NEW BRAUNFELS — Sometimes a total spa package is just what one needs.
A special oatmeal exfoliating shampoo. Deep conditioner. Perfume. A beautiful shade of nail polish. Teeth brushed and a nail grind.
Teeth brushed and a nail grind?
Nowadays, even dogs have their day at special animal spas. Groomers at PetSmart, in the Town Center at Creekside shopping center say pooches seem to know it.
“We have one Chihuahua that comes in and automatically hands us her paws to have her nails painted,” pet groomer Alma Navarro said.
Just how far owners will go to have their pets pampered runs the gamut, Navarro said.
“Nail grinds are really popular,” she said. “Because owners have wooden floors or furniture that they don’t want scratched.”
The full treatment is called the “Top Dog” package, grooming manager Nikki DeFore said.
DeFore said PetSmart also offers a full line of fashion accessories aimed toward ‘Man’s Best Friend.’ Owners can choose bows, bandannas, jackets, T-shirts, dresses and sweaters for their dogs. Lifejackets, paw protectors, raincoats and backpacks are also included on the menu.
“We also carry the Barbie line,” DeFore said, pointing to an “I’m all about the Sparkle” dress. “And we have matching tutu and bow sets.”
Navarro said that owner will sometimes request bows for certain football games or teams, or for the owner’s personal preferences.
“We have one client who really likes purple, so her dog always gets purple bows,” she said.
To reach PetSmart, call (830) 620-7738.
Personal pet stylist Patti Fowler said the newest grooming trend is “going green.”
“It’s better for the dogs to use the natural products, and it’s better for the people using the products,” Fowler said. “It’s aromatherapy.”
Fowler makes her own bows for dogs. She also takes requests for “creative grooming,” which includes the use of gels, airbrushing and stencils to create unique looks on dogs.
“Creative grooming is different. It is a little more fun. You mainly see it around the holidays or for show dogs,” Fowler said. “I have gotten requests to create green dogs on holidays, such as St. Patrick’s Day.”
Fowler said creative grooming includes unique hair-trimming styles, such as mohawks, and stencils to create patterns, such as heart or stars.
“Some people groom their dogs to look like lions or fish. And some people dress up like their dogs,” Fowler said.
One has to wonder if Fowler has ever seen a dog walking around with a bad haircut.
“Oh yes,” Fowler said. “I was recently in the town of (she whispers the name), and you should have seen the haircuts there. There were some really bad (dog) haircuts.
“I thought, ‘Who was your groomer?’”
For cats
Fowler’s niece, Carolyn Usrey, operates Carolyn’s Mobile Cat Grooming business.
Usrey said more and more owners are realizing their cats need grooming — not so much for pampering, but out of necessity.
“I come from a vet-tech background,” Usrey said. “I shave and bathe the cats, and trim toenails. In the last month, I have referred several cats to a veterinarian.”
Usrey said when an owner asks why their cat is so angry all of the time, she said the reason might not be because they have a moody cat.
“The cat might have a skin disease,” Usrey said, adding that even matted hair can be uncomfortable for felines.
“Their skin is like tissue paper. When a cat’s hair gets matted, it is like pulling the skin in 100 different directions,” Usrey said.
Usrey said her mobile cat grooming business has worked out well for her.
“It puts less stress on the cats, and I don’t have to stay in an office,” she said.
To reach Carolyn’s Mobile Cat Grooming Business, call (817) 217-7292. She also has a Facebook page.
copy; 2012 Herald-Zeitung Online. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
As an occupational therapist providing rehabilitation in the home, I am often privy to the various daily living concerns of my patients. One distressing concern that accompanies a person when they are getting sicker is the fear that their pet may outlive them. While there might be a family member or friend willing to care for the pet, thats a commitment not to be taken lightly. Aside from the cost of maintaining a pet, there is the daily care involved. The pet owner, for a number of reasons, may not have someone they can depend on to take on this huge commitment.
Planning ahead in case you become sick, have an accident or die is the best way to ensure your wishes for your pet will be carried out. The Humane Society of the United States recommends choosing two people who will serve as temporary caregivers, should an emergency arise. They should have easy access to your home, written instructions on feeding and care, the name and address of your veterinarian, and be knowledgeable about the permanent plan for the pets. Neighbors, friends and relatives should know who the emergency caregivers are.
