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msnbc.com
Motorist, child OK after vehicle slams into 1,500-gallon tank
TAMPA, Fla. - The driver and the child in her lap survived when a pickup slammed into a 1,500-gallon aquarium at Tampa International Airport, officials said. The tropical fish were not so lucky.
Airport officials say 36-year-old Yamile Campuzano-Martine lost control of her truck and drove into the saltwater tank outside the American Airlines baggage claim Monday night. Airport spokeswoman Brenda Geoghagan said the driver had an unrestrained 6-year-old boy in her lap.
About 90 percent of the 30 to 40 saltwater fish in the tank were killed.
The aquarium was part of a public art program. The airport spent $200,000 on the exhibit, which included the 12-foot tank.
Campuzano-Martine was cited for careless driving. No number was listed for her in public records.
By Laverne Hughey, Humane Society of Harrison County
Perhaps the majority of readers have made definite plans for their dog's or cat's future if something should happen to the animal's caretaker. Even when we know it is the smart thing to do, we may hesitate to complete the plan.
Just as we make plans for our estate by making a will or trust, serious thought should be given to what would happen to any companion animals when we are no longer present to handle those duties of daily care and assuring we have found someone to take over.
Something usually happens to someone I know, which prompts the subject for this column. Many will no doubt recognize the person and the situation that arose when a Marshall citizen recently died. There was no close relative surviving and, therefore, no obvious person to step forward to accept responsibility for the individual's small dog.
This problem has been addressed a few times in this column, and now it seems appropriate to visit again. Yes, of course, there are a few surviving relatives, but they do not live in Marshall. They probably were not close to the dog, therefore, have no feeling of responsibility for the animal, regardless of the inheritance from the deceased. That could possibly give someone in the group inheriting under the Last Will and Testament, the thought that it might be a good idea to do what the deceased would want done. On the other hand, taking an animal might be too much for some people.
The person who died had called me a few years ago to ask advice about acquiring a "purebred puppy." Explaining that I knew nothing about purebred dogs, quite naturally I suggested starting with the Marshall Animal Shelter as the facility often has purebred animals available. At that time, The Pet Place which is headquarters for the Humane Society of Harrison County, had not been built. The fact that the person would be saving a life by adopting did not inspire that action.
Next, the suggestion was made that a rescue organization be contacted. No, did not want to do that. It was easy to see where this would lead, straight to a breeder. There is nothing wrong with acquiring a dog or cat from a breeder. That decision, however, will encourage continued breeding, which means that even more animals will be looking for homes.
It came to my attention that the person did purchase a puppy which, naturally, was very active as most puppies are, which is not the best scenario for a senior citizen.
It would seem more sensible to adopt a senior citizen dog that really needs a forever home, and older dogs are more difficult to place as many families simply want a young, frisky, playful animal. Yes, they are also irresistible and so appealing.
The Marshall Animal Shelter and The Pet Place usually have adult dogs and cats as well as puppies and kittens. It seems logical to have a look at a mature animal, play with it, walk it around, talk to it, see how the animal reacts. You may be pleasantly surprised. And, let's remember, no house training and other time-consuming activities. Adult dogs and cats usually understand the rules of the new home and easily become adjusted.
So, what happened to the "surviving" dog of the person who died? It seems the dog was placed with a new home, which did not work out for whatever reason. Then, the dog was passed on to another home, which did not work out. The dog was then taken to a facility that had boarded her on a few occasions and where she seemed comfortable. Someone saw her there and adopted the dog.
The story is that the new caretaker and the dog are doing well. Let's hope that is indeed the case.
PetSiteHQ.com
It is quite odd to hear the words tea cup cats when somebody talks about it and you dont know what it means. You may be aware of miniature cats in the market but tea cup cats are supposed to be something different.
You can imagine that tea cup cats as miniature cats but they are little different as far as their characteristics are concerned. When we refer to normal cats the female weighs around fourteen pounds and a male up to seventeen pounds.
On the contrary a teacup Persian cat starts weighing in at the measly three pound mark and stays below eight at the maximum. If you have these weight markings in mind then you will immediately be able to gauge whether the cat being offered in the market is an actual teacup Persian cat.
When you are looking for a tea cup cat you should be concious of the traits of a tea cup cat otherwise you may be cheated by some cat breeder of doubtful quality. Any seller who would want to trick you will offer a cat which is less than ten pounds in weight as a tea cup cat but this cat is a Persian cat of common variety. Those Persian cats which weigh ten pounds or less do not necessarily become a tea cup Persian.
