Showing once again (I've reported on this before) that British rescue squads still have a heart, they came to the rescue of a hamster stuck in some bathroom pipes... From the Cambridge News (UK):
A HOUDINI hamster sparked mass panic when he went on the adventure of a lifetime.Bored of being stuck in his cage, Harold the hamster made a successful escape bid under the cover of darkness.
While his owner slept, nine-month-old Harold began exploring his home and took particular interest in the bathroom.
But disaster struck when he decided to investigate a gap between the bath and some pipes and wedged himself behind the bath panel and a soil pipe.
No, not as an exclamation, but instead as in my friend at Publius & Company adopting some new ones. With pictures, of course.
Well, if you live in Provo, Utah, you can't own both! That's about to change. From USA Today:
The truth about cats and dogs in this city is that they aren't allowed to live in the same house. But that's about to change.Current city law allows residents to own up to two dogs or two cats at the same time — but not a dog and a cat together. After getting complaints, the City Council is expected to change the law next month.
As the Christmas shopping season gets underway, it turns out that dog gifts are a $5 billion dollar industry! From the Miami Herald:
It's a gift list to drool over: Canine Holiday Cookies, Piñata Bird Toys, Puppy Pops and a pink Barbie Princess Canopy Bed -- with accessories -- for the family feline.With costly bells and whistles, family pets are taking a larger bite out of the holiday shopping budget. Indeed, from seasonal trinkets to photo shoots with Santa, holiday spending on pets has become a $5 billion business, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.
In South Florida, pet stores, clothing designers and animal grooming salons are nipping at the market with a wide range of toys, accessories and clothing. What's more, animal photo sessions with Santa have become increasingly popular at area malls and pet stores. And nationwide about 55 percent of shopping centers and malls provide such photo opportunities, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers, a New York-based trade group.
It's mostly a business for the dogs and cats, but in South Florida, parrots, rabbits and gerbils are also showing up to sit on Santa's lap.
There's a new developement (25 building lots) in Australia that forbids cat ownership in order to protect a species of bird. From News.com.au:
FOR sale: 25 quarter-acre blocks in a picturesque Hunter Valley community, cat lovers need not apply.Feline lovers in the town of Gloucester, in the northeast Hunter region, won't be welcome in the latest council residential land release because of concerns their moggies could threaten the population of a nearby bird species.
Gloucester Shire Council is believed to be the third local government body in the state to ban the ownership of cats in a new subdivision.
First of all, sorry for the lack of posting over the past few days. Work and other things just got in the way. I will get the Pet Pourri up soon.
Anyway, with the Thanksgiving holiday upon all of us, remember that your pets can get "excited" or nervous with lots of visitors in your home. Reassure them, hug them and give them treats to let them know that this is a fun thing.
I have no idea where it comes from but here's a photo making the email "fwd, fwd, fwd" rounds:
See you soon. Thanks for stopping by!
I try to post to Tarazet 3 or 4 days each week. It's not the most active blog but I hope it is enjoyable for all of you and your family. I take weekends off but I will return Monday afternoon with the Fall PetPourri.
I hope you all have a great weekend and please find the time to give your pets a hug and kiss. Do that with your "human family" too. Thanks for stopping by!
You don't choose to become a fire fighter because you hate life. We know that. Firemen are just about the bravest folks (men and women) in our lives. Who the heck else do you know that would rush into a burning building to help people (or in the following case, a cat) survive? From the Ilford Recorder (UK):
HEROIC firefighters saved a family from heartbreak when they gave their beloved cat the kiss of life.The firefighters from Ilford's blue watch rushed to a house in Studley Drive, Redbridge, just after 1pm on Tuesday to find a fire raging.
They opened the front door and found Felix, the black-and-white cat, lying on the floor - apparently dead from the effects of smoke filling the house.
Leading fireman Paul Baker told the Recorder: "When we arrived, the occupants were not in but we got the door open and dragged the cat out.