Notes the Humane Society: Because pets need care daily and will need immediate attention should you die or become incapacitated, the importance of making these informal arrangements for temporary caregiving cannot be overemphasized.
There are formal options for people who want to ensure that their pets are cared for in the manner to which they have been accustomed. Some people specify plans for their animals in their wills, but it should be understood that such provisions only take effect upon death and may take days or weeks to be carried out, depending on when the will is read. A power of attorney, which authorizes someone to conduct some or all of your affairs for you while you are alive, may include the care of your pets, should you become incapacitated.
A pet trust is a legal document that designates a trustee who will hold funds in trust to pay the caregiver for all of the needs of the pet. Unlike a will, a trust can provide for your pet any time you become unable to do so. The ASPCA suggests setting up the trust with a lawyer who specializes in estate planning, as various states have differing laws. New York pet trusts cover the pet for its whole life, but some other states only go to 21 years, which may be of concern for horses or parrots or other animals with long lifespans.
Directions left in the pet trust should be very specific. For example; exact brand of food, quantity and how often pet should be fed; its daily activity habits; health issues and anything else you think will maintain consistency in its quality of life.
Moms Rx is to plan for our pets just in case:
Stay in touch with your designated caregivers, in case their situation changes over time and they can no longer be the guardian.
Choose at least one alternate caregiver.
When creating a trust, you will have to identify the pet to prevent fraud. Have labeled photos and consider microchip identifications.
Choose a beneficiary to receive any remaining funds that were not used by the pet trust.
This column should not be substituted for medical advice. Follow Lynda on Twitter @LyndaShrager or contact her at Lshrager@otherwisehealthy.com.
America is a nation that loves its pets, and its impossible to put a value on the pleasure that our furry, feathery, or even scaly friends provide.
However, on the negative side of the ledger, there are some health costs that often go overlooked but which can sometimes have serious or even deadly consequences.
Weve all become accustomed in recent times to fears over swine flu and bird flu, but the health risks posed by animals dont need to include the word pandemic in order to be worthy of our awareness and diligence in minimizing.
Neither do the animals need to be mighty of claw or fangs, as well see as we run through five of the most common health threats posed by household pets.
Up first, this pet could leave you Itchy And Scratchy …
Eczema
In the world of The Simpsons, Itchy and Scratchy are a cartoon mouse and a cartoon cat, and the mouse goes around inflicting pain on the cat.
In many households, however, it may be cats that pass on the pain by causing an allergic reaction to those who suffer from skin conditions.
Of course, the exposure to animal fur (whether cat or other animal) isnt the cause of eczema. It just happens to be one irritant that may trigger an outbreak of eczema, and there are many other irritants that exacerbate the condition, such as house dust and pollen.
Therefore, before banning Fluffy or Fido from the house, its worth asking for patch testing to determine which allergens are the specific trigger for your eczema or your kids.
Ever wonder when a worm isnt really a worm?
Ringworm
Dogs may be mans best friend, with cats not far behind, but both are frequently responsible for instances where humans develop ringworm. Despite its name, ringworm is a fungal infection rather than being caused by any worm.
Ringworm is an example of a zoonotic disease, one that can be transmitted from animals to humans. Infection can be transmitted either through contact with a ringworm-infected pet or with its bedding or other items that it has been in contact with.
Circular bare patches on the pets skin may signify the presence of ringworm, although, frustratingly, an animal can sometimes play host to the condition without displaying any telltale signs.
Ringworm leads to itchy discomfort, but the good news is that it is easily treatable with topical agents and should be eradicated within a couple of weeks.
Take a deep breath before you read about our next health risk …
Asthma
Just as exposure to animal fur can inflame eczema, it can also add to asthma problems.
Asthma is a common respiratory condition that is normally treated effectively through the use of inhalers. However, the condition can escalate into a full asthma attack, which is very dangerous and can be fatal.
There is a high linkage between people suffering from asthma and eczema and being allergic to animal hair and saliva. While cats and dogs are the most common culprits, asthma sufferers may suffer an allergic reaction to a wide range of animals, including mice, rats, rabbits, and horses.
