side of the table trying to grab food from plates AND bites of food off of perched forks! Yep, the boys crossed the line with all 24 paws!

At the end of the day I sit in bed reading or emailing (if @Lilly_The_Torti hasn’t taken my tablet) and I will listen to the boys run through the house, blasting through any object that stands in their way and I wonder what I’ll need to repair in the morning. Maybe I’ll sleep with my earplugs in tonight.

#Pawties and Events 6 March 2012

MattieDog — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 05:03:51 +0000

#PawPawty

#PawPawty This great Grand Daddy of the #pawty circuits took place on Saturday and Sunday 25-26 February 2012 and dog (or cat, fish, birdie, marsupial, or what-have-you), was it a wonderful time. Anipals respectfully gathered to help @FrugalDougal honor the memory of his grandma who, sadly, passed away on 18 January 2012. “May was taken from us all very suddenly,” said @FrugalDougal, “and she loved and cared for many pets and farm animals for all of her life, so we think it is very fitting that this month’s charity is based in Northern Ireland where she lived all her life!”

In keeping with the theme to honor “Grandma May,” anipals donned their #pawty best, got groomed and helped raise awareness and funds for The Rainbow Rehoming Centre (RRC). The RRC was first established by Helen Davies in 1997 in response to the desperate need to find homes for the hundreds of abandoned and unwanted dogs and cats that are found in the Derry and North West (UK) every year. The RRC added, “Destruction rates of healthy dogs in Northern Ireland is amongst the highest in the UK and Ireland, which is something we should not be proud of. We must recognise the need for responsible pet ownership in order to see a decrease in the destruction rates and improve animal welfare standards here in the North West and in Northern Ireland. At the Rainbow Centre we take the rehoming of our animals very responsibly by neutering all of the dogs that come through our doors. This responsible rehoming policy over the years has undoubtedly had an impact on the amount of dogs being destroyed in local pounds and will continue to have in the future.” Well, this definitely resonated with anipals and animal lovers everywhere and #PawPawty helped to celebrate the RRC’s great work.

#PawPawty was a big happy event where anipals focused all their “pawsitive” energies to help @FrugalDougal celebrate his grandma and raise the consciousness of the world by using Twitter to spread the word about the RRC. Anipals that joined in the February #PawPawty fun had some great tasty treats designed by @JavatheCat and @Flicka47 and served up by snazzy barktenders, shook their groove things to some tantalizing tunes, and enjoyed themselves as they played games for some wonderful prizes. Everyone had some great fun—and sanity was maintained (well, sort of), thanks in great part to the #PawPawty top-notch Sekurity team who helped keep the streaking and general craziness to a controlled minimum.

What? You weren’t able to make it to #PawPawty? Well, don’t fret it my pets, there is still time to donate to The Rainbow Rehoming Centre, this month’s #PawPawty charity—where your donations help transform the lives of animals just like you and me. Also, don’t forget to get your great #PawPawty memorabilia (where profits go right back to help the animals) to help kick off your year the right way. And, anipals, don’t forget to give a shout out (woof, meow, chirp or otherwise) to @FrugalDougal for all of the great work that he does to help animals all over the world!

Upcoming #Pawties and Events Remember to see the #Pawty and Events calendar to get more info on some other wonderful events. Get ready for #PetChat, #KeepFits, #NipClub, #CookinWifRabbits and #Purrs4Peace, held on the first Sunday of every month by coordinator @ConfuciusCat and weekly by other anipals (e.g. @ChloeToby) who #Purrs4Peace. Tune in to these entertaining and highly informative weekly shows where you can say “Hi!” to old friends and hopefully make new friends, too.

#MaskPawty

#MaskPawty Come join @SpookyShorty as he hosts #MaskPawty on 10 March 2012. #MaskPawty will be an extravagant Venetian Carnivale inspired costumes that anipals wear for fun while they enjoy music and play games for prizes. Venetian opulence, luxury and masks are the order of the day #Maskpawty. Be sure to join in the fun and RSVP here and read this quick #MaskPawty blog entry for details, or contact @SpookyShorty for more information.

#SciFiPawty

Wiggly Bridge, York, ME

iamDaisyDoo — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 05:03:41 +0000

The weather in New England has been mild this winter, so I thought this would be a great time to start planning my summer getaway trips! Anipals, start that diet, pull out your bathing furs and get ready to travel with me to some pawsome places to see in the North East!

Wiggly Bridge, York, ME

I’m a beach bum. So naturally, the first place I want to take you is to the coast on Maine. It’s my favorite place in the whole world! Recently, on an exploratory trip, I went to York, ME, where I bravely crossed the famous Wiggly Bridge. The Wiggly Bridge is a mini-suspension bridge built in the 1930s which crosses over a tidal flow from Barrel Mill Pond to the York River. It got its name because it literally wiggles when you walk over it (not for faint-hearted anipals that’s for sure!). When you cross the bridge you are on a peninsula called Steedman Woods with rocky beaches and a trail which is about half a mile to a mile long. It’s a nice walk and the smells are terrific!

Sayward-Wheeler House, York, ME

If your people like historic New England homes, then before you head back to your car visit the Sayward-Wheeler House which is located right across the street. There is a short walking trail here too, so if walking in Steedman Woods wasn’t enough, you can keep stretching those paws on the path here. The Sayward-Wheeler House property is managed by Historic New England whose mission is to preserve New England cultural history by saving buildings, artifacts and landscapes. Your people can tour the house in season, and find out about what life was like in York, Maine in the 1700-1800s (sorry, anipals aren’t allowed inside but you can tour the exterior where the views and smells are better anyway!)

Bob's Clam Hut, Kittery, ME

Getting hungry yet? Well by the time I finished my first travel planning trip I was starved! On my way home to Massachusetts, we stopped at my favorite seafood place in Kittery, Maine — Bob’s Clam Hut! The jumbo lobster rolls are mouthwatering (okay, they smell mouthwatering — my people won’t share!) and in summer there are always lines — but it’s worth the wait! Kittery, ME is an outlet store mecca. Kittery Trading Post is the anchor where you can buy anything from clothes and shoes to canine supplies and camping gear to kayaks and canoes. If you are staying in York, Ogunquit or Old Orchard Beach and you’re looking for a place to go on a rainy day, the Kittery outlet stores are that place.