"We thought it was dead but we managed to resuscitate it - we gave it the kiss of life."
With Felix revived and out of danger, they set about tackling the blaze.
Okay, I'm mixing up authors for a silly post title but... How about a story where Sherlock Holmes is looking for a stolen parrot? It's the plot of a new short book by author Michael Chabon titled The Final Solution and it continues the great Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes series. From the New York Times:
It is 1944, and Linus Steinman, a Jewish refugee from Germany, 9 years old, has not spoken since he arrived in the English countryside. He is alone except for a remarkable parrot that, along with snatches of Goethe and Schiller, sings enigmatic sequences of numbers in German. An aid society places boy and bird in a boarding house. The other lodgers grow mesmerized by the parrot, which they suspect is harboring secret naval ciphers or codes to Swiss bank accounts.One night a man is murdered and the parrot is stolen. Sherlock Holmes, 89 years old, is persuaded to take a break from his beekeeping to help reunite Linus with his pet, and in the process perhaps find the killer. Thus begins the conventional detective story.
I read mysteries like I guzzle vodka, a lot! But I've never read one of the "cat" mysteries. But this sounds "normal enough" that I think I would really enjoy it.
If any of you have already read The Final Solution then please share your "review" with us in the comments.
For you dog lovers looking for all kinds of good stuff, the latest edition of blogger Mickey's Musings has The Carnival of the Dogs with links to a pleasant evening's reading.
So you and your dog are both a little-bit, er, chubby? A new study claims there's success when you exercise together. From Yahoo:
The P-PET program is proven to be a safe, effective, and enjoyable way for people and pets to lose weight and maintain weight loss. By participating in a weight loss program with your pet, you can improve the quality of life for you and your pet through increased exercise, a strengthened human-animal bond, and a fun and motivating way to trim down together.Over 60 percent of adult Americans are now overweight or obese, and an estimated 30 million cats and dogs in the U.S. are overweight or obese-that's 25 percent of the pet population! To combat the obesity epidemic, both public health professionals and veterinarians endorse a proactive approach that includes adoption of healthy changes in diet and physical activity.
[...]
Over the course of the 12-month study, both people and dogs lost weight and kept it off: people lost an average of 11 pounds (approximately 5 percent of their initial body weight) and dogs lost an average of 12 pounds (approximately 15.6 percent of their initial body weight). The maximum weight loss for dogs was 35 pounds; for people, the maximum loss was 51 pounds. Participants gained the confidence and the motivation to stick to a specific diet and exercise strategies and succeed at weight loss-not just for the moment but for the long term.
Well, I only have two now, unless you count Kimo the cat living under my porch... From the East Valley Tribune (AZ):
More scientists than ever are studying the phenomenon, but no one knows why some people will live in filth rather than give up cherished animals. While the causes and treatment remain a mystery, the problems surrounding animal hoarding affect many areas of a community: The homeowner, often elderly, who may need counseling, a new place to live, and legal assistance. The animals that are mistreated or sick. The property owner forced to pay for renovation.Animal hoarders are not necessarily mentally ill, said Gail Steketee, a psychologist at Boston University. "The best bet is to call it a wellintentioned behavior gone awry."
Steketee is one of dozens of scientists who volunteer with the Hoarding of Animals Research Consortium in Boston, a group formed in 1997 to study the problem. There is no known treatment, she said.
Animal hoarding, a term coined five years ago, is defined as collecting more animals than can be cared for, combined with a failure to realize the squalid conditions are hurting both the homeowner and the animals.
Between 700 and 2,000 cases of animal hoarding arise each year in the United States, the group’s research shows. Three-quarters of animal hoarders are women living alone. About half of hoarders are 60 years or older. Many are employed and may seem ordinary when outside their homes, experts said.
The crisis builds gradually for hoarders, Steketee said. The person may identify with unwanted, stranded animals, and begin taking strays or salvaging animals from euthanization at a pound. The attachment to the animals later "overwhelms their ability to see what’s in front of their very eyes."
