Archive for the ‘Pet Inspiration’ Category
Cats Dressed as Thanksgiving!
Wednesday, November 27th, 2013Here are my Reasons to be Thankful, what are yours?
Wednesday, November 27th, 2013Anyone who has ever shared their life with a pet understands how special their unconditional love is. Pets give us so many reasons to be thankful for them that it takes no real effort for any pet owner I speak to to list at least a dozen reasons they are thankful for their pets. 
For me, the constancy of love and devotion that I receive day in and day out from our office cats always brings a smile to my face. I count on the morning routine just as much as they do when I arrive to feed them, and if I am traveling or if someone else takes over my morning feeding duties, all of us miss “the way things are supposed to be”. Have you noticed that the daily routine is part of what creates the relationship with your pets? It is very important that you remember to get it right, and for that I am thankful, since my hectic life is often far from routine.
I am thankful as well that I am able to notice and realize that our pets assumed their own “Take care of my owner” attitude when they joined us, and I acknowledge them each time they wear their hats in doing this. Getting us up out of our desk chairs is one way they do it – (sitting in front of computers too long without a break is a notorious health wrecker). As you can imagine, getting us up can be challenging for a cat, but smart kitties that they are, they have a list of tactics that they utilize to achieve their results – and my favorite is ‘mad dash kitty’ where our tuxedo races madly through the office until we get up to chase her. Honestly I am healthier as a result of mad dashing after the cat.
As you can see, I have a list of more than a dozen reasons to be thankful, and if I took time to think of them, the list would run into the hundreds.
Which begs my question to you…what are yours?
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and keep front of mind during this special day all of those things you are thankful for.
Adam
Who works harder, you or your pet?
Tuesday, August 20th, 2013Labor Day is just around the corner and today, while I was out on a hiking I was thinking about how to enjoy the long weekend and celebrate a 
day off from laboring.
As I continued up a steep trail, my dog tugged at the leash, anxious to get to the top. She lives for these hikes and I know she feels it’s part of her job to make sure I get out and exercise. If I beg off for any reason, late hours at the office, funky weather or, more often, I just don’t feel like it, I get pestered for the rest of the night.
Like most dogs, our dogs have jobs and look forward to working. It’s a treat for them to be able to work and do their jobs and they do them with pride. And if I ever suggested they take a day off, I know both of them would be confused and unhappy.
Think about what jobs your pets naturally have taken on when they joined you. If you are like many pet owners, those chores often include:
- Protecting you and the family
- Being a companion for hiking and trips
- Waking you up
- Keeping ‘kids’ in line
- Cheering you up when you feel down
- Showering you with love and affection (not a job or a chore, I know)
For them, working and being allowed to work IS their holiday.
So, as you make your plans for the long holiday weekend coming up, I hope you will do as I plan to do and let your pets go to work with you for that day. Trust me, they’ll be very happy to not have the day off.
Stay safe and Healthy,
Adam
VetLocator.com
PS – Who works harder, you or your pet?
Keeping your Pet Safe this Halloween
Wednesday, October 31st, 2012The scary night is almost here!!!!! Make it a fun and safe evening by keeping these safety tips in mind: 
1. Make sure you have your pet either safely tucked away in a kennel or spare room with music or TV playing in the background, so they are not too disturbed by trick or treaters. A dog on the loose, barking and getting agitated is no fun for the dog, the trick or treaters or for you. Sometimes your dog or cat can escape when you open the door to give candy, so secure them safely and enjoy the night.
2. Keep an eye on candy and party food around your pet. Chocolate can be toxic to dogs and so can the sweetener xylitol. Rasins and grapes also pose serious health hazards and are common to find in treats kids bring home. Candy and food wrappers smell good and can present a choking hazard. And anything I didn’t mention when consumed by a pet can make them sick. Keep pets away from this stuff.
3. If you are having a party, keep an eye on alcoholic beverages. We’ve all seen or heard stories of different animals who like to drink. How sad that their owners allow it, not to mention that sometimes this can lead to a pet’s death.