Regular vacuuming, avoiding excessive skin to fur contact, and choosing animals species that arent heavy molters may minimize the effects.
More Images » Too many dogs, too many cats: in 2010, about 36 per cent of animals entering shelters in Canada were euthanized.Photograph by: NATASHA FILLION, MONTREAL GAZETTE
Sterilization, sterilization, sterilization. It is as important to solving the problem of pet overpopulation as location is to property value.
According to the Humane Society of the United States, 3 million to 4 million animals are euthanized in U.S. shelters each year. Statistics compiled by the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies show that in 2010 approximately 36 per cent of animals entering shelters in this country are euthanized. These are astounding numbers, and they do not even take into account the animals that are simply abandoned and never end up in shelters.
Another interesting statistic is the ratio of dog births to human births. In the U.S., it is reported to be seven to one. This means that in 2009, when there were just over 4 million human births in the U.S., nearly 30 million dogs were born. That’s nearly one every second, which means that in order for all those puppies to find a home, one would have to be bought or adopted every single second. And that’s only dogs; imagine if we added cats to these figures. A pair of fertile cats has the reproductive capacity to have approximately 2,000 descendants within just four years; by seven years, the number is well over 350,000.
There just aren’t enough homes for all these animals. And the efforts of shelters and rescue groups are going to be completely futile as long as we do not curb the birthrate of our domestic animals.
Reckless or accidental breeding of pets is the major cause of this overpopulation crisis, though the stray population and breeding facilities contribute as well.
In addition to sterilization being crucial to population control, studies have shown that sterilized animals tend to live longer, and that certain health issues can either be reduced or completely eliminated with sterilization. It is estimated that sterilized dogs live one to three years longer, while sterilized cats survive three to five years longer than their fertile counterparts. Cancer of the reproductive organs is no longer an issue, the risk of pyometra (a very serious infection of the uterus) is completely eliminated, and mammary-gland cancer is significantly decreased in female dogs by sterilizing prior to their first heat.
Animals are also less likely to run off and roam in search of mates, and then to fight and contract serious diseases as a consequence. One survey even showed that 85 per cent of dogs hit by cars were unsterilized.
Some veterinarians have expressed concern that pediatric sterilization of animals may cause other health issues, such as growth-rate abnormalities, increases in other types of cancers and hypothyroidism. But no concrete studies have yet supported the idea of waiting until the animal is six months of age to spay or neuter. It’s been quite the opposite: the studies that have been conducted have been very favourable to sterilizing between eight and 16 weeks of age. The American and Canadian Veterinary Medical Associations both approve of pediatric spaying and neutering as a means to correct the overpopulation problem.
Veterinarians and animal advocates have been promoting sterilization for many decades, but there is just not enough compliance. Although shelters ask new adoptive families to sign contracts agreeing to have the adopted animals sterilized, these contracts can rarely, if ever, be enforced, and many adopters just don’t do it, or only have the procedure performed after their pet has had a litter.
Municipalities must adopt laws to enforce spaying and neutering of domestic animals, and pet owners who do not comply should be fined. Such a strategy has been adopted in Calgary, and it has been a huge success in controlling the animal population.
Many families let their pets have a litter so their children can experience the miracle of birth, but there are too many healthy homeless animals being euthanized in shelters to condone this. There is also at present an increase in the number of families breeding their pets, dogs especially, for extra income. They seem oblivious to their contribution to the pet-overpopulation problem. Municipal regulations enforcing spaying and neutering at an early age could help curtail these trends.
Breeders, who account for 15 to 20 per cent of pet sales, are presently not required to have permits. They should be regulated and inspected, and limits should be imposed on the number of breeding females one facility can have and on the number of animals that can live in a given space. This would have an impact on puppy mills as well, and would be a much more effective measure than trying to ban the sale of animals in pet stores. Such a ban has absolutely no effect on the birthrate of animals; it only displaces the problem. Breeders and puppy mills find other ways to sell the animals, the Internet being the No. 1 avenue.
