Mixed Breeds

I find it odd that the importance of a specific breed is really all that important, unless you require a breed for let's say hunting or a show dog. Although I'd love to know exactly what breeds are involved in the genetic make-up of the animals we own, it wouldn't make a difference in the amount of love and care we would provide our pets. On that note, however, for people that just HAVE TO KNOW... a DNA test can be done on your mixed breed. (more info) Pokey (shown here) is part Chow, but we may never know what other breed(s) are involved in her genetic make-up, and other than curiosity, it really doesn't matter. For us, she is just a precious and unique canine that gives us unconditional love.

Calico is not a breed?

Free Pictures from PetComments


Did you know Calico was not a breed? (read more here) . It's also rare (1 out of 3000) that a calico would be male, due to their genetic code. If you have a male calico, he is more than likely sterile. Information on Calicos, tortoiseshells, and tuxedo colored cats here. The photo above came from petcomments.com. That's one fluffy calico.

Forgive the lapse in blog posts, this past week has been a little hectic. I'll see if I can't get back on track. Till next time...

More Puppies!

Just another puppy pic today, taken 11/29/07. The puppies were 9 weeks old in this photo. Lady is in the forefront looking cute as ever, while Cody is behind her chewing on something. More cute pet photos can be found here.

Pudge

Today, I'm introducing Pudge. This is mom and dad's oldest at about 19 years of age. She is definitely one of the softest cats I've ever touched. Pudge is the boss at her house, even though her general way of inforcing her leadership is ignoring anyone or any other animal that she doesn't have time for at that moment. She's a talker too! You may not understand what she is mewing about but, I guarantee, mom and dad know exactly what she is saying or complaining about each time she opens her mouth. And don't be silly enough to think the bed in the master bedroom is mom and dads'... because it's not. She allows them to sleep there, not the other way around. I guess after 19 years she should have certain liberties. I mean, when converting her 19 years to human years, the calculator says she is 93 years old! Convert your cat's age here. I just hope I look that good at 93.

February is pet dental month.

Does your dog or cat have halitosis? According to an article I found at petplace.com the major cause of bad breath is peridontal disease.

Article(s) on peridontal disease, gingivitis, plaque, and dental care can be found here. They also state that the bacteria from all of these dental problems can move through your pet's bloodstream and harm major organs. Wow, I didn't know that! They also have an article on brushing your dog's teeth. Now, Pokey and Rosie probably wouldn't be a problem. I'm wondering why they don't have one on brushing a cat's teeth? The cats are the ones that would definitely put up a fight - and WIN!

Puppies!

Today was a long day. Spent most of it, either at the courthouse (jury summons) or driving between my home and the courthouse. Any inspiration for a really good blog post today, just isn't gonna happen. So I decided what could be better than a CUTE pic of PUPPIES? Photo taken on 10/19/07, when the puppies were a couple of days shy of a month old. Cody on the left and Lady on the right. They almost look like two different breeds of dogs, don't they? It's still hard to believe that they both share the same mother!

Why do cats rub against things?

As explained by PetPlace.com, 'Cats are equipped with glands, located on the forehead, lips, front paws, and on their flanks and rears, that secrete pheromones. Pheromones, which are substances produced by animals, act as a form of chemical communication. Cats produce several different pheromones that send various signals and affect a number of different behaviors.' For the rest of the article, click here. I just haven't figured out why Pebbles usually performs this ritual while I'm sitting on the toilet!

Do animals yawn?

This photo is one of mom & dad's cats, Daisy. I caught her right in the middle of yawning and it looks as though she is hissing at me! Daisy was dumped off in the neighborhood as a kitten and mom and dad are just like us when it comes to saving the hungry and homeless stray animals dropped off in this area. She was a regular 'wild cat' when they first gave her a home, but has since mellowed out like their other two cats - thank goodness! I found this funny site that shows lots of pictures of animals yawning. If you're interested, click here!

Dominance - Who's the pack leader?

In the dog world, they depend on a pack leader to guide them, feed them, etc. In the human world, are you the pack leader or is he/she leading you? I found a good article on dominance at People and Dog Society (PADS). Click here


If I'm not careful, our dogs can 'lead' me. My husband is a good pack leader and the dogs have the utmost respect for him. That's one of the places his patient nature comes in handy. I have a bad habit of raising my voice and getting upset when they don't do as I tell them. I 'demand' obedience verbally (which doesn't work) and my husband 'gets' it. My husband, on the other hand, stays calm 99% of the time and gains almost instant control over the situation. I say 99% because there is that rare moment that one of the dogs will completely disobey, and it makes him slightly angry because he knows the dog knows what she is suppose to do. Between our girls (all of our dogs are female) they all try to dominate now and again, but we remind them who's the pack leader - Chris!