4. Decorations, candles, cords, dangerous hazards. Halloween, like Christmas, has lots of opportunities for problems to pets and humans. Keep your house and yard kid and pet safe when you decorate.
5. Keep your emergency numbers at hand for your pets in case you do have a problem that night.
Have a happy and safe Halloween from all of us at VetLocator.com Daily Paws!!
To Costume or Not to Costume
Tuesday, October 23rd, 2012It’s that time of year again, pets are worried and their humans are looking forward to it. Yes it is Halloween.
And you may be asking yourself……TO COSTUME OR NOT TO COSTUME….That is the question. And it’s a good question to ask.
Should you dress your pet up in a costume this year or not?
Facts: According to the National Retail Federation, 15 percent of Americans plan to deck out their dogs and will spend nearly $370 million on costumes for pets this year (that’s $40 million more than 2011).
Fact: Some of the cutest pet photos are of dogs dressed up in amazing costumes.
Fact: The average pet owner buying a costume for their pet is expected to spend $79.82 this year.
Fact: People love seeing pets in costumes.
Fact: Many of pet owners like to dress their pets up for Halloween.
However, like kids, there are some things to keep in mind before you decide to take the plunge and costume your pet.
The first thing is whether your pet enjoys, or will even tolerate being dressed up. Some pets, dogs especially, love to be dressed up. I knew one dog that would pout unless her owner dressed her up with one of her favorite scarves before they went anywhere. Yes, she was a girl dog of course :).
Some pets HATE it and some are traumatized by the whole ordeal. If your pet is one that just gets freaked or lies there in apathy, please don’t put them through having to wear a costume all day. Snap a few photos to share with friends if you must, then take the darn thing off them.
But for the pets who enjoy all the fuss and excitement that goes with a costume, here are some suggestions in choosing one:
1. Make sure the costume is easy to put on and is relatively comfortable. Tight costumes that have to be pulled over your dog’s head will often get them anxious.
2. Avoid costumes that are too tight and restrictive. Make sure your pet can breathe OK, and the costume is not too hot for them. Heat exhaustion can be a real problem.
3. Avoid costumes with small or dangling accessories that your pet could chew on and choke.
4. Make sure the costume doesn’t constrict your pet’s movement.
5. Pets need to go to the bathroom. Have a plan for how this will be accomplished without stressing your pet.
6. Make sure the costume doesn’t interfere with your pet’s vision and hearing. Costumes with goggles, ear muffs and masks can pose problems.
7. For best results, keep the costume simple. Better yet, why not go as a themed couple with you dressing up as a character and your pet being dressed in the same theme?
8. Keep your costumed one under constant observation. Safely dressed up or not, there are just too many things that can quickly go wrong when your pet is in costume, and, like a little child, when you see they have had enough excitement for the day, get them out of their costume, take them home and put them to bed.
Here are the 5 most popular Pet Halloween Costumes this season according to Wayfair, pet costume manufacturer:
Our advice? First choose whether or not TO COSTUME OR NOT TO COSTUME based on the above. If you choose to costume, have a safe and fun Halloween!
The results are in….readin Daily Paws and Visiting our Facebook Page will make you 44% sharper!
Monday, October 1st, 2012We know you love our daily picture of the day. Hundreds of you write back and tell us how much you do, and we love seeing our photos shared with others too.
We have great news for you. That time you spend looking at our cute photos are actually made you sharper……up to 44% sharper. Impressed? We were.
Recently researchers at Japan’s Hiroshima University found people focus better shortly after they’ve viewed cute images.
Here is more about this study in this article from Plos One:
Researchers performed three experiments where they showed subjects a variety of images that included food, people, and adult and baby animals.
In a fine-motor dexterity test, 48 subjects (all between the ages of 18-and 22 and all right handed) played a children’s game very much akin to “Operation.” For those unfamiliar with the game, you use tweezers to remove plastic body parts from metal-encased “cavities” without touching the edges and setting off a buzzer.