Tea cup cats make excellent pets as they are so adorable and cuddly. Therefore many people like to bring them these charming cats home as they are great choice for a pet.
The teacup Persian cat with its extremely small size and delicate nature is all the more demanding of love and care which is one of the things that cat owners instinctively do.
The tea cup cats do not come naturally and are bred by a process called inbreeding. Here the cat breeders mate the smallest category of one breed with the smallest variety of another. The size of the off springs gradually decreases with the coming of each new generation thus gradually the correct size is acquired after a few generations.
The process can be compared to the Japanese art of Bonsai which requires dwarfing the tree. The teacup variety is arrived at in pretty much the same manner as dwarfism. There are however two main forms of the process of dwarfism when it comes to teacup Persian cats.
One of these ways is known as achondroplasia. This is the process in which the leading gene grows while mutating. As a consequence it has an effect on the hormonal balance in the cats body. This balance then controls the bone growth resulting in smaller overall bone structures. Although there are many different breeds of teacup cats the Persian is by far the most popular teacup cat in the world.
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BY STEVE METSCH SouthtownStar
Up to 150,000 pets die in fires every year, succumbing mostly to smoke inhalation. But, increasingly, fire departments across the country are using pet oxygen masks to revive the animals.
The Chicago Fire Department recently was given masks for pets and is planning to distribute them and train firefighters.
And just last week, the Matteson Fire Department was given two sets of the life-saving masks.
"We've had a few occasions where pets have been revived by guys using their own masks," Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said.
"On the South Side, they brought a cat out that appeared dead. It looked like they were doing CPR on the street. And kitty came back!"
The cone-shaped plastic masks designed for animals fit snugly on snouts and can be used on dogs, cats and even some birds.
"This is fantastic. Occasionally, we will have a pet inside a building fire. The masks we have fit a person but don't fit too well on pets because of their snouts," Matteson Fire Chief Patrick Gericke said.
Firefighters should not be in danger of being bitten when helping animals "because they are so lethargic" from a lack of oxygen, shift Cmdr. Dan Kukulski said. Firefighters know all too well when an animal has plenty of air because it'll be more frisky, he said.
Gericke said the kits will offer peace of mind for pet owners.
"Pets really are members of your family. It's a loved one, and people want to make sure their pets are safely out [of a fire]," he said.
The masks were originally developed for use by veterinarians but have evolved into rescue tools over the last several years.
TheNewsStar.com
According to a recent Associated Press-Petside.com poll, most people don't have plans for protecting their animal companions in the event of a natural disaster evacuation. Please, don't wait for a disaster to strike. Make an emergency plan for your animals now.
Never leave animals behind in an evacuation. You may not be able to return home for weeks, leaving animals stranded without food or water.
Check with hotels, relatives and friends to see if you and your animals can stay there until the emergency is over.
Make sure animals are current on vaccinations and are wearing collars with identification tags. Pack leashes, bowls, towels, blankets, litter pans and litter, and at least a week's supply of food and medications.
If you must leave your companions behind, leave them indoors, with access to upper floors and at least 10 days' worth of dry food and water. Fill sinks and multiple containers with water. Place signs in windows and on the front door indicating how many and what kind of animals are inside—rescue teams may be able to save them.
TVs, couches and even homes are replaceable, but best friends aren't. Visit www.HelpingAnimals.com for more emergency-preparedness tips.
Lindsay Pollard-Post
Norfolk, Va.
By Samantha Healy - The Sunday Mail (Qld)
VETERINARY nurse Allison Andrewartha admits her pets are spoilt rotten. "They are my fur kids. I don't deny it," Ms Andrewartha, 37, said.
Her "kids" include Neava, a seven-year-old husky, 12-year-old pomeranian Darth Vader, her three cats Ghost, 7, Bastet, 5, and Bobsy, 3, three birds, a snake and a tank full of fish.
"I have never been overly interested in kids, so they are my kids," she said.
"They are spoilt and run circles around me - but I wouldn't have it any other way."
Ms Andrewartha, who lives in Crestmead, is part of a growing trend of animal lovers who treat their pets as children, the Sunday Mail reports.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, pets are twice as common as children in Australian households, with 63 per cent of homes having a pet, compared with 33 per cent with children.
