Paw Print City Times

Shift work

2011-11-11T14:18:00.001-08:00


"I'm Brin, the cool one."

You know how you read those stories about men having two different families in two different places at the same time? I'm starting to feel a little like one of them.

Bob and Brin (aka "The Strabies") have definitely settled into the ebb and flow of life at Casa de PPCT, especially as it relates to their getting fed and being on the receiving-end of some scritches from the ~~suckers~~ humans. They know we tend to pull our "primary" cats inside when it's getting dark and that Darby (aka "the white devil dog who stops us from being indoor cats like the others") doesn't hang out in the back on his own, so we can pretty much count on seeing their happy, hungry faces within minutes of taxiing Bad Kitty Bo and the gang to the other side of the back door.

That's when the second half of my pet-parent day begins. Bob, especially, expects a little more from us than just a drop-and-dash dry food delivery --- he needs some quality time to go along with it. Brinnie, while being far more laid-back and much less apt to ever want to become a housecat, still appreciates a few sweet nothings being whispered in his ear and a gentle rub around his hindquarters before heading out for his late-night adventures.

"I'm Bob. I like food."

They know the backyard is "safe" - one of the few words, other than their names, that we've taught them. "Safe" means Darby is in the house and they can enjoy the area. Darby would never hurt them, but he loves, loves, loves giving them a good chase which, amazingly enough, they don't appreciate nearly as much as he. We're careful to try and warn them when bringing the Doodlebug out for his evening potty/scope to see if there's any stray cat food bits laying around walk, and they've gotten pretty clear on that routine as well.

In the meantime, I'm like that double-married dude, with one family in the daylight and another in the moonlight, trying to make sure everyone is getting just enough of what they need that they need not make a big deal out of sharing. Some days it feels every bit as oddly-functionally-dysfunctional as the newspaper accounts I've read, but thus far we're managing to make it work.

Anyone else out there leading a "double" life?

Probably not the review they were looking for

2011-10-19T16:12:00.000-07:00

I'm standing in the kitchen near the sink when my husband decides to come over and give me a little kiss on the back of my head. Given that we've been married since back in the days when computers came equipped with floppy disk drives, it's kind of nice that we still do things like exchange little kisses for no particular reason.

Him: "Hey, you're hair smells really nice."

Me: "Thanks. I used the cat detangling spray on it."

Him: "Yeah, right. Sure you did."

Me: "No, I really did."

Him: "Why would you do that?"

Me: "I'm out of hair care products. My hair felt tanglly after I got out of the shower and the bottle was just sitting there on the counter. I looked at the ingredients and didn't see anything that looked too weird, so I figured, why not?"

Him: "Why didn't you just ask me to pick up something for you when I went to the store?"

Me: "Dude, you don't want to go there. Remember when you had to pick out shaving cream for me? You spent, like, twenty minutes reading the backs of the shaving cream stuff to find me the one that wasn't tested on animals. The hair care aisle is like five times bigger than the shaving cream section. I love Bed Head products and Pet Head is the pet side of Bed Head, so really, how different can it be? Plus, I already know it wasn't tested on animals. At least not in the bad kind of way that pisses me off. Anyway, it worked. My hair combed out great and it feels soft and doesn't look frizzy or anything. It's not like the cats were using it --- their hair isn't as tangly as mine was."

Him: "Well, it smells good, anyway."

Me: "Strawberry Yogurt. Says so right on the label."

Him: "Well, I guess you know what you're doing."

Me: "I think as long as you don't see me scratching at the toilet lid, instead of just lifting it up to go to the bathroom, I'm probably safe."

*FTC disclosure - I was given a sample of Pretty Kitty Detangling Spray to review, but I can't imagine this is what they had in mind. Obviously, no money exchanged hands and the opinion expressed here could not possibly be anyone's but mine.

Back from posting oblivion

2011-10-17T14:40:00.000-07:00

It's been even longer than I thought since I last posted --- hope there are still some folks left on the other side of this blog :)

I hadn't planned to take a break, but September proved to be my most challenging month of this challenging year, or at least that's what I'm clinging to until something else happens. Now that I'm beyond it (because, trust me when I say I'm well-past over it), I have the beginnings of a plan in place to move forward in my life and can get back some of that elusive "balance" I hear about, including carving out some time to stay in the blogging loop. I won't torture you with the gory details, but if you're truly interested, feel free to drop me a line. I can whine with the best of 'em when properly prodded.

The critters are fine (thank dog), other than Weebles' perpetual unhappiness that I've appropriated "her" chair for my writing, studying and general Internetting. We tend to argue about it most afternoons and sometimes I let her win a round, just to keep things interesting.

The Doodlebug is still rocking his short hair, though he's in need of a trim (more of that "balance" thing I'm working on):

Musette continues to be the sweetest little cat on four feet.

Bad Kitty Bo still lives under the impression that he owns the universe, but is kind enough to let the rest of us enjoy the parts he isn't currently using.

And, just for good measure, here's a (bad) shot of Bob the strabie. Some day I'll get a decent picture of him, though it may not be a photo that doesn't include him eating, as that is far and away his favorite thing to do when he and Brin come by. Bob continues to campaign for a more permanent place in our family while avoiding the dog at all costs. He's got a fall sleeping space next to our house, but we'll probably need to do a little better for him once it gets colder, or maybe I should say, if it ever actually does get colder --- where the heck is Fall already?

I'd be remiss without a little a note of thanks to Deb over at Zee & Zoey and to Snoopy's mom for dropping me a line asking where the heck I've been. Sometimes when things seem particularly rough, just knowing that someone thought about you or missed seeing you can change your entire day. So, thank you for that.

More to come soon. Really :)

Rescue Profile: No Paws Left Behind Rescue & Transport

2011-09-12T05:50:00.000-07:00


Volunteers Joan Dunham & Cindy Neal helping secure pets for transport. Photo courtesy of No Paws Left behind.

Some people spend their lives wondering when “someone” is going to do something to help the homeless pets ofKern County. Then there are people like Teresa Walker, who established No PawsLeft Behind Rescue and Transport, a nonprofit organization that pulls pets outof local shelters and transports them to northern California to waitingrescues.

Asked why she has chosen this actionto help save pets, Walker said, “I volunteered at the SPCA and worked with twolocal rescues working to save Kern County shelter dogs. I wasn’t happywith the number of animals I was able to foster, spay/neuter, providemedical care and find loving homes for . The need is so great, and I felt I wasnot making a difference. I decidedtransporting Kern animals to established rescues would allow me to save alarger number of them.”

Thus, No Paws Left Behind wasformed. The organization transports pets from Kern County Animal Control aswell as shelters in Shafter, Wasco and Delano to established rescues innorthern California such as Big Dog Rescue, Wing and a Prayer Rescue, Second Chance Cocker Rescue, Noah’s B’Ark Rescue and the Milo Foundation, just to namea few. No Paws also provides regular transportation for Woods Humane Society inSan Luis Obispo. To date, over 200 cats and dogs have been pulled from localshelters and driven up north where they may live in a safe and lovingenvironment while awaiting their forever home. All rescued pets are spayed orneutered before being adopted and receive medical care if necessary.

Every rescue transport is coordinated between the shelters holding the pets, therescues accepting the pets and the people with No Paws who are doing thedriving. Before each transport, the van used by No Paws has to be cleaned andsanitized, as well as all of the kennels used to hold the animals during thedrive. This in itself is an all day process. On transport day, the entire tripfrom Kern County to the Bay Area and back, typically with several stops alongthe way, takes approximately 15 hours.

Pets awaiting transport to
Northern California rescues.
Photo courtesy of No Paws Left Behind.

Each trip carries around 35-40animals, though No Paws has transported as many as 54 in one outing. No Pawsutilizes a 12-passenger cargo van that has had the seats removed to make room forthe kennels needed to secure the animals for their journey.

When asked about the hardest aspectof coordinating the rescue transports, Walker answered, “Making sure everyone iswhere they need to be, when they need to be there, so thingsrun smoothly.”

All of the work No Paws does tosecure new homes for shelter pets is done at no charge to the shelters orrescue groups. The organization relies on donations to their 501(c)3organization to cover the cost of gas, which typically runs $190 for each roundtrip.

Interested in lending No Paws Left Behind Rescue and Transport a hand? Head to their website and make a donation towards their next journey. For the cost of a cup ofcoffee, you can get homeless pets one gallon of gas closer to a forever home.

*Originally written for the Bakersfield Voice

Cell phone cases to sigh for...

2011-09-09T05:57:00.000-07:00

Did you know that you can go to Zazzle and make a customized cell phone case featuring your pet?

O.K., maybe you did know. It was news to me, though, which means I spent way too much time checking out these these cool cases.

Not sure I'd ever put my phone down if I was looking into these eyes:

via

Or this one:

via

Love this one, too!

via

How about one with your pet's photo on it?

via

Or use your phone to deliver a message just by placing it on the table:

via

Or bring out your pup's inner rebel:

via

Sure, they're a little pricier than what you're going to find ready-made, but all the other phones will wish they were as cool as yours!

C-A-T-P-O-O-P, Part Two

2011-09-07T05:57:00.000-07:00

"Worried? Do I look worried to you?"

"O.K., I'm back now. Sorry about that, but I already live with three(!) cats, plus mom gives noms to Bob and Brin, so when I see a cat, I figure the least they can let me do is give it a chase, right?

But, back to my story. There I was, hanging out on the bed with Mom when she reached behind her and got her scissors. Now, I get the scissors a lot - to keep the hair out of my eyes, to get rid of super pesty mats and for when I get into the bad weeds that get wound in my fur, so I wasn't all that worried.

Then I hear a big 'snip' and WOW! I see a huge chunk of my hair in Mom's hand. Then she did it again and again. Holy moley --- Mom's gonna make me bald, just because of some cat poop!

She kept cutting and cutting, and I was getting pretty worried. Mom never went to dog groom school or anything...what if I look like a big ol' dork when she's done? How will I ever face the other dogs again? Or the cats?

Then she said she was done. She opened the door and told me to go find Dad. Man, what was Dad going to think? He said he liked my long hair.

Dad took one look at me and said he loved it! He kept touching my new, short hair while telling me how soft and fluffy I am now. He said I look bunches smaller and that my cut made my short hair look all bouncy. Hmmmm, maybe this isn't so bad after all.

Of course, you know there had to be one more insult. I had to go to the dog wash. Geez, I didn't even smell like cat poop anymore, but was that good enough? Nope - they had to make me smell like Cucumber Melon, or some other silly scent. I don't even get to smell like a dog.

So, what do you think? Mom says the pictures aren't the best because she's bad with a camera, but they'll have to do for now.

"Guess I should be glad I got to keep my tail and my leg fluff."

"Mom says it looks like I got a body wave in my hair now."

"Mom tried to find a hairy "before" pic for you to see how much she cut off."


"See? I'm not really all white. Down by my skin my hair is light brown. You can see it lots better now that it's short."

"Yeah, I think I'm going to dry a lot faster
when I fall in the pool next time."

"So, that's my story. The biggest lesson I learned? Sometimes you have go through a little cat poop to make a big change in your life."

Don't forget to check out other great blogs on today's hop!

"Trouble is spelled C-A-T-P-O-O-P"

2011-09-06T06:08:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned on Facebook the other day, Darby found himself some cat poop the other day...

*tap tap tap*

"Uh, Mom, you said I could tell the story and you'd type what I said."

O.K., Darby. I'll let you tell it.

"Cool!"

"Well, I was out for morning patrol and I found me a great pile of cat poop, fresh and everything, like a gift, almost. No way I was letting that go to waste so *bam*, in I jumped, sliding and smushing it all over me. And I did great! I had poop and grass pieces from the corner of my eye all the way down my side in big brown swirls. I was super proud of how well I got it smushed in --- until my folks caught me.

'Darby, why the hell did you do that?' Dad said.

'Because he's a dog,' Mom answered (duh).

'Well, he's not coming near the house like that. We're going to have to hose him off.'

'Of course we are, since I actually have on decent clothes and managed to dry my hair today so it would look decent tonight,' Mom said.

Mom went in to change clothes and get some shampoo while I hung out in the back yard, drawing flies. She came back out and Dad held my collar while she washed out all my hard work and tried to make me smell like a clean dog. It took a while, but she finally said I was as good as I was going to get and told Dad to let go of me.

Happy!!!! I was happy to finally be free, plus I was wet, which is almost as good as poop, but not quite, so I did what love doing when I'm wet --- I found a spot on the grass and rolled around. Yep, I got more grass in my fur, even if I missed the poop patch this time.

I trotted back to Mom, tail held high. Then I noticed she had "the look". Not the scary look when I know she's mad, but the other one...the one that says she's getting her way, no matter what. She said something about a 'last straw', but that didn't make any sense. It was grass, not straw. Geez, even I know the difference.

She told Dad to go in the house and go back to work. Then she went in and left me in the yard for a few minutes.

When Mom called for me, I came in, like I always do. She asked me to come into the back room. She had the radio on and a nice blanket on the bed for me, so I hopped up and stretched out. I figured we were going to do some 'grooming', since she likes doing it back there, but I was not ready for what happened next.

Mom reached behind her and...

CAT!!!!!! There's a cat out back and I've got to go RIGHT NOW.

I'll have to finish my story tomorrow..."

Happy Labor Day!

2011-09-05T08:48:00.000-07:00

Bad Kitty Bo says,

"No one appreciates the importance of having a strong labor force quite like a cat.

Now, go forth and labor to serve me this Labor Day!"

Update on the Strabies

2011-09-01T13:34:00.000-07:00

It's been about three weeks since Brindle (henceforth known as "Brin") decided to join his buddy, Bob, in campaigning to become the newest members of our family.


"Hi, I'm Brin, and I've decided these peeps are O.K."

Turns out he is a super sweetheart with a cool, ultra-laid-back personality. All of our cats are pretty nonchalant about his visits, which are beginning to happen while the sun is still up --- unlike Bob, who still has a healthy enough respect for the white devil dog to wait until after sunset to make his appearance (which is why there's no Bob photo yet).

Trying to get a picture of him at his height is almost impossible,
because as soon as I crouch down, he's heading over for pets.

Brin really enjoys being petted and, despite his super thin frame, he will regularly stop eating to come over and get some scritches. There are times when it seems that the food is a secondary consideration to having a little people company. This is not the case with Bob, who seems to be under the impression that every meal may well be his last. We've toyed with changing Bob's name to "Dyson", but he seems happy enough with Bob the Cat.

"I dig this table. Safe and close to the water hole."

Brin spends some time on one of the outdoor tables nearly every night, just chilling out. It makes our heart happy that he finds it to be a safe place where he can rest for a bit. You'll rarely catch Bob up there, as it's entirely too far from where we drop the food.

We've taken to calling them "The Strabies", a nonsensical word I made up as a contraction of "stray babies". I have no idea how this will ultimately play out. My husband (who also has a nickname - the Sta-Puff Marshmallow Man, because of the softness of his critter-loving heart) has a serious infatuation with Brin and mentioned that we might need to figure out some type of shelter for the winter. A section of yard that is double-fenced allows the Strabies pretty easy access while keeping them safe from dogs (including the Doodlebug) and might be a good spot for a cat house. Fortunately, Southern California winters are a long way from unbearable, and a long time from now. Today, the weather is fine, the Strabies know the yard is all theirs once the sun goes down (with the exception of Darby potty outings, but they've figured out the signs and know how to disappear when they hear his tags jingling), and we're in their corner.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-31T09:44:00.000-07:00

"There are entirely too many dogs in your Facebook."

Find bunches more dogs (and cats) on the hop!