More public awareness is needed. Too many people do not know about the pet-overpopulation issue and the consequences of not sterilizing their pets. It would be ideal to sensitize children by adopting programs in schools to teach them about responsible pet ownership; this could even be extended to teach them about basic pet care, and consequently responsibility toward people and society as well.Christina Nosottiis a veterinarian who has worked with the Montreal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and does house calls in the West Island. Her blog is vetissues-cnosotti.blogspot.com.
There is a good chance that you will fill out an N.C.A.A. basketball tournament bracket for an office pool sometime in the next three days. There is an even better chance that you spent the last four months focused on your family and career, not glued to ESPN. Therefore, you have only a passing familiarity with most of the teams in the tournament, and your bracket selections are just a series of guesses.
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Michael Kidd-Gilchrist of top-ranked Kentucky, a No. 1 seed and an obvious favorite.
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Brandon Wheeless and 15th-seeded Norfolk State are as good an underdog as any.
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Jerry Tarkanian has not chewed a hand towel as the coach at U.N.L.V. for 20 years.
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A closer look at Brady Heslip and Baylor shows a team with an impressive R.P.I. ranking.
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You would be coldhearted to pick against a team with a mascot like the venerable Brutus Buckeye.
Those guesses say little about your basketball acumen but speak volumes about your personality. A tournament bracket can reveal more about a person’s character than handwriting analysis, or even phrenology. Read these five classic bracket archetypes and select the one that best fits your tournament strategy. Then, discover what your bracket tells the world about you. Warning: this system is so accurate that it can feel as if we opened a window to your very soul, so make sure you are seated comfortably.
The Favorites Bracket
You select favorites to win nearly every game. First seeds beat 16th seeds, fifth seeds beat 12th seeds, and if you dare pick a ninth seed to “shake things up” against an eighth, you make sure that the hierarchy is reaffirmed in the next round. You have Kentucky beating Syracuse in the final, and you view anyone who does not with suspicion.
WHAT IT SAYS ABOUT YOU You feel that societal order must be preserved at all costs, and that disagreeing with the wisdom of the selection committee is the first step toward anarchy. Upsets are for hippies. Rooting for underdogs is subversive. When Bucknell beat Kansas in 2005, you spent two weeks cowering in your fallout shelter eating Meals Ready-to-Eat. You do not have time to focus on a silly tournament, anyway: you have orphanages to foreclose upon and tie tacks to polish. You participate in the office pool only so your subordinates will think you are “one of the gang,” and the plebes totally fall for it. Your children attend military academies. Your pets attend K-9 academies. Your spouse attends support groups.
The Underdogs Bracket
You love a good upset and see no reason Norfolk State cannot make the Round of 16 this year. While your bracket includes a few nods to common sense, you find yourself scribbling South Dakota State far more often than anyone not living in South Dakota should.
WHAT IT SAYS ABOUT YOU You truly believe that one person can change the world, but you cannot comprehend that Roy Williams or Thomas Robinson is probably that person. You are an incurable optimist, though several pharmaceutical companies are working on it. You applaud at the end of children’s movies, even when you are watching at home on DVD without children present. Your bracket strategy is also your investment strategy, which is why you are wearing a sweater with holes in it, and in the unlikely event that Davidson wins the championship, you will use the winnings to help pay off that mortgage you took out in 2007.
The Out-of-Date Bracket
You overrate teams that were powerhouses about 20 years ago. You have Michigan going all the way. Nevada-Las Vegas is in your final four. What: Loyola Marymount did not make the tourney this year? What gives?
WHAT IT SAYS ABOUT YOU Back in the early 1990s, you were single and had leisure time and disposable income to spare, so you spent winter evenings at the local tavern, hoisting beers and thrilling to the exploits of Bobby Hurley and Lionel Simmons. But now you have a family and a serious career, leaving you with little time for college basketball, but you cannot bring yourself to admit that your carefree weekends with Jerry Tarkanian ended decades ago. Don’t worry, friend. Grab a flannel shirt, pop the Spin Doctors into your CD player, and get ready for Georgetown and Indiana to make big runs. Your loved ones will break the news gently that you are actually watching ESPN Classic.
