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Tag Archives: Animal welfare

2.21.12 Visiting Jazmine & Aunt B

Last weekend we went to visit my sister and her cat, Jazmine. So, I figured I would tell you their story.

Jazmine Adoption Photo

In the years post her kids, my sister, Aunt B, has lived by herself.  For 17 years she had a little 10 lb. scrappy Cockapoo named ‘Rags.’  She will tell you that she is a dog person.  After Rags died (about 5 or 6 years ago), I started trying to talk her into a new pet because I did not like the idea that she was coming home to an empty house. Getting her to consider a cat vs a dog however was the trick.  I knew the right cat would make all the difference, but she was not a cat person. Though over the years she liked different cats in my menagerie (especially our Russian Blue, Zackary), she had never considered a cat of her own. And it kind of didn’t help when her son’s cat, Boots, lived with her for a year as a kitten (when he and his wife were getting started) and she figured all cats we independent and frisky, like he was, and that wasn’t terribly appealing to her.

Car ride to new home

Well, it just so happened that in the fall of 2009 someone at V’s office discovered that she was allergic to this little cat that she had rescued for her kids and they needed to give it up.  I called my sister and told her that I was bringing her a new friend and that if she found it was not right for her I would come back and take the kitty away.  So, we made the kitty transfer in a parking lot in Maryland, and my daughter and I took this terrified tortoise shell tailless kitty on a really long drive (it took 8 hours to get there that day).  Welcome, Jazmine.  She was a tiny maybe 9 month old kitten.  A shy and quiet cat, she was crying so much in the carrier (which she probably never was in before) that we decided to let her out for a while during the drive (of course you know she went to the bathroom immediately under the driver seat and the car smelled for months).

Jazzy 2009

My sister has a pretty quiet life, and she likes it that way. She comes home from work and sits on the couch, has her glass of wine maybe, and reads or watches a little TV. Who know that Jazmine would be the perfect cat for her. Jazzy does not knock things over, she does not get into trouble, and she is very quiet and undemanding.  She will sit by you for a little while but does not demand petting, or feeding, or basically anything. My sister is in love. Jazmine has lived with Aunt B for 3 years and they are best friends. Jazzy has changed somewhat though. No longer the demure little kitten, she has become quite the single ladies house cat.

Jazzy 2012

So we visited our cat cousin, Jazzy this weekend and can tell you that she lives the life that every house cat wishes they had.  Endless love with a nice lady who plays with her and gives her lots of toy mice and snacks and love,

Queen Jazmine

Just another DogDaz morning on the road visiting Aunt B <3.

 
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Posted by on February 21, 2012 in Cats

 

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Monday’s Kissers

This is a repost of the earlier picture because something made my site code go crazy when I linked to the original.  Sorry if you are seeing things weird.  Please refresh your page connection.  I think it is weird that a Pitbull post would get hacked.  Now that is just paranoid, right?  I was as ignorant about this wonderful bred as the media made me, until I met some of the sweetest kissers around.  Be open and be kind. – DogDaz

 
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Posted by on February 20, 2012 in Dogs

 

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2.20.12 Fear and Loathing

Source: gfn

Sometimes things in life can be very scary.  Whether you are a dog or a cat or a human, sometimes you just come upon a place you don’t want to venture into, or hear a sound that makes you jump, or you just feel that something weird is in the air and it makes your hair stand up.  I try to respect the ‘scaries.’  Now I know that my animals have a different sense of the scaries than I do.  I am afraid of ballons, they do not seem to mind them.  They are afraid of the vaccuum, me, no so much.  I do find it interesting what makes the ruff on the backs of their necks stand up.  I am not sure if that is a response to fear or for protection (or maybe both).  I know sometimes the cats will run into a room, jump in the air, and high tail it out of there like something was on fire.  Not always sure what spooks these guys,  Sofie seems to spook really easy lately.  The slightest noise gets her barking her head off. But, I really hate when the animals get the ‘hebbie-gebbies.’  When they get anxious, for what seems like no reason, barking at something I can no see, or Lulu moves away and cowers, then I start to get concern, and wonder what my human sense is missing that their animal sense is zeroing in on.  This is making me think about the things that they are afraid of and the why.  Louise, is fearful of new people and new animals.  Tail will go down, hackles will go up.  She will bark and show fearful behaviors so I do my best to be between her and her fear factor until she can get calm. I think it takes a long time to manage fears internally, so I do my best to stay with her through it and make sure she knows she is safe with me. I never force her into situations if she does not want to try it (except the Vet).  Sometimes, she is just afraid of something she sees in the shadows (that I just don’t see) and she will jump in the air or bolt (pulling the lease out of my hand kind of bolting) and I do not know why.  Sofie loathes white trash bags and will squirm out of the kitchen when I am putting a new one in the garbage can.  In general, I have not found Sofie to be afraid of much else except the vacuum monster (or me leaving, but is that fear?).   Me, one of my largest fears is the yard gate being open without me knowing and something happening to these 2 silly mutts in the street. The cats are afraid of getting eaten by the dogs (which is unfounded in the house but still a good natural response). Fear is a very health response and keeps us safe if managed.  I try really hard to personally embrace my fears and listen to the animals about theirs.  Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤

 
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Posted by on February 20, 2012 in Animals, Cats, Dogs

 

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A romp in the park with the goat <3

Source: matafari

 
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Posted by on February 19, 2012 in Animals

 

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Friday’s Yawn

Source: gfn

 
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Posted by on February 17, 2012 in Dogs

 

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2.17.12 Amazing Underwater Dog Art

Amazing!

