Niko, is now Luna

Greetings Animal Lovers,
As you all read last week I have recently adopted a new rambunctious kitten, who ended up being a girl even after being constantly referred to as "he" by the woman I adopted her from.  Assuming the woman wouldn't feed me information she didn't know for fact, the first couple days I called the cat Niko. The personality of this kitten was so wild, something I had never experienced before with any of my cats (which by chance happen to be all boys).  She hikes her back up, with all hair sticking straight up running sideways when she sees her reflection.  Territorial behavior I assume, which is more apparent in female cats than males.  For this reason among others, I googled how to tell if your kitten is boy or girl and came across a video that proved very helpful.  I wanted to share it with my readers in case you all were having second thoughts about what you were told was the sex of your kitten.  Hope it helps!

New Addition: Part Two

Greetings Animal Lovers, and welcome back to an extended post dedicated to bringing the new kitten in your home.  As I mentioned I've recently helped rescue an abandoned kitty, and I wanted to share some of the techniques I used to make her feel comfortable and well taken care of.  After developing the proper feeding pattern, I mentioned it's important to remove fleas and bathe your kitten with Dawn dish soap.

After that: Potty training your kitten is probably the second most essential task to complete, right after developing a feeding pattern.  It has never proved too difficult, but does take some patience and undivided attention.  In order to avoid smelly accidents on your brand new carpet you should place your kitten inside the litter box at least once an hour, in addition to a few minutes after it wakes up and after it eats.  I found it beneficial to scratch in the litter myself to show her how it's done.  Cats have a direct instinct to dig so once they realize what to do with the litter its pretty much smooth sailing.  For the first couple weeks, after your kitten uses the litter box, you may want to take him/her out and cover up the droppings yourself.  Although your kitten will scratch to cover it themselves they tend to either completely miss or end up scratching in their own poop; this just gets the mess on their paws making more work for you later. Make sure the litter box is not in secluded or hard to find places while your kitten is young.  Its important that they know exactly where it is without having to walk far to get there.

Finally: We can focus on recreation time for your little one.  Its good to release their energy during playtime to avoid bad behavior when your away.  I find it very unnecessary to purchase bunches of kitten toys, because they always end up finding interest in simple things you probably have laying around your house.  I tied a fishing buoy to a shoe string and my kitten loves it.  Cutting a Mardi Gras necklace so that it's just a string of beads will also keep kitty entertained, especially on tile floors.  Other things I've noticed kittens like are socks, small stuffed animals, graduation tassels or any type of small ball.  Greater than all these things however are on our bodies.  I've found my kitten loves to chase my legs while I'm walking, fingers while I'm typing, and my hair while I'm laying down.

My new addition enjoying her homemade toy

Last: After your kitten has reached 10 weeks you want to take them to the vet for the usual vaccines and shots.  Places like the ASPCA and Humane Society offer kitten packages that include the necessary boosters.  Also spaying or neutering your kitten should be done to prevent multiplying.  A healthy kitten is a happy one, although this will likely be the most expensive task, it proves most beneficial for a long living cat.

New Addition

Greetings Animal Lovers,
On Thanksgiving Day I was approached by a neighbor who clearly knew how passionate I am about animals.  She had rescued two kittens from the street and asked would I take one, and in true animal lover fashion I couldn't pass up the chance to save an innocent life.  For the purpose of this post I wanted to highlight some tips and techniques someone could and should use when taking in a kitten, especially if he/she is under the age of 8 weeks (as mine is).

First things first: You need to find out the level of eating your kitten has accomplished.  Many times kittens are taken away from their mothers too soon, not knowing how to eat whole cat food whether it be wet or dry.  If this is the case, sticking your finger inside kitty's mouth will result in them trying to suckle your finger.  If this occurs you should purchase cat milk replacer, which can be bottle or bowl fed depending on how young the kitten.  If your kitten doesn't have the urge to suckle you can go right to feeding it wet cat food, which can also be accomplished for younger kittens by mixing in the milk replacer.  This is what I found beneficial for my nearly weaned kitten.  Once the kitten gets used to wet food, you can start mixing in dry food (which is way cheaper), or try soaking dry food in a little water to soften it up.  Sooner or later you'll be able to feed kitty majority dry food, with the wet serving as a treat or once a day occurrence.