PPCT's going HollyWOOF!

2011-08-29T13:33:00.000-07:00

HollyWOOF swag-bag goodness

With Los Angeles right over the hill, you'd think we'd see our fair share of pet stars here in our fair valley, but no such luck, which is why HollyWOOF is so appealing.

HollyWOOF creates super-swanky gift bags full of some of the coolest pet products around and gives them away to dog-loving celebrities like Kristen Bell, Betty White, Kellan Lutz, Kate Beckinsale, Oprah Winfrey, Kathy Griffin, Katherine Heigl, Mario Lopez, Olivia Wilde, Justin Timberlake and bunches of other famous-type folks so they can indulge their dogs in a manner befitting their celeb-pet status. And guess what --- the Doodlebug got a few items, too!

We'll be sharing our thoughts about some of these nifty products over the next couple of weeks. Darby can hardly wait to get his teeth into some of the treats (though he has asked to put off the grooming items for as long as possible)!

Happy Monday!

Happy National Dog Day!

2011-08-26T07:53:00.000-07:00

Yep, it's our day!

On behalf of National Dog Day, my wishes for fellow dog owners:

May the hair on your clothes not exceed the amount of hair on your head.

May you find a free corner of your bed on which to sleep.

May your pet food bill not exceed your grocery bill.

May your dog not roll in anything that smells worse than you.

May you always remember that anything can be cleaned with the right number of paper towels.

Happy National Dog Day!

On behalf of those dog (and cat) owners on the east coast, please be safe this weekend. For information about pet (and people) evacuation, rescue and shelter during Hurricane Irene, please check out the Hurricane Irene 2011 Animal Rescue Resource Page on Facebook and share with others who may need this info. For horse owners, the Facebook page Horse Evacuations East has been established. Us west coast bloggers are sending out good vibes that you all remain safe.

The emergence of Mr. Hyde

2011-08-24T11:49:00.000-07:00

There's no way to sugarcoat it: The Doodlebug has gone rogue.

My goofy, doofy mess of a boy has always had some issues. He has an unnaturally high sensitivity to any number of sounds, doesn't like being hugged and, generally, tends to find the world to be a bit too big for his liking. For the most part his issues are a bit annoying, but within the confines of our day-to-day life, no biggie. Until this past weekend, when he decided to add one more to his list: snapping.

Yes, my floppy dog snapped at someone. Actually, two "someones". Both times, they were people who were in our home who he was not familiar with, and on both occasions it happened when they reached out to pet him while I wasn't looking. To say that I'm appalled is an understatement. I've known Darby to many things over his six years but I've never, ever been concerned about him hurting someone --- and definitely not someone identified as a "friend". We've had people over many times before, both singularly and in groups and although he has been tentative with folks he didn't know, he has never behaved this poorly.

I'm taking it very hard, especially as a blogger who reads about the adventures of other, seemingly perfect pups who appear to glide around society like a southern belle at a perpetual debutante ball. I know Darby will never be one of those dogs, but he can't be this dog, either.

I've spent the past couple of days turning it over in my head. Is it because something changed in his doodle brain now that I'm home all the time? Is he picking up on my frustration with a recurring medical condition I have and trying to take it out on someone else? Did he sneak into the living room after we went to bed and watch part of Cujo (obviously missing the end) and think he's a role model?

After a short period of self-flagellation, which is almost as productive as it sounds, I've decided the trigger doesn't matter nearly as much as rewiring his funky little brain so it doesn't happen again. For now, the little dude will have his ~~security blanket~~ leash attached to him when anyone who isn't positively bomb-proof comes over. For Darby, the leash has thus far been the equivalent of a Thundershirt, so we'll start there and work his way back to being the dog we expect him to be.

It goes without saying that if anyone else wants to 'fess up about a less-than-wonderful issue your dog has, you'll never find a more sympathetic audience than this corner of the blogosphere...

Product review: Darby & the Lickety Stik

2011-08-19T13:11:00.000-07:00

My dog is about the simple pleasures in life. Chase a cat, see it run. Bark at the delivery truck, watch it leave. Obey a limited number of basic commands, get something yummy in return. Darby is not a deep-thinking, complex creature, which is one of the reasons I shall never have the pleasure of seeing a Nina Ottosson toy being used in this household.

I mention this only because we got a sample of the Lickety Stik, a treat that dispenses a chicken-flavored liquid when a dog licks the bottle, which operates on the same theory as your average roll-on deodorant bottle. It's designed to be an all natural treat, packaged in convenient way to carry and low in calories (one calorie per ten licks).

The scent definitely attracted Darby to come over and see what I had for him, but that's about where the fun ended. He took a couple of licks, then became frustrated that he couldn't bite the roller ball and eat whatever food was attached to the scent. This is not a dog who will work for the promise of something vaguely food-like. He's a put-up-or-shut-up kind of dog, and not being one who embraces a challenge, the Doodlebug quickly lost interest and walked away.

I'm sure there are dogs who might get a charge from a product like this, but the Doodle isn't one of them. If you think yours might be, or if you're looking for a treat that you can use with little caloric build-up, check out Lickety Stik.

FTC Disclosure: I received a sample of this product for review. No other compensation was given, and all opinions are strictly my own.

My 7 links: The Tripbase Blog Post project

2011-08-17T11:17:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Grouchy Puppy for including me in Tripbase's My 7 Links Blog Post Project. Even after spending a whole day thinking about it I'm having a hard time picking the seven links, but I'll do my best. I've also included a few gratuitous pics to break things up.

Most Beautiful Post:

I have a hard time viewing my posts in relation to their "beauty", but I am fond of the way this one came out:

On Grief and Growing Up

Most Popular Post:

I like this category, because my stats made it easy. Here's the winner, hands-down:

The Doodle gets a room

Most Controversial Post:

I don't do much controversy, mostly because there are other writers and bloggers who are far more passionate and articulate about controversial topics than I, so I try and stick to what I think I can handle, blog-wise. Here's my offering for this category:

Of factory farms and puppy mills

Most Helpful Post:

I can't honestly say whether my posts have been helpful, but I like this post because it tried:

"He will love you like you've never been loved before"

Post Whose Success Surprised Me:

This was an easy choice, since I didn't have any idea it would resonate the way it did for some of my fellow bloggers:

Blog the Change: Anything you do is good enough

Post That Didn't Get the Attention it Deserved:

My big ego might be tempted to say "too many to list", but I chose this one because I thought it was a fun piece that I thought would get some sympathetic responses:

Top of the food chain?

Post I'm Most Proud Of:

Another difficult category, since there are days when I'm just proud I managed to get on the keyboard and made words. I'll go with this one:

Falling in love for the third time

Whew, glad that part's over! Now all that's left is to nominate five other bloggers to take part:

Snoopy's Dog Blog

Something Wagging This Way Comes

Housecat Confidential

Cat Chat with Caren & Cody

Animal Shelter Volunteer Life

Dog Signs

2011-08-15T06:14:00.000-07:00

Just a few gems I found lounging about on the Internet.

via

If you enjoy silliness like this, links to cool blog posts

and pet fun, join me on Facebook!

Close encounter of the third kind

2011-08-13T08:32:00.000-07:00

For nearly two years my husband and I have kept an eye on the two neighborhood wandering cats, "Bob" and "Brindle". Since we don't know their names, we made names up so we can talk about them. Even Darby knows who we're referring to, evidenced by his sudden alert posture if we go on about them when we're hanging in the back yard.

Bob has been the friendliest feline con artist we've met in years, finding his way to the patio when the white devil dog is safely indoors for the evening. though he's always happy for a food handout, he also truly seems to love the company of some friendly humans. He knows his "name" and will respond to it. He has all the earmarks of being an owned cat, even if relegated to the outdoors 24/7. He's neutered, in good flesh, by all appearances free of fleas and loves people. His happy dance is so beguiling that we can almost overlook what an unrepentant pest he can be during those moments when we just want to chill out on the patio on a summer night.

Brindle has always been another matter. Though he seems to make his way through life by living in Bob's draft, he has never been keen on making our acquaintance up close and personal, and it's always bothered us. Brindle is much thinner than Bob and we worry for his health and, as cat lovers, we take pride in being able to win over the trust of our feline friends. though he, too has learned the name we've bestowed on him, Brindle has never felt the need to thank us for our concern, until this week.

I'm not sure what it was that made this week different from all the others, but Brindle has finally decided to make contact. He will now come to the porch (even without Bob, which is big) and hang with us, even allowing us to pet him, though not as readily as his fellow traveler. He is indeed thinner than Bob, though he is neutered (whew --- we were sweating that one for a while when we couldn't get close enough to tell) and appears in generally decent health.

I wish I knew how to explain what it's like for cat lovers when a cat who has nothing to gain by crossing the trust bridge decides to do so, but I'm sure anyone who has ever won over a wary animal knows exactly what I mean. I'm sorry I have no photos to share, but since they only come around at night after the dog is safely indoors I haven't wanted to violate their delicate sensibilities this early into our new arrangement. I'll be sure to grab a few as soon as I think they'll tolerate it. For now, it's enough that they've decided to tolerate me.

Happy Hopping!

Wordless Wednesday - Dog Torturer

2011-08-10T09:14:00.000-07:00

"Yes, I know it's your favorite toy, Darby...
That's why I took it!"

It's time for the Wordless Wednesday blog hop!

Check out some of the other terrific photos in this week's hop!

Focused or free association - how do you blog?

2011-08-09T13:35:00.000-07:00

Gratuitous baby Darby photo. Just in case :)

Reading this wonderful post at Something Wagging This Way Comes reminded me of a few thoughts that have been tumbling around my brain of late.

I love writing about my critters and their various personalities, but there are about 27 other companion-animal things I like writing about, too. Do I need one blog about my pets, one for animal welfare issues, one about pet products and services that I may or may not use, one about pet-themed products for people and one for everything I couldn't manage to pigeonhole into any of the other blogs? Or is it cool that I sort of free-associate my blog with whatever pet-related theme that happens to pop into my head, leaving it to the reader to decide what is relevant or interesting, and trust that if they see something that isn't their cup of tea, they'll still check back in the future?

If you were to come to my house, the one theme you'd see is that there isn't one. The whole place is a mish-mash of styles, textures and colors, but to me it just looks like my house, a reflection of things we found cool enough to keep around, enjoying them for what they are, rather than for how well they fit together. Can my blog be like my house and still be an engaging blog? I know there are a bunch of people who say "no", that a blog must focus on a particular niche, but isn't blogging about companion animals a niche? It's not like I'm moving from pet themes to recounting last night's episode of True Blood, but it's also not as though every click on my blog guarantees you a story about the Doodlebug and his feline cohabitants, even if I think all things pet-related ultimately relate back to them.

I'm curious to hear the thoughts of my fellow bloggers. How focused is your focus?

World Cat Day

2011-08-08T06:03:00.000-07:00

Today is the third annual World Cat Day, a day when we cat lovers celebrate the strange and special wonder of felines.

I wish I could properly express how it is that cats have beguiled me for so many decades, but I think it's something that people either get or they don't, like Star Wars or Lady Gaga. Roger Caras once likened having a kitten to sharing your home with an alien --- not sure why that analogy stuck with me for so long, but it's always held a ring of truth to me. Mostly, I'm knocked out that a creature who, in general, is twelve to fifteen times smaller than humans manages to trust us while remaining true to the essence of who they are as individuals.

Cats are more emotionally complex than most people believe them to be, more social than their stereotype and more amenable to the hectic schedule of a busy family than their canine counterparts. Oh, and they poop in a box, which is a heck of a lot more convenient than having to go walkies out in the rain or snow.

So Happy World Cat Day to you and yours, from my feline family:

Bad Kitty Bo

Musette

Weebles

None of whom are under the impression that Cat Day only takes place once a year.

Kona's Chips delight the Doodlebug

2011-08-04T10:59:00.000-07:00

I have no idea why Darby is such an unrepentant spazz about the delivery trucks that roll through the neighborhood. Most of the time they're bringing something for him. This week, one of their stops included these awesome treats from Kona's Chips for Darby, courtesy of a drawing I won on DogTipper.

Three flavors of chippity goodness for the Doodlebug!

I love that these are made in the USA and that each one of them is exactly what they say they are --- just the meat, with no fillers or preservatives. Though they are dried, the chips are pliant and easy to break into smaller pieces, which helps because more than a few of these "chips" are HUGE!

No, this is not an optical illusion. Some really are this big!

The Doodlebug is not much of a model, especially when food is involved.

"When do I get one?"

"It's not funny to torture the dog
just so you can get a picture..."

"NOMS!!!!!"


Still nomming out.

Gone but not forgotten...

Needless to say, Darby loves, loves, loves these treats! Thanks to DogTipper for the great giveaway and to Kona's Chips for making such awesome treats.

Absolutely vacspazztic

2011-08-02T13:33:00.000-07:00

"Does this look like the face
of a vacspazztic to you?"

One trait Darby and I share is our devotion to routine. I have a particular way of seeing that my trains run on time when I have tasks to complete, much like Darby in his attendance to matters of home and yard. We both enjoy the rhythm that accompanies completing our checklist item by item, partly because it ensures that we get done what we mean to get done and partly because our dedication to process means it's pretty easy to keep an eye on one another as we move through the day.

On the other hand, it also means that we can read each other like a book. When I see his tail hit a particular set, I know I have about seven seconds to redirect him before mayhem ensues and, likewise, when he sees me begin a pattern of activity, he knows what's coming next.

In some ways our connectedness works well --- I can keep him out of trouble before he has a chance to make a little, and he can depend on me to behave pretty much the same way every time I do something, which gives him the reassurance that all is well in Doodlebug-land.

Then there's vacuuming.

I have no idea what goes through his mind as I begin picking up his toys to toss in the toy basket (and yes, apparently the only time I'm inclined to actually pick up his toys is when I'm about to vacuum), but based on the distinct change in the set of his body, I'm guessing it's something along the lines of, "OHMYDOGOHMYDOGOHMYDOG!
IT'STIMEFORTHEBIGLOUDNOISYTHINGTHECATSHATETOCOMEOUTANDPLAY!!!!!"

The dude simply loses all sense of reason when it comes to the vacuum cleaner. He's not afraid of it (though he does have a distinct weirdness about cords, vacuum cords included), he doesn't really want to kill it and he doesn't want to touch it, but he loves nutting up about it, tearing up and down the hall, flying from room to room trying to stay one step ahead of it, but repeatedly needing to come back to where I am to see if I really am going to push the green monster to every room.

Like many other aspects of the Doodle's personality, this is the first time I've had a dog so thoroughly enchanted with flipping out over the vacuum cleaner, so much so that I think I need a new a new word to properly assign to it: vacspazztic.

Anyone else belong in this club? Let me know --- if there's enough of us, maybe we'll make membership cards.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-27T05:34:00.000-07:00

Bad Kitty Bo with his sweetie, Musette...

Yep, they're digging it...

2011-07-26T15:41:00.000-07:00

Darby doesn't hop onto his chair anymore, waiting to snub my goodbye kiss as I'm pressing to get out the door. He's figured out there's no reason to snub me, because I'm not going anywhere.

Weebs, too, has learned that her frantic scratches at the covers that used to occur approximately fifteen minutes before the alarm was scheduled to go off can wait until the sun has actually begun to rise. She's taken to spending more of her time out in the household with us, rather than sleeping away the day in the bedroom, waiting for me to return, as there's nowhere to return from.

Bad Kitty Bo is just happy to have another full-time servant, while Musette is far too polite to act as though she notices anything different at all.