The Expert Bracket
You combine favorites with underdogs that you carefully selected based upon their strength of schedule, assist-to-turnover ratio and the expert opinions of the other message board posters at UnhealthyHoopsObsession.com. Your bracket is the product of 36 hours of painstaking research; you took breaks only to rank players 300 through 770 for your nine fantasy baseball drafts.
WHAT IT SAYS ABOUT YOU Data are your friends, perhaps your only friends. You understand that the purpose of a tournament pool is not to add zest to your basketball-watching experience or promote water cooler bonding, but to gain the 0.07 percent advantage over your co-workers that comes from turning a small diversion into a life-consuming chore. You believe co-workers admire your ability to steer all break-room conversations away from movies, family and life’s pleasures and toward Baylor’s R.P.I. rating. All the effort was worthwhile, however, when you finished tied for sixth in the pool in 2003, winning $56 and gloating for two days before beginning your research for the next year’s pool.
The Nickname Bracket
You pick the team with the coolest nickname to win every game. Wildcats are cooler than Cavaliers, Blue Devils are tougher than Bears, and while Badgers are fierce, the Wisconsin Honey Badgers would win not only the tournament, but a Super Bowl and Wimbledon as well if they existed. When nicknames of indeterminate coolness face off, like Zips versus Shockers, you just flip a coin.
WHAT IT SAYS ABOUT YOU There are two possibilities. The first is that you are female and attractive. In this situation, your male colleagues find your strategy cute. They also find your sneezing, blinking and existing cute, so do not put too much stock in the intrinsic cuteness of your bracket strategy. The second is that you are an ironic hipster who does not fill out a bracket so much as “fill out a bracket.” The fact that you are too urbane to take the pool seriously is only slightly undercut by your knowledge that Vermont’s nickname is the Catamounts.
In either case, when you inevitably win the pool with this strategy, you are obligated to announce that you watched no basketball at all during the tournament, cannot imagine what everyone got so worked up about, and think that sports are overemphasized by society. Then, you must use your winnings to buy a Jeremy Lin jersey. Whether you are ever invited to another office social event depends upon which of the two categories you belong to.
YOU have booked your next family vacation, packed your bags and made all the necessary arrangements.
Except for one – who will watch your pet?
There are limited options for many holidaying pet owners when the time comes to arrange care for their animals.
The choices are normally between asking a friend or relative or dropping the pet off at a nearby kennel or cattery.
But now there is a third option called pet sitting, a unique service that is growing in popularity among pet owners in south-west Brisbane.
Pet sitting is the act of caring for a pet in its own home while the owner is absent or unable to attend to their pet#39;s needs.
Springfield#39;s Michelle Shore of SEQ Pet and House Minding has been taking care of residents#39; furry family members for the past four months.
The mother of four said the main advantage of pet sitting was that pets were able to stay in their own environment with familiar sights, smells and sounds.
We are also able to monitor the pet#39;s behaviour and well-being and check the security of the property while residents are away, Ms Shore said.
Finding someone who is dependable and trustworthy is always a concern for clients, which is why my business is police checked and insured.
Ms Shore said the pet sitting industry was growing as pet owners realised the advantages in using pet sitters, rather than traditional pet care options.
Many boarding kennels require a minimum stay which doesn#39;t suit owners who wish to leave for the weekend, Ms Shore said.
And not a lot of people like to impose on friends or relatives to look after their pets at home.
For more information on pet sitting visit www.seqpetandhouse.com.au
PASSION FOR PETS: If you cant feel your pets ribs, its time to put them on a diet
Im on a diet. Or at least Im trying to be. Im one of many people re-looking at their eating habits and trying to find ways to trim the fat and get in shape.
There are two obvious approaches; eat less and/or exercise more. It seems simple, although its often easier said than done.
As I struggle with my own willpower to stop eating treats and get active, Im increasingly finding it hard not to overindulge my pets.
I own three dogs and one cat, all of which were svelte and active all summer, but now seem to be getting thicker around the middle. The long walks of the summer have been replaced with more sedentary evenings watching TV and Im starting to feel guilty, not only about my own overindulgence, but for overindulging my pets, too.
