They May Have Nine Lives, But They May Not Have Birthdays!

North Shore Animal League America Declares ‘CATober The First’ as ‘Purr-fect’ Occasion to Recognize Felines’ Legacy

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y. /PRNewswire-USNewswire/
For the pet experts who lovingly tend to cats and kittens waiting to be adopted at North Shore Animal League America, among the most frequently asked question is “How old is that cat?” Most rescuers can determine the approximate age of a feline, in years, but for the majority, their actual birth dates remain unknown. To give these beautiful animals their much deserved recognition, the Animal League will declare the first day of the tenth month of 2008, October 1st, as CATober The First, a universal birthday for shelter and rescue cats everywhere.
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Nearly Half of Americans Won’t Flee Without Fido

I received a press release from the American Humane Association which I nearly filed in the “No Sh*t, Sherlock” file here, but then thought I’d post it here since it does include some good information about what you might need to pack up for your pets should you ever be forced to evacuate your house in the threat of bad weather or fires.

So without further ado, here’s the official press release:
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Pick a Feeder, Any Feeder

(ARA) - Backyard bird feeding is an easy way to enjoy wildlife up close and personal. Feeders, and the beautiful birds that perch upon them, can brighten up any garden or yard. More important, however, is that bird feeding is very beneficial to the outdoor pets we adore so much.
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Otis & Buka

What’s NOT to Love?

I’m finally getting a chance to review (in much more detail) some of the blogs left in the comments of my Featured Pets Blogs page! I’ve decided to simply start with the first comment and work my way down the list as time permits. It takes us a long time to review a pets blog because we don’t just glance at it, we read the very first post and work our way through to the most recent update.

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Tim Mollen’s Lost Journal

Okay, so it’s not “officially” a pets blog, but I enjoy reading Tim Mollen’s writing so much I’m going to actually include it in my featured blogs section here.

If you’re not familiar with Tim’s writing, you’re missing out! I know, I was missing out before he kindly left me a comment on this blog, pointing me to one of his recent columns, the London Broil story.

Tim’s not only a syndicated humor columnist, but a freelance writer, an actor, and an animal advocate who lives in Greater Binghamton, New York.

“Lost Journal” is his syndicated, weekly newspaper column in which he chooses a day from his past and writes about it as though it was today. He’s also an avid animal-lover and helps Project P.A.W. (Protectors of Animal Welfare) a non-profit animal shelter in Binghamton, NY. He designed and maintains their website.
Project PAW : Protectors of Animal Welfare

So while his column isn’t just about pets, his site is quite blog-like (it IS a journal after all). Here is a list of my favorite pet-related columns he’s written:

And here are two of my favorite non-pet-related columns he’s written:

Enjoy!

Make a Hanging Cat Scratching Post

by Robert Hampel

Some cat furniture can be intimidating. The shear size of some cat scratching posts can threaten to take over an entire room. For people with both cats and small spaces there is an answer – make your own high quality and compact cat furniture.

It’s easy and inexpensive to make a very nice scratching post that hangs on any door knob. It takes up no floor space, it’s easy to move from door to door, and best of all, your cat would rather use his own scratching post than your furniture. It’s very important for cats to scratch. They do it to exercise their toes and to remove old claw sheathes. They are going to scratch someplace. Better it is on a scratching post than your carpet or furniture.
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Pet Lovers Flock to Unique Dating Site

“Forget mainstream dating sites if you have a pet dog, cat, horse or for that matter any kind of pet, what most single pet lovers want is someone who can share the joy and responsibilities of looking after their pet” - says the founder of Pet-Lover.biz - the latest site for pet lovers that recently launched and is well on its way to its first 100,000 members.

Derek Collinson adds “Pet lovers who’ve tried the mainstream dating sites may have met someone who is in tune with them in every respect - except for one vital ingredient - a shared love of pets!”
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Yes, But When Will the Caged Bird Sing?

by Tim Mollen

Journal Entry: July 10, 1973 (age 4)

Now that I’m four, I get to go over to my friends’ houses sometimes, as long as one of the parents is home. My favorite places to go are Jackie Gosney’s house and Brian West’s house. They both live on James Street on Binghamton’s South Side, just a few doors from our green, two-family house on Vine Street. Today Brian and I were both playing at Jackie’s house when we heard my mom calling for me from down the street.

Mom was standing in front of our wood-paneled Ford station wagon, and a small crowd of kids had started to gather around her. She was laughing and talking about the amazing parrot she had just seen at the pet store. She said she wanted to take my brothers, Bob and Dan, and me to see the bird, and that she’d take any of the other kids in the neighborhood, as long as their parents gave permission. The knot of kids exploded in all directions, as if the world’s coolest ice cream truck had just jingled into view, demanding the plundering of parental wallets.
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How Do I Get Newts In My Pond?

by Derek Rogers

Newts are a type of amphibian that look a lot like salamanders. However, unlike salamanders, newts spend most or all of their life in the water. They are descended from salamanders, but branched off around sixty million years ago. Now, they’re found in many temperate parts of the world, including Asia, Northern Africa, Europe, and North America.

Some types have a terrestrial form (referred to as an eft), that lives on land to find a new home, then come back to the water when mature. Newts are popular among pond owners. They’re charming, cute little creatures in their own right. However, having a population of newts also means that your pond is very healthy, since these creatures have somewhat specific living requirements. If you’re thinking about colonizing your pond with newts, or setting it up to attract these little creatures, here’s some information that might help.
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Poppy’s Plight

by Johnny Summerton

Poppy

She first came to our attention after we had visited a local show at the village hall organised by a nearby refuge for abandoned dogs and cats.

At the ripe old age of eight Poppy, we were told, had been “rescued” from owners who had over time collected more than 30 dogs, many the result of interbreeding, and who understandably had found themselves no longer able to cope.

A little less easy to comprehend perhaps was how come these people had never heard of the possibility of spaying their animals and instead had kept an ever-increasing pack in the most miserable of conditions. When Poppy arrived at the rescue centre, she was undernourished, unhealthy and desperately in need of some TLC.
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How To Select The Perfect Bird Cage

by Joe Smith

Birds, just like any other pet, require housing that provides them safety and security. Bird cages are the normal means for this, but before you go out and buy the first bird cage you see, it’s important to know what to look for and how much to expect to spend.
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Essential Dog Training Tips

Kelly Marshall provides the following dog training tips every dog owner should know…

There are 6 basic commands: Heel, Come, Sit, Stand, Stay, and Down.
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