Provides the nutrients kitty would normally receive from mother's milk

Next: When rescuing animals from outdoors or unclean environments, you will almost always encounter the flea problem.  A lot of times the kitten is too young for flea treatment, or even the flea collar so the only option is to give kitty a Dawn dish liquid bath. I learned from calling the ASPCA that Dawn original kills fleas after 2.5 minutes of the application.  BINGO! We all know cats don't like water, so this task could prove difficult, however kittens are so small their a lot easier to get clean.  Make sure all areas of the body get a fair amount of Dawn, especially the face which you will find the fleas flea to during the bath.  Scrub the skin of the kitten in order to lather up the soap, don't forget the butt which often is smelly in young cats.  On top of killing fleas the bath is cleaning your kitten, so don't forget their ears and underside. Try your best to remove all fleas with your fingers during and after the bath, they should be dead but its probable that some survived the wrath.  

Try not to take too long during the bathing process, and use warm water so kitty doesn't fall into hypothermia.  After thoroughly rinsing him/her I found the blow dryer (on a low setting) was very beneficial to the drying process.  Keeping your kitten wrapped up in a dry towel after the bath will soothe and help keep it warm.  

Stay tuned for Part 2 of the New Addition post, which will help guide you in completing the necessary steps to making your kitten comfortable in it's new home!

Man's Best Friend

Greetings Animal Lovers,
Everyone knows that dogs are a man's best friend.  Ever wonder if the reverse was true as well? I know I love my pets, each and every one of them provide me with a sense of understanding and connection but I've always questioned whether I'm just as valuable to them.  Browsing for a video illustrating a pet's emotion towards humans, I came across this pretty convincing clip. By the looks of it I'd say dogs, at least, feel the same sense of belonging with their human. In my case the loyalty is often overlooked with accidents indoors or messes caused by rough housing.  All in all this video takes me (and I'd assume any dog owner) to a warm place of appreciation and gratitude.  I couldn't help but chose it to make a statement about a dog's emotions toward their owner.  Enjoy :)

Dotty Has Dots

Greetings Animal Lovers, 

Meet Dotty.  She has recently been labeled the Cat of The Week by petango.com, and is currently  living in a foster home affiliated with the Humane Society of Tampa Bay.  Unfortunately this 4 year old domestic shorthair was brought to the shelter when her owner became extremely ill and passed, leaving Dotty behind with no owner or care.  Although the circumstances were not deliberate or intentional this kitty has been left abandoned without the loving and caring parent she's used to. Dotty is looking for a nice quiet home without too much commotion.   She's been described as extremely sweet, and loves to lounge around and take in her surroundings.  Currently, Dotty is available to adopt for only $19, because she's been in the Humane Society's care for more than thirty days.  She's spayed, house trained and waiting for a loving parent to come give her a happy home again.  Help spread the word and get Dotty a new home. Remember she has a $19 adoption fee and she's fixed, she also has a microchip which will identify her owner's information in the case she gets lost.  

To Mom:

Greetings Animal Lovers,

Today I've decided to deem this post an apology to my mother, whose patience and lenience was constantly tested while I was a child.  I can remember conveniently finding dogs and kittens around the neighborhood that I begged to keep and promised to take care of.  Surprisingly enough Mom allowed me the freedom to take in animals, and even purchased their necessities.  In the meantime every animal I desired contributed to a house of chaos and unwanted smells and messes, not just from my friends and I, but my pets as well.  Although sworn into having full responsibility for the animals, I had to be repeatedly reminded of chores that needed to be done and proper ways to do them.  I swear for eight years my mom had to remind me to clean out the cat box, which I account for her having such a keen sense of smell.  I had a fish tank full of fish that often began to smell a week after changing the water, I always had to be told when it was time and reminded the procedure of doing it correctly.  

There were countless times when the duo of my cat and dog together caused haywire around our household on a regular.  Despite the fact that they were playing they often chased each other full speed and when caught, inevitably tussled into knocking things over.  Whether glass was being broken or rugs were being stained with spilled drinks, my pets never failed to let their appearance be known.  I had a bunny when I was 11 that would poop and pee everywhere when I let it out to play.  I was pretty good for cleaning it up, but too many times I had to be shown where I missed a few pebbles.  My dog would always track in the house whether he walked through dirt or not.  I could probably go on for essays about burdens that my animals brought upon my mom, and it is for this I am giving my apologies. 

