Jessie, in tune with all issues related to dogs:

While my heart goes out to those of you who may have a deaf dog or have a dog that has suddenly lost his hearing, let me assure you that it’s really not that difficult living with a deaf dog. As you know, we are highly intelligent creatures and rely far more heavily on body language as opposed to mere words anyway. Face it…dogs don’t naturally understand words. We weren’t born to become talk show hosts! You humans simply think, and rightfully so, that we grasp the understanding of words quickly and when you pontificate various commands and phrases, our ears perk up and we respond appropriately.

However, did you know we are really focusing on your body language? So much miscommunication occurs between humans and their dogs in this regard. Your body language often contradicts what you are saying. For example, when you want us to come to you, you typically bend forward toward us while calling us to come. What we “read” from that is to go away. Now, when you lean away from us while simultaneously instructing us to come towards you, that is when we will heed the call. Weird, I know, but your actions speak louder than your words, so when it comes to understanding you, we’re all ears!

In actuality, your greatest challenge with a deaf dog is in understanding your own body language and how you convey certain messages to your dogs. You can apply this same concept to your hearing dogs, too! Body language…that’s where we’re fluent, babe!

Thanks to caretoadopt.org for this information.  You can also learn more at deafdogs.org.

• John Quincy Adams’ pet of choice was silkworms.
• Theodore Roosevelt ‘s Bull Terrier Pete almost caused an international scandal when he ripped the pants off the French Ambassador, Jules Jusserand.
• Woodrow Wilson’s tobacco-chewing ram Old Ike was one of the last farm animals to live at the White House. Others included Benjamin Harrison’s goat, Old Whiskers, his cow, Sukey, Taft’s cow Paulie Wayne, and Zachary Taylor’s horse, Old Whitey.
• President Warren G. Harding had an Airedale Terrier named Laddie Boy who used to sit in on cabinet meetings.
• The FDR Memorial in Washington DC includes a statue of his beloved Scottish Terrier Fala.
• Abraham Lincoln was the first president to bring a cat to the White House.
• Rutherford B. Hayes was given the first Siamese cat in the U.S. as a gift from the American Consul in Bangkok.

Bolt, Yorkie-Poo guest columnist:

I am just so grateful that my humans did this for me, as it makes me feel better and it is helpful in preventing gum disease and other diseases that could result from bacteria getting into my bloodstream from my mouth.  Plus, if this aspect of pet care is neglected, your poor pooch may have to face some serious tooth extractions. Not a road I would advise going down.  You do want to still enjoy your treats, right?

Like I said…at the risk of sounding pompous, I look amazing!  I am ready to put up my profile pictures on a dating site now!

If you’re thinking about hiring a petsitter, make time to show the sitter specifics about feeding (do you stay in feeding area when your cat is eating or do you distribute food and allow them privacy for their meal?) litterbox maintenance and play time. Give your cat a chance to interact with the sitter as much as possible to help build your cat’s level of comfort.

If your cat is prone to act less than friendly with strangers, but doesn’t aggressively pursue, advise the sitter to ignore the cat and go about their other duties. It’s been my experience that curiosity takes over and cats will come out after a visit or two to see what’s happening.

For cats that aggressively pursue strangers, owners should seriously consider boarding.

If your cat is accustomed to having people at home a lot during the day, consider leaving music or TV on to keep them company and minimize the sounds of silence.

Of course your cats prefer having you at home with them, but a little advanced planning can lessen your kitty’s stress until vacation is over.

Jessie, the famous blogging dog:

It has been established that people who own pets (and I prefer to say “people who own dogs!”) have less stress, are happier, feel better and experience fewer heart attacks than their non-pet-owning counterparts. That is something to think about!

Owning a pet is good for your heart on so many levels!  You feel calm and relaxed around your pet; you get to enjoy play time and walks with your pet (if it’s a dog!); you get plenty of love in return from your pet….the list goes on!  Need I say more?

So, this “doctor” recommends owning a pet! It does a heart good!

Jessie, the money-conscious dog:

The average insurance claim submitted by those with pet insurance for dental care is $292.00!

If there’s advanced periodontal disease, surgery or extractions can cost $1,000.00 or more, not to mention the additional pain and suffering for your dog!

Drum roll, please…..Daily brushing with dog toothpaste costs roughly $30.00 – $60.00 a year.

So, all I am suggesting here is that taking care of your pet’s teeth at home on a regular basis can save you tons of money in the long run.  You wouldn’t skip a day cleaning your teeth, would you?  Why would you risk the health of your pet?  Think about it.  Once you do the math, it should give you and your pet something to smile about!

(Thanks to costhelper.com for these great stats!)

The Spirit of Bo, here to disperse lots of love on this special day designed for just that: LOVE!

For example, we are quite fond of bringing home “love offerings” as a symbol of our adoration for you. If we drag in a dead rodent or dead bird, while understandably gross at first, we prefer to honor that prize as a token of our love for you!

If your cat tends to follow you around, congratulations! You have a fan. Now, we are a particular and fussy sort, so don’t expect us to be right on your heels like those dogs of yours. No…we do things in our own time. So while you venture off into another room, we may slowly take our time and then follow you in there, finding a comfortable spot close to you to relax.

Ever hear of “cat kisses?” Well, if not….you are in for a treat. Sometimes you may find us staring at you intently, but adoringly, and then we will squint and briefly close our eyes. Consider yourself smooched at that point! Yeah…we love ya!

When your cat rolls over on his or her stomach exposing the belly, that is less a signal for a belly rub (although that is encouraged!), and more of a sign that we trust you. We don’t assume that position for just anyone, you know!

Happy Valentine’s Day! Go hug a cat.  Okay…and a dog, too!  Geez!  Am I an equal opportunity cat blogger or what?

Thanks to petplace.com for helping me out here a bit, too!