Steketee likened the mental state of a hoarder to someone living in a war zone who becomes so used to an out-of-control environment, "you just stop seeing it."
Reclusive by nature, dozens of people are likely hoarding animals throughout the Valley but have not been found yet, said Arizona Humane Society spokeswoman Kim Noetzel. The society responds to an average of four significant cases each year in Phoenix, she said.
Stopping a person from hoarding can be a painful experience for all involved, Noetzel said.
If it comes down though, to flys and roaches, then the person really has a big problem. If they can't keep their home clean, and there are feces and such around, then perhaps they do need help. Not legal, punish-type help, just guidance. A person should never be punished for caring. Unfortunately, we live in a "nation of laws" where the police are only concerned with ticketing, punishing, and ruining someone's life because they were a bit different or strayed from the norm.
So I'm trying to make sure I take my weekends off. My true thanks to all of you who visit here each day. I'll be back with more posts on Monday of our beloved pets. Please try to spread the word about Tarazet. It's a friendly place for all of your family.
I also appreciate the financial support of many of you. If you'd like to help me keep this web site going, please consider a donation. Tarazet makes absolutely no money. Your contribution really helps out. If you'd like to help out, just hit the picture of my cat Crispy just below. He's trying to act like he doesn't care or he's Stoic or something but he's really a camera-hog and is totally obnoxious. I had to bribe him to sit for this picture... He's such a cat!
I really thank you! Just hit Crispy and give what you feel comfortable with. It is a big help. Thanks for stopping by and I'll see you in a couple days.
The latest in fashion for dogs is glasses. No, really! A company in California has come out with Doggles, sun glasses in a variety of stylish frames. They're being widely distributed by such companies as StaySit.com and others.
I should point out that while this seems like the "newest thing", it's not as if it's the first time a dog has worn glasses:
Dog eats cell-phone: Still in range... From the Pakistan Daily Times:
A Turkish petrol attendant who lost his mobile phone dialed the number to discover it had been eaten by his dog. The man, from the province of Konya, could not believe his ears when his dog’s stomach started ringing.The dog had picked up the Nokia phone and swallowed it when his owner wasn’t looking, reports the Anadolu news agency. The man thought a customer must have stolen the phone as he filled up their car with petrol. “I’m just glad my phone wasn’t stolen after all,” he said, adding that nature’s course ensured he was reunited with his Nokia the next day.
KOIN TV 6 has a nice weekly feature where they highlight a pet needing adoption from a local shelter. Good for them! This week, it's Joe the Cat:
I hope he finds a loving home.
(My heart is too big for my emotions. I really want this cat to find a great home. Why do nice things like this get me worked-up and emotional?)
There's a new 2005 Calendar available featuring rescued and adopted cats. It costs $17 dollars through the mail and all of the money goes for a GREAT cause. From the Buffalo News:
The Ten Lives Club cat rescue and adoption group is selling 2005 cat calendars to raise money.The calendar features many of the foster cats and kittens awaiting adoption. In addition to official holidays, the calendar includes important Ten Lives Club events and dates to remember, such as the "Furball" and "Save a Cat - Eat a Dog" fund-raisers.
The calendars are $15 each and available for purchase at any of the upcoming cat adoption shows and events this month. They also can be purchased through the mail with an additional $2 postage and handling charge. To order a calendar, call 646-5577, or send a check or money order to Ten Lives Club, P.O. Box 253, North Boston, N.Y. 14110.
By the way, if you (readers) are having a fundraiser or such, please do send me a link to your website and I'll try to post it here. Tarazet is all about our pets and we all want to help out.
Of course: It's Friday! Must be Friday Cat Blogging... Here's my little girl-cat Sammy...
Sammy is 6 1/2-years-old. She has 25 toes. She's my "cuddle-fish" and "sweet-potato". She sleeps with me all night long but always on the far corner of the bed so she doesn't crowd me. She's so thoughtful!