Mom:
I am truly sorry for the unwanted smells of cat urine that steamed through your guest bathroom.  I'm sorry for the need of warnings to your company to be cautious of small pellets on the floor, or aware that my dog would awkwardly sniff them just once 'then he knows ya'.  I'm sorry for the messes and spills that I half-assed cleaned up but most of all I'm sorry for Taz and Zeus breaking your crystal wreath.  You really stuck it out for me while I lived there and now that I'm gone I hope your enjoying your peaceful and pet free abode.
Love,
Your Daughter 

18 Year Old Charged With Cruelty

Greetings Animal Lovers,

In true fashion I've found myself hung up and analyzing a recent article I browsed last week online.  On Friday, October 26 the ASPCA reported to their blog that on Tuesday, October 23 they had arrested a Queens woman over neglect.  By woman, they're referring to 18 year old Crystal Lashley who allegedly neglected a six year old German Shepherd mix.  The dog, named Briana was tied up so long outside that her collar became embedded.  Over time, if a collar is too tight around a dog's neck their skin will slowly begin to grow over and around it.  Once the skin reattaches itself on the surface of the collar facing away from the dog, your end result will be a collar embedded in the skin of the animal. Cutting the skin open and removing the collar is the only method for appropriate healing. When Crystal signed over the animal on August 21 she was signing to the responsibility of whatever condition Briana was found to be in, which was confirmed as an embedded collar, underweight, infested with fleas and dehydrated.  Crystal was charged with a single count of misdemeanor cruelty, and will face a possible year in jail and/or $1,000 in fines if convicted.

Embedded Collar (in this case rope)

The response I have to this case runs along the lines of is Crystal the only one to blame for the cruelty of the animal.  There is no doubt that she should be charged, claiming ownership of Briana deems her responsible to make sure the dog receives adequate care, but an 18 year old girl certainly doesn't live alone.  The dog was found tied to a tree outside of a home that was not owned by Crystal.  The article didn't specify but I would assume an 18 year old girl still lived with parent(s) or guardian(s) that would know better than to allow a collar to be embedded into the neck of an animal.  The completed process takes an estimated 5-8 weeks. Whether or not the people she lived with were her parents or friends, there were other people who could have prevented the situation from occurring, by simply calling attention to it.  The ignorance spreads across the entire household and I believe its unfair to just punish one person.

The wound of a embedded collar removal

I by no means am expressing everyone in the house be charged the same as Crystal, but I do believe she is not the only one to blame.  In my lens justice has not been completely served for Briana and her permanent wound around her neck.  When I was 18 I was a full time student and part time worker, luckily I had a sensible enough parent to help care for my dog, who in reality was viewed as the family dog even though he technically belonged to me.  

NPBAD

Greetings Animal Lovers, 

Scrolling through the ASPCA blog forum I couldn't help but read the article behind this adorable character.  Turns out it's not primarily about this Pit Bull, but all Pit Bulls in general.  On Wednesday, October 17, 2012 the ASPCA announced that National Pit Bull Awareness Day (NPBAD) would officially be termed ten days post the announcement, 10/27/12.  Pit Bull Awareness day was originally coined in 2007 by Jodi Preis, a member of the Bless The Bullies foundation of middle Tennessee.  After introducing the idea nationalizing the day she got a lot of positive feedback, enough for it to deserve an official ASPCA recognition.  

I appreciate the idea of NPBAD and as I've mentioned previously I have a special attachment to the Pit Bull breed.  As the article mentions there are more negative connotations to the breed than there are positive, making them the most banned or legislated against.  Because of this, in response to the article I'd like to suggest maybe an awareness week or month rather than just one day.  I understand things take time to be considered for a request as such but I strongly believe the way Pit Bulls are treated is an issue that requires far more than a day to educate individuals on.  In order to truly ".. change perceptions about Pit Bulls.." as the article suggests, more time is going to have to be designated to thoroughly get the job done.  