Such is the nature of the household as I slip into week seven of unemployment. My worries for the future aside, the pets are undeniably pleased to have me home, particularly now that so much more cooking (and living) is taking place within the boundaries of their domain. They appreciate the extra cuddles in the morning, the extra hand to let them in and out of the back door, the extra voice saying, "Leave that alone!"

O.K., maybe not so much on that last one, but you get the drift.

I appreciate them being here for me, too. As much as I thought I knew, really knew, what it must be like for someone to be laid off from a job, there's nothing like firsthand experience to set your perspective straight. Having the critters be their usual pesty, dorky selves has proven to be immeasurably comforting, especially on those days when the world seems particularly cold. They pull me outside of myself when my wheels are spinning a bit too long, reminding me there is still plenty in this world to laugh about --- and clean up after.

Though I'm unsure of what comes around the corner, I know wherever the path leads they'll remain steadfastly under my feet...or on my chair, or in the bathroom while I'm showering, or sniffing around the edges of my plate when my head's turned, or sucking out space on my pillow while I'm trying to sleep.

They're supportive like that.

How to enjoy a pool...

2011-07-25T06:12:00.000-07:00

...when you don't like swimming!

Darby loves hanging on the edge of the pool, begging us to splash water in his face. This is his favorite back yard activity, hands-down, even if he regularly leans a bit too far over and falls in.

I snapped a few pics of his recent endeavors for your viewing pleasure!

He's already fallen in once, hence the wet back end...

"Dad, I'm waiting..."

"Whew, about time!"

"More, more more!"

"C'mon...I'm right here!"

"Biteyface!"

"Mom says all good dogs know, 'Go dry off on your towel!'"

"Back for more!"

And so it goes. Every pool adventure includes running the Doodlebug ragged around the edge, making him chase us from one side to the other in the hopes of getting splashed. It's not always my idea of perfection --- occasionally a girl would like to float around without distraction --- but there's just no way I can deny him such a simple pleasure.

My your summer find you with simple pleasures of your own in which to indulge.

Versatile Blogger Award time!

2011-07-23T08:05:00.000-07:00

A little ways back I was fortunate enough to receive this award from two different blogs at about the same time: Something Wagging this Way Comes and Nanny McFur. I am touched that both blogs consider me worthy of such consideration, as I have found each of them fun and inspiring in their own right.

The main purpose of the award is for those of us who enjoy writing about pets and pet issues to share a little love for other bloggers who we find interesting, inspiring or amusing as we click through our digital universe. There are two parts to this --- to tell you seven things about me you may not know, and to share this with fifteen other blogs. I always love reading other people's seven things, so I'll start there:

1. I hate wearing shoes and will take them off at any given opportunity. If I come to your house and take my shoes off, you'll know I consider you a really good friend (and, yes, it's happened).

2. I have a deep desire to shave all of Darby's hair off just to see what he looks like underneath :)

3. I love finding reasons to laugh. The worse the day, the bigger my desire to find the funny in the world and celebrate it.

4. I watch almost no T.V. I don't have cable or satellite, so the bulk of my viewing is DVDs (which you'd think would mean I'd get more done, but that is wholly untrue).

5. I take songs and change the words around to make them about my pets, then sing the "new" songs to them --- which is also the only shot you'll ever have at hearing me sing. You're welcome.

6. My love of coffee knows no bounds. Hot, cold, mixed in food --- I'd shower with coffee-scented soap if I could find it.

7. In the time it took me to write the first six items, I could have walked the dog, made breakfast and done the week's grocery shopping :)

Whew! Glad the hard part's over. Now onto the fun stuff: Naming fifteen other blogs I feel are worthy of the Versatile Blogger title. Here they are, in no particular order.

Snoopy's Dog Blog

Cleo's Day

Catsparella

Cat Chat with Caren and Cody

Fetch

To Dog With Love

Housecat Confidential

Fully Vetted

Pawprints, Ears & a Tennis Ball
Sebastian the Sensitive Soul

Adventures of a Cattle Dog

Animal Shelter Volunteer Life

Bark'n About

Bocci's Beefs

Life is Like a Box of Nuggets

Just in time for the Saturday Blog Hop, so in addition to the cool blogs above, you can check out more of the creativity unleashed on the blogosphere!

Yep, more cats!

2011-07-22T09:08:00.000-07:00

Fortunately, only of the wooden variety (for now, heh)!


Yep, even the fake cats get treats around here!

As I've mentioned before, I have a bit of a collection of cat figurines. While the additions to my collection don't come nearly as frequently as they did several years ago, my mother continues to find items that she think are worthy additions while out on her ventures. During my last visit with her, she gifted me with this trio of photograph-holding felines to add to my case.

I'm always grateful for new items to add to the group, and I love that my mom enjoys finding pieces that aren't already represented. It's one of those things she does that reminds me that no matter how often we get together, we're never far from each other's thoughts.

Anyone else have an assortment of pet-themed items? Do friends or family give you gifts that reflect your love of the fur-footed? Please share!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-20T06:50:00.000-07:00

"Gotta keep the meathooks clean in case the dog gets any ideas..."

It's time for the Wordless Wednesday blog hop! Check out some of the other great photos being shared today!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-13T07:04:00.000-07:00

"You told me to 'drop it' and I did. I don't understand the problem."

Hop over to some of these other great blogs!

Remembering Bosco

2011-07-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

You were our first "family dog".

Soft, sweet and loving, you were the perfect dog for young boys and young marriages.

Best friend of kittens, chaser of birds and master of silliness.


July 25, 1995 - July 8, 2005

To this day, our hearts are fuller for having had you in our lives.

Thank you for sharing your life with us.

"He spoke through tears of 15 years how his dog and him

traveled about.

The dog up and died,he up and died

And after 20 years he still grieves"

~Mr. Bojangles

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-06T05:52:00.000-07:00

"The only parent who counts is the one who's cooking!"

It's time for the Wordless Wednesday Hop! Check out some of the other terrific blogs that are participating:

The tale of the portable pet bed

2011-07-05T12:47:00.000-07:00

Some time back I won this coolio portable pet bed in a Giveaway hosted by Nanny McFur:

It is undeniably cute and even has a zippered pocket on the outside to stash a leash (or treats, Darby reminds me).

Love the cute design on the outside!

Alas, there were two concerns. The first is that when the bed is unzipped, the teeth of the zipper are exposed. While I'm sure this wouldn't be an issue for short-haired breeds, Darby's fluff stood a really great chance of getting caught in the teeth. That's not going to work out so swell for anyone if it were to happen while we were sleeping. Animal Planet might want to think about adding a zipper guard to future versions of this to help the hairy ones out.

Don't mind messy me. This is my "post-swim" look.

The other concern is that, all in all, it's a bit small for the Doodle. Sure, he can seem fairly small to some folks who see him in photos, but he's clocking in at about 40 pounds these days and would have a hard time squishing himself on the bed without flopping off to one side or the other.

So, we've decided the only right and proper thing to do is to donate this bed to Friends of the Kern County Animal Shelters Foundation as a prize for our next fundraiser. The bed can go to someone whose dog can really use it and supports helping companion animals. We think it's a win-win!

Elsa's Lullaby

2011-07-03T12:20:00.000-07:00

I've had the link to this video for some time now, but only watched it today. What a lovely tribute to a beloved friend.

Do you need pet insurance?

2011-06-30T06:33:00.000-07:00

Following the death of St. Bosco, I swore I was going to get pet insurance for my next dog. Given the scary sum of money we spent on Bosco trying to determine the cause of his issues, then the costs associated with treating them, I promised myself I wasn't going to put us in that position again. And I meant it, right up until I actually got another dog.

Darby came down with parvo within days of coming home from the shelter. Once we got through that patch, it was time for him to be neutered. Naturally, he was cryptorchid, making a fairly routine surgery a more complicated (and expensive) one.

By this time, not unlike many other pet owners, we figured, "Why bother? What else can go wrong with the little dude?" Here's a free tip from me: Never actually say those words out loud. It's the universe's signal to show you the folly of your nonchalance.

Sure enough, last year he needed knee surgery to pin down a loose kneecap. (That small sound you heard at the end of that sentence was the deflation of our checking account. Knees aren't cheap.) Yep, I was ruing the day I put off getting a policy right about then, and I had no one but myself to blame. I know pet insurance is available, I know bad things sometimes happen to good pets and I know having insurance can mean there is less thing to worry about when they do.

Want to know if pet insurance can help you manage your pet's medical bills? VPI Pet Insurance has developed a pretty cool Cost of Care Planner for dog and cat owners. Just pop in your pet's info (basic stuff - name, age, breed and your zip code) and you'll get a list of some most common ailments veterinarians see for your breed and the approximate cost to treat them.

I plugged in Darby's info to see what would happen. Funny, one of the first items listed was the cost to treat an ear infection. D'oh! I forgot about that trip to the vet last year, the result of one too many headers into the pool. Sadly, the treatment cost listed is just about what I paid for it, too. I dug a little further to see about the monthly premium and, sure enough, even if I'd been paying since the day I got him it would have been less than the one surgery he's already had.

Do yourself a favor and check it out. The wallet you save may be your own.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-29T06:40:00.000-07:00

Doughnut head!

Check out some of the other terrific Wordless Wednesday photos here:

Ugh. Already with the popping?

2011-06-28T06:40:00.000-07:00

High on the list of Darby's more ~~neurotic~~ endearing traits is his reaction to certain noises, especially those emitted by fireworks.

Fireworks? Don't like 'em...

Maybe spending his first "real" Fourth of July living a block away from the largest professional demonstration in town ruined him for life when it comes to things that pop, whiz or bang, particularly if such sounds occur at or after dusk. The noise level of that show was such that the first "bang" of the evening routinely set off car alarms in the neighborhood as the ground shook from the force of the rocket's red glare. Perhaps it was that the noise was followed by more whooshes and booms as the firepower exploded overhead, any explanation for which was far beyond anything his puppy brain could comprehend.

In the end it doesn't matter because all roads lead to Rome, or, in his case, to the guest room where he can cower between the bed and the wall, waiting for the world to be safe again. So imprinted is he by the trauma surrounding the Fourth that any loud popping or banging sound at night will metamorphose him from playing-in-the-yard dog to cowering, running for the back door dog. A car backfiring? He's outta there. Same goes for cargo doors slamming on semi trucks as they unload their bounty at the nearby convenience store, someone dropping a large tool on a concrete patio or the whir made by the blades of a helicopter as they patrol the neighborhood after dark. Darby may have never met Keyser Soze, but he will guarantee you that should Soze come to the house he'll be accompanied by some great and horrible noise that any creature worth his salt would do well to avoid. And even with all that, I know I'm lucky.

Lucky because of all the options at his disposal, Darby chooses to shut down. Yes, it's hard to watch him huddle in the back room, utterly inconsolable, but at least he's securely indoors with his family. So many other dogs (and cats) bolt in terror from their homes into the dangers of the night. They break gates, dig under/climb over/slip through fences, and in a few extreme cases break windows or sliding glass doors in their panic to escape the assault on their senses. It's often repeated that more pets are lost on July 4th than any other single day of the year. Darby may be scared, even terrified, but he's home and whether he comprehends it or not, he's safe.

With the fireworks stands now open for business the evening "pop" has begun again, leaving me with a dog who will avoid an evening potty trip if there's so much as a whistling sound after sunset. Last night someone several doors down felt the need to test out a few firecrackers, blissfully oblivious to the terror their fun instills in my pooch, and there's still a week left before the "big show".

Being well-versed in the drill, we'll be especially attentive to his needs over the next week or so. Should your pets need some extra love and reassurance during this period, we know you'll do the same.

You know it's hot...

2011-06-22T15:32:00.000-07:00

When the two cats you have to drag in every night take a pass on going outdoors...

Bad Kitty Bo says, "Going outside is for dogs."

Musette says, "If I were meant to go outside, this chair wouldn't have been empty."

104 degrees and climbing...hope everyone is chillin' like these two.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hot days bore me!

It's Wordless Wednesday, so head over to some of the other fine blogs that are taking part in today's hop!

Pawing through the kitchen

2011-06-18T06:33:00.000-07:00

As I've mentioned before, it would be hard to realize what a complete dork I am about pet-themed items by looking at my house. But that doesn't mean I don't have the stray fantasy about turning my little abode into an all-out testament to all that is critter.

Take the kitchen, for example. The sum total of critter cute rests on this spoon rest I acquired several years ago.

Well, that and a couple of cookie jars that have never actually held a (human) cookie. Oh --- and the paper towels that have cats and dogs on them. And the refrigerator magnets. But I digress, because the idea here is that there is not nearly enough in my kitchen to do justice to the world of cool critter-themed kitchenware, and I appear to be blowing that idea to smithereens by continuing to type.

I mean, look at these measuring cups. How are these not part of my household?

via

Or these seriously cool salt and pepper shakers from Jonathan Adler:

via

And these measuring spoons might inspire me to use measuring spoons when I cook:

via

We'll need some pot holders and dish towels for all the great food we'll be making:

via

A new cream and sugar server for when we have guests:

via

And an apron to hide any stray pet hair:

via

Did I miss anything?

Oh yeah, it's time to hop, so let's check out some of the other great blogs in the pet blogosphere!

Cat cakes!

2011-06-17T06:05:00.000-07:00

Turns out the cats were a bit annoyed that I'd want a dog-themed cake, considering they outnumber him three to one. So, in the interest of fairness to my cats and my cat-loving friends, here are some awesome cat-themed cakes (which I'd also be more than happy get)!

via

Cute, but not overdone on the theme.

via
Oh man - cuter still!

via
Or I could go in this direction...

via

Guess I'd have to pick one cat for a cake like this.

via
But I can get them all on this one!

via

Why choose between cats and dogs?

If they can live together, they can share a cake, right?

Dream Dog Park unveiled!

2011-06-16T12:02:00.000-07:00

Check out this amazing new dog park, unveiled in Johns Creek, Georgia. Local resident Pat McNeely and his Siberian Husky Koda were named Grand Prize Winner in the Beneful® WagWorld® Dream Dog Park Contest, which won their community a $500,000 dog park renovation from the Beneful® brand.

Interested in having a dream dog park in your community? The Beneful Dream Dog Park Contest invites you to get creative! Go to Beneful Dream Dog Park from now through June 21 and answer the question: If you had $500,000 to spend to create the ultimate dream dog park, what would you do?

Good luck!

Dog cakes!

2011-06-16T10:26:00.000-07:00

No, not cakes for dogs...cakes for people that are dog-themed!

As I continue to walk the fine line between between pet enthusiast and just flat-out pet nut, I'm forced to admit that I love, love, love pet-themed items. You wouldn't necessarily know it from looking at my house --- having a spouse guarantees that my pet-nuttiness doesn't creep into every corner (yet), but one thing I've always wanted was a cake that had a pet theme to it. Until I make one of my very own, here are some seriously cute cakes floating around on the Interwebz.

via

I like this one because it looks like something I could actually make, given enough time and frosting practice.

via
I'd need lots of practice before tackling something like this!

via

How cute is this???

via
Jeepers! Someone made a Darby cake!

via
Or maybe I should start with a paw print and work my way up to the rest of the dog?

via
Might need to invite a few friends over to help eat a cake this big!

Have any of you ever made/gotten a pet-themed cake?

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-15T07:17:00.000-07:00

Hot fun in the summertime!

Happy hopping!

Pool time!

2011-06-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

After a truly unseasonably long spring (for these parts, anyway), the weather is finally beginning to resemble what we've come to associate with summer. For Darby, that means one thing: Swimming!!