Also, I welcome and remember the loving spirits of Rainbow and Jasper. And I'm also giving a smooch to Crispy and I fed and watered Kimo. All these great cats; my best friends. I hope you have some as well.
Anyway, it's the end of another week and I try to take weekends off. See you in a few days and have a terrific weekend. Thanks for stopping by! Kiss and hug your pets tonight. Aw-heck, do it every night...
Nope, this isn't a political post; it's a pet one. From the Daily Record:
A new presidential pooch, sired by a Parsippany man's Scottish terrier, will soon be roaming the halls of the White House.President Bush marked Laura Bush's birthday Thursday by announcing he would give her a Scottish terrier puppy that is a relative of the current first dog, Barney. Mrs. Bush turned 58 on Thursday.
Miss Beazley, as the first lady and twins Barbara and Jenna have already named the pup, was born Oct. 28. The dog was named for the character Uncle Beazley, a dinosaur in Oliver Butterworth's children's book, "The Enormous Egg."
The five pups, each weighing eight ounces, were born last Thursday. Ms. Beazley was the lone female in the litter.
Miss Beazley's father is Ch. Motherwell Alberta Clipper, who sired Barney, and the mother is Blackwatch Elizabeth, said William Berry of Parsippany, owner of the father.
Here's a story about a dog that actually rides behind his owner on the seat of a motorcycle. From the Omaha World-Herald:
AHOO, Neb. - J.R. is a dog that rides a hawg (a motorcycle, that is) just about anywhere his owner goes.Each day during warm-weather months, J.R. accompanies his owner, Dennis Stuchlik, on the seven-mile ride to and from Stuchlik's welding shop.
He has ridden as far as Grand Island, about 120 miles away, while lying across the back seat of Stuchlik's Honda Gold Wing.
The golden retriever mix is a well-prepared hawg dog. He wears tinted goggles called "Doggles" to protect his eyes from gravel and bugs. He has a black leather Harley-Davidson cap, as well as a hard helmet, for added protection.
"He's my dog. He goes everywhere I go," said Stuchlik, 63.
He said he began taking his 4-year-old dog to work three years ago in his pickup.
"He's a P.R. dog at the shop," he said. "He greets everybody. He just loves people."
When spring arrived that first year, it presented a problem, because Stuchlik regularly rides a motorcycle to S&S Welding from his rural home during nice weather.
So he taught J.R. how to ride, straddled across the back seat.
The dog jumped off only once, Stuchlik said. That was on his initial, slow-moving practice drive down a gravel lane. He hasn't fallen or jumped off since.
You're all bored to death by this but when I was finally able to log into my blog a couple hours ago there were over 150 spam comments about rape, Elidel, and other stuff.
I notice that the spam-bots usually attack older posts so I just installed a MT plug-in that automatically closes comments that are not displayed on this main page -- meaning they are more than 14 days old. I can shrink that time-frame to any number of days I like. I'll see how it goes.
In any event, it means that while existing comments will be shown, you won't be able to post comments to anything older than two weeks. Sorry about that but this is a war I'm fighting with the mutants who insist on clogging-up the comments around here.
It seems to work very well and it was easy-as-pie to install so if you'd like the plug-in or you want me to install it on your blog, let me know...
I'm off both today and tomorrow. I've received several contributions to the PetPourri and I'm planning to start putting it together tomorrow (Wednesday) so there's still time (if you can tear yourself away from the election going on) to send me a snap of your dog, cat, fish, snake, bird, hamster, etc...
Here's a question for you: Normally I just sort of put up a collage of the pictures. Would you like me to also put the name of each pet in small type by each fuzzy face?