The ASPCA is asking for any Pit Bull Owners to register for the National Pit Bull Awareness Day Event on October 27th.  Come help spread the truth about Pit Bulls ! 

How to Live With a Neurotic Dog

Greetings Animal Lovers,
If anyone is seeking a good read for grins I'd like to offer an incentive for Stephen Baker's How to Live With a Neurotic Dog.  Last week's Expository Writing assignments included a book review on the subject, animal awareness, in which I've chosen this semester for a blog project.  I checked out a used bookstore near campus and actually scavenged up a plethora of books by Baker, including How to Live With a Neurotic Cat and How to Live With a Neurotic Person.  Although neurotic dog wasn't  necessarily backing my blog baseline of animal adoption or cruelty, I was engaged by the illustrations as I thumbed through the book.  I was eager to read the information presented with the pictures so I decided to focus on it for the review.

For my readers who are dog owners I wanted to focus one of my posts on some tips and pointers Baker introduces for living with a neurotic dog, which according to him is pretty much every dog in the American society.  The following information I've included from the book is what I found to be most interesting in the reading.  As an experienced dog owner some aspects of the book were a bit elementary, but there were some fresh points I thought were worth knowing.

• Chapter 3 - One of the most successful ways of keeping the neurotic dog off your bed is by making a soft bed of his own. Dogs need 24 hours of sleep per day and its hard to get comfortable on human chairs, not made for the kind of support pups need.  Also included in this chapter was that dogs will always sleep at a constant depth, rather than fluctuating up and down as we do. This can be useful to those trying to wake their dog.
• Chapter 6 - An important thing to remember when feeding your dog is that "man invented dog food, not dogs.  They were not even consulted (Baker , 87)."  I liked this aspect of the book because I've always believed human food should never be consumed by dogs.  Baker informs that there's no need to make a separate plate for our dogs,  but we should keep in mind that  there stomachs can fathom things other than Kibbles N' Bits. Dogs will appreciate scraps of human food more often than not. 

Here are some of the illustrations that caught my eye while thumbing through the book: 

Chapter 7: The Neurotic Dog Vs. Baby

Chapter 6: Feeding the Neurotic Dog 

Chapter 3: Sleeping Habits of the Neurotic Dog 

Abandoned

Greetings Animal Lovers,

Imagine being left behind when your parents moved away.  As a child you can't provide for yourself.  It's necessary to have your parents around to prepare food and make sure your being properly taken care of. What would happen if they just up and left you abandoned by yourself? 

To answer this we can all look to Tiffany, an adoptable cat at the Humane Society of Tampa Bay who was left behind when her owners moved out of state.  She had nothing to eat or drink or even an adequate place to go to the bathroom.  She was neglected, and found by a landlord a week and a half after her owners had moved away. When he took her into the HSTB she was extremely underweight and reeked of urine and feces she had been walking around in. She immediately warmed up to the staff and volunteers and is described as "having a ton of love" and "liking to be held and cuddled". Tiffany is fully recovered and back to her regular weight.  

If you'd like to give this once neglected girl a forever home head on down to the Humane Society of Tampa Bay located on 3607 North Armenia Ave in Tampa, Florida.  She's a year old domestic shorthair and she is spayed and litter trained.  She also has a microchip embedded in her shoulders, so if she gets lost shelters can scan it to pick up registered owner information.  Since  Tiffany has been at the shelter for more than thirty days she is now a special price of $19.00.  Maybe she's the missing piece to your family.  Go meet her and find out! 

Free Fixings and Vaccines, Maybe

Greetings Animal Lovers,

The Humane Society of Tampa Bay (HSTB) has recently announced the offering of free vaccines and sterilizations for cats under one circumstance, you have to live in the 33610 zip code area. The Petsmart Charities have awarded the HSTB with a $190,000 grant to make it all happen. Starting on September 24, 2012 until September 2014 cat owners in the 33610 area can call to make appointments to spay/neuter and vaccinate their cat(s), free of all costs. The purpose of this grant is to compliment the HSTB's program aimed to prevent the reproduction of feral cats, also known as the Trap/ Neuter/ Vaccinate/ Return Program (TNVR).  The free roaming cats in this program are trapped humanely, which is something I wanted to make sure to include for my animal loving readers.  After being spayed/neutered they are returned to their original location, free of disease and unable to have countless litters of future feral cats.  