Geez, all that planning has really made me tired! Time for me to rest up so I can be fresh for my next New England adventure! Hope you’ll join me then!

@iamDaisyDoo on the Wiggly Bridge

All photos by @iamDaisyDoo

#Pawties and Events 28 February 2012

Francy Saunders — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 05:10:26 +0000

Hi anipals, it’s @MissBusyBiz writing as “girl reporter for Mattie”. Our esteemed leader is out on the ski slopes and après ski parties with the international jetsetters at the Rock-out Lounge. We miss you, Mattie…party on…

#Pawties and Events are where anipals and humans get together for a Twitterin’ good time. In their tweets they use an introductory hashtag (#) so everyone who wants to join in the fun can easily find them by searching Twitter for #(fill in the blank) pawty or #(event name). #Pawties and Events is where you will find out about the #Pawties taking place on Twitter and where I will point you to the official The Anipal Times #Pawty & Events Calendar. Remember to check out the calendar so that you can find the dates and times to mix and mingle with anipals. Now, let’s read about some of the #pawties and events that happened by the deadline for this article (oh, and if you don’t know how to #pawty, don’t worry I got you covered—just read this).

Everyone who was anyone was watching #TillmanTV: Tillman, @TillmanSkates on Twitter, a pawesome skatingboard bulldoggy, hosted #TillmanTV to go along with his @AnimalPlanet reality television show, Who Let the Dogs Out! You gotta follow our guy Tillman as he scours the USA looking for the most talented dog in the country. The doggy with the most skills will join Tillman and his posse of dogs and dog lovers! (Catch all ten episodes and you could win a trip to Hollywood to meet Tillman) and tweet with @TillmanSkates—he’s a pawesome pooch that throws a rockin’ #pawty!

Gossip! Missy got a secret call to inform her that there are hearts and flowers in the air for @PepperPom and @Chazzthedog. The romance is in high gear and we will update you on any celebration gathering to come!

Remember to see the #Pawty and Events calendar to get more info on some other wonderful events. Get ready for #PetChat, #KeepFits, #NipClub,#CookinWifRabbits and #Purrs4Peace, held on the first Sunday of every month by coordinator @ConfuciusCat and weekly by other anipals (e.g. @ChloeToby) who #Purrs4Peace. Tune in to these entertaining and highly informative weekly shows where you can say “Hi!” to old friends and hopefully make new friends, too.

Upcoming #Pawties and Events

10 March 2012 @SpookyShorty’s Masquerade Pawty will be an extravagant Venetian Carnivale inspired costumes for fun, music and prizes. Venetian opulence, luxury and masks are the order of the day #Maskpawty you will find the info on twtup.com/maskpawty. There is even a team of Avatar Artisans who will help you dress in sumptuous garb for the evening!

24 March 2012 will be @BorisKitty ’s third annual Scifipawty coming up and it’s always a hit…everyone will change their avatar to out-of-this-world attire and raise funds for charity…there are always prizes, trivia and great food and drink. It will honor Tippy and Drizzle…come and learn more and enjoy one of the hot pawties of the year. RSVP here.

#PawPawty

#PawPawty Saturday and Sunday 31 March to 1 April 2012. Join the wonderful dog known as @FrugalDougal and help him as he hosts his big rocking #PawPawty. As you know, #PawPawty is one of the big #pawties on Twitter, so join your anipals in the big fun–get your human’s cream rinse and make sure you get all your mats out–because you’ll want your fur to be all silky smooth for the big Grand Daddy of #pawties! Join #PawPawty and meet with all your friends to have fun–because anipals that #pawty together and help raise awareness for a worthy animal rescue group are “smexy” and you know it! Don’t miss it–come on out and have some fun at this month’s big #PawPawty.

Tiger & Tomas, Part 2

Vanessa — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 05:02:43 +0000

By the end of my last story I had portrayed Tiger and Tomas as the sweetest kitties in the world. I wanted to kick myself. Yes, that’s how they started out in our family and they stayed that way for a whopping 24 hours. Please allow me to now tell you the real story…

The Boys have both developed some behavioral problems. Tiger is horribly destructive and Tomas has become one of the worst bullies I have ever witnessed. Their large body size only adds more power to their bad behavior.

Tiger whittling away my banister

From day one Tiger started scratching the post of our front stairway banister. Being made of wood, we assume he thinks it’s an indoor tree because he will also scale it like a monkey. We have tried everything; spraying him with a water bottle, creating loud sounds when he scratches and I’ve soaked it with bitter spray. I’ve tried them all, short of electrifying the banister like a cattle fence.

Tiger is also breaking an expensive lamp — piece by piece. First, he shredded the lining out of the lamp shade. Now he stands up on his back legs (because the lamp is so heavy) and pushes the lamp over. Luckily it sits on a table close to a wall and it usually just ends up leaning against the wall. However, after so many times of getting pushed over, the harp of the lamp is so bent it no longer fits properly.

This is the one that will land Tiger in the stockades if he breaks it: he jumps on our TV console, then onto our 42” widescreen TV and then jumps to the top of the tower beside the console. Although secured to the wall, the TV still sways back and forth while we are screaming and holding our breath, all at the same time. He then jumps back down to the top of the TV (which is only 3 & ½ inches deep!) and once again the TV looks like it’s going through a mild earthquake.

Until I banned Tiger and Tomas from my bedroom, at night Tiger would get a running start and jump up to my dresser and then slide across the top like he was a bowling ball and all of my picture frames and decorations were the pins. Every night ‘Catzilla’ would blast through those items then jump over to my desk and wipe out my favorite things placed on that spot. I really could go on (and on…) but I think you’ve gotten the idea.

'Baby' Tomas

Tomas’ bullying behavior didn’t start right away. In fact he was the ‘good boy’ for quite a while. We actually used to say, “Tiger, why can’t you be more like your little brother Tomas.” (We always call Tomas the ‘little brother’ or ‘baby’ because he is such a whiny baby!) Last year we started noticing Tomas picking fights with his other brothers Tiger and Seymour –- the young boys. We would also see him challenging Jack, our oldest and the alpha male. Jack is much older and doesn’t move around very well due to his arthritis so he is being challenged for the top spot.

