Wow my news feeds these past couple of days have been loaded with pets living REALLY long lives!
I hope ours live that long!
Check out the oldest dog, Otto, a 20 year old dachshund-terrier mix. That’s almost 145 years in doggie years!
One of the oldest cats, Caterack, passed last week at age 30! While that is quite old, the oldest documented cat lived to 38 years old!
Looks like the chances of our pets living this long are increasing!
Check out this article on the longer living trend in household pets. A gentle reminder that having a pet is a lifelong commitment.
How old is your pet?
Have you had a pet live longer than average?
Share you story with us!
21
Oct
2009
Dogs, Cats, Horses, Pets
It really doesn’t get easier than this for pet treats!
Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
Take one raw sweet potato or yam (more if like me you like to make a bunch at a time) slice in half lengthwise. Then cut lengthwise about 1/3 of an inch thick. Place in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Bake for a few hours, the less you cook them the chewier they will be. If you bake them longer, my personal favorite, they take on a crunchier texture.
Let the sweet potatoes cool and let your pets enjoy!
South Carolina author, Deborah Halborn has spent the last year creating a remarkable book about cats in space, Greetings From The Starcat Cluster- It’s the Place in Space! Hilarious illustrations of gravity defying felines grace the pages of this picture book, scrapbook and postcard book all rolled into one!
Ms. Halborn worked with renowned artist George Angelini to create 12 oversized illustrations. Each piece is complemented by amusing alliterative text while leaving space for you to add pictures of your own cosmic cats! As a bonus the illustrations are also depicted on a dozen perforated postcards for you to share with your friends!
To top it off, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of Starcat Cluster will be donated annually to local and national feline rescue groups to help find homes for homeless kitties and feral cat trap neuter and release programs to help reduce the number of unwanted kitties.
To find out more and order your own copy of Greetings From The Starcat Cluster- It’s the Place in Space! visit their website at www.starcatcluster.com/
Rescuing and Rehoming Labradoodles and Goldendoodles throughout North America
International Doodle Owner’s Rescue is a group close to my heart and my home.
We were able to find our goldendoodle Barley through a rehome and have had the pleasure of fostering a few labradoodles on their way to their forever homes. Our current foster Kramer is really learning his manners well and becoming an AWESOME dog!
IDOG Rescue is always looking for foster and transportation volunteers, the more foster homes that are available the more dogs that can be rescued. If you have ever considered adding a dog to your family, volunteering as a foster can be a great way to find the perfect dog. Of course, not all fosters will come to your home with perfect behavior. Here are some things IDOG recommends you consider:
Are you ready for a rehome or rescue doodle?
Do you have some extra time to devote to the dog as he first arrives?
Do you have a secure fenced yard or are prepared for lots of walks?
Do you understand that the doodle is an indoor dog and should not be left outside unattended for long periods of time?
Do you have a total commitment by ALL members of your family?
Do you have a support network to help you get through the tough times?
Do you have the flexability to change how you help the doodle if what you are doing isnt working?
Do you have patience to let the dog adjust on their terms/timeframe and not yours?
Expect:
You will have potty accidents (even with adult house trained dogs) and you will have to either train or remind the dog to potty outside.
You will need to enroll into a training class once the dog becomes adjusted to his new home.
If you already have a doodle, do not expect the rescue/rehome doodle to be like your current dog. Different breeding, different life experiences, different temperaments create different dogs.
Expect to adjust your life at least for a while to help the doodle adjust to the new home.
Expect to keep very close attention to the dog for a while.
Expect to have 100% supervision of children while around the doodle.
Expect that it will take some time for the doodle to learn to fit into your family and learn to assoicate with other pets in the home.
If the doodle is highly submissive, frightened or fearful training will need to be much slower and approach to situations will need to modified.
But speaking from experience it is a very rewarding endeavor! And IDOG is an awesomely supportive team.
If you would be interested in becoming a foster or volunteering to transport rescue dogs please sign up!
This is a nationwide rescue group, so even if you are not in the Atlanta area we could use your help.
For more information check out the IDOG Volunteer pages.
To find out more about Kramer and the other doodles available for adoption through IDOG please take a look at the IDOG Petfinder page.
With Halloween just around the corner everyone is out to find the Purrfect Costume.
This includes the family pets too!
Petsmart is having a Pet Costume Event in stores on October 20th at 6 pm.
Bring your pet in for fun and prizes!
Can’t make the party? Submit your favorite costumed pet picture to their online Howl-O-Ween Costume Photo Contest.
Need help taking pictures of your pet?
MSNBC has a great article on how to get the Purrfect picture of your pet all dressed up for the occasion.
Will your pet be dressing up this year?
