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Washington Post
Carrier Trick
Dear Heloise: I read a hint in your column ON GETTING A PET INTO A CARRIER. Well, mine is foolproof. I saw them do it at my vet's office. Just sit the carrier on end with the open end up. Pick up your pet and gently deposit it into the carrier and close the door. Your pet does not see the carrier and does not fight your trying to put it in. My husband and I have four cats -- one shelter cat, two strays and one from a local family. They are Tucker, Taffy, Tracy and now Coco, who is a stray and part Siamese. Thanks for all your great hints. -- Dot Althouse, Smethport, Pa.
GROOMING IS IMPORTANT
Dear Heloise: We might not realize when our older pets become arthritic, but grooming is especially difficult for them. Gentle brushing improves their well-being and is so good for them. Every furry or hairy pet needs to be brushed every day, or as often as possible. It is a sweet way to make the bond with them even closer. -- Shirley Paschal, Cresson, Texas
Shirley, Cabbie, our miniature schnauzer, agrees! I try to brush her and clean her eyes daily. -- Heloise
FISH FEEDING
Dear Heloise: My friend and I trade pet-sitting duties when we travel. I have one of those weekly pillboxes, and I measure out the fish food into each day's compartment, which makes it easy on the pet sitter. The fish can continue to have the variety that I would provide if I were home without any interruption and in the proper amount. I had used an auto feeder, but somehow my fish always gunked it up. After a trip, I'd come home to find they'd gotten it in the aquarium, so I don't use it anymore. -- Melanie Parrott, via e-mail
PET PAL
Dear Readers: Verdi Adam of Baton Rouge, La., sent a photo of her 3-year-old black-and-white Persian cat, Aslan, sitting pretty as can be in a little box. To see Aslan, visit www.Heloise.com. -- Heloise
SAVE YOUR BAGS
Dear Heloise: We live in an apartment and have to make sure we pick up our dog's waste when we take her out. Doggie bags are pretty expensive, especially now. So I save my sandwich, bread, fruit and vegetable bags. I put them in our dog bag. Then when we take her out, we just pull one out of the bag. It works very well and doesn't cost us a penny, either. -- Nan from Ohio
DOG BED
Dear Heloise: If you replace your old lawn-chair cushions, save them. They make great outdoor beds for your cat or dog. Most of them are made out of fabric that holds up well in outdoor conditions, and they are portable, which makes them handy when traveling with your pet. When they get dirty, just add a little mild detergent, hose them down and spread them out in the sun to dry. -- Mary Michelle Martinez, Fair Oaks Ranch, Texas
(c)2009 by King Features Syndicate Inc
Taragana.com
LONDON - Hollywood actor George Clooney hired a psychic to help him contact his dead pig.
The “Leatherheads” star is still mourning the loss of his pet swine Max, who died in 2006, and has asked a medium to get in touch with it, contactmusic.com reports.
“The psychic told me Max had a great life with me. He is very happy in spirit and still hangs out with me sometimes. I am not sure she was telling the truth but I do want to believe her,” Clooney reportedly told a friend.
The actor was left devastated after the 300-pound pet passed away at home while the actor was promoting his movie “The Good German”.
Max, who had suffered from partial blindness and arthritis, had lived with Clooney for 18 years and the pair often shared a bed.
The 48-year-old actor regularly took Max to interviews and photo shoots and joked it was his longest-running relationship.
Washington Post
Dear Heloise: I read a hint in your column on getting a pet into a carrier. Well, mine is foolproof. I saw them do it at my vet's office. Just sit the carrier on end with the open end up. Pick up your pet and gently deposit it into the carrier and close the door. Your pet does not see the carrier and does not fight your trying to put it in. My husband and I have four cats — one shelter cat, two strays and one from a local family. They are Tucker, Taffy, Tracy and now Coco, who is a stray and part Siamese. Thanks for all your great hints. — Dot Althouse, Smethport, Pa.