Tomas’ behavior then progressed to playing just a little too rough with the other cats, not taking any notice to their growls or hisses announcing their anger of his play. He then turned that into attacking from behind and biting. He is especially mean to the girls. (That’s why I was so happy to see our new girl Gracie smack him silly!)

I’ve now learned Tomas’ ‘I’m-gonna-be-bad face’ so, I’ll spray him with the water bottle and/or separate him from the others before he can attack. Unfortunately, he sometimes sneaks one in when I’m not around. This is the main reason why only the girls are allowed in my bedroom –- they need refuge from the mean boys!

Okay, Tiger & Tomas are still cute and sweet –- while they’re sleeping! *hee hee*

Tillman the Bulldog: Who Let the Dogs Out

MattieDog — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 05:02:50 +0000

@TillmanSkates

Hey anipals, join me as I visit my friend Tillman (on Twitter @TillmanSkates), and we talk about his new show, Who Let the Dogs Out! Recently, I found myself lazing about in my doggy bed, when, *ring ring* my iBone started to ring, and on the other end was @TillmanSkates. Tillman, better known to everyone as the most talented skateboarding dog in the world, told me about a new opportunity he had–he was going to star in his own @AnimalPlanet television show called Who Let the Dogs Out! Well—what could I do, I ask you? I hopped in my cool car and took off to California, USA to visit my pal @TillmanSkates, and to find out how things happen on a real live television show.

I met @TillmanSkates on a bright sunny day on Ventura Boulevard, where, after barking our hellos we lathered down in doggy friendly SPF 30 and settled in on some nice lounge chairs to tan our cheeks (face that is!). “Hey Matt, Did you know bulldogs don’t get mats? BOL! We are champion shedders though!” joked Tillman. Did I mention that I love Tillman? He’s funny and casual and has a great, happy outlook on life—I’m sure that his great personality is what the studio suits saw in him, I mean other than his rocking skills. As we settle in to some chillaxing, and take turns sipping out of a water bowl, I thank @TillmanSkates for meeting me to talk about his new show—and then dive right in, asking how he got to be such a big star.

The Beginning

Tillman & Ron

“Well, I met Ron (Davis) six years ago, he was instantly my best bro. I also became best friends with his Rottweiler, Stoli. I was named after Pat Tillman, the NFL star who became a great U.S. Army Ranger,” said Tillman. “See,” he continued, “Ron and Stoli were skateboarders and I loved the boards, but couldn’t seem to get the hang of how to ride them. The shiny wheels were so cool—I just had to chew on them. The board tasted good, too!” But, after a while and some patience and training from Ron, Tillman got the hang of things. “By the time I was nine months old, I was skateboarding! It was so awesome, dude!” Thus the beginnings of the world’s most famous skateboarding bulldog. “Ron surfs too,” added @TillmanSkates. “One day he tossed this board into the water and I chased it and jumped on it t00—who knew I could skimboard? I was at the beach every week, making a spectacle of myself. I’m an adrenaline junkie and just go nuts for anything with a board! All I wanna do is skate, or surf or snowboard—BOL!”

Wow, imagine all the babes you could get with those talents! As we rolled over to tan our backsides @TillmanSkates said, like he was reading my mind, “Yep, I love attention—especially from the pretty girls. I love girls. Girl dogs, girl humans even girl cats. Especially human girls with long fingernails that are really good at scratching my ears and my, um, butt. Just sayin’, I’ll never pass up a butt scratch or belly rub!” Did you hear that, ladies? If you find yourself lucky enough to meet @TillmanSkates, give him a good old scratcheroo and you’ll have a pal forever. “Well Mattie,” said Tillman, “somehow along the way we were ‘spotted’ by some Hollywood types and it’s been a roller coaster ride ever since. I was on a TV show called The Greatest American Dog (which was a total trip), an iPhone commercial and a bunch of news shows and stuff—but the coolest thing has been having my own Rose Parade float four years in a row!”

Celebrity

Rose Bowl Float

@TillmanSkate’s sponsor for the Rose Parade, Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance Pet Foods, made the gorgeous flower floats to skateboard, snowboard, skimboard and surf on while Tillman had fun waving to his fans during the parade. “Yup, they smell fantastic,” said Tillman, “Me and my friends just have to remember not to pee on them. That’s totally frowned upon.” Well, you can’t blame Mr. Patten for that now, can you—you can’t just wizzle on a Rose Bowl float! It’s good that @TillmanSkates restrains himself a tad as he is the spokesdog for @NaturalBalance, and in that role makes numerous appearances at special events all over the USA in his ultra-cool rock star bus.

Actually, @TillmanSkate’s relationship with @NaturalBalance is how the whole @AnimalPlanet Who Let the Dogs Out! show came about. “I was hanging out at Dick Van Patten’s house with him and his family, playing tennis. Mr. Van Patten was impressed with my mad tennis skills and said I should have my own TV show. Ron got into a great conversation about the things I can do, when Dick asked if there were other dogs who could do what I can do. Ron said he’d never met a dog exactly like me, but we could try to find one—Mr. Van Patten thought that was a great idea for a TV show, and that we should go out on the road in search of the most talented dog in America. That’s how it started!”

Who Let the Dogs Out is visiting various @Petco locations, as an open casting call, around the USA in order to find one special, talented critter—it could be you, and if so, you could join @TillmanSkates and his crew of happy animals! Do you want a chance to join @Tillman and his pals—well, then e-mail your videos to k9casting AT gmail DOT com, or send your video to Who Let the Dogs Out!, c/o Hollywood Production Center, 1149 N. Gower St. Suite 281, Los Angeles, CA 90038. Don’t forget to include your name, address and telephone number—you have to tell Tillman how to get a hold of you in case you blow his socks off. Who Let the Dogs Out! is on @AnimalPlanet on Saturday’s 7AM Pacific, 10AM Eastern and 11AM Mountain time, USA.