Not that he actually swims, mind you. His passion is clinging to the edge of the pool and having us splash him with the water. He'll swim if he falls in (which happens on a fairly frequent basis), but his joy is running to whichever side of the pool he thinks we might be going, assuming his position on the edge and waiting for us to arrive to give him a little face-splash.

You know what they say: A tired dog is happy dog.

I love swimmin' with bow-legged women!
(with apologies to the movie Jaws)

Wordless Wednesday - baby Darby!

2011-06-08T07:50:00.000-07:00

How puppies get away with everything...

Check out other Wordless Wednesday participants below:

A bowl-ed over Doodlebug

2011-06-07T05:06:00.000-07:00

When we adopted Darby a few weeks after the death of our beloved sheltie, St. Bosco, we did what most pet owners do and repurposed as many of Bosco’s supplies as we could, including his food and water bowls. No point in buying a whole bunch of new stuff, right? The Doodlebug was small and everything he inherited was in great shape. Yes, he did try to go swimming in the water bowl…twice, if memory serves me correctly, but other than that, it was all good.

It wasn’t until a few years later that we noticed that perhaps Darby had outgrown his kibble dish. Although he grew to be almost the same size as our (supersized) sheltie, there is an obvious difference between the delicate, tapered muzzle of St. Bosco and the larger, squarer jaw line of the Doodlebug, particularly in regards to how well they navigate the inner regions of the dish in question. In the end the food is always eaten, so any discussion that maybe Doodle needed something better suited to his size seemed to vanish almost as quickly as his dinner. Until this weekend.

Darby's dirty dog dish.

As I caught sight of Darby retrieving his dinner from his dish, I called out to my husband.

“Dude, have you seen the way Darby’s eating? It’s like he can’t get his whole mouth in the bowl, so he’s using his lower jaw like a scoop while his nose hangs over the edge on the outside. I think his bowl is too small for him.”

“So,” he asked, “You want to buy him a new bowl?”

“No, I don’t think we have to buy something else. There’s got to be something here that will work. I just think he needs something that has a wider opening so he can eat more comfortably. What if we try one of the Fiestaware bowls? We’ve got bunches of those.”

And we do. Years ago, after I finally got the Fiestaware I’d been dreaming of for ages, my mother asked if there were items I was missing that she could get me for Christmas. Somehow “serving bowls” got translated to “cereal bowls” and I now have three times as many cereal bowls as I do anything else in Fiestaware-land. But I digress.

“Yeah, that should work,” he agreed. “I’ll change it out tomorrow.”

On Sunday, the spouse was as good as his word. When it came time for Darby’s afternoon kibs, he removed the old dish and served up Doodle’s meal in one of the more comfortable Fiestaware bowls.

New bowl for Doodle!

Darby walked over, looked at the bowl, smelled the food, then stepped back and looked at “Dad.”

Bowl. Dad. Bowl. Dad.

The Doodle slowly walked around the legs of the table next to his feeding area and came back to his new dish.

Bowl. Dad. Bowl. Dad.

It was during his second trip around the table that I flashed on what he was telling us.

“I am not touching that bowl. Even though I know that’s my dinner in there, I.am.not.touching.it. That’s the ‘you better stay out of the people food’ bowl that keeps the food I’m not supposed to eat. Even if the food smells good and I can reach it, it’s still the ‘no-no shamey-shamey’ bowl and I don’t get to eat it. You think you’re going to trick me by putting my food in your people bowl, but even though I’m hungry I will not touch that bowl. I am not shamey-shamey-baddog.”

So complete was my surprise at my incredible miscalculation, all I could do was laugh as my husband gathered up the “new” dish and dumped Darby’s kibs into the older, smaller model.

The Doodlebug finally got his meal, and I got a little reminder that no matter how dorky he acts on the outside, the wheels are always turning on the inside.

My shot at going to BlogPaws

2011-06-05T16:22:00.000-07:00

Today BlogPaws announced a Facebook contest where the winner receives a free trip to this year's gathering, taking place August 25-27 in Tysons Corner, VA.

You guessed it --- I entered.

I have not been to a BlogPaws event before. I'd so much love to be able to meet so many of the people behind many of the blogs I've been reading so long, as well as the chance to meet and talk to various representatives of the pet products that will be featured there. I figure my odds of winning the contest are pretty slim, but not as slim as my chances of going if I didn't enter. After all, stranger things have happened.

You can enter, too. Just head to the BlogPaws Facebook page and click the "contest" button on the left side of the page.

Paws crossed that good fortune might smile on me.

Getting my feet back under me

2011-05-29T13:38:00.000-07:00

Looking forward

Before I go any further, I have to take a minute to thank Pup Love for her Facebook post last night about her struggles with writer's block. I felt better just knowing I'm not the only blogger out there who has been having issues getting my act together this month and that we can talk about it, and it's O.K. Thanks, Pup.

May turned out to be really challenging for me. I won't go into details here, as a lot of it has to do with personal, rather than pet, issues and I tend to live believing everyone has plenty of their own troubles to carry around without having to hear mine. I want readers to enjoy the moments they spend on my site and if I can't find my way to writing something interesting, inspiring or humorous I shy away from the keyboard until I can.

Though there will still be some rough patches in the coming days, I think I'm beginning to get my feet back under me. It's been wonderful to read so many of my favorite bloggers like Snoopy, Gus, Cleo, Riley, Nugget, Caren and Cody, Dakota and Hawk during my recent unproductive period. Know that your stories, photos, videos and Facebook comments frequently bring smiles to my face and remind me that cool, funny things happen all the time and that they'll happen tomorrow, too.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Kern County animals need our help

2011-05-23T07:04:00.000-07:00

I was as skeptical as anyone when Kim Mullins was appointed to the position of Director of Kern County Animal Control (KCAC) in November 2010. After all, since I've lived in the area we've had four different people in charge of the department, three in the last four years alone, without making much progress that could be considered beneficial for the homeless pets of Kern County.

As many of you know, I work with a volunteer group that, among other things, works to help Kern County shelters on a direct level; purchasing items the shelter needs that aren't included in the budget, raising funds for low-cost spay/neuter events, providing people to hold off-site adoption events and assisting with KCAC events.

Before Ms. Mullins came along, more than a little time was spent during our monthly meetings expressing frustration with KCAC --- lack of communication on their end about how our organization could make an impact, lack of support for our activities on their behalf and an apparent lack of enthusiasm for anything we (or any other rescue group) might wish to do to help get more pets out of the shelter and into forever homes. The whole thing hardly seemed worth the personal investment and effort we put into trying.

But Ms. Mullins was different. Coming from outside the traditional shelter system, she was open to hearing our ideas, supportive of our efforts and open to regular, real communication. Things began getting better, inch by inch. She was invested, and her investment gave me hope for a better future for the companion animals in KCAC. For the first time since I moved here, I felt we might actually be able to get a handle on some of the issues plaguing the homeless pets in our county.

She came to meetings and spoke plainly about what could change and how soon changes could take place. She was responsive to our requests and made herself available to the media for interviews and for our events, where she could meet and greet the public whom KCAC serves. Rescue groups and the public in general were (finally) beginning to say positive things about the changes happening at the shelter and believed that her progressive style might be the real deal.

And, like that, she was gone. Fired on the last day of her probationary period, the day after her supervisor lauded her efforts to the local newspaper. Though he isn't talking, the article in The Bakersfield Californian certainly leads one to believe that her dismissal is directly related to questions she raised about city animal control workers possibly improperly (and perhaps illegally) killing animals while out in the field.

A follow-up article demonstrates the affinity many in the rescue world feel for Ms. Mullins and the changes she was busy implementing on behalf of Kern County's companion animals. To say that people involved in trying to make positive change at the shelter are disappointed is a gross understatement. But we are not going to sit back an just let this happen without a fight, especially from a county that has already been sued once (and lost), in 2004 for violations of the Hayden Act.

To that end, a group called Justice 4 Paws has started a petition to have Ms. Mullins reinstated as shelter director of KCAC. You can find and sign the petition here. Please feel free to share it with anyone you believe might be interested in the outcome of this situation.

Also, please feel free to send emails to the Kern County Board of Supervisors:

District 1 - Jon McQuiston: district1@co.kern.ca.us
District 2 - Zack Scrivner: district2@co.kern.ca.us
District 3 - Mike Maggard: district3@co.kern.ca.us
District 4 - Ray Watson: district4@co.kern.ca.us
District 5 - Karen Goh: district5@co.kern.ca.us

You may also mail letters to: 1115 Truxtun Avenue, Fifth Floor, Bakersfield, CA 93301

Thanks for your time. I'll keep you posted.

*Disclaimer - Though I sit as a board member of a nonprofit group who works with Kern County Animal Control the views expressed here are mine alone.

A tail of shame...

2011-05-19T06:55:00.000-07:00

Good thing I'm cute!

One sure sign of the impending summer around here is that the wood doors on our house begin to shrink a bit. It’s great news for the front door, because now it opens fairly freely, rather than needing the extra yank to get it going in the morning, but the screen door in back is another story. Once that wee bit of shrinking takes place the latch that keeps it truly closed is just loose enough that the critters have at least a fifty-fifty shot of getting it open and dashing through it, which is exactly what Doodlebug did.

Since I’m deeply invested in my Bejeweled game (yes, I know, but at least it doesn’t end in the word “ville”) I assume he’s chasing a cat, or at least what he thinks is a cat before he realizes it isn’t anything cool after all, so I didn’t bother paying much attention to him. It’s not like he’s going anywhere, and once my game is over I can pretty easily round him up.

Only there was no need for that, as he is back at the door far sooner than I expected, with nary a bark crossing his lips during his excursion. When I open the door for him, he comes through it like the devil-cat is right on his tail, slinks to the computer room and promptly curls up in a ball on the floor, head down, tail tucked.

Great. Now I’m freaked, too, seeing as how this seems completely out of character for him. I hate being freaked out after 9 p.m. --- I’m tired and it’s dark, but it’s still early enough to make the 11 o’clock news if there’s really something scary out there, and I am not dressed for the 11 o’clock news.

Nothing.

I find nothing at all. And I really looked around, too. Put my shoes on and everything, because if I had stepped on a slug or an injured grasshopper or some other form of ick, there would be a new form of ick left behind by me for someone else to step in. Why risk it?

I come back in the house, more worried than anything else, because Doodle still has that look on his face like he’s about to be sold to the gypsies, which isn’t going to happen. Not this week, anyway, because he’s been good-dog-for-reals so far this week and we’re not about to trade out good-dog-for-reals after nearly six years of waiting for good-dog-for-reals to stop by.

My husband cracked the case, uttering the words that never cease to remind me that my next dog will be short-haired, if not hairless.

“I think you should check Darby’s butt.”

Sure enough, one peek under the tail explained it all. Never in my life have I met a dog more obsessed with having a spotless hiney than Darby. Should this dog have anything less than a perfect poop, he will see to it that anyone paying the smallest amount of attention knows about it. His head sinks low as he tucks his tail between his legs and engages in the skulk of shame, crawling back to us, whereupon he collapses on the patio looking for all the world like the saddest.dog.ever.

I’d find it far funnier if it didn’t mean I’d be spending the next several minutes, baby wipes in hand, muttering less than loving thoughts to him as I dig, clean or clip out the remnants of his toileting shame. Just like I did on this night.

Can’t believe I didn’t see it coming.

Poor Mew...

2011-05-14T17:50:00.000-07:00

Musette thought she hit the big-time today. As I wandered out back with Darby following part two of what may be a five-part series on getting his coat cleaned out, there she was with a big ol' honking grasshopper between her jaws, looking about as pleased as a cat can look.

She waited for us to get settled in before she let him loose to continue her catch-and-release game with him. Being wounded, he didn't jump very far, which was all well and good with her since she's a bit on the senior side and wasn't interested in working all that hard to keep him close. She got off a good four or five pounces when *plonk* into the swimming pool he went.

She sat on the edge of the pool, clearly annoyed at the turn of events. Being the thoughtful mom I am, I called out my husband and asked him to fish out her toy and return it to her ('cause dog knows I'm not going near the thing --- I hate grasshoppers!). The spouse, long since past being surprised at how my mind works, obliged. He grabbed the pool brush and proceeded to fish out the offending bug, depositing him on the grass.

Naturally, this was followed by him coming over and picking up Mew to carry her to her "toy", and yes, even as I write it I know how ridiculous it sounds, but that's love for you.

One good hop and she was back on the case, pouncing and releasing, every fiber of her little being wrapped up in her moment of supreme huntress-ness. She was queen of the landscaped jungle.

*plonk*

Back into the pool went the grasshopper.

Musette wandered back to us, mewing ever so softly, hoping to convince us to once again help a girl out, but her luck ran out. The spouse fished the grasshopper out of the pool, but deposited it over the fence beyond her reach. We're betting some bird ate a hearty meal on her dime tonight.

As for Mew, here she sleeps in one of her favorite spots, dreaming of bugs to come...

Beset by cats

2011-05-13T19:38:00.000-07:00

via Shutterstock

I’ve previously mentioned the two not-our-cats who tend to roam the backyard area of our home: “Bob”, the big orangie who I’m nearly positive is currently owned, albeit as an outdoor-only cat, but seems on a quest to become one of our family members and “Brindle”, a pretty much feral, although I think with time, food and love might someday let someone get a hand on him. Both of these cats have been around for years. They have limited interaction with our brood, thanks to Darby making a regular patrol of the area. Though I don’t think it’s in Darby’s DNA to ever actually hurt a cat, he does like seeing them flash across the yard as he chases them.

Now our not-our-cats population has increased by two. A couple of weeks ago a cat-sized hole developed in the back fence that separates us from our non-pet-owning neighbors. What once took a couple of coordinated leaps to migrate from their yard to ours is currently an easy stroll and some new cast members seem to be taking full advantage of the situation, much to my chagrin.

There’s now a medium-haired obviously unhomed cat who appears people skittish, though I’m betting not food skittish, if given half a chance, and a solid black shorthaired cat who seems on the younger side. The black cat may be owned since, like Bob, he appears to be in good flesh and coat. Regardless, apparently Bob has been sharing the news that we are the soft-touch family and our yard, once you figure out the dog’s schedule, is a pretty sweet place to hang, because these two have become the newest semi-fixtures.

Sigh.

I’m desperately hoping that once we get the fence replaced next week our newest additions will go back to wherever they were hanging out before finding the stroll-hole. Otherwise I’ll have some hard options ahead of me. My old cats are none too keen on sharing their lives with any additional inhabitants and Darby’s house-dog-not-yard-dog status means he’ll never be in the yard long enough to truly run them off. Taking them to Animal Control means all-but-certain-death, but leaving them here means I’ll eventually end up supplying grub, complete with having to create some sort of feed station for them (and don’t let my husband see that last part, ‘kay?) because I can’t take seeing suffering thrown-away cats. Granted, Bob and the black cat aren’t thrown away, but if you have food, they’re happy to dine al fresco and there’s no way you can feed the one truly in need without Bob eating first --- trust me on that.

Never have I asked so much from a few pieces of wood nailed together…

Wordless Wednesday guest pics

2011-05-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

This week I thought I'd take the opportunity to showcase my friend Tim's incredible photos of his beautiful dog, Hallie. His skill with a camera and love for his subject both shine through in the images he captures of her. Enjoy.

The end!

Treated by Gus!

2011-05-10T10:14:00.000-07:00

Wow, here's one I should have posted by now. The always fabulous folks at According to Gus held a treat giveaway in April and, as luck would have it, Darby won! Since both Gus and Darby have a bit of a reputation for being picky eaters, we were curious to see which treats might be the ones that both dogs found agreeable to their discerning palates.

