Great Animal Rescue Stories and Japan's Tsunami Animal Victims Update

Great Animal Rescue Stories and Japan's Tsunami Animal Victims Update

Great Animal Rescue Stories and Japan's Tsunami Animal Victims Update

Great Animal Rescue Stories and Japan's Tsunami Animal Victims Update

Woofy in your Wedding:As the Ring-Bearer of your Brilliant Moissanite Jewel

Chances are, if you are on this blog, reading this post, it is likely that an adorable pet is perhaps part of your family, hence a part of your wedding plans.  Just another consideration for that special day that has long since morphed from a standard wedding ceremony into a budget-busting, personally tailored extravaganza.  But fear not! You can have it all: the wedding of your dreams, complete with a brilliant Moissanite ring and your pooch too, without sacrificing your first born.

Mix a little traditional wedded bliss with the ever-changing diverse family design and you have the customized and always entertaining vows of today. No gem represents this diverse  union better than Moissanite, a naturally-occurring and incredibly rare gemstone. Just a handful of crystals have been discovered, always in extreme environments like meteorites, upper mantle rock, or even as tiny inclusions inside diamonds. Although this stone creates a symbol of everlasting devotion and love, imagine its significance when presented by your ring-bearing Rover.

Many couples are opting to include their beloved pet in their nuptials, as a part of the family - and what better choice than to include everyone? An eager flower girl, presenter of the almighty ring or depending on your pet's breed and  personality, their presence alone may be enough, with a pet sitter of course. However you decide to exchange your vows make sure that you do a trial run, especially when incorporating pets into the ceremony!

Maintaining your cat's weight with healthy cat treats

After my cat, Kyra, started gaining weight my vet suggested I start looking

for healthy cat treats, which are great for cats that need to lose a few pounds.

The vet and I discussed Kyra’s eating habits, the food I fed, and her activity

levels. When the vet could find no medical reason for the weight gain, she

suggested that the high calorie treats I was feeding Kyra may be the culprit!

Cat treats can be used as an effective way to train or reward your cat, but

should be fed in moderation, and with an understanding of the ingredients

Like anything you feed your cat, you need to diligently read the labels! Many

cat treats on the market today are full of unhealthy fats and carbohydrates

that contribute to weight gain and overall poor health in many felines. A

healthy cat treat should have a high protein content, moderate fat content

and low fiber / carbohydrate counts. Using this information, you can compare

labels and find a lower calorie cat treat that has the right concentration of

fat, protein, and carbohydrates.

If you are trying to train or reward a cat and do not want to cut back on the positive reinforcement, try feeding the cat his or her normal food just a bit less per day. After speaking with your vet and reading your cat food labels, you should be able to come up with your cat’s daily recommended caloric intake. With this in mind, you can substitute treats for food calories, and not cause weight gain.

I am happy to report that by switching Krya to a lower calorie cat treat to lower and maintain her weight; I have not had to change the amount of treats she receives each day. Kyra is losing the extra weight she had gained & still enjoying her cat treats!

Amber Alert to find your lost pet

My Dad's new kitten "Cisco" proved to be the perfect little feline friend, much to everyone's surprise, it was a match made in Cat Heaven. With his orange stripes and apprehensive nature Cisco reminded my Dad of his favorite childhood pet "Poncho" and the two bonded as the best happily ever after tale would depict, until...Cisco didn't come home one day! What now? Needless to say, my Dad was worried sick and the entire family provided support but what services exist to locate missing pets? Especially cats with his temperament, more likely to run and hide from help instead of running to rescue. He put up flyers, called the Animal Shelter, went door to door and shook dry food in the surrounding area as suggested by one of the help lines and called his Vet for suggestions. It had been over a week with no word, no meow, nothing. You can't help but think how awful it must be for parents with missing children.

Fortunately, huge strides have been seen with the Amber Alert and although the protocol with missing children may be slightly different than with pets, the concept is the same: The sooner the better. PetAmberAlert uses this technology to help spread the word rapidly about your lost dog, cat or any type of missing pet. For example, lets say that there is a lost cat in Chicago. Alert system results in an 85% success rate if the alert goes out in the first week, a 75% success rate after two weeks, and a 65% success rate after eight weeks. PetAmberAlert has the only system combining immediate Poster, Phone and Social Media alerts with an online database where people can search lost cats and locate you and your contact information. I now have them bookmarked for future feline escapades.

Now for Cisco's amazing reunion with my Dad! About 3 weeks had elapsed since Cisco disappeared and although my Dad had all but given up on ever seeing him again he heard a faint but familiar meow in the distance while getting the paper one morning. On the other side of the creek in the back of his house he saw the outline of a cat, but this cat was gray not orange and white, could it be? He finally identified this scrawny, dirty-gray cat as his poor lost Cisco and with the help of one of the nicest condo residents that lived on the other side of the creek, Cisco was returned home, bringing joy to everyone involved. It is still a mystery where he was for all that time but after the Vet checked him out he confirmed that he was dehydrated and had lost lots of weight but was otherwise healthy. Cisco's safe return was a miracle no doubt and had we known about an Amber Alert for pets, there is no doubt that we would have used it!

Cisco now, resting comfortably in his loft, he is not planning any vacations this summer!

Fur Friendly Films for your Cat

Does your cat follow you around at times, meowing with such persistence that you are convinced that she has something important to say .....If only she could find the right words. Her water and 5 food bowls are brimming, liter box is clean, and the basket of kitty toys guaranteed to entertain even the most finicky feline personalities are starting to collect dust!

Perhaps she needs a good movie. Seriously! Results to these fur-friendly films differ - My cat is only interested in the birds, while others cat captives sit silently for an hour or more.

With more cats living indoors these days, I am convinced that they simply become a bit bored, taking up bug hunting and human harassment to pass the time. Why not try a video made for cats!? Give it a go, you just never know what that cat has on her curiosity radar.

Darlene Sabella's Smashing Magazine: 2012 THE YEAR OF POWER

Darlene Sabella's Smashing Magazine: 2012 THE YEAR OF POWER: Click here for an easy and free way to help care for those in need at The Animal Rescue Site!