I can't deny granting these funds to continue the TNVR Program is a great idea, what I'm having a hard time with is the fact that their limiting the funds to the 33610 zip code area.  Looking over the policies and procedures of the program I've found nothing limiting the original treatment to those within that specific zip code.  For this, I can't make sense of limiting the extra $190,000.  The HSTB services animals all over the Tampa Bay area, and to me not allotting services to more than one zip code is a kick in the face to the residents of outside communities whom associate and donate to the society.  

Feral cats in communities are technically homeless, but remain socialized and fed by random residents in surrounding areas. 

I'm curious to know whether the restriction of the extra funds was ruled by the actual HSTB, or if Petsmart Charities gave them strict ultimatums when receiving their money.  Either way it goes the only plausible explanation I could think of for restriction would be to have funds last longer.  Although that would be smart, it would be more beneficial to extend the services among three or four surrounding zip codes for a shorter period of time.  Preventing the constant reproduction of kittens is something that will inevitably lower the number of cats in the future, so having two years of free treatment for such a select area may prove less efficient than treating a wider community for say, a year.  I guess for now it's good to know those feral cats in the 33610 zip code will decrease in the future, while the two surrounding areas continue reproducing like rabbits.  What's going to happen in the future when the untreated offspring migrate over to the treated area? This is the question I raise to the HSTB.  

Chicken or Beef Toothpaste Does the Trick

Greetings Animal Lovers,
Think about how often humans brush their teeth. Although recommended at least twice a day I'm certain some of us may exceed or fall behind this number by one or two brushes. Now, think about how often humans brush their dog's teeth.  I asked four friends with dogs if brushing their dog's teeth was an activity practiced often.  All of them admitted to not doing it on a regular basis, and only one admitted to even trying it before.  According to the K-9 Lifesavers, a veterinary clinic in Virginia, its essential to brush your dog's teeth regularly to avoid periodontal disease.  The web-post on brushing your dog's teeth points out,

"Periodontal disease can lead to tooth loss and affects most dogs before they are 3 years old. Bacteria from [this] disease can spread to affect other organs and cause illness."

Many people are unaware of this disease and the effect it has on their pet's overall well being.  Brushing your dog's teeth can prove difficult, and for this reason I wanted to highlight the proper technique involved in this task. To prepare, all you need is a child-like toothbrush, pet toothpaste (because regular toothpaste would definitely upset your dog's stomach and cause illness), and a treat to give your pup after the cleaning is complete; this acts as positive reinforcement.  If your dog doesn't like the toothbrush, your can substitute a cut of a washcloth to get the job done.

• First things first: get your pet used to you fiddling around in their mouth by rubbing your finger along their teeth and gum-line. Lift their lips, open their mouths and just feel around for some time.  This will let your dog know that someone touching in their mouth is okay and not harmful or scary. 
• Next: let your dog sniff and lick the toothbrush and toothpaste you plan on using.  Let them lick some paste off of the brush. It's important for them to get used to the hard texture of the bristles, so they get a sense of what to expect when the brush enters their mouth.  Many experts suggest chicken or beef flavored toothpaste, so that the taste is something your dog will enjoy.  
• Now: understand that dog's teeth don't need to be as thoroughly brushed as humans.  The outside of teeth (facing the cheek) are the only parts that really need attention.  Rub the toothpaste on your finger, and then rub your finger across two or three teeth at a time.  After that take the toothbrush with just a couple short circular strokes, and brush the outsides of the teeth you previously applied with paste.  Work quickly. *K-9 Lifesavers suggest only 30 seconds on each quadrant of the mouth about every other day to be affective.  
• Last: once you have successfully completed the task be SURE to give your dog some type of treat or reward for them allowing you to finish. The positive reinforcement needs to be there if you want your dog to get used to their regular brushings.  