Dear Heloise: We might not realize when our older pets become arthritic, but grooming is especially difficult for them. Gentle brushing improves their well-being and is so good for them. Every furry or hairy pet needs to be brushed every day, or as often as possible. It is a sweet way to make the bond with them even closer. — Shirley Paschal, Cresson, Texas
Shirley: Cabbie, our miniature schnauzer, agrees! I try to brush her and clean her eyes daily. — Heloise
Dear Heloise: My friend and I trade pet-sitting duties when we travel. I have one of those weekly pillboxes, and I measure out the fish food into each day's compartment, which makes it easy on the pet sitter. The fish can continue to have the variety that I would provide if I were home without any interruption and in the proper amount. I had used an auto feeder, but somehow my fish always gunked it up. After a trip, I'd come home to find they'd gotten it in the aquarium, so I don't use it anymore. — Melanie Parrott, via e-mail
Dear Heloise: We live in an apartment and have to make sure we pick up our dog's waste when we take her out. Doggie bags are pretty expensive, especially now. So I save my sandwich, bread, fruit and vegetable bags. I put them in our dog bag. Then when we take her out, we just pull one out of the bag. It works very well and doesn't cost us a penny, either. — Nan from Ohio
Dear Heloise: If you replace your old lawn-chair cushions, save them. They make great outdoor beds for your cat or dog. Most of them are made out of fabric that holds up well in outdoor conditions, and they are portable, which makes them handy when traveling with your pet. When they get dirty, just add a little mild detergent, hose them down and spread them out in the sun to dry. — Mary Michelle Martinez, Fair Oaks Ranch, Texas
TropicalFishTanksOnline.com
Taking care of a coral is not something easy to do. But with the right amount of information and patience, you can do it also.
If you are not an experience coral breeder, choose a type of coral that can survive with normal light. Some species that don’t require special light are the Mushroom Corals and the Coral Polyps. There are most suited for first time coral owners. If you have one of these species, use normal lightning techniques.
Some species like the Small Polyp Stony Corals (SPS’s) – including the Porites, Brain Coral, Acoropora, Montipora, Bubble Coral, Cup Coral, Torch Coral, Elegance Coral, and Trumpet Coral – need an intense light. This means that they will need a lot of attention from the tank owner. Sometimes, providing these species with light can be a challenge. They need more intense light. This means that algae will grow in the tank, if the light is intense. This can be a challenge for most aquarium hobbyists.
The most common technique for keeping the coral safe is the LED - light emitting diode. Before the LED aquarists used the filament or gas based systems. But once the led appeared, these systems became obsolete. The LEDs have a big power, a longer lifespan, they consume less energy. All this means small costs and less hassle.
Also, keep in mind that the process called the zooxanthellae’s photosynthesis needs tow types of lights: blue and red. The lights in the aquarium often exude a purple hue. Many of them also provide the both colors. It is the standard in the industry.
During the zooxanthellae’s photosynthesis the light must be reduced to minimum. This is essential. Respect the tolerance limits as well. Keep the lights to a middle level or some bad things may happen to the coral and also to the zooxanthellae.
There are no exact measurements on how little or how much light it takes for the xooxanthellae to be all right. Usually, the amount of xooxanthellae in the corals is between a few thousands to some millions. Make sure the minimum light intensity is 3000-lux. Never go beyond 120.000-lux. Constantly observe the status of the coral while adjusting the light levels. Notice how they behave and act accordingly.
Also, use high quality lamps. Those ones include fluorescent. It is better to use six lamps if you tank is big enough. If you don’t have space for all of them, use high output lamps. They are more expensive than the other ones but they are very necessary. Replace the bulbs once at every half a year. The power florescent lams are in a U-shape and they are the best option. You only need for of those and not six.
In conclusion, corals are amazing for your aquarium. Many fish also like to feast on coral. Read all the instructions of the lightning systems carefully and if you have any more questions read on the internet or talk to a sales person from the pet shop. Whether you have decided to have coral in your tank or not, it is always good to keep the lightning levels to the right specifications for your fish species.
By Matthew Jackson - itemonline.com
If you’ve adopted a pet from the Rita B. Huff Animal Shelter any time in the past year, you’ve probably been walked through the process by an animal lover named Michelle Guidry.
A native of Houston, Guidry now lives in the Riverside area, and has devoted a large portion of her life to caring for animals, in Walker County and beyond.
“My first job was volunteering at a shelter in Seguin in the early 90s,” she said. “They had just a little facility, much smaller than this one.”
