That Pet Blog That Pet Place Pet Blog

It’s officially summer and often families will hit the road and enjoy some rest & relaxation. It’s becoming more and more common place to bring your pet along. Traveling with your dog can be rewarding and fun, and many hotels and campsites are becoming pet friendly, but what about during the car ride itself?

Traveling with your pets in the car can be stress-free if you follow some easy-to-follow safety guidelines:

1. Head for a pre-trip vet check. The vet will make sure that you pet is up to date on all required vaccinations and will give you a health certificate indicating your pet is healthy. Be sure to bring this certificate with you, along with vaccination records and microchip information.

2. Exercise your dog before you get in the car. Take a quick trip to the dog park or a nice long walk around the community park to make sure your pet has had a chance to empty his bladder and bowels and is nice and calm once you get on the road.

3. Make stops often so your dog can stretch out his legs and empty his bladder. He can’t answer you when call out “anyone need to use this rest stop?” so you should probably stop.

4. Use safety restraints in the car. In some states (ones that you might be travelling through) require dog seat belts, safety restraints or Dog car seats. If you’re using a kennel or carrier, make sure that it is securely strapped to the seat in case of an accident. Also, never let your pet sit in the front seat or on your lap. In the event the airbag would deploy your pet could be seriously injured or even killed. Lastly, do not strap your dog or cat carrier to the top of your car or in a trailer.  Read More »

It’s coming to that time of year again when we all regroup, focus, and really think of the things that make our lives great. I know, we should all be thankful for these things every day, but sometimes in the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, we can forget to put things in perspective. At least once a day, I stop and look deep into the eyes of my best friend, my little scruffy dog, and I can’t help but think how lucky and thankful I am to have found her and made her mine. I think our pet’s really get it…they know what to be thankful fro every day and they show it in the joy that those things bring to them. This Thanksgiving I thought I’d share the things that I know she appreciates, because seeing the joy she conveys helps me to appreciate the little things that I often take for granted. So in no particular order, here’s the list:

Family

My dog is fortunate to have an extended family that loves her as much as I do.  She can blend seamlessly into the households of my sister and of my parents, two homes away from homes. At either locale she is welcomed with open arms by the people there and has a unique relationship with each person in the family. She knows she is welcome at the farms, free to play with her extended doggie family while she visits, have a friendly game of chase with the poultry and barn cats, and of course she knows she’ll be offered various treats, just for presenting her adorable face. She typically knows our destination long before the half way point, and voices her excitement with lots of wags and an occasional high-pitched yip. Read More »

90% of pet owners consider their pets part of the family (I can’t imagine it any other way) so it is safe to assume that many of your pets have Christmas gifts under the tree this year.  I thought it would be interesting to find out what the top gifts for pets were this holiday season.

First, a couple of fun pet facts from PetFinder:

Americans spend about $5 billion on holiday presents for their furry friends.

40% of dog owners and 37% of cat owners hang Christmas stockings for their pets.

About one quarter of both dog owners (27%) and cat owners (23%) sign their pet’s name on greeting cards or notes.

64% of surveyed pet owners said they include news about their pet, and 36% include a photograph. in their holiday cards.

About 27% of pet owners claim to have taken their pet to a professional photographer to have a picture taken with family, Santa, or the Easter Bunny.

Read More »

Black cats have served as negative icons of superstition and sorcery for centuries. In many cultures the stigma that follows these animals is so deeply engrained that even today they may be shunned, abused and hated by some for what they supposedly represent. Black Cats face more discrimination and danger than the average tabby, particularly during the month of October as Halloween approaches. Contemporary rescue organizations and animal lovers may even take protective measures in October to protect the interests and well-being of these “unlucky” pets.

A Dark History

Domestic cats, as a species, have a long presence in folklore and superstition in cultures around the globe. Black coloration carries other connotations, so black cats such as pure bred Bombays, are hit with a “double whammy” in regards to how they may be percieved or treated.  Perhaps the most prevalent negative association of cats is that to witches, devilry and black magic in the western world. These beliefs began largely in the middle ages when disease and death were rampant and people were looking for reasons for their dire circumstances.  Actively hunting and exploring by the dark of night, shadowy feline figures unknowingly gained a reputation as being tools of evil practices, supernatural omens of misfortune and death. Some even believed cats could change shape and assume human form to carry out mischief or evil deeds. Read More »

Celebrating pet birthdays have been becoming increasingly more popular over the last few years. They can range from private family celebrations to full out doggie pool parties.  Gatsby’s 2^nd Birthday is just a few days away. His first year was a rough one and that’s when my husband and I decided to start celebrating our furkid’s birthdays.

Since last May, we’ve had 3 birthday parties for the dogs. We haven’t done anything too over the top, just a trip to the dog park, a dog-friendly birthday cake (with candles and singing, of course), and a present or two to share.

I’d like to share a recipe for the cake I am making for Gatsby this year:

PB & Honey Pup-Cakes

1 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup shredded carrots
1/3 cup honey
1 egg

Directions:

Mix together flour and baking soda. Add remaining & mix well. Pour the batter into a greased muffin tin.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool and decorate with melted carob, shredded carrots & banana slices.

