Common Pet Myths: True or Untrue?

Many of the “facts” we grew up hearing about pets are false. For example: who hasn’t seen countless images of a content cat licking cream out of a saucer? When I got a cat in my childhood I remembered that image, and left out a bowl of milk for him. He sniffed it and threw up. This happened nearly every time I tried to give him milk; even if he didn’t spit up, he never touched the stuff. Because it turns out, not all cats can drink milk. Some of them can, but lactose intolerance is as prevalent among cats … Continue reading →

Grooming Doom Resumed

As close to the outdoors as he wants to get Recently we introduced Chrestomanci to outdoor grooming sessions. He was tense in my arms as I carried him into the front yard, but no worse than Cole usually is so I didn’t think anything of it. I should have. As soon as I placed him on the grass for my husband to brush, he bolted. Chihiro immediately took off after him. My husband ran after Chrestomanci, while I grabbed the dog and put her inside. While I doubt she was the sole or even a main reason why Chrestomanci ran, … Continue reading →

Skunk: A Most Odious Encounter

Late last Saturday night my dog had that most unfortunate of meetings: with a stinky skunk. I’m ashamed to say that in my rush to do something about the horrid scent coming off of Chihiro, I didn’t think clearly. My husband and I should have hosed her off and applied treatment outside, but instead we brought her inside to the spare tub. We made her wait in the yard until we had the de-skunking mixture ready, but her trip through the house left awful scents that lingered for days. One good thing I can say is that the hydrogen-peroxide, baking … Continue reading →

When Fur Flies

One of the first articles I wrote as pets blogger here was about how cats and dogs really can get along. I worked hard to make sure that my cat and dog, even if they’d never be fast friends, tolerated each other. I’m happy to say that while Chihiro and Cole don’t cuddle as much as I wish they would, they definitely seem fond of one another. Unfortunately, that’s made me complacent. It’s easy to forget that pets, like humans, have individual personalities. Just because one dog and one cat get along, that doesn’t mean all will. That’s the hard … Continue reading →

Do You Feed Your Dog People Food?

Not as innocent as she looks I’ve always fallen somewhere in the middle ground of the should dogs have people food debate, between those I know who never let their dogs have the smallest morsel of human food, and those who (and I’ve actually seen this) will feed their pets several hot dogs at a cookout. I think my stance on the issue was born in part out of laziness. Having a dog has certainly ruined me when it comes to cleaning up after myself in the kitchen. Whenever food falls to the floor during meal preparation, my first instinct … Continue reading →

Loving My New Vet

Chihiro guards herself from the elements, to avoid another vet visit anytime soon Last week I talked about switching vets, and how much more pleased I am with my new one than my old. Today I thought I’d share just what my new vet does for me, why I don’t mind spending the extra money to take my pets here than to the old low-cost clinic. A typical visit to the low-cost clinic involved calling at least a month ahead of time for an appointment, waiting at least 20 minutes in the front room, and then seeing the vet in … Continue reading →

When Your Cat Is a Glutton

I’ve got another cat myth to debunk for you: we can trust cats to eat just as much food as they need. The stereotypical image of dogs vs. cats is that dogs guzzle down their food as soon as it’s placed into the bowl, whereas the finicky cat picks at its bowl throughout the day. Once again, that’s simply not the case. Maybe overall cats can be more trusted to graze at their food and only eat what they need, as opposed to often-greedy dogs, but that’s not true across the board. Some of my closest friends own a dog … Continue reading →

Pet Parenting Means Constant Vigilance!

Owning a pet is — in some ways — like having a child. I don’t intend any insult to parents here; I know parenting is incredibly hard work. But there are times when living with a pet is like living with a toddler. You know how parents go through and baby-proof the house when the baby is ready to start crawling? Pet parenting is like that sometimes. You have to constantly keep an eye out for potential hazards — from a cup or plate left on a low table (easy access for scavenging pets) to a lamp in danger of … Continue reading →

Halloween and the Escape Artist

Halloween can be a day with more tricks than treats if you share your home with a four-legged escape artist. Picture it: Halloween 2004. Moose, Lally, and I were living in New Jersey with my grandmother. My grandmother turned out the lights before I even got home from work, signaling trick-or-treaters that we were out of candy. Because we still had candy and I was bursting with Halloween cheer, I turned the lights back on. As soon as I opened the door for the very first trick-or-treater, Moose snuck out and took off. I dropped my candy bowl by the … Continue reading →

Do You Know Your Leash Laws?

Quick — do you know the leash laws in your neighborhood or town? If you live in an apartment complex, do you know their pet rules? More importantly… do you obey the leash laws of your community? It’s a problem I’ve run into WAY too often in my apartment complex. I have at least two neighbors who just open their doors and let their dogs out to run around the parking lot unsupervised. There are so many things wrong with this — the dog could get hit by a car in the parking lot, the dog could get stolen, the … Continue reading →