When the package arrived, the mail carrier thought it was seriously funny that Darby, already the recipient of mailbox treats left by her, was now getting mail addressed to him as well. At the rate his mailbox possession is taking hold, I expect a newly-revised version of the deed to the property, listing it in his name, to arrive before the end of the year.


Such a bountiful selection!

So many yummy items to choose from. Heck, the dog on the package of the salmon treats even looks like Darby...well, a clean version of him, anyway.

Alas, the only morsels that dared tempt his picky soul were the Bonies. Darby seems to have an inherent dislike of anything that is semi-moist, so the packaged goods were a big no-go in his book. The Bonies provided him with something to carry around, even if he wasn't altogether in working hard enough to try and eat them.

Ignore how dirty I am. Mom's been sick and
I don't get properly groomed when she's under the weather.

Regardless of Darby's lack of ~~taste~~ interest, the treats were a wonderful surprise, and let the mail carrier know that she's not the only one in the run for Darby's mailbox affections. The next time she left him a cookie, it was bigger than the ones he got before, so as far as Darby's concerned, it's all good.

Lotto fantasy

2011-05-09T08:19:00.000-07:00

Someone from my city recently won the $51 million dollar jackpot in the California lottery. If it had been me, I'd have been inclined to build something akin to Calico Cattery, an uber-swanky boarding facility for cats.

Modern Cat published a great post about this unique place and its accompanying gift shop. This place is so cool I'd be tempted to hang out there for my vacation!

In sickness and in health

2011-05-04T18:33:00.000-07:00

As I’ve mentioned to my friends, I don’t get sick. I get injuries, usually from doing something that the logical side of my brain tells me I shouldn’t be doing, only to be drowned out by the stubborn, eight-year-old side of my personality whispering, “Go ahead, do it!! What’s the worst that can happen?” I also get ailments, most of which are the lingering results of having listened to said eight-year-old inner voice. But getting sick from the garden-variety viruses that creep upon the Earth? Not so much.

Until last week, anyway, when I was hit with the viral version of a freight train. One day I’m making plans for a romantic dinner to celebrate my (then) upcoming anniversary. The next, I’m making mental notes about which cat figurines go to which person in the event of my nearly certain demise. That’s how it works when a non-sickie like me finds myself besieged with illness --- I extrapolate it to its natural, if unrealistic, end.

Weebles embraced my incapacitated state as a personal holiday for hers truly. No longer was she alone in the bedroom, dozing peacefully, far from the rest of the four-footed co-inhabitants. She had herself a genuine slumber party going on around the clock with her favorite mom in the world. Weebs stayed in the bed every minute I was there. If I went to the bathroom, she was right there with me, making sure I was coming back to the bedroom for more downtime. To her, my being sick meant she got me all to herself and if she had to put up with a little coughing, sneezing and whining, she considered it well worth the price of admission.

Darby, having never been exposed to “sick mom” in his nearly six years on the planet, had no idea what to make of me or the situation at hand, so in his usual Doodlebug fashion, he winged it. He tried really, really hard to play the doting, sympathetic dog I’ve read so much about in other people’s accounts of dogs and family illnesses. He hopped on the bed and tried to convey something approaching sympathy for me…until it got too far past his breakfast time and I was abandoned for the joy and wonder of Stella & Chewy’s.

Once sated, the Doodle reappeared in the quarantine area, choosing to hang by the door, apparently “guarding” me from whatever hell-booger might find its way up the hall to my room. Turns out that got boring fast, so Darby switched to Plan B and put a little scratch behind his ear, just enough to make sure his tags jangled. Beyond keeping him identified and legal, the Doodle’s tags serve as his way of telling me when he needs out, should nature call outside of normal hours, and he knows that being overt with them is usually a sure-fire way to get me out of bed.

He was right. After fifteen minutes of “ching-ching-ching” tag audio-torture bursts, I got up. For a bit, anyway.

Several days later, I’ve finally recovered to the point where I can check back in with you all, share tales of things that crossed my mind while reclined in my sick bed and find out what’s been happening in your world. It’s good to be back with you.

They are all Patrick

2011-04-25T05:30:00.000-07:00

If you are an animal lover, you'd had to have been living under a rock for the past month not to be aware of Patrick, the dog who was starved nearly to death and thrown down a garbage chute, only to be rescued at nearly the last possible moment. His story has dominated animal blogs, Facebook news feeds and discussions about animal maltreatment. People around the world are invested in his recovery and his fame has led to disagreements about everything from the use of his images to what happens to him when he's ready for adoption.

I've followed his case, too. Seeing the outpouring of support for him reminds me of the local case of Lacey, the small terrier-mix who was seized by animal control and placed in foster care pending the outcome of the criminal case against her alleged abuser. In both cases there was an enormous outpouring of support from people all over the world, including dozens of offers to adopt these dogs. It seems assured that regardless of their difficult beginning, both of these dogs will eventually be able to live out their lives in safety and comfort, as is fitting.

But what about the rest? How do we make every shelter animal as wanted as Patrick and Lacey?

In the end, Patrick is a young male pit bull --- one who, unlike the thousands of other young male pitties sitting in shelters across the country, has people lined up wanting to include him in their homes and lives. What about those pitties, and the thousands of other dogs and cats waiting for a chance to have a safe, loving, forever home?

Are their stories of abandonment less compelling, their eyes less soulful, their hearts less loyal? Aren't the companion animals in our shelters right this very minute worthy of a toy, a treat or a soft blanket upon which to rest their body?

Of course they are. The shelter animals in our community are worth every photograph we can take and share, every treat we can buy, bake or bring for their enjoyment, every towel or blanket we can donate, and every effort we as a community can make to get them out of the shelters and into loving, forever homes.

Because regardless of their size, shape, breed, species, age or circumstance, when it comes down to it, they are all Patrick, relying on the kindness of strangers to give them a better life.

As we follow Patrick's story and cheer for his recovery and eventual adoption, let's not forget that.

Blog the Change: Anything you do is good enough

2011-04-14T21:02:00.000-07:00

You want to know the truth?

I don't care what you do.

Any single, small thing you are willing to do to help secure a better life for animals, be they companion, livestock or wild, is enough for me. Just do something.

Write a letter to your legislator about a law you'd like to see implemented or changed.
Buy an extra bag (or can) of food and donate it to your local pet food pantry.
Help sponsor the spaying or neutering of a companion animal waiting to be adopted at your local shelter.
Attend a local government meeting when animal issues are being discussed.
Help organize a bake sale, with proceeds to be donated to your local shelter.
Write a letter to the editor of your newspaper about the importance of spaying and neutering.
Thank a local restaurant for allowing dogs to sit on the patio with you.
Sponsor a tree to be planted at your local dog park.
If the animal cruelty laws aren't strong enough for your liking, help work to make them tougher.
Offer to help one of your local organizations, even if just for an afternoon.
Get a few friends together and start your own Operation Happy Sock.
Bake some dog treats and deliver them to your local shelter.
Bake some people treats and deliver them to your local shelter to thank the staff and volunteers for their work.
Add your signature to a petition here or here that addresses an animal issue about which you feel strongly.
Put a change jar at your desk or your business to collect funds to donate to your favorite local animal group.

See? I'm not picky at all.

"I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do." ~Edward Everett Hale

Today is one of the four "Blog the Change" dates set aside each year for pet bloggers. Thanks to Be the Change for Animals and This One Wild Life for the inspiration. Check out what other bloggers are hoping to change:

Travels with Doodle

2011-04-11T11:21:00.000-07:00

We don't travel much. A large part of the reason is that with three cats and a dog, it's tough for us to be gone. At one time we had my parents, who could come down and house-sit for us when we felt the need to get away, but with their ongoing health concerns that option is no longer available to us.

We could kennel Darby if we had to, but everything we know about his constitution says that would not be a good experience for him, plus we'd still have to hire someone to care for the cats. They cannot be boarded because I refuse to vaccinate their aging selves, firmly believing that they have all of the immunity they need from previous vaccinations. Until I find someone who can be a good live-in for us, our travel schedule is mainly limited to going north to see my parents, which we did this weekend.

The Doodlebug is always welcome at "grandma and grandpa's house". His bone-shaped puppy bag causes whines of delight when he sees it being pulled from the closet, because he knows an adventure is coming. Once he's packed, we leash him up and hit the road.


"Finish getting the gas, Dad, so we can GO!"

Going somewhere with Darby almost guarantees fun. His excitement manifests itself in small whines of delight, while sneaking up behind us for quick kisses of appreciation. The Doodle is not a terribly "kissy" dog, saving his unbridled love for moments like these.

We stop at the exact same Starbucks every time we go, it being conveniently located at the halfway point and possessing a nice outdoor seating area where we can hang with Doodlebug while swilling some caffeine. He's come to know this break in the schedule and now acts like the patio dignitary, checking out fellow highway travelers who might drop something edible while passing by.

At my parent's house, he makes himself completely at home, cruising the yard from end-to-end before settling in for some treats and conversation. Seeing him so calm and well-mannered, so pleased to be in the middle of the conversation pit on the patio, makes my heart happy.

All too soon it's time to make the trip home again. The cats are surely plotting our demise for having them indoors and servant-less for so long, and the trip home will take the same three hours as did the venture north. Doodle, knowing this leg of the journey well and tired from all of the fun of the day, settles into the backseat quickly, quiet other than the occasional snort of discontent from a bump in the road jostling his rest.

Darby, like the day itself, was picture-perfect.

Wordless Wednesday - Sprinkler head

2011-04-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

"I cannot understand how adding soap is supposed to make this more fun."

~ Darby.

How did your legislator score?

2011-04-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

The Humane Society Legislative Fund recently released their Humane Scorecard for the 111th Congress. The report card shows the issues that were up for a vote and how each legislator voted on a state-by-state basis.

I always find the report card quite interesting, both in terms of how various members voted and in which animal-related issues made it all the way through the maze that is the legislative process and came up for a vote.

To view the PDF yourself, click here. Did your legislators surprise you?

Weebsclaw: The conclusion

2011-03-30T18:13:00.000-07:00

When last we left our snickety girl, she was hobbled (well, not really --- that I would have noticed) by an ingrown dewclaw.

We got her to the vet accompanied by the oh-so-not-soothing soundtrack of her most passionate diva-wailing during the car ride. I don't know about your cats, but mine have a predisposition to yowl as though you're about to throw them down a well during the entire car ride, only to succumb to utter muteness once they cross the threshold of the veterinary office. As we waited for our room to open up, you'd have thought we came in alone. And yes, for the record, both the spouse and I go to vet appointments if possible. Just part of the beauty that makes us, us.

We got lucky and drew Dr. Holland for the day's event. I have yet to get overly excited or gushy about most of the vets I've encountered since moving here eight years ago, but in this case I think we got exactly the right guy. Friendly, polite, and quick with a hemostat, Dr. Holland was able to pop out the chunk of claw with one good tug.

It was a pretty decent-sized piece, which made me even happier that I didn't do it myself. I considered taking a picture for the blog, but then I'd have to explain to the doctor and the tech why I was taking the picture and I didn't want the "weirdo" moniker on my chart so soon after finding someone who was so nice to Weebs, so I opted out. I will say it was substantial enough that the doctor joked that we might be able to wear it on a chain around our neck, should we be inclined.

Once safely at home, Weebs decided that since she was feeling better, it was time to play up her injury for all it was worth. She begged for everything. Seriously. I think in another life she may have been one of those cats who lives behind restaurants eating out of dumpsters, because it's the rare piece of food that holds no interest for her. So, after good doses of Stella & Chewy's, freeze-dried salmon, crunchy treats and a shot at a piece of macaroni and cheese (where she finally decided to act cat-like and turn her nose up at something), she was sated.

Worst.cat.mom.ever.

2011-03-28T19:50:00.000-07:00

Who, you may ask, is deserving of such a lofty title? Why, that'd be me.

And how might I have earned such a unique place in my own blog? Well, for starters, I'm supposed to be a fairly observant pet owner (or she-servant, as I think the pets refer to me behind my back). Theoretically I keep a reasonable eye on them for signs of illness or distress, and to this day I'm still delusional enough to believe that I do a pretty good job of it.

So how did I miss seeing that Weeble's dewclaw had grown into her foot until this weekend?

Mom done me wrong!

There she was, dozing on the bed, just like she pretty much always does in the mornings, what with her twelfth birthday just a few months away. I went in to rub her sleepy head and as she stretched out her leg realized I was seeing an awfully large swath of claw on her left leg. It took another fifteen seconds or so to realize that the reason I was seeing so much was because her nail was completely exposed as it rounded back over her pad and disappeared into her skin.

Seeing her foot, I felt two inches tall.

How long did it take for this to happen? Why hadn't she complained more, or done more limping? Geez, try to stay in bed for ten minutes past 5 a.m. and she'll act like the house is on fire, but have a claw work its way back into her body and not a peep.

We tried to clip it on Saturday, in an effort to relieve the pressure of it all being attached, but the Weebs is a hideous patient and the claw is really pressed against her leg, so I only got about halfway through. On Sunday, we gave it another go. This time I was able to clip the claw itself, but when it came time to try and pull out the part that is embedded I chickened out, for lack of decent enough tools and hearing the conviction of her yowls as I put any real pressure on her foot. I decided I'd rather pay someone else than to further be the first-hand inflicter of pain --- someone who might actually know what they are doing and has access to drugs should they decide it's not good marketing if the folks in the waiting room think they've decided to reduce the cost of surgery by not using anesthesia.

She heads to the vet Tuesday afternoon, which will be a highly traumatic event for her (and apparently for me as well). Thus far, just for trying to clip the nail she has refused to sleep in her normal spot for the past two nights, such is her delicate little psyche.

By the time she gets home from the vet, she'll probably move into Darby's bedroom with him.

Wordless Wednesday /National Puppy Day!

2011-03-23T06:30:00.000-07:00

It's National Puppy Day! Show us your puppies!

Presenting puppy Darby!

The Doodle and the mystery bones

2011-03-22T19:00:00.000-07:00

I’ve never thought much the pool guy bringing Darby a treat every week when he arrives to perform the weekly maintenance on our cement pond. I’m guessing there are several houses on his route where he encounters dogs, so keeping treats in his pocket just makes sense. Darby adores Mr. Cantu with an unreserved abandon, going into complete “OMG OMG OMG!!!!! He’s Baaaacccccckkkkkk!! Hurry so we don’t miss him!!” meltdown when the truck pulls up on Fridays, flipping donuts on the carpet until his dad lets him out into the backyard to fawn all over his friend (and collect his weekly treat allowance). If there was ever a non-family member whom I’d consider to look after the Doodle, it would be Mr. Cantu. The two of them are quite besotted with each other, which is a pretty big deal for a dog who is easily stressed by strangers.

Lately, though, it appears that Mr. Cantu may have a rival for Darby’s affections. A couple of weeks ago I noticed the occasional Milk-Bone in the house. Knowing this is something we never purchase, I thought perhaps the neighbors (whom Darby has yet to love the way he loves Mr. Cantu) were trying to feed their way into his heart. I typically only notice the treats as I walk in the door at night and they tend to leave my train of thought as quickly as they leave my sight-line.

Eventually I got around to asking my husband about the mysterious Milk-Bones and their sudden, random appearance in our home.

“Where are these Milk-Bones coming from?”

“The mail carrier. She leaves them in the mailbox with our mail a couple of times a week.”

“The mail carrier? Why is the mail-lady leaving dog treats in our mailbox?”

“I have no idea,” he replied. “Maybe she likes seeing Darby at the window. She can definitely hear him.”