As stated before dog's don't require as much scrubbing as humans do, so be careful not to over brush. Over brushing can lead to redness of gums or bleeding, which will prevent your pup from ever letting you brush their teeth again.  The most important part of this process is the positive reinforcement.  It's essential for your dog to relate getting their teeth brushed with something they appreciate. Rewards can be rawhide bones, treats, or just a long period of praise with extensive petting and what I call "doggy talk". Its good to start your dog's brushings at a young age, so when they get older their used to the process and how painless it really is.  Patience is also essential in this process, your dog may or may not allow you to complete the cleaning the first or second time.  Just stop if they start to get stressed, and pick up again the next day.  Not all dog's will appreciate this care.  For those who under no circumstance will allow you to brush their teeth, there are pretty priced plaque-preventive products that can be purchased from a local veterinarian to get the job done. Take a look at this video of a first time brushing for Katrina and her dog Talula. They help illustrate how simple and stressless this task can be.

The Mighty Toro

Greeting Animal Lovers,
Although licking his chops in true predator fashion, this pup is very compassionate and truly wouldn't squish a grape. Toro is a three year and seven month old Terrier / Pit Bull mix looking for a home at the Tampa Humane Society. Unfortunately like every other dog that is any part Pit Bull, Toro is banned from a grand majority of resident communities and complexes. Toro's owners were forced to give him up due to the rules of an apartment complex that they have recently moved into.  Pit Bulls are often directly linked to angry or aggressive behavior and for this reason, complexes feel the need to take precautionary measures and ban the breed from living in their perimeters.  Although this definitely prevents any potential accidents from occurring, it is forcing people to surrender their Pit Bulls and mixes. With such a big difference in entrance and exit rates of this highly banned animal, dogs like Toro end up staying in shelters for an overwhelmingly long period of time.  This case proves no different, and because Toro has been at the shelter since August 19 (over 30 days), his adoption price has dropped from $150 to $75 and he comes with shots for life.  If you or anyone you know is looking for a sweet boy who loves other animals, Toro is your guy.  He is also neutered and comes with an embedded microchip, so if he gets lost or stolen his owner's information will be attached to him.  Feel free to go down to the Tampa Humane Society, located on 3607 N. Armenia Ave in Tampa, Florida for a meet and greet, get to know him.

Is 5 Years Enough?

Greetings Animal Lovers,
I came across an article from the Tampa Bay Times about a recent five year prison sentence given to a local Town 'N Country woman. Cynthia Cuervo, age 47, was found illegally hoarding twenty-two dogs; most of which suffered from broken bones and eye ulcers.  Cuervo was on probation in February for a previous animal neglect case when authorities reported seizing sixteen dogs along with a crate of bones from her residence. Probation forbid Cuervo from owning any animals, therefore the twenty-two dogs found in her possession were enough to have her arrested. Animal investigators reported seizing more than eighty animals from Cuervo in the past six years.
In her recent trial Cynthia Cuervo pleaded guilty to all twenty-five charges that had been put against her.  Among these charges were three counts of felony cruelty, and twenty misdemeanor charges of unlawful confinement with no food/water. Two of the charges were unrelated to animals.

"[Judge Gregory Holder] gave Cuervo the maximum 25-year prison sentence, but suspended 20 years of it. When she gets out of prison, she'll be on probation for twenty years and will again be restricted from owing animals."

The fact that Cuervo is even doing five of the twenty-five year sentence is a shocker.  Jodie Tillman, Times Staff Writer,  informs us that prison sentences for animal cruelty cases are not common.  I can say I'm pleased with the fact that a prison sentence has been sought out for this case, but I do believe Cuervo doing 40% of the time rather than just 20% would have had a more lasting effect on any individual who is currently committing animal cruelty cases unnoticed.  Since it is so rare for anyone to be ordered anything other than large fines or community service, I wish the Hillsborough County Court would have, in the nicest way, made more of an example of how serious animal cruelty truly is.  I would argue that the reason cruelty and neglect of animals is growing so rapidly is because individuals are aware that prison time is never a for sure consequence of committing the crime.  Let it sink in.

