Fear Free Happy Homes
Reading Time: 3 minutes June is both the ASPCA’s Adopt a Shelter Cat Month and the American Humane Association’s Adopt a Cat Month. Either way, it’s a very special month for cats. Cats definitely need adopting. According to the ASPCA, about 3.2 million cats enter shelters annually. However, only about half are adopted. While some are euthanized for medical […]
Reading Time: 4 minutes Dr. Jane Goodall hadn’t heard about Fear Free, but the idea resonates with her. Considering animal emotions is something she once fought for. It’s hard to think of Goodall as a controversial figure, but when she first began her observational notes on chimpanzee behavior at Gombe National Park in Tanzania in the early 1960s, she […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes No one knows how many dog bites occur each year, but the Centers for Disease Control and the American Veterinary Medical Association estimate the number is between 4.5 and 4.7 million. More than 800,000 of the people bitten receive medical attention for dog bites, and most bites happen to children, from dogs the family knows—often […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes The word toxic comes from the ancient Greek word toxikon, meaning “poison for arrows.” While swallowing poison darts rarely occurs among pets, here’s a list of foods that are dangerous to share with our best friends with four legs or feathers. Alcohol: Letting or encouraging pets to drink alcohol is dangerous. We know grapes are harmful […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes At what cost do you save a life? Or is that not even the right question to ask? What motivates this story is local dog trainer, near where I live, who was recently “outed” for alleged use of aversive methods to save lives. That in itself sounds like a contradiction, doesn’t it? When animal control […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes No one wants a trip to the veterinary emergency room, a vomiting cat, or a down dog to spoil the holiday season—let alone empty out the family wallet. Here’s how to avoid mishaps and keep pets happy. Candles Burn Bright: Curiosity can kill. If a candle is knocked over, a house fire can start. A […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes Many pets never received the memo that Halloween is supposed to be fun. They truly are spooked by all those creatures that smell like humans but resemble zombies or superheroes. And for many pets the constant ringing of the doorbell and all the commotion is disturbing. For two reasons, ensconcing those animals in a room […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes Are you old enough to remember buying those little red-eared slider turtles at pet stores when you were a kid? Back in the day, in the 1950s and ‘60s into the early 70s, these turtles were commonly kept as pets. Typically, though, they suffered from inadequate diets and unhygienic habitats and became known for transmitting […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes Blah! Blah! It’s scary out there—all those pets dressed up as dinosaurs, lions, and spiders. And if you dress up your pet, you’re not alone, as more than 4.2 million dog-owning households and nearly two million cat caretakers will be treating their furry (and costumed) companions to ghoulish goodies and grisly toys this Halloween, according […]
Reading Time: 2 minutes Does Fear Free matter? Are you kidding? Here’s an example. My own 15-year old cat, Roxy, went to the veterinarian recently for some medical issues. She’s actually fine with going into her carrier and the car ride, and in the past she has never minded the veterinary visit. This time, however, both Dr. Natalie Marks […]