Philanthropic Pooch

Tuesday Blog Hop

@TillmanSkates is a pawesome buddy, not only is he a television star and a talented dog—he loves paying it forward. “I have so many things going on right now. A really important part of how I spend my time though, is by helping animals in need. That’s something I really love about Natural Balance Pet Foods. Aside from getting all the free food and snacks I want, animal charities are a big part of who we are.” Tillman went on to add, “I help out with fundraising for non-profit guide dog schools across the country, help encourage adoptions and support for shelters, and I try as much as possible to help deliver food to shelter pets. I was especially proud of the fundraising campaign I helped host online with @Petco and Natural Balance. Our The Twelve Days of Tillman program helped raise a lot of money for shelter pets just by people ‘liking’ the Natural Balance Facebook page.”

You can join @TillmanSkates and make a difference in an animal’s life. “We have a thing going on right now too, for Who Let The Dogs Out!” said Tillman. “@NaturalBalance is donating a meal to a homeless pet at a shelter or rescue for every new ‘Like’ I get on Facebook—and there are coupons there and all sorts of fun stuff. I also have a blog hop on my website every Tuesday through the ten weeks of the show (18 February – 21 April) where a random blogger is chosen every week to get 30 lbs of Natural Balance pet food, a case of Tillman’s Treats—and the best part is that they get to choose a no-kill shelter or rescue to receive a donation of 1000 pounds of Natural Balance pet food!”

Watch and Win

#TillmanTV

Make sure you check out Who Let the Dogs Out! in order to get in on other giveaways too. @TillmanSkates has made things fun—watch the show and you can win stuff. Every week after watching the show, just go to the Who Let the Dogs Out! sweepstakes page and answer a show trivia question. Correct answers enter you to win a random drawing for a weekly prize package, and you are entered in the grand prize drawing. You could win free food, free Tillman Treats—and at the end of the ten week series, a grand prize winner will win one lucky a trip for two to Hollywood, CA, USA to meet @TillmanSkates. I’m making sure to watch Who Let the Dogs Out! every week so I can see Tillman in action, enter the giveaways and get a chance to come back to CA to hang out with one of the coolest dogs on the planet—and you should too!

As we get up to meet Ron back at the house for some dinner, I ask Tillman if there is anything else he’d like his readers to know about him. “I love The Petco Foundation because they help thousands of animal non-profits and rescues nationwide. Um, I weigh about 60 pounds. I love apples. I eat @NaturalBalance. I like to sleep—oh, and run on the beach and skateboard as much as pawssible. I follow Ron virtually everywhere, cuz I love him a lot. I like listening to the Beach Boys music, and love to watch TV with Rose, my bulldog sister. Wally, the little bulldog dude, is crazy for Harley Davidson’s so we watch shows with motorcycles, and we love watching sports channels with bouncing balls, and surfing. Ron’s son, my human brother, Reef, is the coolest dude in the universe and my hero! And, um, well, I don’t really have a girlfriend—but, I have my eye on a few super cute dogs at work—a Rottweiler named Zoe and a cutie mutt named Thumbelina. BOL! They both work at Natural Balance with their moms!”

Remember to contact me, @MattieDog, with your ideas for The Anipal Times articles! You can email me at: mattiedog AT anipaltimes DOT com or tweet me at: @MattieDog on Twitter.

Contact Tillman on Twitter at @TillmanSkates, check out his new Who Let the Dogs Out! television show here; and find Tillman on YouTube here, or check out this link to see more with Tillman and @NaturalBalance.

#Pawties and Events 21 February 2012

MattieDog — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 08:09:39 +0000

#TillmanTV

#TillmanTV Tillman, @TillmanSkates on Twitter, a pawesome skatingboard bulldoggy, hosted #TillmanTV on Saturday, 18 February 2012. Anipals gathered together and joined Tillman as he kicked off his new @AnimalPlanet reality television show, Who Let the Dogs Out! We all joined @TillmanSkates on sofas, loungers, cots, dog beds, you name in—we put our paws up in the air and joined in the fun of the #TillmanTV #pawty by watching, Who Let the Dogs Out! #TillmanTV was a great, fun, new style of event—anipals joining a television star to hang out, eat some snacks brought in from @NaturalBalance and watch television and tweet about it. “Everyone had a great time at the Twitter viewing the #pawty on Saturday morning,” said the television show’s pawesome star @TillmanSkates. Part of the fun of the #TillmanTV #pawty was watching Who Let the Dogs Out! and following Tillman as he scours the USA looking for the most talented dog in the country. The doggy with the most skills will join Tillman and his posse of dogs and dog lovers!

#TillmanTV was a pawesome way to spend a Saturday morning—there was a lot of fun and Tillman gave away some great prizes. You can catch all the happenings from #TillmanTV by reading Tillman’s blog. There were some great stuffed Tillmans, and his pal Rose, T-shirts, some nommie Tillman treats to munch on and bowls of water were plentiful. Some unique prizes were given away—@Tildatoo won a foam-core mounted, autographed Who Let the Dogs Out! cast poster, and @PresleywnrChmp won a spiffy Tillman skateboard (soon to be available via the @Petco Tillman shop). Can’t get enough of Tillman? Don’t worry anipals—I spent a weekend with my buddy and got a great interview coming up in a week! I’ll tell you all about Tillman (@TillmanSkates) and his great show, Who Let the Dogs Out!, introduce you to the Tillman team and basically give you and an up-close-and-personal glimpse into the life of this skateboarding super dog. In the meantime, make sure to tune in to #TillmanTV, watch Who Let the Dogs Out! (catch all ten episodes and you could win a trip to Hollywood to meet Tillman) and tweet with @TillmanSkates—he’s a pawesome pooch that throws a rockin’ #pawty!