Coming to the Stage: Mookie & Tampa

Mookie

Tampa

Greetings Animal Lovers, 

I'd like to introduce you to two friends, Mookie and Tampa who were brought into the Tampa Humane Society together on September 23, 2012.  Both females are roughly a year old but Tampa is the eldest by a month. Mookie (upper photo) is classified as a domestic long hair mix, therefore shedding will have to be taken into consideration when adopting.  Long haired cats do an okay job cleaning their own coat, but it's suggested to help them as little as once a week with a brush/comb out. Mookie also has allergies with fleas. When her previous owners started caring for her she in fact did have fleas, therefore her skin appears irritated towards her bottom due to scarring from about a year ago. Tampa (lower photo) is a domestic short hair mix, so shedding wouldn't be that big of an issue and she can maintain her coat by herself.  She also has a small physical difference in her left eye which was checked and considered something she was born with, and has absolutely no effect on her vision or well being.  Both of these ladies are spayed, liter trained and very adoptable. For only 50$ you can adopt one of these pets with all necessary shots and vaccines, and a microchip embedded in their neck to identify owners in case they get lost or stolen.  

Although these cats were not abused I wanted to do my first animal feature on them because of my interest in their story. Mookie and Tampa were surrendered to the Humane Society by a loving family who had recently adopted two young children.  One of the children has an upper respiratory disease and because of this the family was advised by the adoption agency to get rid of their three cats, one of which has already been adopted.  The remaining two cats don't have to be adopted together, but if you have room for two these ladies are a perfect pair since they already get along.  If your located around the Tampa Bay area and would like to adopt one or both of these animals feel free to stop by and meet them. The shelter is located on 3607 N. Armenia Ave in Tampa, Florida.  The contact number is (813) 876-7138 and the shelter is open Tuesday and Wednesday 12-7:30pm, and Thursday through Sunday 12-5:00.  Mookie and Tampa are waiting for you! 

Did You Know?

Greetings Animal Lovers, 
I wanted to take the time and dedicate a post to raise awareness on an issue that I think needs a boost of attention.  The slaughter of horses for human consumption is an ongoing problem that often goes under the radar.  Many people don't realize that although horses are not consumed in the U.S., they are still gathered and shipped to other parts of the continent (such as Canada) to be slaughtered and consumed.  I took a trip to Tallahassee this weekend and saw two separate trailer carriers, both full of horses touching nose on end. I didn't at the moment, but right now I'm contemplating whether I witnessed roughly fifty horses on their 'trip up the road'.  
A recent post on the ASPCA blog site announced that Chris Christie, the governor of New Jersey has recently signed A.2023/S into law.  The article reads, "Not only does it prevent a horse slaughter plant from opening in the Garden State, it also prohibits the use of state roads to transport live horses intended for slaughter elsewhere!" This is excellent news, and I think it's about time for all states to start recognizing this often overlooked issue.  Not all states have signed the law, but one by one they're slowly but surely coming around. It's important to realize that we have to stop the transport of soon-to-be-slaughtered horses as a country. If only certain states enforce the law there will still be routes available to take, which will still enable the issue to persist.  Think about it.  

Chill With All that Teething

Greetings Readers with Teethers, 

Teething is something I'm sure were all very familiar with, and although its normally seen in babies and toddlers, its also experienced by kittens and pups as well.  First time puppy owners may not know exactly how to soothe their pet's pain during this stage, and attempts to help may include a hard rawhide bone or a hard rubber toy both of which cost about $4.99 at a local pet store. It appears these items would give puppy something to chew on, perhaps save the life of your favorite pair of pumps or a wallet. In reality though your pup will never chew these things, at least not in the teething stage.  

Just like babies when pets are teething they prefer to chew on soft things that give easily. Think about it.  Why would a puppy who has newly erupted teeth, in some places nothing but gums, want to gnaw on hard things like rawhide or rubber? Back to my puppy example, contrary to the new owner's intentions the $10 worth of toys have actually hurt the pup's mouth, so now he won't even go near them. I stumbled across this post that highlights a number of teething remedies used for dogs. One of which states that to soothe your pet's pain, you can simply take an old used wash cloth and drench it in water.  After it's fully submerged wring it out lightly just so it's not dripping, and stick it in the freezer (still twisted up from the wring out).  Sounds like ten dollars saved to me. After about an hour give this to your pup by placing it in his mouth, so he's fully aware of how cold it is. Once he starts to chew the cloth it will defrost rather quickly and become soft and moist. A key component to this trick is the temperature of the cloth.  Just like freezer rings for babies the cloth will ease pain with the coolness. This coolness is released by gnawing on a soft cotton which also works to soothe pain.  After practicing this routine our new owner may realize that the coldness of the rag dies after about five to ten minutes; of course this depends on how rapid or slobbery your pup is while chewing.  An easy way to fix this potential problem is to freeze multiple rags at once.  When one of them is no longer cold you can pull a second or third out of the freezer until he's tired of chewing.  I figure at least four cloths can keep a puppy busy for 25-35 minutes.  Another warning to note with this exercise is miniature dogs may freeze if the rag is bigger than their bodies.  If you have a small breed dog I would suggest cutting one regular sized cloth into four equal parts, and then following the same procedure from above.  