I am loving this underwater dog series from photographer Seth Casteel. The way that he captures dogs from under the water makes them seem so other worldly.  What an incredible concept. See more from Seth here: http://www.littlefriendsphoto.com/

If you like Seth Casteel’s underwater dog photography, please show some love and follow his official Facebook page “Little Friends Photo” here: https://www.facebook.com/LittleFriendsPhoto

Lulu and Sofie thought the pictures were a little scary at first, but I told them they looked sort of like that underwater too.  They don’t believe me.
Just another dogdaz morning ❤
 
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Posted by on February 17, 2012 in Dogs

 

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2.16.12 Lulu no feel good

It is no fun when one of your animals does not feel well.  Louise has an ear infection.  I have been cleaning her ears 2X a day with this stuff that the Vet gave use and then putting in these medicine drops.  She does not like the medicine very much but she is a good girl and will let me do what I have to.  But this afternoon she got really smelly after we came in from our walk.  I thought it was Sofie, because, as usual, she was rolling in every patch of ivy or weeds that she could find along the way.  I gave Sofie a dry shampoo treatment, but the smell persisted.  Then later my daughter said, :”Owww, get Louise out of here she smells!”  I was thinking it was her ears but it was more a stomach thing.  Well tonight she could not contain herself and got sick all over the living room.  Now all I can think of is that the ear drops are to strong and they have given her the runs.  I hate when any of my babies are sick.  I will call the Vet in the morning, but she is resting comfortably now.  As you can see from the picture, she likes to control the TV remote when she does not feel well too.  Next she will want some chicken soup.  Just another dogdaz at the zoo ❤ 

 
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Posted by on February 16, 2012 in Dogs

 

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Wednesday’s Night Bear

Source: gfn

 
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Posted by on February 15, 2012 in Dogs

 

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They used to burn books…

Source: 9GAG

 
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Posted by on February 13, 2012 in Uncategorized

 

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2.12.12 Sending the Vet’s kid to college….

Don’t you sometimes just have those kind of days.  I took the 2 dogs and 3 of the cats (Muffin and the kittens) to the vet on Friday.  Silly me.  I was thinking, why don’t I just pack them all up in the Explorer and get it over with.  Noel and Connie went last week, so they got to stay home.  And at the last minute I actually added Louise because she was shaking her head a lot so I kinda knew she had some ear thing going on.  Soooooo, V & I loaded them all up and off we went for the 20 minute ride to see Dr. Kate.  Did I mention that V is not a dog person:  Cats Yes – Dogs Not So Much.  That must be why the whole way to the vet Sofie whined and whined and whined.  Now she doesn’t normally do that but with 3 cat carriers in the back and V in the front, it was all to much for little Sofie, and way to much for V.  That was only the ride there.

We did the dogs first, and it was a good thing that I brought Lulu because she does have an ear infection.  I sensed it coming but it is a rare occasion that any of my dogs have ever had ear problems, so I was not sure.  Sofie was just getting her 1 year check (we got her in March last year). I put the dogs back in the truck and then we unload the cats.

Stella and Nine needed their first vet check and shots (and they traveled very nicely). And Muffin, well he needed the old man checkup (you know what that means, blood, etc).  Poor Muffin appears to have hyperthroidism, so we are waiting for the blood work back to figure out what meds to put him on.  He is already on heart medication and a baby aspirin, but luckily he is a trooper when it comes to taking pills (as long as I hide them in cat treats). Stella also has an ear gunk, but not really an infection, possibly left over from a recent mite cleaning (but we would not know).Shots and blood done. We load them back in the truck and I go to pay the bill, but of course, my daughter had my credit card (because she had to get her hair dyed and cut yesterday (yet another story, you will have to read her blog to get that one)) so I was really lucky V was with me for this adventure so that we had a way to pay.  And, for those of you with multiple pets, you know what that bill costs.

Sofie whined the whole way home so V was about to jump out the window. Now top it off with, when we got home we had a call from the vet telling us that the kittens have some parasite in their stool, so I guess it back there tomorrow to pick up yet more meds.  Thankfully Lulu is a wonderful dog and she is letting me do the ear cleaning and put medicine in it, but Stella! I am not sure I will have any hands left trying to get ear cleaner in her.

I forgot to rob a bank on the way to the vet, so I guess I will just have to dip into my daughter’s college fund.  But that’s what you get when you decide to run a zoo.  Just another DogDaz morning at my house. ❤

 
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Posted by on February 12, 2012 in Cats, Dogs

 

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