#NipClub

#NipClub It was a great fun time—anipals of all shapes and sizes joined @KingTuttiFruiti and his group of #pawty fun-makers as they did #Nipclub downunder style! Everyone hopped into a snazzy new jet, donated by Bilby Express, and jammed with Shibbering Cheetos (@ShibberingC) who served as the inflight entertainment. Once the jet landed in the beautiful land of Australia more #pawtying took place—there were some tours available to see the vast, beautiful land; some super talented DJs played great tunes, while everyone nommed on some delicious Australian treats, including grilled Witchetty Grubs. @HollieCatRocks, the #NipClub hostess with the mostess(!), conducted some fun quiz questions and @PuppyNumber7 grilled up a tasty BBQ. Even the #NipClub bartenders outdid themselves too, making some wicked drinks—I sipped on Milo Godzilla, and man did it curl my tail (even more than it normally is curled).

#NipClub is an amazing group of critters, and they do some pretty wonderful things. This whole entire #NipClub #pawty was not only a time to allow anipals to blow off some steam, it was also designed to help bring awareness to Bilby Projects of the Wildlife Preservation Society of Australia. “In order to try and save the Bilby from extinction, there have been a number of efforts to create predator-free reserves in Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and even New South Wales, with varying degrees of success,” said @KingTuttiFruiti. “Importantly, very interesting work is being carried out by local Aboriginal communities in the Outback, close to the areas where the Bilby still exists in its traditional habitat and natural environment.” #NipClub downunder Saturday #pawty helped spread the word about these efforts. If you were unable to attend #NipClub, don’t worry–you can still donate here. #NipClub and @KingTuttiFruiti always hold a pawesome #Pawty, and this Australian-based one broke the mold!

#PawPawty

#PawPawty Saturday and Sunday 25-26 February 2012. Join the wonderful dog known as @FrugalDougal and help him as he hosts his big rocking #PawPawty. As you know, #PawPawty is one of the big #pawties on Twitter, so join your anipals in the big fun–get your human’s cream rinse and make sure you get all your mats out–because you’ll want your fur to be all silky smooth for the big Grand Daddy of #pawties! Join #PawPawty and meet with all your friends to have fun–because anipals that #pawty together and help raise awareness for a worthy animal rescue group are “smexy” and you know it! Don’t miss it–come on out and have some fun at this month’s big #PawPawty.

Together Fur-ever

Dianda — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 05:02:55 +0000

It’s not that hard to create a bond between you and your cat, but it takes time and effort. That way you’ll get to know your cat, or build up confidence in a shy, timid cat. And what is more important than to create a close relationship with your cat that will last for a lot of years?

If you get a new cat or kitty, it’s important to take things slowly. Just like we humans, cats don’t make friends immediately. You can start with introducing your scent first. You can do this by letting your cat sniff a dirty piece of clothing.

From there, you can continue with the little things to show your “future friend” that you like him. You can do this by giving him treats, buying (or making) him toys, and to pet him — if he likes that. If your kitty feels comfortable with you petting him, he will purr and eventually fall asleep. When cats are sleeping, they are the most vulnerable. So when they fall asleep when you’re around or on your lap, it means that they trust you.

Hiro, who just like many other cats, loves to sleep on the bed.

After that, you can take things a step further. Your cat might see you as a big threat because you’re tall. By lowering down to the floor, you’ll be on the same level as your cat.

Try to see the world through your cats eyes. You can also let your furry friend sleep on the bed — if he is allowed to enter the bedroom. Cats love to sleep on the bed, and during the cold winter months you can keep each other warm.

Get To Know Your Cat

It’s important to get to know your cat. Find out what he likes and dislikes, what kind of food he likes and what kind of toys. Not only get to know him personally but also physically. You can do this by brushing your cat daily — if your cat enjoys it. If not, take it easy and step by step. Find out what he likes the most and stop brushing when he looks annoyed or is sweeping his tail — a sign that he your cat doesn’t like what is going on. By brushing your cat daily, you’ll get to know your cat’s body. So you might notice in time when there are lumps or anything else that needs medical attention. You can make it your daily moment together.

Routine

Cats like routine. You can try to give him food at the same time every time and play with your cat at specific times each day. By playing, you can teach him how to hunt if it’s still a kitten. And cats love to play! It will be even more fun if you’re playing along. Playing will allow your cat to gets his exercise and his daily portion of fun! Invite him into the bathroom every morning while you are brushing your teeth, and cuddle and greet him when you come home. Or when you have harness-trained your cat, you can take a walk with him every morning.

Training

Training isn’t just a good idea because you will train your cat to get rid of behavioral problems, it will also get rid of the tension between you and your furry friend. It’s best to start early, when he’s a kitten and still learning.

Do not scold your cat when he’s doing something you don’t like. He won’t relate the scolding with his bad behavior but with you. So try to be patient!

Love Your Cat

By exposing her belly, Suki shows that she trusts us.

The most important thing is to love your cat. Spend time with your little friend, respect him and don’t disturb him when he’s taking a nap. Worm your cat, pay attention to him, and take him to the vet every year. Love your cat unconditionally. In time, you’ll grow a strong bond with him. He will trust you and love you back in his own catty way.

Beetin Th Bullys

Henry — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 05:02:14 +0000

tooday i giv al collum to serryus kwestyun wot can affekt us al

@alfielulu did arsk me

I hav a furend oo iz finkin of bein on twitta he knos I enjoys it but iz worried bout article he haz read bout “cyber bullin” can yous elp me explain the gud fings bout twitta an how to deal wiv de not so gud fings to elp reassures him.

deer alfee

fank yoo for rytin kwestyun cos it dus be in al th news jus now an syba bullyin dus be reel problum wot we shud al no bowt.

i shor yor frend wud injoy twitta a lot alfee cos ther dus be ooooj anipal kommewnitty ware we shares ower lifes an fings wot we do…we av pawtys an elp uvvas hoo dus be in need…we is ther wen frends dus be sad an we selbrayts wiv them wen fings is gud. evrrywun dus be difrunt but in away we is al th saym…we trys to mayk th werld a betta playss to be in.

that dus be th gud fings an wiv al gud fings ther dus be fings wot dusnt be so gud an syba bullyin dus be in ther. bullyin dusnt nevva evva evva be akseptubl. ther dusnt be no egskewss to be narsty or rood to or abowt sumwun els.