When you plan a will, you (if you're smart enough to make a will and have the advice of a lawyer) have the right to leave your money or assets as you wish. Possible heirs might not think so, though... From the Poughkeepsie Journal:
When her beloved terrier, Jasmine, died, a widow announced she would change her will and leave most of her money to the Humane Society. That's where she had obtained the dog.The woman's two adult children, upon learning of her decision, went ballistic. The children, who had seldom recently talked with their mother before this, began attacking her from all sides.
Said the woman, ''My little Jasmine gave me more joy in life than they ever have. Why shouldn't I leave my money as I please?''
My own concern is that I want to out-live any pets I have because I make a solemn promise to all of them that I will always take care of them. I don't know that if I thought my "end" was near, that I would take in a new pet.
Some days, all the stories are about dogs. Today, it's cats. Here's one about a young kitty that went through the "rinse cycle" and lived to meow about it... From the AP:
Eight-week-old kitten Milo sits Monday Nov.1, 2004 in the washing machine that nearly killed him earlier after he climbed in through curiosity. Milo disappeared at Ginny Troth's house in Redditch, central England, recently and bedded down in the laundry for a cat-nap. But Mrs Troth, who had been searching for him, unwittingly switched on the machine for a spin wash. Mrs Troth said she only realized where the inquisitive tabby might be about halfway through the cycle. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira)
Back in July I wrote about allergies from pets and now one entrepreneurial company has -- using genetic engineering -- developed a cat that is "hypo-allergenic". Of course, there are several prices to pay... From the New Zealand Herald:
A sneeze-free cat is being worked on by scientists, aimed at animal lovers who are allergic to cats.A Los Angeles company, Allerca, is promoting its plans to produce by 2007 the world's first non-allergenic cat - a British shorthair - using patented biotechnology.
According to its website, the company will stop cats producing an allergy-causing protein found in their skin and saliva.
This treatment would not harm the cats in any way, it said.
Instead, the genetically modified US$3500 ($5100) cats would allow "some of the millions of people allergic to cats to enjoy the love and companionship of a household pet without suffering from allergy symptoms".
It says the non-allergenic cat is the "first of a planned series of lifestyle pets that Allerca will develop over the next few years".
Already taking orders for the first batch of kittens, the company hopes to sell 200,000 cats in its first year. Allergy New Zealand chief executive Natalie Lloyd said she thought the idea of a non-allergenic cat would appeal to a huge number of people.
Then again, if someone truly is desiring the company of a cat but is hopelessly allergic, then I suppose this is a solution. It's all rather complex and while most of you just read here without commenting, I'd welcome your comments on this issue...
There are a lot of stories about cruelty to animals that I intentionally don't report here; Tarazet is meant to be a pleasant stop for pet lovers and I concentrate on up-beat articles. But every so often I have to post about an incident just to remind all of us (including myself) that there are truly evil people out there. From New Zealand:
Hastings Boys' High School's principal says the two main perpetrators behind a "repulsive" beheaded-cat incident will pay the ultimate price.A 17-year-old year 12 pupil, on a programme of three days' work experience and two days at school, took a wild cat's head on to a school bus and held it up by the ears on Friday.
A year 9 pupil then threw it out of the bus window at a girl walking by. A third pupil was also involved.
The boys will know today after a board meeting if they will be officially expelled or allowed back at school but with conditions.
Principal Robert Sturch said yesterday that the boys were unlikely to remain at the school. He said the year 12 boy was remorseful for what he did. "It was one idiotic silly prank – the school finds it quite repulsive and the two boys concerned will pay the ultimate price."
Further, kids who abuse or torture animals almost ALWAYS wind-up abusing people -- especially their spouses. These mutants have defective brains and should be -- well, in my fantasy world they would be "eliminated" but in the real world we live in I would hope they both -- despite their ages -- do hard jail time.
They won't, of course. We live in a soft-squishy world where any act of violence and evil is explained away by lawyers and social workers and accepted by courts. Excuse me while I slip into my perfect fantasy world where these two mutants would be beheaded themselves. An "eye for an eye" and a head for a head...