Who doesn’t need a live cam of rescue cats? I can’t think of a single person in this world, honestly.

Per Mother Nature Network, this kitten rescue cam aims to raise awareness about animals still making their way through the school of hard knocks. The kitten rescue cam is a joint effort between Explore.org, the Cat Bless You Community, and Kitten Rescue, a Los-Angeles-based rescue organization.

Pets and happy hour. Feel-good things, both of ‘em, and lots of us love both. Like, a lot. But which do you spend more on: booze or the fur (or scaled or feathered) kid?

I’m afraid of the answer, mostly because I’m pretty sure I know what it is.

On average, Americans spent roughly $511 on their pets compared to $456 per year on alcohol, according to 2011 data from the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. Check out the story on CNN Money.

Until about a year ago, Gida (she of the acupuncture and the organic food) was fairly inexpensive. But I think my household still spends way more on booze (said the childless, 30-something, renting city dweller), in spite of that.

How does your household weigh in?

Photo: mgstanton on Flickr

One of the things I miss most about living in San Francisco is attending the monthly San Francisco Chihuahua Meetups. I miss having a fun, safe place for my dogs to socialize with other small dogs and for me to swoon over all the cuties. I even adopted a second dog thanks to the Meetup. I’ve had a hard time finding a similar group where I live now but maybe with Where My Dogs At, a new social networking app for dog lovers and dogs themselves I’ll find a new place to hang with my small pups.

The free app is for dog lovers looking for local dog friendly places to go and people to meet. Users check-in to places by “marking their territory” (side note: my Happy will LOVE this app; he’ll mark anything) and rate them. Other features include creating profiles for dog owners and their dogs, sharing photos, posting real time status updates. Pet friendly businesses and services are encouraged to set up their own profiles too. It seems like a fun way to connect with other dog lovers and perhaps find a playmate or two for your dog. I know that in my experience, I am way more social when I’m out in public with my dogs and I love getting tips from fellow pet owners on places to see and go. The app is available nationwide but most current users are in the Los Angeles area. Learn more and download Where My Dogs At.

via Los Angeles Times

Remember when pet shaming took over the world, and we outed our fur friends for their bad behavior? As an aside, can you imagine what would happen if they could do it to us? Nothing good could come of this; nothing.

As a cousin to that idea, we now have some pet confessions, via Huffington Post, that aren’t necessarily shameful. My favorite is the basset hound that states, “Inside, I am rampant with emotion.” This is PostSecret for pets, right?

What are your pets’ secrets? I wonder if my Boston’s is “I wish we’d just move to Boston already, these California people are so weather wimpy”?

Photo: Albumen on Flickr

Wiley, posing near some sunflowers. Deep thought: Why do cats always look so sad?

I know how important it is that my dog’s maintain healthy teeth and gums. I also know how expensive it is to have your pet’s chompers professionally cleaned. But mostly I know how challenging it is to brush my dog’s teeth. For a period of time, I got into a good routine of brushing Happy’s teeth every other day. It requires two people — otherwise it’s impossible — with one person swaddling him in a blanket and holding him and the other person doing the brushing. Then, I adopted a second dog who tolerated tooth brushing even worse than Happy. I started to give up and only brushed when their breath got really stinky. Bad dog owner, I know! Recently though I decided to give dental wipes a try and they’ve been a lifesaver.

I went with John Paul Tooth and Gum Wipes because they had the best reviews on Wag.com. With the first use, I noticed a huge difference. My dogs still don’t enjoy it but I’ve found they’ll tolerate my hands + a dental wipe massaging their teeth and gums WAY better than they do a toothbrush. Having a closer reach gives me more control over them and I can use one hand to hold my dog and the other to wipe their teeth and gums. With a toothbrush, I needed one hand to open their mouth and the other to brush so it was an impossible task to do by myself. When I used the wipes the first few times, I could literally see stuff coming off onto the wipe. Yuck! Now that I’ve been using the wipes for several weeks, there is less discoloration on the wipe when I finish but that’s because their teeth are getting cleaner. Their breath is also much fresher and more pleasant.

I’m very happy with my switch from toothbrush to wipes and my dogs are too. As with any oral care, it’s best to take it slow to learn what your pet will or won’t tolerate and always reward your pet with a special treat.