The internet is obsessed with cats. We all know this. But for some reason, it is particularly obsessed with fat cats. I'm not talking slightly round, I mean morbidly obese balls of fur with little eyes peering out in mute supplication. Pictures of people holding a 25 pound cat dangling helplessly from their arms like a kid in a snow suit are especially popular. And then they become news items like Meow, who would have been just another sad shelter relinquishment except for the fact that ... Read more »
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Friday Tip: Nip that pull!
Today I have the pleasure of introducing Andrea Kuska from Rocco's House, who is here today to give you her top trick for training a dog to stop pulling on a leash. As anyone who has eyeballs will attest from being out and about, there are lots and lots and lots of dogs who love to drag their owners down the sidewalk, up the hill, through muddy puddles and across fields in search of squirrels. Working on this will help you, your dog, and most importantly, your rotator cuff. Stop ... Read more »
World’s Worst Obligate Carnivore
Every once in a while I do something strangely domestic, like spend an afternoon making marshmallow Legoman head pops for my kid's birthday. I am not one who normally functions in that realm of aprons and the latest issue of Martha Stewart Living, so this is, like, a big deal. For me to spend an afternoon with my printed out instructions from Bakerella and a Michael's bag, that represents a big commitment. So needless to say, I was very protective of these marshmallow pops. They have to make ... Read more »
Inside Natura: Meet your feed
My friend Susi, who has a habit of asking very interesting and pointed questions, posed a great one to the people at Natura on our tour last week: What's the difference between Natura foods and Eukanuba? Now, the guy answering the question works for Procter and Gamble, which owns both brands, and they position themselves similarly in terms of the type of person who might buy them, so I was very intrigued to see how he would answer it. He gave a sports analogy. On one side of the coin, you ... Read more »
Game of Bones: Casting call
Best show on TV. Only thing better are the books. I tried to convince myself that my life would be complete without doing a take on Game of Thrones, but I simply must. I MUST. Problem is, I have three pets and, as you know if you're a fan, Game of Thrones has about 154,657 characters. I don't need that many, but I do need more than three. So I'm putting out a casting call- a few of you have already noted you have a mastiff that would work as Gregor, that sort of thing. I think this is ... Read more »
Happy Memorial Day
A happy Memorial Day to all of you. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to the men and women and families who give so much so that I can do things like to go my mother in law's beautiful yard and take pictures of the dog. We have it pretty good here. ... Read more »
Inside Natura: Part One
What makes a pet food good? How do you pick a pet food? I'm genuinely curious. The number of choices out there is dizzying, isn't it? It's one of the biggest challenges of being a pet owner, standing in those aisles, peeking up and down at the bags and trying to figure out based on the information we have at hand what is going to be the best choices for our pets. But where do we get our information? From our own research. From the guy in the pet store. From the vet. From the company who ... Read more »
The Amazing Shelter Drive-By: Guest post from Pets Adviser
I am SO excited to share today's guest post from Kristine Lacoste at Pets Adviser! She wrote to tell me how she was inspired by our talk of shelter drive-bys to do one herself, and it was a huge hit. Thank you Kristine for sharing this with us- and make sure you see what Pets Adviser is offering for others who do the same! An article I read recently had an idea that kept coming to mind, and I wouldn't be satisfied until I implemented it. Dr. Jessica Vogelsang ("Dr. V") of ... Read more »
Free twins with home purchase
So yesterday my husband walks in the front door with his elbows over his head like he's dodging a barrage of garbage at a hockey game. "The hummingbird had a baby again," he said. "She's divebombing me every time I go out to the car." But he was wrong. She didn't have a baby. She had babies, two miniscule little beaks pressed skyward from the safety of their golfball sized itty bitty nest. It's charming, almost enough to make me sad about the fact that our house hasn't sold yet. ... Read more »
It’s Dog Bite Prevention Week: Three Top Tips for Preventing Bites
May 20-26th marks National Dog Bite Prevention Week, to help educate the public about the nearly 5 million dog bites that happen every year. The event is hosted by the American Veterinary Medical Association in conjunction with other groups that commonly deal with the consequences: postal service workers, pediatricians, plastic surgeons, and insurance carriers. A few facts from the AVMA that you may or may not know: 800,000 Americans seek medical attention for dog bites every year Of ... Read more »