So Ive decided to take action, because its always better to act sooner rather than later when it comes to weight gain. Just three pounds of extra weight on a 10-pound cat equates to an equivalent weight gain of an extra 45 pounds for a 150 human. An extra 12 pounds on a Labrador retriever would be the equivalent of the same human gaining almost 30 pounds. So even a little bit of extra weight on an animal can represent a significant weight gain, which may cause extra strain on the joints, heart and lungs.
It also puts your furry loved one at increased risk for diseases like diabetes.
A recent survey at the PawsWay Pet Discovery centre in Toronto has found owners often dont realize when their pets are overweight, and pets that are moderately overweight are often mistakenly considered to be a healthy weight.
So how can you tell? One of the best ways is to assess its body condition score. This is a hands-on technique that veterinarians find effective to assess if a dog or cat has excess weight.
It is particularly helpful in dogs, as body structure varies so much between breeds. When a dog or cat is at an ideal weight you should be able to feel their ribs easily, without excess fat covering them up, and when looking from above, your pet should have a noticeable waist between the rib cage and the hips.
In addition, when you look at your pet from the side, their abdomen should tuck up nicely, although on cats this might not be as obvious. Palpable ribs, a defined waist and tuck indicate a pet in good shape. If you dont see those attributes, its time to act.
Most pet foods formulated for weight management have feeding guidelines for both weight maintenance and weight loss.
Whats not provided are guidelines for use of treats.
Ideally no treats should be given, especially if you are feeding for weight loss. However, if youre like me, you may rely on treats for obedience, which makes it difficult to not use them.
Im not alone; another PawsWay survey has shown owners who have put their pets on a weight loss program generally find it hard to restrict treats.
So if you must, choose the lowest calorie treats possible, set out a small amount for the day and break them up. Its not the size of the treat that matters to the pet, its that they are getting a reward.
If you give treats then be sure to compensate by feeding a little less at meal time, and check with your veterinarian before starting any weight-loss program.
We will keep you posted on our progress.
Fiona Wallace, PhD, is Nestle Purinas in-house pet nutrition expert and Technical Communications Manager for Canada. Fiona is a member of the American Association of Veterinary Nutritionists has been working as an industry nutritionist for more than a decade. She owns three dogs and one cat and is the current nutrition expert at Pawsway.ca
As an occupational therapist providing rehabilitation in the home, I am often privy to the various daily living concerns of my patients. One distressing concern that accompanies a person when they are getting sicker is the fear that their pet may outlive them. While there might be a family member or friend willing to care for the pet, thats a commitment not to be taken lightly. Aside from the cost of maintaining a pet, there is the daily care involved. The pet owner, for a number of reasons, may not have someone they can depend on to take on this huge commitment.
Planning ahead in case you become sick, have an accident or die is the best way to ensure your wishes for your pet will be carried out. The Humane Society of the United States recommends choosing two people who will serve as temporary caregivers, should an emergency arise. They should have easy access to your home, written instructions on feeding and care, the name and address of your veterinarian, and be knowledgeable about the permanent plan for the pets. Neighbors, friends and relatives should know who the emergency caregivers are.
Notes the Humane Society: Because pets need care daily and will need immediate attention should you die or become incapacitated, the importance of making these informal arrangements for temporary caregiving cannot be overemphasized.
There are formal options for people who want to ensure that their pets are cared for in the manner to which they have been accustomed. Some people specify plans for their animals in their wills, but it should be understood that such provisions only take effect upon death and may take days or weeks to be carried out, depending on when the will is read. A power of attorney, which authorizes someone to conduct some or all of your affairs for you while you are alive, may include the care of your pets, should you become incapacitated.
A pet trust is a legal document that designates a trustee who will hold funds in trust to pay the caregiver for all of the needs of the pet. Unlike a will, a trust can provide for your pet any time you become unable to do so. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals suggests setting up the trust with a lawyer who specializes in estate planning, as various states have differing laws. In New York and Connecticut, pet trusts cover the pet for its whole life, but thats not the case in every state. In New Jersey, for example, the trust terminates when no living animal is covered by the trust, or at the end of 21 years, whichever occurs earlier. That may be of concern for horses or parrots or other animals with long lifespans.
Directions left in the pet trust should be very specific. For example; exact brand of food, quantity and how often pet should be fed; its daily activity habits; health issues and anything else you think will maintain consistency in its quality of life.