See, I’d get it if we had one of the mailboxes that’s hanging right outside the door, where the mail carrier would come up close and personal-like to Darby every day, what with him stationing himself at the window every afternoon, just waiting for her truck to roll by so he can flip out (as is his wont to do). But you can literally park three cars end-to-end in our driveway before you get to where the mailbox is located. There’s no tactical advantage to leaving love treats for a pup who will never know you brought them.

Which leaves only one explanation: She likes him. Somehow the combination of floppiness, bark-howl and dedication to mail patrol makes Darby someone who appeals to her sensibilities, and in turn she’s appealed to the one thing that truly matters in his world: his stomach.

Newly aware that the Doodle has a new fan, we did the only thing that seemed right. We made some brownies and left a couple for her. In the mailbox, of course.

Paws for Japan

2011-03-17T11:00:00.000-07:00

Bloggers throughout the Internet are asking people to help support animal rescue efforts in Japan in the wake of the devastation from the earthquake and tsunami.

Please take a moment to check out some of the terrific blogs associated with this cause and consider a donation to World Vets, who have people on the ground in Japan to help provide relief.

Disaster preparedness and your pets

2011-03-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

The recent disaster in Japan has just about everyone thinking about disaster preparedness, particularly when you live in a state with a history of earthquakes, a bunch of coastline and a couple of nuclear power plants. As a pet owner, I’m certain you will want to include your pets in any and all preparations you make, so here’s a quick list of items you should have on hand in case of a disaster where you have to evacuate quickly.

You should have one carrier per pet. I know us cat owners can get a little slack about this, keeping one carrier around and trading off which cat goes to the vet on what day, but if there’s an emergency at your house you’ll need a separate one for each cat, so why not go ahead and get them now? I also highly recommend getting one for the dog, even if your dog has never needed to know the inside of a crate during their training years. Should the disaster be one where you are out of your home for a bit; a fire, flood or earthquake, you and your dog will both appreciate having a place where they can go and rest, secure from everything else going on around them. There are many excellent crates that fold up and down like card tables, so grab yourself one per dog and have them on hand.

Get a duffle bag and put in the essentials you will need for a week or so for your pets. You should include food, food dishes, an extra leash and collar, a few days worth of medication, a plastic cat litter tray and cat litter. It sounds like a lot, but remember that in the event of a true emergency there’s a good chance the corner store won’t be open to help you out, should you forget something. Freeze-dried food is very light and has a great shelf life, followed by canned food. If you add canned food to your kit, remember to include a can opener. Lightweight plastic dishes can be temporary food and water dishes, and there are plenty of lighter alternatives to clay or “scoopable” litter that are great cat box options. If there’s room, add in a few toys or treats. Include a paper with your veterinarian’s name, address and phone number. Finally, include a few photos of each of your pets, should they become separated from you.

Once you’ve got the duffle packed, make sure you place a stash of drinkable water in plastic containers next to the bag, ready to grab and go. Add a few blankets or towels on top of the duffle bag to use in the carriers, or to replace any towels that might get soiled.

Check your pet’s ID tags and make sure they include a cell phone number. Having your home phone number isn’t going to help if you’ve been evacuated and someone is trying to get your lost pet back to you. If you have your pets microchipped, make sure your contact information is updated with the microchip company, including a cell phone number.

Finally, make sure these items are stored some place where they can be quickly and easily accessed. Having carriers stashed out in the back shed or in the rafters of the garage won’t help if you’ve got to move quickly.

Check the contents of your disaster kit a couple of times a year so you can rotate out old items and replace them with fresh ones. A great time to do this is when you change the time on your clocks, much like you check your batteries in your smoke detectors.

Remember, in the event of an emergency, a little preparation can go a long way to keeping your four-footed family members safe.

P.S. The Search Dog Foundation has deployed teams from California to help victims of the Japan Earthquake/Tsunami. For the price of a cup of coffee, you can help support their efforts. Head to www.searchdogfoundation.org for details.

*Written for the Bakersfield Voice.

Happy Anniversary, Petfinder!

2011-03-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

Today marks the fifteenth anniversary of Petfinder, one of the greatest resources for adoptable pets ever created.

At any given moment, hundreds of thousands of adoptable pets are waiting on the pages of Petfinder for their forever homes. Potential adopters can search the site by breed, age or location and can search the Petfinder database for rescue groups in their area.

Since this fabulous site came along, people looking for adoptable pets have a one-stop option for taking a peek at all of the available animals in their area, many offered by small rescue groups who might otherwise exist all but unnoticed by the public at large. Now, just a few clicks of a mouse and anyone can see an adorable guy like Raj!

On behalf of all of the folks who work so tirelessly to get adoptable pets into loving homes, thank you Petfinder, for everything you do to help us make love connections with caring owners, creating new families four paws at a time.

Of little dogs and big shakes

2011-03-14T14:00:00.000-07:00

Darby appears to be on the mend, as I mentioned on Facebook over the weekend. Though I continue to have concerns that at some point a surgical intervention will be needed to deal with his knee issues, it looks like that time may be later, rather than sooner. The meds we got from his doctor seem to be doing the trick and he’s back to being his noisy, happy little self, for which I am grateful.

I wanted to share this info over the weekend, but to be honest with you, with all of the destruction and sorrow currently taking place in Japan, it felt almost disrespectful to be rejoicing over a floppy little white dog’s leg feeling better. Like many of you, my weekend was filled with checking on news about the status of Japan following the host of disasters they continue to face as I type this post. My heart goes out to everyone there, human and animal alike, as they come to grips with the magnitude of the disaster.

In the face of situations like the one in Japan, I am perpetually grateful to see the public will rise to the occasion, providing whatever help they can to the victims of disasters. We were able to help Dog Bless You reach 100,000 “likes” before the weekend was out, which will generate a $200,000 donation from the Annenberg Foundation for disaster relief in Japan. The organization World Vets is currently mobilizing to go to Japan to assist in relief efforts for pets and animals injured or displaced during the earthquake and tsunami. In addition, search and rescue teams from California have been deployed to Japan to search for survivors. If you have a couple of dollars to spare these groups can certainly use your support.

Paws crossed that Mother Nature settles down long enough for the people of Japan to catch their breath and get on the path to recovery.

And the verdict is...

2011-03-09T14:18:00.000-08:00

Puppy Darby.

To those of you who were kind enough to extend warm wishes and drop me messages of concern, thank you so much. I truly appreciate it.

Darby was doing a fair bit better on Monday, so I decided not to jam up the vet’s phone at the crack of dawn and instead left a little space for one of the dozen or so folks who would undoubtedly be calling as well. We ended up heading over to the veterinary office on Tuesday morning for his visit.

The tentative diagnosis from the doctor is that he may have a tear in his ACL (which I doubt) and his kneecap is loose (which I don’t doubt) , which, if you’ve been around a while, is pretty much the exact same diagnosis we got last year at this time. Due to the level of Darby’s anxiety (which sounds much nicer than “spazziness”), he will need to be sedated and have x-rays taken to confirm. The doctor also gave us pain meds so we can take some time to see if it stabilizes on its own with a little time and rest.

So, although we’re a bit bummed that we may have to wander this particular path again with the Doodlebug, we take care of our own and we’ll do what’s necessary to see to his care. Today I just thank the great dog in the sky that dogs only have two knees.

And I promise a nicer story coming up soon.

The sad tale of the damaged Doodle

2011-03-06T14:15:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was such a beautiful day down here in the south end of California's Central Valley. Following our completed Saturday rounds, the spouse and I settled in the backyard to enjoy the late afternoon sun, the air and the critters. Weather like this draws the cats out, as it's warm enough to comfortably rest their aging frames in the sunny spot of their choice.

Darby was busy being his Doodlebug self, zipping around after the birds who dared to light on the lawn, barking at the neighbor dog to try and draw him to the fence line and coming back our way repeatedly so we could egg him on to his next adventure.

Then came Bob, the neighborhood cat who, judging by his frame, is pretty well fed by someone but doesn't seem to ever get indoors, as we find him hanging around at all hours of the day and night. Given the frequency with which he bounces over to visit us (when Darby's safely indoors, as Bob is a bright boy), we're of the mind that he may be angling for an upgrade from family friend to family member, but I digress.

Bob rarely comes into the yard when Darby's outdoors, but every once in a while the dogs on the other side of the fences seem far more menacing than Doodlebug so he takes his chances. Other times we may pop outside without being aware that Bob's in the yard, so Darby gets a romp. We never knowingly let Doodle out when Bob or Brindle (the other stray) are crossing through the yard unless they are well, well out of reach. It's not that Darby would do anything to hurt them, because he absolutely wouldn't, but because we have no reason to terrorize a couple of cats who don't cause us any grief.

Darby saw Bob and it was game on. The Doodlebug did a couple of figure eights trying to cover every inch of turf where Bob might have left a scent-print, head high and tail as high and tight as it gets. Little dude was having the time of his life, right until he wasn't.

There was no magic sound, no yelp, whine or whimper. He just stopped in the back corner where he nearly always stops at the end of his runs to make his last bark-howl of victory, only there was no sound of triumph issuing forth. Just the sight of him limping, or more accurately, hobbling back to the patio.

Frak.

Eleven months to the day after his knee surgery, the Doodle appears to be broken once again, the pain emanating from his body posture matched by our own pain and sadness at seeing him suffering. We brought him in and kept him as comfortable as he'd let us, hoping against hope that it was something strained, rather than damaged.

No such luck. This morning he was every bit as bad as last night.

(For those of you playing at home, that is not the leg that was operated on last year. It's the other one.)

Shortly after taking that sad little video, which is not great but might be worth having the vet look at for perspective, I dug out a spare Rimadyl we had from his surgery and gave it to Darby, hoping it might ease his discomfort. It appears to have helped a bit, as he seems to have gone from horrible, awful pain to just really uncomfortable.

We'll be calling the vet first thing in the morning, paws crossed that it's not as bad as it seems.

Picture Day!

2011-03-05T07:21:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning was a wholly unplanned "picture day" for the Doodle and me. While playing on Facebook last weekend, I commented on a Fido Friendly post and was subsequently asked for a photo to include with my post for publication. Granted, it's a tiny little comment, nothing nearly as awesome as the According to Gus spread, but it may very well be the only time Darby and I are ever in a magazine, so it's exciting enough for us.

The only hitch in this piece of fun was my utter lack of a decent photo of the two of us. I have hundreds of photos of Darby --- happy Darby, sleeping Darby, wet Darby, playing Darby, puppy Darby --- but nearly none of the two of us together. Ugh. I hate having photos taken of me, but if I want our little one inch by one inch piece of photographic immortality, looks like I'm going to have to suck it up and smile for the camera.

We got up yesterday morning and had my husband snap off a few pics of the two of us before I headed to work. I drove off with a bit of trepidation, since whatever was stored on the camera card was what I had to live with, having promised to send the photo directly.

Turns out my spouse grabbed what may be one of my very favorite "me and Doodle" shots. Darby is about as cute as I think I'll ever get on film and I managed to not look like a complete dork, which is harder than it sounds. See for yourself.

He looks so grown-up!

We're on the Hop again this weekend!

How do you follow the bouncing blogs?

2011-03-03T06:30:00.000-08:00

Chalk this up to another discussion topic for the group. Though perhaps not as interesting as the one about the "midnight howler", I'm hoping the comments will render some interesting perspectives.

I recently realized that I have about six ways to follow blogs I am interested in: I can add them to my Google blog feed; follow them on Facebook, Twitter or through Networked Blogs; subscribe through email; or subscribe through an RSS feed. Or any combination thereof.

Amazingly enough, I use every method listed above to try and keep up with everyone, some with much greater success than others. In the beginning, I was certain that using the Google feed would be the easiest way to stay on top of everything, but I was dead wrong. I need to be signed in to access my blog feed, which is awesomely easy when I wish to write something or reply to comments I get, but since I don't have the brainpower to post something every day, I'm not signing in and thus, not seeing new posts on my Blogger feed.

It turns out that my two favorite methods of following blogs are the two I thought I would dislike the most: Facebook and email. Being an unrepentant Facebook junkie means I always see new posts from fellow bloggers, since I'm one of those people who check FB more than once a day. Plus, I've noticed that a few other bloggers utilize Facebook in the manner I do, sharing articles of interest and brief insights that may not be worthy of a post of their own, but are still worth passing on to like-minded people.

Email subscriptions have turned out to be quite handy as well, as they let me go back and read posts when I have time to do so, without having to dig through a slew of other items to relocate them. I can easily sort my email by author or date and dig in when there's time to read and respond if I so desire.

All of which leaves me curious as to what your favorite methods are for following the blogs you choose to follow. Have you found one method better than another? Is there another way that you organize your favorite blogs for maximum reading pleasure that I left out? Some incredible method that I haven't named, but should know about? Inquiring minds want to know...

A bounty of affection goodness

2011-02-26T14:16:00.000-08:00

Apparently my cup does indeed runneth over with good tidings this week. First I discover that my little corner of the blogosphere is nominated for a "Best of Kern" award for best local blog, then the lovely Banjo and Millie bestow upon me the Stylish Blogger Award! I'm once again touched that someone would think so kindly towards my efforts out here on the Interwebs. Thank you so much for the lovely gesture.

Meeting so many wonderful and talented bloggers is the icing on my keyboard cake. So many of you make me think, make me laugh and inspire me in more ways that I can properly articulate. I may not comment on every post, but know that I appreciate what you all bring to the blog party.

The spirit of the award is to thank the blogger who bestowed it upon you, share seven things about yourself and/or your pets, share the award with fifteen other blog sites and let them know. Eventually we'll blanket the entire pet blogosphere with blog fan love!

Let's start with the seven things:

y 1. My favorite color is purple, which is kind of funny since it's probably the only color not in existence on my site.

2. I'm a sucker for kitschy cat-themed items. I could be the crazy-cat-item collector if I could afford it, and I love getting gifts that have cats on them.

3. We will go our entire lives not having any idea what slew of breeding madness created Darby. He simply defies description, and we've decided to be O.K. with it. If anyone asks his breed, my standard response is SPCA.

4. The Doodlebug becomes instant calm dog if you put a leash on him. Something about giving over all control of his being to the end of a leash settles him down in a way no amount of treats, reassurances or commands can accomplish if he's freaked about something. All we have to do is pop it on him --- holding the other end is optional.

5. The song Mr. Bojangles will forever be linked in my mind to our departed sheltie, Bosco.

6. Speaking of songs, it's well-known in the family that I will take a song (usually some old standard) and change the words so it's about my pets. Then I will sing it to them. Repeatedly. Weebs knows her song so well that she will start purring (and drooling) within the first ten words or so.

7. One of my fantasies is to someday build an old cats home on the property so that old cats who are homeless can have a place to live out their days in peace. On a related note, this fantasy is a huge reason my spouse never buys a lottery ticket, as he's afraid we'd win and this is where the money would go.

Now on to the best part - the fifteen blogs I'd like to award with this lovely offering. If some of these are new to you, check them out, as they are truly great works. In some cases they may have been awarded this honor by someone else, but I find their efforts worthy of additional mention. So, in no particular order, here they are:

1. Opie's Mom's Blog

2. Brown Dog's Blog

3. Rescued Insanity

4. Cat Chat

5. According to Gus

6. Snoopy's Dog Blog

7. Marg's Pets

8. All Things Dog Blog

9. The Daily Oskar

10. Catsparella

11. Bocci's Beefs

12. This One Wild Life

13. It's a Greyt Day

14. Something Wagging This Way Comes

15. 24 Paws of Love

Happy Saturday!