Guidry’s love of animals has always been a part of her life, ever since childhood, when animals of all kinds surrounded her.
“When I was growing up, we had anything from livestock to dogs and cats and birds,” she said. “I’ve always been around animals.”
Guidry first came to work for Rita B. Huff in 2002. She stayed for a year before leaving in the summer of 2003. She then returned in 2005 to work for another year, then returned again in July of 2008. That fall, she was named the shelter’s adoption consultant, a position she still holds.
“In between that I worked a bunch of other jobs. I did home health for a while, and I went back to school,” Guidry said. “But I keep coming back.”
As adoption consultant, Guidry advises every patron that visits Rita B. Huff through the adoption process, and provides tips and guidance for caring for new pets.
“Anybody that’s interested in adoption has to fill out an application, and then I forward the application to the manager to be approved, then I let them know if they’ve been approved or denied.”
According to Rita B. Huff executive director Marjolein Lemmon, Guidry’s time as adoption consultant has been marked by a greater involvement in the adoption process.
“The reason she became adoption consultant is because there’s more to the adoption than we used to do,” Lemmon said. “She’s really sitting down with these people and consulting them.”
Everyone adopting a pet through Rita B. Huff meets with Guidry, who walks them through a checklist of care concerns for their new pet.
“We used to tell people to just read and sign the form and a lot of times they didn’t really read it,” Guidry said. “So now, I sit down with them and go through the contract and answer all their questions.”
But Guidry’s help in the adoption process often extends further than what happens inside the animal shelter. A lifelong pet owner, her years of experience often serve to help new pet owners, who often call her for advice.
“I have 16 dogs at home, so personal experience is a big deal with me,” she said. “A lot of people call me with questions.”
Even at home, Guidry is constantly on the lookout for animals she can help. With 16 dogs and four cats, she claims she has rarely purchased a pet, preferring instead to rescue them.
“A lot of my dogs were rescue dogs,” she said. “I had a lab that someone dropped off that we just lost two months ago to cancer. We found him four years ago, and we took him in. He was an older dog, but we probably gave him the best four years of his life. Out of all my dogs, I think I’ve only bought two of them.”
Though she says some days, when the adoption rate seems to drop, her work can be a little discouraging, Guidry still finds endless rewards in her job.
“Sometimes it’s discouraging when the rates seem to drop off a little,” she said, “but I love it here. I get to meet people everyday, and I get to talk to them about our animals. And a lot of our animals do get adopted. Some people seem to think that we put some of the animals down as soon as they come in the door, but we don’t. We give them a chance here.”
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By Shara Yurkiewicz - Los Angeles Times
The larger the bird, the more complex the molting process, which may hinder flying, researchers find.
What determines how big a flying bird can be? The answer, in part, is the time it takes for the creatures to replace their feathers, researchers have found.
The study, published Tuesday in the journal PLoS Biology, found that the larger the bird, the more challenging it is for the growth of new feathers to keep up with feather length. At bigger bird sizes, feathers wear out before new ones can grow.
It is even possible that feathers may dictate an upper limit for the size of flying birds, although that is not proven, said study coauthor Robert E. Ricklefs of the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
For birds to fly, their feathers must be in good condition. But continued abrasion and exposure to air, bacteria and ultraviolet light causes their gradual deterioration. Worn-out feathers must be shed and replaced in a process called molting.
But losing wing feathers hinders flying ability. For birds that depend on flight to find food and mates and evade predators, the process makes the animal vulnerable. So molting must occur in a way that minimizes flying problems.
Sievert Rohwer of the University of Washington and colleagues examined specimens of 43 bird species, comparing body size, length of flight feathers and their growth rate.
Larger birds have longer feathers: Length roughly doubles for each tenfold increase in bird mass, the scientists found.
Larger birds also have faster feather growth rates, but not enough to keep up with the larger feather size. It takes about 1.5 times longer to replace a feather with each tenfold increase in bird mass, the authors calculated.
These findings may explain why different birds have evolved different ways of molting, the scientists wrote.
Small birds -- ones that weigh less than 2.2 pounds and need less power to stay in the air -- shed adjacent feathers. This creates a featherless gap on their wing surface, but because of their light weight, they are still able to fly.