Elevating pets to human status is a bit scary but I love my 2 dogs to bits but they are still dogs. I have no kids so they get spoilt rotten they come on holidays with us and god he...
RSPCA community outreach co-ordinator Briony Gray, 25, is another dog lover who spares no expense to keep her pets happy.
When they are not sleeping in her bed, along with her partner Mark Style, 29, they have their own bedroom, complete with Sheridan sheets, down quilts, electric blankets, overflowing toy boxes and shelves full of books about dogs.
"They are my children. Each one of them has their own little personality. They are more like little humans to us," Ms Gray said.
Chihuahuas Pepe, 5, and Maxi, 2, and poodle cross Harry, 1, also go on "adventures with mum and dad", eat free-range meat and have birthday parties. Pepe even has her own Dogbook site, an application on Facebook.
"They depend on you so much for love and it brings me joy to make them happy," Ms Gray said.
"It probably sounds nuts but we love them so much."
Recent Galaxy Research, conducted for Purina pet food, found a strong trend towards "pet humanisation" - pet owners elevating their pets to human status.
The survey found that pet owners worried about everything from their pets' moods to whether they had friends and if they were getting adequate play time.
Social demographer Bernard Salt said the trend was likely to continue.
"I would expect, as a result of our ageing population, divorce and more people living the single life longer, the indulgence of companion animals will continue to grow," Mr Salt said.
"Indulging our pets makes us feel good and with more DINKS (double income, no kids) households, people are looking for an outlet for love," he said.
PugGal.com
Bombay Cats are also called parlor panthers. They are often described as exotic in appearance and are very similar to their wild namesakes. They are relatively small Cats, even they are adults and completed there growing period.
An adult male Bombay Cat’s weight is around 8 to 11 pounds and adult female’s weight is between 6 and 9 pounds. They can be recognized easily because they have a very silky black coated skin. They have very round heads and a heavy face. There eyes are rounded and wide similar to most other Cats.
They have very short coat lies to their body and require no grooming at all. Bombay Cats reach sexual maturity quickly but they grow slower than others. For example, a male Bombay Cat reaches to his full muscular development when it is 2 years old. They typically don’t require grooming because they have a short coat which stays close to their body. A brush can be used to keep their coat extra clean and shiny.
What do Bombay Cats eat is different from a cat’s behavior. Some cats only eat special cat food and other can eat whatever you provide them. Breeders use only food enriched with quality vitamins. Mostly they can eat freely without gaining weight but some becomes overweight. Bombay Cats can be distinguished into two broad categories. i.e;British Bombay Cats and American Bombay Cats. British Bombay Cats are the Asian black cats. They are of Burmese type. They have black coat, toes, copper to greenish eyes and black toes. American Bombay Cats were created in 1958 by breeding of American Shorthair and a Burmese in a hope of a cat resembling a panther.
It was a successful attempt and the American Bombay Cats looks like wild panther of India. American Bombay Cats also have sleek black coats, similar to British Bombay Cats, and often confused with British Bombay Cats because of the same reason. American Bombay Cats mostly have orange eyes and hence the way to differentiate between the two.
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PetAmours.com
Pet birds just like us need to take a bath. This helps keep them clean and remove excess oil on their feathers. Doing this on a regular basis also promotes good health as they are also affected from household air conditioning and heating.
To go for it, it is required that the pet bird is brought to a room that is warm and has no drafts. It is also best to do this early during the day so the bird will be able to dry itself before bedtime.
The materials you will using will be a heavy dish filled with one or two inches of water. The reason for this is to create an artificial puddle which is what birds in the wild go when they feel the need to cleanse themselves.
It is to be made sure that the water used for it is lukewarm or room temperature as cold water can chill them. Once inside the bowl, they can already bathe themselves.
Birds of bigger size will have much difficulty in taking proper bathing themselves in a bowl. This is why it is a good idea to bring the bird out of its cage, let it stand on the perch and then you run the water lightly on them.
One of the most ideal places in the house to do this is the bathroom or the kitchen. With the hose is in your hand, never spray the water on their face. Never make the mistake of saturating your pet bird’s feathers. Doing so can lead to a loss of body heat and flight impairment.
While bathing them inside a bowl or on a perch, take note that it was never mentioned to use shampoo or soap on them because water is enough to cleanse them. If cheap type of cleaning products is used it may remove the bird’s natural oils.