If you find that the washcloths defrost too fast for your liking, you can also try mixing 1cup of low fat/fat free chicken/beef broth with 1.5cups of water, and pouring this mixture into an ice cube tray.  After the cubes have frozen, give them to your pup.  I would suggest giving them to your pet outdoors, since ice cubes on the floor tend to be a bit messy.  The coolness of the ice cube should soothe the teething dog. Although he may resort to simply licking the cube rather than chewing, the yummy broth flavor cube will help ease some pain. Note that the broth cubes should not be left for long periods of time like normal ice cubes, because we don't want them super hard. About 3-4 hrs should be plenty freezer time.  

Who Woulda' Thunk?

Greeting Animal Lovers, 

Over the last few weeks I've read quite a few posts on the ASPCA blog site, and for a reader's response I wanted to shine the spotlight on an article that wasn't about one particular animal. Instead, "Let's Stay Together" was a post targeted to make dog owners aware that their pooches can suffer from separation anxiety. The post suggests that with time schedules changing, due to students and parents going back to school or work, dogs may not adjust that well to being left alone. Dogs may resort to using the bathroom indoors, howling, chewing, or trying to escape the yard or house; all of which are purely symptoms of the separation anxiety.  Although many times this diagnosis will offer a plausible excuse for the unwanted behavior, I too wanted to share an alternative hypothesis.

In my opinion behaviors such as the ones mentioned above tend to be apparent in puppies, or dogs who have not been properly trained not to chew up shoes or pee on the rug. If your dog is trained, the behavior could actually be a well thought out and organized day of fun for the canine. I used to have a dog named Zeus, who was so mischievous he would wait until after everyone left the house to do his dirty work.  It could be correct that Zeus was experiencing separation anxiety. Being upset by everyone's departure could've caused him to tip the trash can and shred absolutely everything that was in it routinely for three months. Or could it be because my mother and her shoe were not there to positively punish his behavior.  I think that Zeus purposely waited until everyone cleared the house in order to get the longest period of uninterrupted joy.  Not to poke fun at the thought of a dog experiencing separation anxiety, ( I know it can happen!) but behaviors that occur in the absence of supervision should fall more along the lines of 'dogs will be dogs'; especially if no ones looking.  

                                      

Don't Be Afraid to Get Your Feet Wet!!

Greetings Animal Lovers ,
In true blogger fashion I'm going to utilize this first post to enlighten readers about the purpose of this blog, starting off with that fact its a grade. :) With that being stated, I am a junior at the University of South Florida, currently enrolled in an Expository Writing class.  Rather than the traditional "five essays" that a normal writing class would be assigned my professor has assigned a blog project, in which my class will dedicate an entire semester to creating and maintaining a blog.

At first sight of this assignment I was intimidated. After all I have NEVER even blogged on an existing site, let alone start my own but after these first couple weeks I feel I've gotten a pretty good start to my new 'Blogging Project'.

Awareness for animal cruelty is what I plan to accomplish with this project, which I've conveniently renamed The PawSwap Project.  I'll be visiting animal shelters in the Tampa Bay area and posting pictures with stories of animals that are ready to be adopted, specifically the ones who have been abused or neglected.  In addition to adopting out animals, I will incorporate fun new ideas about how to maintain a healthy lifestyle for your pet including grooming your pet, organizing your pets diet, and free time for your pet. You guys stay tuned for shocking stories and updates on animal cruelty!

 Warning : the stories you read on this blog may be vulgar and uncensored