Heavier birds wouldn't be able to remain airborne if they had these large, featherless gaps on their wings. So they minimize the size of the gaps by shedding feathers on different parts of the wing or extending the molting process to years instead of months.
For example, California condors, which depend heavily on flight to get food, take two to three years to replace all their long flight feathers.
Species that do not rely on flight for survival, including ducks and geese, replace all their feathers at once.
It is not clear whether feather replacement ultimately limits the size flying birds can reach, Ricklefs said. Swans weighing 33 pounds hold the record. Birds such as ostriches can weigh up to 10 times that, but they are flightless.
But rewind 6 million years, and the extinct Argentavis magnificens of the Miocene Epoch in what is now Argentina clocked in at 154 pounds -- and flew.
Although no one knows how this giant bird molted, the study's authors speculate that it lost all its feathers at once during a period in which it fasted and lived off its fat, much like flightless emperor penguins do today.
"This paper could change the way we think about how different body sizes have evolved in birds," said Eli S. Bridge, a postdoctoral researcher with the Oklahoma Biological Survey at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, who was not involved in the study. The scientists "make it clear that finding time to molt places important constraints."
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By Colleen Mihelich
Many dog owners are extremely bonded with their pets. The animal is more than just a pet - it is a furry family member and companion. Since pets and humans are so closely bonded, many dogs and cats want to spend the night with their owners. Humans too, can enjoy the comfort and companionship of having a purring cat curled up at the side or a snuggly dog sleeping at their feet.
The benefits of allowing the dog or cat to sleep in your bed go beyond just having a companion in bed. This co-sleeping can be an important bonding experience for pets and owners, as animal packs generally tend to sleep together. For a dog or cat that is new to the home and separated form his or her littermates for the first time, the comfort of a human companion during sleep can be essential to helping the dog or cat feel safe and secure. A young puppy who cries when left to sleep alone will often feel comforted by the sound of a human heartbeat and will happily drift off to sleep.
However, there are some questions remaining as to whether it is a good idea, for the development of your pet, to allow your pet to sleep in your bed. Allowing a pet to sleep in your bed, especially a dog, can make that pet feel as though he or she is equal to a human. This can create dominance problems in the dog. A dog that feels that he or she is equal to their owner may be less likely to submit to commands or be trainable. Dogs that feel that they are equal or in charge within the relationship, may become tense and fearful as they assume the responsibility of being a pack leader, in a pack that contains an unfamiliar human member. Dogs may also become aggressive and overly protective of their human, if they feel that they are in charge of their human or responsible for their human.
These issues of dominance and submission problems can become especially pronounced if a new baby is introduced into a home where a dog sleeps in the bed. The dog, because he or she sleeps with the human pack leaders, may feel that he or she is of a higher status than the new infant. The dog also may begin to feel resentful towards the infant, or feel that they need to protect their place within the pack. These circumstances are rare and do not happen with all dogs, but they can and do occur especially in dogs that have an elevated level of status as a result of sleeping with their owners. It is these types of circumstances that can lead to surrender of pets to shelters, or in worst case scenarios to the premature death of a dog due to aggression. Owners who want to ensure a long life and delay the purchase of pet urns or pet headstones for as long as possible, want to do everything they can to avoid this situation.
While there are potential problems, as long as the bed is introduced properly, for most dogs there are no issues with co-sleeping with owners. Typically, a dog should not be invited to co-sleep with their owners until their place in the pack is already established. This can occur around six months of age, once a dog is trained and understands that he or she must obey. In addition, requiring the dog to sit and be invited into the bed before entering can also help to maintain the proper pack order within the household and minimize any potential behavior problems caused by co-sleeping.
In general, owners can enjoy this practice of having their canine companions close to them as they sleep, as long as the privilege is introduced properly. These hours of bonding and cuddling can add a wonderful level of enrichment to the relationship, and when the day eventually comes to say goodbye to your pet and write pet memorials, it may be a strong comfort to know that you and your companion had this extra time together to share love.
Colleen Mihelich
Owner, Peternity . . . honoring your pet for eternity
http://www.peternity.com
colleen@peternity.com
877-PET-PEACE
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Colleen_Mihelich
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