of cors it dus be akseptubl to av diskushuns bowt fings an wun opinyun can be difrunt to nuvva wun…but that dus be th time to agree to disgree. that dus be akseptubl for egsakly th reeezun that we dus al be difrunt.

wot dusnt be akseptubl is wen it dus get owt of and or sumwun dus be pikkd on cos they av difrunt vews bowt sumfings or beecos they torks difrunt or looks difrunt. beein difrunt is wot we is.

jenrly alfee ther dusnt be nuffing narsty on twitta but it dus appun sumtimes an it dus always be bestist not to reetallyayt but jus say…i sorry this dusnt be akseptubl to me an then jus ignor them. an aswel they can be blokkd. remba always that frends like yoo for hoo yoo is an they wud be ther for yoo if sumwun did pik on yoo an bully yoo.

we al noes werds can be ertful so my bestist advyss to evrrywun wud be…if yoo carnt fink of ennyfing nise to say then keep mowf shut so no wun can be ert by yor werds. an if ennywun reedin this dus dilibrutly choos to ert sumwun wiv ther werds it defnutly dusnt be th way to mayk an keep frends an it sertunly dusnt be big.

twitta dus be a wundaful playss alfee an i finks yor frend wud av lots of fun wiv evrrywun an mayk new frends al rownd th werld.

…strokes…strokes…

Henry

Book Review: Confessions of a Catnip Junkie

Maggie Tortie Kat — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 06:37:26 +0000

“The Confessions of a Catnip Junkie” by Allan Goldstein is the cat version of “On the Road”. The protagonist, Doo Doo the cat, a rescued feral, leaves the comforts of home for the whiff of his jones, catnip. Just as Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty made their way across America, Doo Doo finds well intentioned if not memorable characters as he travels from California to New York and back.

Two of his mates on the journey really stood out to me. Rass is a sewer cat who admires Doo Doo’s bravery and the two escape from the dark under world. The two learn from each other much in the way of Sal and Dean. The poignant meeting of a small airplane pilot and Doo Doo results in a mutual adoption, showing how much two creatures can need each other.

This a rare book that can make your belly laugh, audibly gasp OMC, and give you warm fuzzies all the way to your toes. This book was suggested by @SeabassCat as one we might like for #readpawty. I got the electronic version just to test it out. Two paragraphs and I was hooked.

“The Confessions of a Catnip Junkie” by Allan Goldstein gets four paws up and a big Maine Coon tail floof from me! You can find the printed book at Amazon or Barnes & Noble. An electronic version is only available for the Kindle. You can read Alan’s blog here.

Please join #readpawty 20 February 2012 at 8 pm ET when we will discuss this wonderful book. Hope to see you there!

(P.S. I was very worried about what sort of name Doo Doo is for a jellicle cat. Fortunately, Doo Doo explains the origin of his name — it is the song that his female human sang to him. I was much relieved.)

Post-Valentine Emotional Overload

Cheshire Kitten — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 05:02:44 +0000

Boris Kitty is not as happy about snuggling as his foster fursibs are.

Have your humans been squeezing you and hugging you and generally driving you a little crazy by their odd expressions of love and joy on Valentine’s Day? Do you wish the humans would get a grip or, at least, figure out how to demonstrate love to you in a way that feels just as good to you as it does to them?

If so, you are in good company.

Research going back to the 1970s has found that human dog guardians are not as good at understanding the emotional content of dog behavior as they think they are. A 2009 study in Australia confirmed this.

Eighty-nine humans who were taking a puppy socialization class in Melbourne participated in the project by noting whether they saw behavior associated with six emotions in dogs. Researchers asked the humans to identify happy, anxious, angry and sad dogs and to distinguish between an anxious greeting and a friendly greeting. Experienced dog owners were less likely to get the greetings right. Men were especially likely to misread the friendly and anxious greetings.

This study also suggested that humans who aren’t reading dog behavior accurately – they seem a bit complacent about their dog knowledge to me – are more likely to approach a dog who is not feeling friendly than are non-dog people. Researchers would like to shake the false confidence a bit to encourage humans to take courses where they can learn more about dogs so everyone can get along better.

Which Emotions Do Which Animals Express?

Humans aren’t able to agree that we companion animals even experience emotions. Actually, I read that back in the 1800s animal emotions were not so controversial. Charles Darwin took emotions in mammals for granted in his book The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals (1872). In the 20^th century, however, human scientists decided that the idea of emotions in animals was silly. They looked at attempts to describe our emotions as efforts to make us seem more like humans, which is called anthropomorphizing. Some grudgingly accepted that primates could have the same emotions that humans experience.

Now, the trend in research is to accept that mammals and some other animals have primary emotions – fear, interest, curiosity, affection, surprise, sadness, anxiety, anger and disgust – but save the other emotions for humans. Researchers in the UK published a study in 2008 that found that animals demonstrate behaviors that indicate that we also feel the secondary emotions of jealousy, pride, empathy, guilt, grief, shame and embarrassment.

Boris Kitty loves his humans.

Up to 100 percent of dogs, horses, cats, birds, rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, hamsters and birds demonstrate the primary emotions.

This research is based on human reports of seeing the emotions in their companion animals, so the researchers were a bit skeptical and added some procedures to account for the human error in observing our emotional behavior.

In the end, the researchers found secondary emotions most often in dogs, horses and cats. About 80 percent of dogs and horses showed jealousy. Same with horses and pride. Three-quarters of dogs showed guilt. More than half of cats also showed jealousy and pride. Guinea pigs, rats, birds, rabbits and hamsters show secondary emotions too, but not as much. The companion animals observed for this study were unlikely to feel embarrassed, which is a nice thing for them.

More and more scientists are willing to admit that it can be good science to find what pet guardians have known all along: animals are deeply emotional beings who can love as well as we can fear. In fact, some scientists, like Jaak Panksepp, a neuroscientist, say that human and mammal brains have the same basic structures for processing emotion. If the brains are built the same, why wouldn’t we process emotions the same way? That question is the basis for a lot of human science writing, such as Patricia B. McConnell’s For the Love of a Dog: Understanding Emotion in You and Your Best Friend (2007).

