Search Results for: blog toy troubles

Toy Troubles

Toys are a real problem in my house. Once we have children we’ll have to be careful about what toys are left lying around. At the moment we can’t have many toys for either the cats or the dog, and Chihiro has no one but herself to blame. Chihiro has one goal with every toy she finds: to consume it. When we first got her she came with a stuffed pink octopus toy. That lasted just a few weeks before she began tearing off pieces to eat. I got her another stuffed toy and a rope toy to replace her … Continue reading →

Toys in Bed

I was talking with a friend, a first-time parent who has a preschooler and she was lamenting about the most recent troublesome development–now that her child is in a “big boy bed”–he is bringing all sorts of his toys into bed with him and falling asleep amidst the big pile. She is concerned it is not only a health and safety concern, but that he is developing bad habits. I hated to seem like that saucy and crusty old mother who couldn’t be fazed, but I have a nearly 18-year-old who STILL likes to have all her books, papers, and … Continue reading →

Chasing House Flies

On the surface I had a lovely afternoon yesterday. I returned from a good time volunteering with friends at a local museum and spent a productive afternoon finishing a lot of work. That’s just the surface story. In reality as the hours of the afternoon waned I was driven crazier and crazier, as a headache crept further and further into my skull. And it’s all my pets’ fault. Well, just Chihiro and Cole. What did they do that made me insane? They chased house flies. I don’t know how so many flies got into my house, but there must have … Continue reading →

I Want A Dog – Part 1

For the past few days, Dylan has been talking a lot about animals. He has not said much about the lions, tigers, monkeys, and other jungle animals that we see in many of the books that we read or the movies that we watch. He seems acutely interested in domestic animals – cats, dogs, cows, and the like. A couple of times, he has asked me to go for a walk or a drive in the afternoon for the specific purpose of finding cows that he can touch. Even though we live in Vermont, many of the farms near us … Continue reading →

Dog Treats Causing Kidney Failure

What is it with the same horrible stories recurring again? First all the dog food recalls and now those chicken jerky treats I first posted about in November are in the news again. Late last year the FDA issued a warning that they’d been receiving reports that chicken jerky treats manufactured in China were making some dogs sick. The details were muddied: no one brand could be identified as causing problems, the FDA had been receiving reports on and off for years about illness related to these types of treats, and only issued warnings when the number got high enough. … Continue reading →

When Your Cat Eats Furniture Foam

One of my first articles on the Pets Blog was about my dog and cat; I called it, “Cats and Dogs Really Can Get Along.” Another early article I wrote was: “Dogs and Toddlers: The Uncanny Similarities,” listing ways in which care for dogs and tiny humans can seriously overlap. I should write a piece that combines the concepts from both these articles: “Cats and Dogs Really Are Quite Similar.” It’ll chronicle my experiences as a simultaneous owner of both cats and dogs, and how alike they can be. Cole and Chihiro especially seem to have learned habits from each … Continue reading →

Spending on Pets Skyrockets

Despite our recession (though apparently it’s recovering), some industries are on the rise. One of them, according to BBC News, is the pet industries. That’s right, in a time when pet food banks are growing at Animal Control facilities across the country and some people are still losing/struggling to stay in their homes, Americans are spending more on their pets than ever before. As you might guess, 65% of the overall amount spent is on food and veterinary costs. More people are also buying pet insurance. Maybe this just indicates that more people are looking to own more pets. This … Continue reading →

Grain-Free Food Can Improve Behavior and Allergies

I started an experiment the day I took Chrestomanci to the vet: I put all of the animals on grain-free food. I’ve always wondered about whether or not I ought to take my pets off of corn-filled kibble, but the extra expense has always given me, and especially my husband, pause. When I asked the vet about Chresti’s dandruff problem she said that wetter grain-free food might help. A locally-owned store next to the veterinarian’s office sells a variety of such foods, so I figured it wouldn’t hurt to at least go in and get a bunch of samples. I … Continue reading →

Dogs and Guilt: A Case Study

I recently read a study, I don’t remember where now, that claimed to definitively prove that dogs don’t feel any guilt. Researchers left a variety of dogs alone in a room (one dog per room) with some treats. All the dogs were scolded when the humans came back, whether or not they actually got into the treats. Each dog reacted to the admonishment, no matter what it had done. In fact the innocent dogs, the ones that had left the treats alone, acted even more ashamed of the supposed crime than the guilty ones. The researchers concluded that dogs aren’t … Continue reading →

Bed-Hopping Siblings

Some parents get very upset and worried when they discover that siblings who go to sleep (or at least go to bed) in their own separate beds, end up co-sleeping with one (or more) of their siblings during the night. Depending on the ages, temperaments, and sibling bonds of the children–this might be normal or troublesome. I think a parent’s attitudes and the family culture have something to do with it as well. Recently, someone was telling me that she is really concerned because now that both of her children are out of cribs, they can often be found snuggled … Continue reading →