Spay Day 2011

2011-02-21T09:10:00.000-08:00

In honor of Spay Day 2011, here are some catchy ways to remind people of the importance of spaying and neutering their pets!

source

s ource

The midnight howl of the Doodlebug

2011-02-18T21:29:00.000-08:00

The first time it happened, it freaked me out so much that I nearly fell out of bed trying to get down to Darby’s level without actually squashing him. This was back in the day when he was compelled to sleep in the one area next to my side of the bed that practically guaranteed my inability to extract myself from the mattress with an ounce of grace. Fortunately the only witnesses were the rest of the animals who, though they might snicker about it amongst themselves, enjoy the steady schedule of the treat train far too much to risk losing it over the momentary fame they’d receive posting my indelicate bed extractions on YouTube.

I had been awakened from an almost dead sleep, my heart pounding before my brain could begin to process the
“aaaaooooooooooooooooooooooooooooohhhh…”

It was a long, slow, mournful howl --- the sort of sound you imagine in your head when you’re reading the part of story where the lost, hungry, cold dog is all but ready to give up, just before the hero arrives. The howl of the forlorn and the heartbroken, and it made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

Just about the time I got to the floor and dropped down to Darby's level, something clicked in my brain as I realized I was the only one panicking. He was in the exact same spot, limbs in the exact same position they had been from the moment my mind registered the sound.

Frak. Did I just imagine the whole thing?

I reached over to ruffle his floppy little head, only to receive a snort-sigh combo in response. (For the uninitiated, the snort-sigh is the affection your dog bestows upon you when they are annoyed at your foolishness but as they still want breakfast on time, they put up with you. Grudgingly.)

Now certain that I had imagined it, I headed back to bed, feeling like an idiot. Even the cats hadn’t bothered to get up, but there I was, Spazmom, jumping at auditory shadows.

Only I wasn’t. The Doodle’s “puppy-mares”, as we’ve now come to call them, have continued to happen in a completely unpredictable fashion ever since, including a couple of times in broad daylight when he’s been sacked-out in the living room while we watched a movie or a sporting event on T.V. There’s no wind-up or wrap-up --- just the one pitiful howl that comes from nowhere and has no encore.

I’ve heard of sleeping dogs snoring, kicking, twitching, chewing and paddling, but never in my world of pet behavior anecdotes have I heard of a dog who howls in their sleep. So help me out, dog peeps: Is this something you’ve heard of or experienced, or is this just another thing that makes the Doodlebug “special”?

P.S. --- I'm on the Hop this weekend. Click the badge and check out some of the other Hoppers:

The Doodle gets a room

2011-02-16T19:35:00.000-08:00

Apparently the accommodations in our completely overcrowded bed have become entirely too much for Darby, as he has moved out.

At first he would at least make a show of coming to bed with us, choosing to stay on the floor rather than participate in the nightly scrum between he and Bad Kitty Bo as the cat came onto the bed and claim the spot Darby had been keeping warm just moments before. As Darby has a completely healthy respect for the cat’s right hook, he invariably ended up ceding the high ground anyway. When the Doodle chose to flop on the floor, we looked at it as coming to terms with the inevitable --- and an opportunity to once again be able to crawl into bed without practicing our ninja stealth moves to avoid all of the furry objects already taking up space.

Shortly after the floor-flop phase entered our lives, we began to notice that sometimes when we got up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom there was no Darby to step over. Not that I minded not having to switch on the cell phone flashlight to know where to avoid stepping, but I couldn’t help but wonder where he was. Did he decide to camp out by the front door in pursuit of the booger who showed up every morning at around 4 a.m. to throw something at our porch? Was he trying to see exactly when it was during the night that the neighborhood strays and ferals were holding their pool parties in our backyard?

None of the above. Darby had simply relocated himself to the guest bed, where he could sleep in queen-size splendor, never having to move, skootch or bump into another breathing creature. We found it cute.

Now, he’s taken the final step towards sleepy-time independence. Darby no longer pretends that he is part of our evening bedtime ritual. When I announce that it’s time for bed, the Doodlebug happily trots on down the hall…into the guest room, where he pops up onto the bed and curls himself in a ball, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, lest we decide that we are no longer amused by his defection.

For the record, we find it hilarious. At least until the next time we have guests.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T07:00:00.000-08:00

Feel the love, no matter where you are...

Being responsible every month*

2011-02-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

February has been designated National Responsible Pet Owner’s Month, complete with a Facebook page dedicated to promoting the idea. Here are a few tips you can pass along to help others understand what responsible pet ownership is all about:

Fix ‘em

Nope, I will never, ever stop putting this item at the top of the list. It’s that important. Perhaps you missed the story in The Bakersfield Californian about the nearly 19,000 companion animals killed in our shelters last year, but the only way we’re going to get those numbers down is to reduce the number of pets being born. Need help finding reduced cost programs, including one where pitties can be altered for as little as $15? Head over to the website of Friends of the Kern County Animal Shelters Foundation and click on “Spay Neuter Options”. There you will find downloadable documents for reduced cost resources in English and Spanish. Feel free to print them out and share, share, share.

Tag ‘em

A pet that has identification is a pet who has a great shot of making it home should they become lost. Put an ID tag on them, get them licensed, have them micro-chipped (and register the chip after it’s been implanted) or do all three. Check out some of the offerings from companies like Home Again or Blanket ID (thanks, Gus!) that offer tags complete with alert systems should your pet go missing. Make your pet easy to get back to you should you become separated. And no more of this, “I don’t have to worry because they never get out” stuff. Gates get left open every day. Fence boards break. Emergencies happen. I’ve heard several people say that they will always stop for a loose dog who has a collar and tags, because they know the dog must be someone’s pet.

Train ‘em

Enroll in a class, watch videos from trainers you respect, read a few books --- find a positive method that you can relate to and use it to train your pet. Training is far more than just bending an animal to do what you want it to. Training provides a common language for communicating with your pet, creates opportunities for bonding and promotes a secure, loving relationship. When a pet understands their role and expectations within a family system through consistent, positive leadership they can blossom into the loyal, devoted pet you dreamed of when you signed the adoption papers. Make sure you give them that chance. Need help finding a trainer or learning about training methods? Head to the American Association of Pet Dog Trainers website for more information.

Clean ‘em

A clean pup is a happy pup and frequently makes for a happy owner, too. Bathing is an excellent time for you to carefully check your dog for scratches, bumps, lumps or hitchhikers while providing another opportunity to get in some bonding time. Unless your pet goes in for regular (as in “monthly”) grooming, a regular bath is in order. Not sure how to properly bathe your dog? Know how to do it but hate the mess? Give Self Serve Pet Spa a try. The tubs are terrific, the owners are wonderful and when you’re done scrubbing your pup, you can leave the mess behind.

Love ‘em

But you already knew this one, didn’t you?

*column for the Bakersfield Voice

Miss me?

2011-02-08T20:00:00.000-08:00

My poor little blog has been terribly neglected of late. Partly because all of a sudden it seemed like I had four things happening at the same time, partly because I couldn’t think of anything amusing enough to share, and partly because every once in a while the furballs demand I spend less time writing about them and more time grooming/playing with/feeding/walking/treating them. One thing I’ll say about this herd --- they need never speak English, as they are quite clear about the nature of their demands as it is.

Anyhow, as some of you know, Bad Kitty Bo turned the big 14 on Saturday. It’s hard for me to actually wrap my mind around that fact, especially as he’s as bratty and imperial as ever. He and Muse have a new favorite hobby: trying to catch the rat that has taken to running across the top of the chain-link fence that separates us from our neighbor’s yard. There is ivy filling in the spaces between the links, and it appears that Ratticus (as we’ve come to call him) has figured out that as long as he’s skimming the top-line he’s safe from capture. It’s more fun than it should be watching the two cats snap to attention and go into full-on stalking mode when he peeks his fuzzy little face out.

Meanwhile, Darby continues to be his ridiculous self. There just isn’t any other way to say it. He is the goofiest dog I have ever, ever, ever owned. One day he is so charming and well-behaved that he barely resembles the dog (I think) I know…the next day he’s back to defending his Doodlebug crown with every goofy ounce of energy he’s got. Then, just about the time I’m ready to duct tape his little feet to the floor to stop him from pestering the cats / starting fence war number 37 with the dogs in the corner / getting under my feet for the seventh time in 10 minutes, I get this:

And there is peace once more in the valley…

Winner of Scratch n Shapes Giveaway

2011-01-30T20:05:00.000-08:00

I'm pleased to announce that the winner of the PPCT's Valentine's Day Scratch n Shapes Giveaway is Judi!

Each comment by an individual (other than me) was assigned a number in the order in which they appear. The resulting number range was placed in the Random Number Generator at Random.org , with the result being #1.

Judi will have 48 hours to contact me via email so we can arrange shipment.

Congratulations! Feel free to send me photo of your cat enjoying it.

Extreme mouse agility!

2011-01-30T10:48:00.000-08:00

This is either the most patient trainer ever or the smartest mouse since Mickey.

Happy Sunday!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-01-26T04:00:00.000-08:00

The last thing I see every morning...

Scratch ‘n Shapes Valentine's Giveaway!

2011-01-24T04:00:00.000-08:00

You may remember my review from a few months ago about Imperial Cat's line of awesome cat scratchers. I'm pleased to say that nothing has changed regarding my high opinion of this product line. The three clawed ones continue to gravitate to their newest addition on the scratcher front and it is still holding up incredibly well, especially after Bad Kitty Bo's repeated onslaughts.

The folks at Imperial Cat have introduced a new line just in time for Valentine's Day and you can be the next lucky winner!


This can be yours!

Made in the USA, just like the scratcher.

Adorable Valentine's theme!

Design details.

The Valentine's Scratch N Shapes measures approximately 21" x 8.75" x 3.75"

Entering to win is easy: Just leave a comment below describing your cat in three words or less.

The contest is open to all U.S. residents age 18 and older until 8 p.m. PST, Sunday, January 30, 2011. The winner will be chosen at random from comment entries and will be announced on this site and on Facebook. The winner will have 48 hours after email notification to respond with address information or we will need to choose another winner.

Good luck!

Disclosure: Imperial Cat provided PPCT a Scratch N Shapes for review and provided the Valentine's Scratch N Shapes for our contest. PPCT was not compensated for the review or the contest.

Falling in love for the third time

2011-01-22T09:28:00.000-08:00

Remember those first days after you brought your pet home? How every waking moment with them was spent marveling at the promise of the pet they would grow into?

With each cat's arrival, I watched them for hours trying to get a little insight into the cat they would become. Would they be adventurous or reserved? Cuddly or independent? Silly or sophisticated? How quickly would they learn the (admittedly few) rules of the house? Would they love me as much as I planned to love them?

It doesn't take me long to fall in love with a cat. There's something about cats that speaks to my innermost self, and when a kitten comes along I quickly fall in love with the promise of the cat they might one day become. It wasn't any different with this bunch.

The second time I fell in love was somewhere around the time when Bad Kitty Bo and Musette were around five, with Weebs bringing up the rear, being two years younger than her feline roommates. Somewhere down the line all traces of kitten-hood got washed away, leaving behind grown-up cats, each of them charming in their own right. There were no more questions about who they would be, for they were all deeply engaged in being them.

Bad Kitty Bo was a relentless hunter of voles and rabbits, returning home to refuel, sleep or show off his prized kills, with a personality so open and engaging that everyone in the neighborhood knew who he was.

Musette never failed to remind me of a genteel Southern lady. Were she in human form, I could easily imagine her soft of voice, gentle in nature and always wanting to make everyone around her feel happy and comfortable.

Weebles remained a goofball, bonding much more closely to the dog than any of her feline companions. Though her refusal to comprehend the word "no" could be maddening at times, her irrepressible spirit more than made up for her lack of manners.

The years have slipped by, much in the same manner that our winter fog creeps in and out of the yard on January mornings. Bad Kitty Bo will be fourteen in a few days. Muse is most likely already there. We acquired her when she had already reached full size, though still quite young. Weebs will be twelve come mid-summer.

This is the winter when there is absolutely no doubt left...our feline family has passed through the doors of Senior Town.

Muzzles are graying, faces becoming more angular. The idea of hanging outdoors is more appealing than the act itself, causing them to quickly ask to come back inside to warmth and softer, yielding surfaces. Scratching their chests leads to the realization that the breast to bone ratio is engaged in a subtle, but pronounced change.

We spend more time carrying them, lifting them to the spaces they seek, and we do so willingly. Hands caress them with a lighter touch, voices are softer, matching the gazes they level our direction. Two of them now snore when they sleep...and we find it adorable.

Now is the time of my third love for them. A love of everything they've ever meant to me, deepened by the knowledge that the road before us is far shorter than the one we've tread thus far. The head rubs, neck skritches and cuddles are given with great deliberation. I love you is whispered into the soft spot of their fur, just below the jawline, as they curl up to doze. They are warm, safe, and loved.

Happy Saturday.

Sunday Etsy-cuteness

2011-01-16T16:20:00.000-08:00

It's a mellow Sunday around here, so I thought I'd diddle away some time on Etsy and share a small sample of the boatloads of pet-related cuteness available.

Look at this bit of wonderful, created by PaperMatthew (and yes, it's all paper):

Know anyone who has dogs and likes troll beads? NanjoDogz has several adorable styles available, like this cute collie bead:

How about this adorable necklace from Gabiscuits:

Or this bit of kitty goodness, just in time for Valentine's Day from Myko Bocek:

Have a sweet tooth? Then check out Pernilla's Something Swedish puppy pops:

On noes! Send Sunshine made a felted Darby!

My Pooper Scooper will take care of that special Valentine's dog treat for you:

Enjoy your Sunday.

Saturday Pet Blogger Hop

2011-01-14T22:19:00.000-08:00

I decided to participate in the Blog for Change, which also happens to take place on Saturday, so please head on down and check out the post below about Friends Foundation.

Blog the Change – Friends Foundation

2011-01-14T21:05:00.000-08:00

Kern County, where my furballs and I live, has no shortage of animal issues worthy enough to inspire a blog post. From unacceptably high kill rates at the county shelter (over 18,000 in 2009, the latest year for which we have records), to having a reputation for being a hoarder’s and backyard breeder’s paradise, this is a county desperately in need of more people devoted to helping solve our pet overpopulation issues.

Turns out after shaking my fist a few times, wondering when someone was going to start doing something to help ease the pet overpopulation situation around here, I needed to stop looking anywhere beyond my own mirror. If critter-crazy me wasn’t going to step up, I had no right at all to criticize anyone else. Hate when that happens.

I started small, by writing a column about pets and pet issues in a local community newspaper. From there, I used the column to raise enough money to sponsor a low-cost cat neuter clinic where, in one day, we neutered over 150 cats.

I then decided to take it up a notch, so in January, 2010, I joined the board of Friends of the Kern County Animal Shelters Foundation.

Friends exists to raise funds to cover the cost of items and services that are outside of the County budget. When the shelter needed a new water heater so they can give the pups a bath and get them cleaned up so they are better adoption prospects, Friends raised the money for the purchase and installation of the water heater. Friends volunteers hold off-site adoption events so more dogs find their forever homes; we raised funds to install an off-leash area at the shelter in Lake Isabella so the shelter dogs have a place to exercise and stretch their legs; we provide funds to reduce the cost of adopting pets from the shelter; and last September we held our first low-cost spay-neuter clinic in Lamont, where over four dozen companion animals were altered. In December, when a terrible case of animal cruelty was discovered, Friends raised the funds to cover the cost of the care and rehabilitation of Lacey with enough donations to spare that we were able to establish an Emergency Medical Fund so we may provide additional assistance in the future for other cases of abuse or neglect.