McConnell is a practical human, and she uses her scientific knowledge to help dogs and humans get along better. This takes me back to my opening questions. McConnell says that it’s important for humans to consider how dogs receive emotional gestures. For example, dogs love petting and massaging, but they are likely to find hugging around the shoulders and chest – a favorite human show of love – somewhat unpleasant at best. Humans love hugging and most of them can’t imagine that their dogs wouldn’t love it as well. However, the dog version of a hug is used to display social status in a group of dogs.

Humans who want to learn to recognize behaviors associated with emotions in dogs could get a lot from reading one of McConnell’s books. For example, when dogs have their mouths tight shut and their bodies are frozen stiff, they are not feeling at ease, even if they happen to wag their tails. Dogs who are feeling friendly will open their mouths at least a little and include a loose wag of their hips along with the tail wagging.

As much as humans talk and write about observing and reading their companion animals’ emotional behavior, we animals also observe and read our humans. In fact, I’ll bet most of us, and most honest animal trainers, would agree that we are better at reading humans’ emotions than humans are at reading ours.

#Pawties and Events 14 February 2012

MattieDog — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 05:02:33 +0000

@MattieDog

*Pulls out little harp and starts strumming away* Aw, sweet love—or, as I say, “lub!” You gotta love love anipals. And, on this sweet day known as Valentine’s Day, I want you to know that I love you (and you, and you, and you, too, and well, to the one out there in a little mini-skirt, I love you, too). I hope you have time to enjoy the day, have yourself a little bubble bath, accompanied by some (animal friendly) treats, and get a little mani/pedi so you can put your paws out there for some smooches from your adoring fans. Valentine’s Day! I don’t just celebrate hawt babes on this day, I give thanks for my momma and dadz, my friends and pals, and for having a blessed life. If you are reading this, then you are blessed—you have friends who love you (me!), and anipals who care (the entire anipal community). So, while there weren’t any #pawties this week, don’t fret—get your groove back on because the #pawties are coming next week! Much love to you and yours—Happy Valentine’s Day!

#TillmanTV

#TillmanTV Tillman, @TillmanSkates on Twitter, a pawesome skatingboard bulldoggy, hosts #TillmanTV on Saturday, 18 February 2012. Join Tillman as he kicks off his new reality television show” Who Let The Dogs Out!“ Tillman’s newest show premieres on Animal Planet, 18 February 10am PT/CT, 11am ET. #TillmanTV is designed to help spread the word and bring out the happy in all of us! @TillmanSkates will be live on Twitter 6am-11am PT tweeting with fans and giving out prizes. Watch TV & follow @Tillmanskates & #TillmanTV on Twitter to join the fun!

#NipClub

#NipClub Join in the fun with @KingTuttiFruiti and his group of #pawty fun-makers as they do #Nipclub downunder style! Get there early and get on the flight to Australia and join the host and his pals the Shibbering Cheetos, @ShibberingC, and dance to some great music and nom on delicious Australian treats, including grilled Witchetty Grubs, and drinks. The whole entire #pawty is to help bring awareness to Bilby Projects of the Wildlife Preservation Society of Australia. So, make sure to get there early, as this will be a rocking fun time–RSVP here, and if you have any questions, please contact @KingTuttiFruiti.

#PawPawty

#PawPawty Saturday and Sunday 25-26 February 2012. Join the wonderful dog known as @FrugalDougal and help him as he hosts his big rocking #PawPawty. As you know, #PawPawty is one of the big #pawties on Twitter, so join your anipals in the big fun–get your human’s cream rinse and make sure you get all your mats out–because you’ll want your fur to be all silky smooth for the big Grand Daddy of #pawties! Join #PawPawty and meet with all your friends to have fun–because anipals that #pawty together and help raise awareness for a worthy animal rescue group are ‘smexy’ and you know it! Don’t miss it–come on out and have some fun at this month’s big #PawPawty.

Tiger & Tomas, Part 1

Vanessa — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 05:01:42 +0000

I’ll admit the idea of shopping in PetSmart with Hubs and The Kid has made me a little apprehensive, as of late. Too many times now we have walked out of that store with some kind of living creature after I have clearly instructed my family “we will not be walking out of here with anything that is living”! So, after strict enforcement of that rule our adoption record with PetSmart stands at four rescue cats, two rats, two gerbils and six hermit crabs. I’m beginning to believe no one listens to me – not even myself.

On one particular trip for what was only meant to be supplies, we ended up adding some unplanned items to the list. As I began to shop for the necessities, Hubs and The Kid headed off to look at the rescue animals. After a few moments I saw Hubs heading back my way, the familiar strategy beginning; The Kid had found a cat that he “looooved” and wanted to take home so Daddy got the job of convincing me to agree. I walked over to see this cat that had stolen my son’s heart and I find a white cat with gray and black tabby markings. (Yeah, he was cute.) I could tell the kitty had instantly fallen in love with The Kid, they were playing as rough and tumble as a cage door between them would allow.

After grumbling for twenty minutes or so I finally gave in and agreed to adopt Tiger. While completing the paperwork I watched Tiger play with his brother Tom. They were so cute playing together and were obviously quite attached to each other but I had a difficult time with the thought of adding just one more to our already large group. I hated breaking them up but I knew Tom would have no problems getting adopted, he was a sweet and beautiful kitten.

I continued to observe Tiger playing and some of his antics were beginning to make me a bit nervous. When an employee removed Tiger’s info sheet from his cage door, he quickly climbed up and sideways on the door until he was almost hanging like a monkey from the top. At that moment I stopped writing, watched the cat jump down and begin to destroy his cage contents. I looked at my son a few feet away, so happy for his new friend and then back at the kitten and thought, “He’s so cute, he can’t be that bad”.

Tiger and his littermates were fostered in a home with several other animals so, when we brought him home that evening he jumped right into our group without fear. Our other cats did not return the enthusiasm. Tiger tried playing with his new siblings but he was pushing the meet-and-greet process way too fast and only got smacks and growls for his efforts. After watching him the following morning and remembering the way he played with his brother I began to really feel awful for separating the two brothers – they needed each other. I called Hubs and he had been thinking the exact thing – let’s go back and get Tom! I called the rescue center and they were thrilled we wanted to keep the brothers together. They said Tom was still at PetsMart and would let them know we were coming. They cut our paperwork to one form and gave us a discount on our adoption fee, both gestures greatly appreciated.