Subjects played the games multiple times and, before at least one session, researchers showed them images of puppies and kittens.
Those images, according to the study, helped them play the game 44% better. Full grown dog and cat images also had a positive effect on performance, but not by as wide a margin: just 5%.
Cute images, however, may not only effect motor abilities, but have a positive cognitive effect, as well.
In another experiment, a new group of 18-to-20 year olds performed a series of visual search tasks where they had to identify text and numbers in images and images comprised of text and numbers. They, too, were shown cute images in between tasks. The results weren’t as dramatic, but their ability to properly identify the images did improve by 2%.
So the lesson here? Cute pet pictures are good for you and for your friends too!
Go ahead, test yourself….look at the picture below……..
Now don’t you feel better?
(go ahead….share it with your friends…..it’s a good thing)
The Traveling Cat (part 2)
Monday, September 17th, 2012
To the world you are just one more rescue person.
To a rescued pet, you are the world.
“Until one has loved an animal, part of their soul remains unawakened.”
Do you need some inspiration? I do!
Monday, September 3rd, 2012
It’s been a rough day….and I’m finally ready to call it a day. I’m exhausted, slightly grumpy and I want nothing more than to settle back in a comfy chair, kick my shoes off, close my eyes, relax and think of nothing at all.
I don’t like it when “things” get to me. You know how those “things” can be. Weather concerns (we’re near the area hurricane Isaac just visited), economy concerns, business concerns, pet health concerns, what to have for dinner.
Things.
I get grumpy where there are too many things. I feel sorry for myself and I don’t like to feel sorry for myself.
On my drive home, I pass the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, home to Winter the Dolphin, star of A Dolphin’s Tale. There are lines of people waiting to get in to see Winter and all her injured sea friends that call the Marine Aquarium home.
I think about Winter and how she has become a symbol of inspiration for so many.
You may know her story: A baby dolphin found injured, maimed by a crab trap line wrapped around and cutting into her tail, she was brought to the Marine Aquarium to be rehabilitated. Her tail had to be amputated but the plucky baby learned to compensate for her missing tail and was soon swimming with the other dolphins.
Her story, and the story of how a dedicated group of rescuers saved her and even restored her tail by inventing something that allowed her to swim normally was so inspirational, the movie A Dolphin’s Tale was made. She’s become a star and an inspiration to those who may feel that life has just too many challenges.
I’ve seen her affect on others. They are inspired after visiting, self pity gone. They come from the world-over to be inspired and they usually are.
I’m home now.
I park my car, walk into the house and I’m greeted by our office cat Q, who we brought home and she now lives with us here. 
We named her Kewpie Doll when we got her because she was the runt, a tiny black and white tuxedo kitty. She’s now know as Q, and the name suits her.
Kewpie was born with a system deficiency and has severe allergies that are controlled with special diet, vitamins and medication. We have to do a lot to keep Q symptom free, and sometimes even with all we do, we just can’t, and she suffers. She gets the equivalent of kitty hives – and they are rough on her. Her quality of life fluctuates wildly depending on her symptoms and I sometimes am concerned that the bad days outweigh the good……another big THING that gets to me.
She’s having it rough at the moment.
But then I look at Q as she races up to greet me, purring and joyous I’m back. I look at her and I’m inspired. Inspired by her will to live, to find pleasure in my company and her determination that she will coax me into a better mood whenever I’m around her.
She’s good at her job.
I smile, scoop her up and settle back in my chair, kick my shoes off, close my eyes, relax while I stroke Q, our small bundle of inspiration and think of just how I’m going to make tomorrow a truly wonderful day.
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Do you have a pet that inspires you? If you do, we want you to share your story with us! We have a new contest to celebrate the new slogan for Daily Paws. Inspired by Pets. Share your story about your inspirational pet and you could win $100. Feeling inspired to share? Click here for the details and how to enter.