Moms Rx is to plan for our pets just in case:
Stay in touch with your designated caregivers, in case their situation changes over time and they can no longer be the guardian.
Choose at least one alternate caregiver.
When creating a trust, you will have to identify the pet to prevent fraud. Have labeled photos and consider microchip identifications.
Choose a beneficiary to receive any remaining funds that were not used by the pet trust.
This column should not be substituted for medical advice.
Last week Molly Sims told People Magazine that she has no intention of setting aside her dogs for her baby, due in June. She said that shes planning to include them as a part of her family. And while a lot of people find the idea of this to be weird, I couldnt agree more. Except for changing the dogs to cats, because cats are way better.
I have two cats, the first is Karma, shes 6 and is more my husbands cat than mine, the second is Jacques-Imo, hes 2 and hes my cat, although the growing belly is starting to seriously bug him. And I love them more than is at all reasonable. I mean it. I have over a thousand pictures of them. Yes, that is crazy, I am well aware of this. My cat has already taken over a Moses basket we were given and has claimed a Tigger that my dad bought for the baby. Yes, hes quite spoiled.
And while my dad keeps telling me that once the baby comes the cats are no longer going to be so important to us, I would beg to differ. In fact, Im planning to differ.
Our cats are a part of our family. I know that sounds silly to non-pet people, but its true. Weve had them and loved them for years now, I can no more imagine living without them than without my husband. Okay, well maybe thats a bit of an overstatement, but not all that much. And since our cats have never been around a baby before and we want to make the transition safe and as easy as possible for all involved.
The first decision we made was that when the baby is sleeping in his room, well be keeping the door shut.
But the rest of the time, well let them explore. Keeping the babys room off limits at all times will only make things more confusing for the cats, especially since the room was formerly our office where they had free reign. We hope that by letting them roam a little, the baby and the room wont be so mysterious, but by closing the door when the baby is asleep inside, we can keep everyone safe.
Were also going to send my husband home from the hospital at some point after the baby has arrived (probably to feed the cats) and hell be bringing blankets the baby has used so the cats can smell them and get a little used to the babys scent in advance. I mean, I know hes going to produce some smells that no one will ever be used to, but hopefully this will make that first walk into the house a little less crazy for the cats and for us.
The only thing we havent fully decided on is how to handle the sleep situation the first few days and weeks with the baby in the bassinet in our room. Our cats sleep on our bed, every night, usually in the most inconvenient locations possible. We are obviously concerned that theyll get too curious and try to join the baby in the bassinet, but we also have a hard time kicking them out of the room, both since its their bedroom too and because it will result in a night of endless pawing and head slamming against the door.
Thankfully we still have some time to sort things out, but the bottom line for us is that they may just be cats, but theyre a part of our family and just because were adding another member doesnt mean well be forgetting about them anytime soon.
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Pet owners near Onawa are on high alert after several cases of distemper have been found in raccoons.
The disease is highly contagious incurable and often deadly. The disease can be spread as easy as a diseased raccoon eating out of your pets bowl. Whats worse, the town doesnt have a veterinary clinic so its difficult for people to vaccinate their pets.
But theres now some relief for pet owners in Onawa. A veterinary clinic has temporarily set up shop.
Its not easy taking car of your pet in Onawa. Just ask Larry Huffman any time his dog Bella need veterinary care its a 40 mile drive to the nearest clinic. And with fears that the highly contagious and sometimes deadly distemper virus is showing up in wildlife, folks need to get their pets vaccinated.
And Huffman says hes especially worried because, Where were at weve had raccoons and possums running down there.
Thats why he says Blacksheep Veterinary Services had the perfect timing when it decided to temporarily set up shop for a week.And even if you dont think your pet is at risk, Cox says its better to take precautions.
She adds, Some animals can live through it but theyll have neurological symptoms for the rest of their lives. They can have seizures. Its not a good quality of life once theyve gotten it.
Cox says theyre planning to come to Onawa more often and offer even more services. If you want your pet to be checked out, Blacksheep Veterinary Services will be in Onawa until Friday from 8:00a.m-6:00pm