After giving your pet bird a bath, you can let them dry on their own or wipe them gently using a towel. If you are thinking to go for it, just be sure that you only rub in the direction of the feather growth. Never use a hair dryer because you could burn them.
Don’t forget to clean the sink or the tub with water and mild unscented soap after giving your pet bird a bath. This will ensure protection for you and your family who also use it when they brush their teeth or do the dishes.
Before you put the pet bird back in the cage, don’t forget to change the bird cage bedding. Most of the time, this gets wet from the splashing as the bird washes itself and you wouldn’t want bacteria to grow there that could get your bird sick.
Bathing your bed bird should be done once or twice a week. You can do this more often especially during the molten season because it helps remove itching. You just have to observe your bird to figure out if they prefer to take a bath.
Some birds do not like taking a bath. In such a situation, you must try to create interest for this in them so that they start enjoying it. One way is to get yourself wet and since they trust you, in time they will understand that it is perfectly alright.
A bath is always a refreshing experience and your pet bird should also have one every so often.
The Nassau Guardian
The holiday season is fast approaching, and as pet owners we want to ensure that our furry friends are not overlooked during the hustle and bustle of the yuletide season. As we prepare for Christmas by decorating our houses and purchasing loads of gifts, cooking lots of food and inviting over lots of friends and family, our pets are at risk to potentially life-threatening dangers that can present around the house in the simplest of forms.
The holidays should be a happy time for you and your pet and should not elicit an emergency trip to your veterinarian. Here are some safety tips that you can implement around your home that will help to keep your pets out of harms way during the next few weeks.
Some of us love to express our holiday spirit by decorating the house with lots of lights, plants, tinsel and other objects that represent the meaning of Christmas. These simple decorations can prove deadly for an unsuspecting dog or cat.
Electrical cords from decorative lights or the Christmas tree can look like chew toys to your pets. Serious harm like electrical shock, burns or even death can occur when a pet chews on the objects when they are plugged in or turned on. Extra cords should be taped down to prevent ease of access by the pet and they should all be unplugged when the owner is out of the house.
Decorative plants like the poinsettia should be kept out of reach of your dog or cat as it can result in serious stomach upset and blistering in the mouth when ingested.
Tinsel and other strings and decorative ribbons can cause serious intestinal obstruction that usually requires surgery and is life-threatening, when they are ingested. Cats are especially tempted to eat items like tinsel therefore it should be hung very high and securely out of the pets' reach.
Ornaments can be especially problematic because they resemble toys to our pets so they work even harder to acquire them. All ornaments should be kept out of reach from pets not only because they can be choking hazards but also because when broken, glass ornaments can seriously injure a paw, mouth or other body part on your pet. If you are a pet owner with indoor pets, that may be more exposed to decorative elements and lighting, it may be best to restrict your pets' access to the more decorated parts of the house during the holiday season by using child safety gates or other barricades to ensure their safety.
The holiday season is a time when we love to cook and eat rich foods, which can pose a major problem to our pets. Their ingestion of table foods during the holiday season cannot only lead to mild upset stomach but to pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) a painful condition that causes vomiting and dehydration and may require hospitalization.
Chocolate, a common snack and gift during the holidays is fatal to dogs and cats and should be kept out of reach.
House guests should be discouraged from feeding animals food from their plates and should never leave their plates unattended if there is a pet in or around the house. A great tip for pet owners is to feed their pets right before a gathering to minimize the chances of that pet stealing or begging for holiday goodies. If you have an exceptionally greedy pet then sequestering them to a separate part of the house or yard until the function is over, and all food items have been discarded is the best alternative.
Holiday guests and other activities can be very stressful and even frightening to pets. It can also trigger illness and intestinal upset. Make sure pets have a safe, quiet place to retreat in your house. And make sure they are wearing current I.D. in case they escape out a door when guests come and go. If necessary, you may need to place your pet in a boarding kennel or take it to a friend's house until the end of a holiday event to minimize their level of stress.
Remember that changes in your pet's environment can be very stressful to them and they may exhibit unusual behavior because of it. Always plan ahead for your pets during the holiday season, to ensure a smooth and stress free occasion.
To have your pet questions answered, send an e-mail to purrfectpets1@gmail.com or call Dr. Bridgette Johnson at 364-8101.