That evening we carried (a re-named) Tomas into his new home and opened the crate door to his awaiting brother. Tiger looked at his brother with an “It’s about time bro, wait ‘til you see this place!” kind of expression.

Tiger and Tomas ran off together to play, happy brothers reunited.

I believe it was that first night with the boys I felt my house cringe in horror…

Benson’s Wild Animal Farm – Reclaiming the Past

iamDaisyDoo — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:02:35 +0000

Benson's Souvenir Patch

If you grew up in Southern New Hampshire or Northern Massachusetts, chances are you’ve heard or visited Benson’s Wild Animal Farm. Started in 1922 by John T. Benson, the farm was a quarantine for animals brought into the country before being shipped off to zoos, circuses, movies and stage shows. Eventually the farm opened to the public, who, for a small fee, could come and marvel at the animals. According to mom, it was a right of passage that all school children were brought to Benson’s on field trips (she is positive her aversion to zoos and captive animals was fostered here!) In 1987, after years of decline and an attempt to re-invent itself as an amusement park, it finally closed forever.

Gorilla cage about 20' x 20'

But that’s not the end of the story, only the wonderful beginning! In 1992, the State of New Hampshire bought the property as wetlands mitigation to offset the impact of various highway projects on wetlands. The State of New Hampshire then sold the property to the Town of Hudson, with the understanding that of the 168 acres, 40 would be used for wetlands and the rest for passive recreational use. The result? A work in progress, that to this date is truly spectacular!

On May 29, 2010, the New Benson’s Park officially opened to the public. No, they have not wiped away all traces of the former history, but rather sought to preserve some of the buildings and to honor those animals that lived here.

Elephant barn and pen

By today’s standards, the cages are small and inhumane, but just like the steel from the Twin Towers that sits in the park as part of the best 9/11 Memorial in New England, we do need to remember and never forget. The gorilla cage, for example, now holds a mural of Colossus who was a 500 pound silverback gorilla who once lived there. Placards on some of the other remaining buildings remind us of the other animals who gave their lives for the amusement of humans.

So why am I telling you all about Benson’s? Because it is a great story in reclaiming property, not for strip malls or housing developments, but for wildlife, canines and humans. Filled with hiking trails, picnic areas, a fantastic children’s playground, newly planted gardens and a new chestnut tree grove this is quickly becoming a destination park. This is thanks to thousands of volunteers who have made reclaiming Benson’s their personal mission. And they aren’t done yet. Though they still have some work to do, the Hudson Dog Park at Benson’s will open sometime this year. I for one, can’t wait!

9/11 Memorial @ Benson's Park

All photos supplied by @IamDaisyDoo

#Pawties and Events 7 February 2012

MattieDog — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:02:41 +0000

#FursPawty

#FursPawty Anipals used Twitter and Fursbook to #pawty with @KittehBoi at #FursPawty on Saturday 4 February 2012 from 4PM to 5 February at 12AM Eastern, USA. What’s Fursbook you ask? Well, seems many of us “anipals” have been booted off Facebook. “Facebook doesn’t like cats or dogs,” says @KittehBoi—well, and while the social media giant offers animal-based app-pages (like dogbook, catbook and rodentbook—but no birdbook or fishbook or horsebook or, well, you get my point), it separates anipals by species and doesn’t interact like a typical Facebook site, making these options complex and doesn’t seem to promote animals as anipals. Instead of being sad, @KittehBoi in response worked to establish Fursbook for all anipals to hangout and interact—and, of course, it links with Twitter (one of anipals’ most favorite social media tools). #FursPawty celebrated the one-year anniversary of Fursbook, and anipals showed up to celebrate by shaking their groove things and nom some goodies and sip some libations. #FursPawty was a great “come as you are not”-themed pawty—just for kicks and giggles. Dogs came as cats, cats came as birds, birds came as fishes, and well, some just came as a hot mess. It was a pawesome time, and everyone had a great time—heck, I even had a fun dance session with a sweet little snail (@SuperSillySnail). @KittehBoi wanted to thank everyone for showing up to #FursPawty and helping to make it a great event—and for joining Fursbook.

#PB8's Host

#PB8 @Eccentric123 hosted #PB8 (Puppy Bowl VIII) on Sunday 5 February 2012, 3PM Eastern, USA. Anipals came out in style, some dressed in their favorite football team’s uniforms, to join in the fun online gathering of dogs, cats, birds, fish and any sort of anipal to watch the 2012 Puppy Bowl VIII together. @Eccentric123 was a great hostess, helping #pawty attendees stay current with Puppy Bowl action by providing some play-by-play tweets, and re-tweeting some of the more fun and creative #PB8 comments. Anipals had fun watching the puppies frolicking around, squealed along with the piggy pep squad, purred during the kitty halftime show and even had some fun tweeting with @MeeptheBird, the official Puppy Bowl sideline reporter. All of the puppies and kitties participating in this year’s Puppy Bowl came from animal shelters—and you can learn more about them by clicking here. Everyone, thanks to @Eccentric123 and her hosting of #PB8, had a great time interacting with their buddies, making new friends and enjoyed Puppy Bowl VIII—where everyone is a winner! In case you missed Puppy Bowl VIII, thanks to @AnimalPlanet, here’s a little recap:

#PawPawty

#PawPawty Saturday and Sunday 25-26 February 2012. Join the wonderful dog known as @FrugalDougal and help him as he hosts his big rocking #PawPawty. As you know, #PawPawty is one of the big #pawties on Twitter, so join your anipals in the big fun–get your human’s cream rinse and make sure you get all your mats out–because you’ll want your fur to be all silky smooth for the big Grand Daddy of #pawties! Join #PawPawty and meet with all your friends to have fun–because anipals that #pawty together and help raise awareness for a worthy animal rescue group are ‘smexy’ and you know it! Don’t miss it–come on out and have some fun at this month’s big #PawPawty.