Friends is an all-volunteer group. Our board consists of eight people, all of whom have full-time jobs, families and pets of our own, but who are committed to doing what we can to reduce the number of homeless pets being killed in our shelter system through increased adoptions, low-cost spay/neuter programs and education.

What we need most (besides large piles of money to start a low-cost spay/neuter clinic), are more willing hands to help us with our mission. You don’t need special skills or an advanced degree to help (though we won’t turn you away if you do), just a desire to work towards positive change for companion animals. Volunteers can do everything from taking photos at our events, to helping sweet-talk businesses into donating prizes for our fundraisers, to helping staff booths at fundraising events. We have so many things we’d love to accomplish in the coming year, but need more hands to make it happen.

Pet lovers in Kern County, please consider giving a little of your time to Friends. The projects we work on may not seem glamorous or all that high-profile, but we make a real, actual difference in the lives of companion animals in our community. Head over to the Friends website and download our volunteer guidelines and application.

Help be the change you wish to see in the world.

Check out some of the other folks hoping to change the world:

The Post-Challenge Challenge

2011-01-11T20:22:00.000-08:00

Yes, I’m behind by a day. Sorry about that, but between working and an evening commitment that went on far longer than it should have, I didn’t have enough time left to get back on the blog train and enthrall you with my Blog Challenge insights. Fear not, for even a day later I have something to say about it and am willing to share (lucky you).

When I logged on Monday morning and found myself in slot #27, I thought for sure that I was one of the last blogs on the list. Don’t ask me why --- even I don’t make any sense to me sometimes, especially when I’m trying to get something done before sunrise. I figured if it took me until 7 p.m. Sunday night to even decide to be a part of the Challenge, all of the other serious-type bloggers were already on board. Little-Miss-West-Coast-Late-Arriver would be left to help hold up the caboose, which is probably the best place for me since, if you know me, you know my caboose is more than up to the task. But I digress.

A quick check-in when I got to work showed that there were other peeps slowly adding their sites to the mix. I read a few posts from sites I was familiar with and settled in for the day. Seeing how introspective some of my fellow pet bloggers were when answering the questions posed by the Challenge I created a challenge of my own: I will read every single post on the subject of the Pet Blogger Challenge from every site that participated and leave a comment, even if it is just a simple “hello”. If bloggers took the time to answer the same eight questions I answered, the least I can do is be polite enough to read them.

For the record, that was a pretty easy promise to make to myself at 8 a.m., when there were maybe 42 blogs on the roster. I peeked in a lunch time and saw the number of participants had risen to 67. Still doable. Probably not all in one day, but still a perfectly reasonable number of places to drop by, do a little reading and leave a note of appreciation. I mean, that’s the whole point of indulging in exercises like the Challenge, isn’t it? The opportunity to meet new people and get exposure to new blogs you may have never seen before, right?

Well, it looks like I’ll be getting plenty of exposure in the near future. Last time I peeked at the link list there were over 90 blogs listed for the Challenge. I’m almost afraid to look again, for fear that there’s a trigger on it that drops in three more links every time I peek, but it doesn’t matter. I’m still going forth with my mission.

If I’m not posting something on here for the next or day or two, you know where to find me. I’ll be at your place. It may take me the rest of the week to wend my way through the balance of the sites (I did say part of the deal is to read the answers on every site that participated), but I’ll get there.

Keep a light on for me ;)

The Pet Blogger Challenge

2011-01-10T06:26:00.000-08:00

The folks at Go Pet Friendly are hosting a Pet Blogger Challenge and asking other pet bloggers to share our thoughts about our blogs and blogging in general. Go Pet Friendly supplied the questions I’m answering.

I began my blog in January 2008. Prior to starting the blog I'd spent a few years writing a semi-regular pet column for a community paper. A few folks were kind enough to tell me they enjoyed what I wrote and I thought a blog would be a great place to practice my writing skills and to meet people who share my love of critters.

Three years later I believe, for the most part, that I want the same things from my blog as I did when I began. I still love meeting people who share my passion for pets, I still enjoy writing a great deal and I still enjoy it when people tell me that something I wrote made them think or laugh or cry. My writing for the community paper was drastically cut back when the format of the product changed, so the blog gives me a corner of the world to indulge my creative side.

I’ve thought of blogging on a regular schedule and have even gone so far as to create a subject template so that different days of the week would be dedicated to specific topics. I believed if I created a more “formal” presence I might be able to generate more followers but, alas, I am hopeless when it comes to putting any sort of real structure in my blog. I work full time, have a family and do some volunteer work. The more I thought of maintaining a blog schedule, the more it felt like one more chore, rather than the positive experience I want it to be. I do worry that my blogging style costs me followers and, at times, momentum, but I believe if I were to hold myself to a schedule the quality of what I put on the site will suffer because I’d feel compelled to put posts out there just to say I did, rather than writing when I’m feeling it.

Currently I generate no income from my blog. I would love it if at some point in the future I am able to generate income through sponsorships or advertising, but thus far I haven’t tried very hard to learn about growing that side of my blog. That’s an area I hope to improve on over the next couple of years, but it will always be secondary to the writing and sharing aspects.

My favorite thing about blogging is the ability to share information about groups, events, websites, news stories and personal interests with other people who might find them interesting or insightful. Plus, I have to admit, there are times I write something and after coming back and reading it I can say to myself, “Hey, that was pretty good stuff.” It doesn’t happen every day, or even every week, but when it does I’m glad I got it out there.

I find the most challenging aspects of blogging to be the inevitable writer’s block that creeps in from time to time, finding a peaceful place to get writing done when I want to write, and the space in my head that exists between what I want my blog to be and where it currently stands. Sometimes I’ll view the blogs of other pet bloggers and just go, “Wow. There’s no way my blog will ever be that creative/interesting/interactive/cool. I should hang it up.” Then some lovely person will say something nice about my site or a post and I try and get my perspective back and keep on typing.

My plan for 2011 is to continue what I started at the end of 2010, namely to be more proactive at networking my blog where I can find a larger audience, connecting with more people who blog about pets to learn more and grow my own blogging experience and to continue to try and narrow the gap between my mental vision of my blog and where I see it today. If we do this again next year, this post will be a great progress marker.

Thanks to Go Pet Friendly for hosting this event. Check out some of the other participants by clicking the links below.

“He will love you like you’ve never been loved before”

2011-01-08T07:59:00.000-08:00

Who wouldn’t stop, just for a minute or two, and read on when seeing a come-on like that in their Facebook news feed, especially when it’s placed next to a beautiful photo of a seemingly medium-sized dog sitting on the grass on a sunny day? A phrase like that is practically a dare to people scrolling through the maze of posts that erupted in their profile since the last time they checked.

You only think you have a great pet/friend/spouse. You haven’t experienced anything like this little dude.

Adoption pleas like that (and as much as I’d love to give credit where credit is due, I did not bookmark the post, so I cannot tell you the shelter/rescue group responsible for such creativity) warm my soul. They make me want to read more about the pet and what makes them so special in the eyes of the people currently caring for him or her. Wouldn’t you want to know more?

Shoot, I’d go out of my way to look for more posts like that. Posts that showcase everything wonderful a new four-legged friend can add to your life. Heck, I’d even be willing to forward those types of come-ons to other folks I know, unlike the posts that still make up the majority of what I still see online: URGENT!!! WILL DIE TOMORROW! DESPERATELY NEED HELP!! PLEASE SAVE!! Those are posts that I’m almost certain to never finish reading, let alone pass on.

Know why?

Because the odds are pretty good that if you are reading this, you are someone who has a soft spot for animals, particularly companion animals, because if you’re not, the only other option is that you lost a bet to me and reading this is in lieu of me ever getting my money from you. Mostly, I’m guessing it’s the former.

Same goes for my Facebook friends. Like you, the people I’m friends with on Facebook are people I made an active choice to include in my circle. As such, it’s a pretty safe assumption that I’m not carrying a host of backyard breeding, puppy-torturing, kitten-hating folks on my roster --- and I’m guessing you aren’t, either.

So, while I have absolutely no objection at all to people who forward pet information in an effort to find a forever home for any pet they can, I’m well-past over the not-so-subtle implication that it’s all my fault if the six dogs you just posted, one after another, aren’t all rescued and in a foster home by the end of the day. Especially in a forum like Facebook where the people who are joining your organization’s page or adding you to their “friend” list have clearly already had a whole pitcher of Kool-Aid and are asking for another glass. We get it. We want to help, or are already actively helping in whatever way we are able. So how about dialing the combo-meal-sized dose of guilt back a bit?

Tell me what is wonderful and special about the pet in the photo. Tell me about a physical mark of beauty, an endearing habit or a funny quirk. Use a line from a movie or a song that will encourage me to read more, share more, do more, because it feels good to do so.

It’s what friends do for each other.

Pet Blog Hop Day!

2011-01-08T07:50:00.000-08:00

If it's Saturday, it must be time for another Saturday Pet Blogger Hop! Check out some of the wonderful offerings from Pet Bloggers everywhere.

Shame, shame, shame

2011-01-04T19:24:00.000-08:00

The lovely blog host of Rescued Insanity has put me to shame. While I sit here bemoaning the fact that it's all of 38 degrees outside in the morning, she puts up a perfectly guilt-inducing piece about how she rises pre-dawn to take her beloved dog Shiva out for a walk before heading to work. Shiva has a reflective jacket that she wears for protection that outshines your average road crew. Oh --- and there's snow on the ground.

While I wouldn't go so far as to call it a resolution, one of my desires for the new year is to get out more with the Doodlebug for morning walkies before heading to work, like we used to do a year ago. Of course, I have conveniently managed to use the cold and dark as an excuse to keep my ample behind in the house --- you know, where the coffee is. Surely my new-found desire to walk can hold until there's a little light in the sky, right?

Maybe not. Seeing someone else (literally) go the extra mile makes me think that I'd best get it into gear, lest I be discovered for the wastrel I've become.

Next week looks pretty good...if the weather holds and all.

P.S. Still getting to the video. May have to wait for the weekend to get going for real. I've got a phone that makes Quick Time video that I want to play with on a PC and, as near as I can tell, no compatible editing software. Should be fun :)

Back to real life...

2011-01-03T19:24:00.000-08:00

Well, my first day back to work didn’t end up being nearly as traumatic as my 3 a.m. thoughts made it out to be. One of the advantages of a new year is that everyone coming into the office seems to be a bit more hopeful, thoughtful and generally better of spirit.

Unlike many other working pet owners, I have the good fortune to have my husband at home, so although I’m booking out the door at you’ve-got-to-be-kidding-me-a.m., their needy, whiny little selves still have someone to cater to their whims.

Speaking of whims, I managed to get a little video footage of one of my own engaged in her newest ~~annoyance~~…er, discovery. If I can get it edited and possibly lightened up a wee bit I’ll pop it on here for giggles, which will mostly be induced by my incredibly poor video skills, but I’ve got to practice on someone, right?

The end days of vacationing

2011-01-02T15:26:00.000-08:00

The coffee maker just beeped out its last afternoon brew cycle for the next several days, this being the day left of my vacation. As much as I'd like to wrap my hands around a warm cup the moment I get home from work during the dark days of winter, experience has taught me that there are enough thoughts floating around inside my head at the end of any given work day that adding a caffeine buzzed soundtrack to them isn't the smartest of ideas. When one is on vacation and has no obligation to maintain a decent bedtime schedule such concerns aren't necessary, so I can indulge my passion for the roasted bean to my heart's delight.

It's cold and blowy today, with intermittent sprinkles adding to the crispness of the air. Granted, compared to other parts of the country where winter is a frightfully cold and snowy season, the 48-degree temperature here might qualify as almost balmy, but in Bakersfield, where we're about three irrigation canals away from being a desert and see summer temps in the hundreds, it's cold enough to make us pile on the Snuggies, light a fire and stay ensconced within the warm walls of the house. I've got a pot of white bean chicken chili on the stove, just for good measure.

The cats have all but given up any hope of enjoying some outside time. Being seniors, they are far more concerned with comfort than adventure and have chosen to cuddle into the warmest receptive spaces they can find.

Darby is less than thrilled with the conditions, since cold, blowy days don't provide much incentive to lure us outdoors. On the upside, having me in the kitchen almost guarantees that he's getting a cut of whatever meat might be magically appearing from the oven. In this case, the smoked chicken helps assuage his disappointment at not getting another shot at the bluffs.

It's a quiet, reflective end to my time off. Though the pace will change again when the (yikes!) alarm goes off in the morning, I also feel a new resolve to more deeply embrace that which brings me joy --- namely, my family (including the hairier ones), my writing and the wonderful folks who encourage me to keep it up.

We have much to discuss this year.

*As usual, forgive the quality of the pics. While I feel I've got a pretty good handle on the writing side of blogging, I fear I may need to take a photography class to avoid continued embarrassment on the visual side. That, or find a talented person I can con into coming over and snapping shots every month or so (which I believe could be akin to trying to locate the local unicorn king).

Fire at cat sanctuary

2011-01-01T17:30:00.000-08:00

I wasn't planning on adding another post today, but this just came to my attention and I want to share the word in case you are able to help.

The Last Hope Cat Kingdom, located just outside of Atwater (in the Central Valley of California) suffered a devastating fire on December 31. Nearly half of the cats housed at this nonprofit perished and the sanctuary with a ton of work to do to get back on their feet.

I'm linking to news story that was published regarding the fire. They are asking for donations of blankets, food and foster or adoptive homes for cats who survived the fire. Monetary donations may be sent to:

Last Hope Cat Kingdom
6660 Bailey Road
Atwater, CA 95301

Donations may also be made directly through their Paypal account at Last Hope Cat Kingdom.

I know we all just got through the holiday season, but I'm certain they'd appreciate anything we can do for them.

Thank you for reading. Please share if you can.

New Year's Day

2011-01-01T13:28:00.000-08:00

It's a wonderfully quiet day here. The clouds are rolling in, but the promise of rain has thus far managed to hold itself off, which gave us time to take the Doodlebug up to the bluffs for a morning walk. It was truly a perfect time to be there --- few other folks had yet to venture out, the temperature was a walking-perfect 50 degrees and we were ready to shed the confines of the house for a bit. The dog, having had the chance to exercise his body and his overactive mind, is now as calm as a June afternoon.

New Year's Day is frequently a day of reflection, and I suppose I'm no different from anyone else in that respect. I spent time last night trying to convey to the people in my life how much I adore and appreciate them, and now it's your turn.

Whether you came by only once, pop in when you have an extra moment or take time out of your life to read what I commit to cyberspace, I want you to know that I appreciate every look-see, every time you've shared my posts or brought someone else around and every kind word that's been tossed my direction.

Going into 2011 means I'll be trying some new things on the site, so I hope to see both familiar faces and some new ones. The world of pet lovers is both wide and deep, and with each new person I meet and every new blog I see I learn something new, either about a pet-related issue or about myself and my passion.

Here's wishing you all a very happy and healthy New Year, filled with love and laughter.

Blog Hop Time!

2011-01-01T13:27:00.001-08:00

Because Blog Hops never sleep...not even on New Year's Day!

Shelter success stories

2010-12-29T08:11:00.000-08:00

I came across this video on Facebook the other day and immediately went "wow" after viewing it. Here's a shelter that knows how to share their mission and successes with their supporters.

Part Two of their story here:

What a wonderful way to promote what a shelter should truly strive to be: a place where those needing a hand up to a better life receive one.