Search Results for: blog a kitty on a leash

A Kitty on a Leash

Every time the rest of the household, human and canine, is outside, Cole gets jealous and lonely. He sits in a window or by a door and cries nonstop until we all come back inside. Cole’s always been a vocal cat, but this feels like a bit much, even for him. The answer is obvious: let Cole outside. Try as I might, I can’t feel completely comfortable with that. I’m a worrier in all aspects of my life, so I know I’m being overly anxious about letting Cole be an outside cat. We live in the perfect area for it, … Continue reading →

The Pets Blog Week in Review for Jun 11-17

What a week it was here in the Pets Blog last week. I thought I had troubles trying to find Wayne something from Murphy, Tabby, and Kitty for Father’s Day, but my problems were trivial when compared to what Aimee and Moose had to endure. (Okay, they were trivial anyway, but Aimee’s situation really brought that point home.) If you feel like you missed something, check out the daily recaps below to get caught up. Monday, June 11 Aimee, Moose, and Lally’s move has been anything but smooth. Unfortunately Moose’s bad luck continued last week when he broke free of … Continue reading →

Killer Cats on the Loose

One of the most popular news stories to break last week was a new estimation of the deaths attributed to domesticated house cats.  We’re not talking people deaths, but the deaths of small birds and mammals; that might seem insignificant, but the number is in the billions.  Researchers from the Smithsonian and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found that although the worst offenders are feral and stray cats, one in three domesticated cats also kills animals in its neighborhood.  Those cats average two kills a week. When it’s well-fed, domesticated cats doing the killing, they’re not usually keeping these … Continue reading →

What’s Best for a Cat: Inside or Outside?

Did you know that attitudes toward cats are almost completely opposite in the United States verses the United Kingdom? Not the entire thought about cats, but whether or not they should go outside. In America a popular thought is that it’s better to keep the cat inside. Conversely, in Great Britain it’s often considered cruel not to give a cat the option of going outdoors. Our neighbors lived for a while in England. They applied to the RSPCA for a cat and were almost denied because they didn’t have a kitty door that would allow the cat to go inside … Continue reading →

Yappy Hours

On-leash food and fundraising events are more common, but the trend is changing Dogs and – alcohol? There’s a new trend going around in parties, often fundraising ones, which combines these two unlikely partners. Meet the Yappy Hour. Yappy Hours are times bars hold that allow patrons to bring their dogs along for some socializing fun. Bars realize they’ll get more dog owners (39% of the U.S. population, if the Humane Society’s statistics are to be believed) to come out to their normal happy hours if they allow them to bring their dogs, and the patrons are happy for the … Continue reading →

What to Consider When Getting a Potbelly Pig

Over a year ago I looked at the teacup pig as a rare pet. But what if you want to adopt a potbellied pig as a pet? What do you need to know before bringing one into your home? First: check your zoning laws. For some reason potbelly pigs are sometimes not allowed in certain areas, so be absolutely sure that your local zoning laws allow you to keep a potbellied pig as a pet. Potbellies live for 10-15 years, so be sure you can make that commitment. Be careful from whom you buy or adopt your pig. You want … Continue reading →

Heartwarming Tales from Across the Web

Guide dogs for other dogs aren’t entirely uncommon Months ago I posted about the best animals on the internet, rounding up the latest of the funniest or cutest animal stories I’d seen. Today I want to share two of the most heartwarming stories about dogs I saw in October. MSNBC Today has the first story. Erica Daniel specializes in fostering the dogs that really need help, either for behavioral or health issues. She’s used to not giving up, to pouring everything she can into healing these dogs so that they’re ready to go into homes. This summer she found herself … Continue reading →

Glow-in-the-Dark Cats Fight AIDS

The other week I saw an animal story all over the internet, from geeky blogs to big news sites: researchers have developed glow-in-the-dark cats as part of their efforts to combat AIDS. Your first reactions are likely similar to mine: a combination of “wait, what?” and “what are they doing to those poor kitties?” Animal testing is always a tricky issue, but in this case no cats have yet been harmed and the research is not only for a very worthy cause for humans, but for cats as well. There is a feline version of HIV and that’s with what … Continue reading →

Grooming Doom

The sulk face Yesterday evening was a dreaded night in our home, one that left my husband and me stewing in the heavy reproach that afterward permeated throughout the house. We’d perpetrated grooming night. Because each of our pets makes such a fuss, albeit in their individual ways, about grooming we figure it’s easier to do it all at once. They each get their coats brushed and nails clipped all in one go. Lately we’ve been doing the former outside, which keeps our hardwood floors cleaner and the house freer of dander allergens. It’s this outdoors grooming that really upsets … Continue reading →

Cats: To Potty Train or Not to Potty Train

We can potty train our kids, but what about our cats? Do any of the products offering feline toilet training actually work? I don’t know anyone who has a toilet-trained cat. But that doesn’t mean I think they can’t work. Enough testimonials exist for me to believe that potty training kitties is possible, but with one major caveat: it takes a lot of time and a lot of mess. MSNBC Health published an article detailing the feline toilet-training process, complete with interviews with animal behaviorists, cat trainers, and real-life people who successfully taught their cats to use the toilet. Before … Continue reading →