Maybe our little girl, Sara, will have a puppy pool party later this summer, it sounds like a blast! How will you be celebrating your pet’s birthday this year? Feel free to sound off in the comments section!

The holidays are approaching and its time to go shopping! Around this time of year people come to That Fish Place – That Pet Place to begin scoping out pet possibilities for their kids. Nothing would please a little boy or girl more than to open up a box on Christmas morning to find that Santa has left them a real live animal for being so good all year! But what Santa (and parents!) need to remember is that an animal should be treated differently than most presents. Here is a checklist I’ve composed for prospective live gift givers to review before presenting a pet as a gift.
 

Is it OK with Mom and Dad?

Countless times right after Easter and Christmas I see animals being returned or surrendered to us because “Aunt Shirley” decided it would be nice to present her nephew with a living surprise without checking to see if it was OK with his family first. Most of the time, this happens because Mom and Dad simply were not ready or willing to take care of an animal they hadn’t been expecting. Although Aunt Shirley meant well, she should have discussed it with her nephew’s parents to make sure they also wanted a new pet to feed and care for in their house. Doing this would have spared everyone a lot of heartaches and headaches!
 

Have you done your research?

Never buy an animal on a whim and expect its young owner to know just what to do. Read, go online, and talk to employees at the pet store to make sure you are picking the right animal for your child and that you will be able to give it everything it needs to be happy and healthy.
 

Will the child be able to properly care for this animal?

Very young children may promise they will do all the work, but let’s face it; the job usually falls to Mom or Dad. Make sure the child will take an active role in the care of their pet before giving them one for Christmas, and make sure Mom and Dad won’t mind picking up the slack.

Do you have a plan for the animal before Christmas Day?

Animals cannot be kept in the box they came home in from the pet store all night long. Most of them will chew their way out before morning or their urine will possibly burn a hole through the box or cause them to get respiratory problems from breathing in the fumes all night. If you decide to pick up the animal on Christmas Eve or sooner, make sure you have a cage or a temporary set-up complete with food, water, and shelter until Christmas morning.
 

Did you put holes in the box?

This may seem obvious, but I have heard painful stories of animals being found suffocated after only a few minutes in an airtight box. If you are going to wrap the cage or box with the animal in it at the last minute before the child wakes up Christmas morning, be sure there are breathing holes in the box.
 

Do you have all the supplies ready along with the new pet?

Nothing is worse than opening up a new toy and realizing there are no batteries included with it. The same goes for a new pet. What good is your pet gerbil if you can’t put him in his new cage and watch him play right away! Be prepared to gift a cage, accessories, food, and bedding along with the new pet.
 

Do you have a “Safe Zone” for the new pet?

Holidays are hectic stressful times for pets and people alike, and it will be much worse for a brand new animal in a brand new home. Once the excitement has worn down over the opening of the live gift, place the animal in its cage and move it to a “safe zone” — a quiet room where friends, relatives, and other pets will not be able to bother it. It may be tempting for your child to parade around showing Grandma and Grandpa the new bunny she’s gotten, but for the bunny, this is a very scary experience! The best way to make a good impression on a new pet is to respect its boundaries and give it time to adjust to a new home. Save show-and-tell for another day, when the animal has had more time to adjust to his new home.
 

Have you considered gifting the supplies first?

Since the holidays are so hectic, it’s a good idea to buy the cage and accessories first and have your child open these on Christmas morning instead of a box with a live animal in it. First of all, this will keep things from getting too crazy what with setting up the animal in its cage and keeping intrigued relatives at bay. Second of all, this will extend the excitement for the child because now she has a chance to pick out her new animal and can look forward to going to the pet store the next day to get her REAL gift! And then she gets to pick out what she likes best without you having to guess which color or personality type she would prefer beforehand.
 

Will you commit to the gift?

This happens more with rabbits and chicks over Easter, but I’ve seen it happen with other animals at Christmas too. Sometimes families believe it is okay to get their son or daughter a baby animal to raise for a while with plans to get rid of it as soon as it is older or the weather gets nice. I have a big problem with this! First of all, you cannot always guarantee to find a home for your adult animal when you are ready to get rid of it and sadly, this sometimes results in animals being released into the wild or dumped on a farm somewhere. Secondly, this is teaching children that once something becomes too big, old, or expensive to care for, it is okay to abandon it. Owning a pet throughout its entire life is an educational and enriching experience that will help children learn about life and responsibility. If you plan on getting your kids a pet for Christmas, be prepared to care for that animal until the day it dies. Pets need proper housing, food, and veterinary care, and if you ever find yourself in a predicament that makes it impossible to continue providing these things for your animal make sure you have a suitable plan to re-home that animal with someone who can. Pets are not temporary. They are for life.

With all this in mind, try to enjoy preparing to bring a new pet into the family at Christmas time. Planning ahead will make things much easier, and it can be a warming experience to see that look in your child’s eye one he or she realizes you finally said yes to that pet they’ve been wanting so bad! Adding a new member to the family is a wonderful experience if done properly, so be smart, be safe, and always keep the animal’s best interests in mind. Happy Holidays!