When I grow up, I want to be a PACK LEADER too!

Feeding your dog.

This photo taken on 10/19, when the puppies were almost 4 weeks old, is one of my favorites. Cody (left) looks like a drunken sailor and Lady (right) doesn't seem to have a clear shot to the food dish. It sure does look like Cody over-ate, and maybe she did, but we often found her sleeping on her back.
They were still residing in a box at 4 weeks, and between me changing their bedding daily and their mother, Rosie, cleaning them hourly, they managed just fine. And I figured, since their mother was still nursing them, two daily feedings were sufficient. According to Pet Web Site, I guess I should have fed the puppies less amounts and with more frequency. Pet Web Site states that "Puppies require to be fed small meals throughout the day and generally should be started with 5 small meals a day, bringing this down to four meals a day at the age of 3 months, then 3 meals a day at 8 months. It is important that the puppy is fed a diet designed for its age - there are diets specifically designed for puppies and young dogs which will ensure the growing dog receives the nutrition required for healthy growth." Click here for more dog feeding info.

Rosie's Poster

As I stated in an earlier post, when my husband found homeless Rosie, we couldn't let her starve but we had no intentions of keeping another dog either. I took several photos of this stray, trying to find that ONE photo that would make anyone want her. And because I didn't want to leave her 'nameless' on the poster, my husband came up with her name. Chris took one copy of the poster to work with him, and I did the same. But as you look at that cute little sad face your heart melts and after a few days, we had a change of heart. I mean what the heck? Pokey had already accepted her and it would be good for Pokey to have a companion to play with. She didn't attack our felines and that was a plus! So we would now have two dogs instead of one, no big deal! Of course, at that moment, we didn't know we would end up with three! I guess we are just a couple of softies when it comes to the homeless and/or adorable furry creatures.

Cats eating dogfood?

After a recent diet change for the furry friends residing at the Smith Animal House, I found our cats rejecting their catfood and caught them eating from the dog dishes! They are all being fed the same brand, only their nutritional value was for the significant age and/or species we were trying to feed. I picked up Avoderm for Cats, Avoderm for Puppies and Avoderm for Adult Dogs. Unsure about the differences in nutritional requirements for Felines vs. Canines, I decided I needed to find out whether or not it really mattered. When I visited PetEducation.com they state that "... it is important to realize a cat's nutritional requirements are much different than those of a dog. For example, cats require higher levels of protein than dogs. Cats must have the amino acid called 'taurine' in their diet; dogs can actually make their own taurine. A cat eating food deficient in taurine can develop severe heart disease and other health problems. Almost all cat foods now contain added taurine. Cats require a different form of Vitamin A than dogs do. Dogs can use beta-carotene as a source of Vitamin A; cats cannot. Cats can not manufacture the fatty acid called 'arachidonic acid' and must have it supplemented in their diet; it is not essential for dogs to have this fatty acid in their food." But this still didn't answer my question of whether or not it would be harmful if the cats ate dog food without my knowledge, so I proceeded to PMI Nutrition and they state "...Stealing a bit of one another’s food occasionally is not going to harm your pet but in order to meet the specific day to day nutritional needs, a diet formulated for their own species should be fed." Therefore, I can either starve my cats or change their food again, if they don't begin eating what I've put in front of them because they are GOING TO EAT CAT FOOD, whether they want to or not! The only thing is that now I have another question. Where did cats get taurine BEFORE manufactured catfood came to be??

Puppy Development Stages

Puppies cannot be taught anything prior to 21 days. They need only to be kept clean, warm, dry, (between 80 and 90 degrees) and allowed to nurse and sleep. These needs are usually met by the dam (mother dog.) Click here to read the rest!

Lady (left) and Cody (right) are 18 days old in this photo, and their eyes have opened even though they probably couldn't see anything yet. They are, however, becoming visually different in their color and characteristics. As you can see in this photo and future photos, Cody will grow quicker than Lady. Cody appears to have more of her father's (German Shepherd) genetics, whereas Lady has more of her mother's (Hound) genetics.

Why do cats sleep so much?

The answer as provided by Pawprints & Purrs, Inc., a non-profit organization, is as follows:

"They are the catnap originators. They sleep practically all day - clocking in about 16 hours of dozing during each 24 hour period. They can sleep from sitting up to snuggling into spots humans can't deem comfortable or suitable for sleeping. Their sleep patterns have evolved because of their ancestors' success as predators. Their bodies are designed for short bursts of energy needed for high-performance over short distances. They're so efficient at stalking and killing their prey that they end up with time to spare. They sleep very lightly, so they make up the length of time they sleep what they lack in depth of sleep. Even though they may go into deep sleep, their brains are always on the alert for danger." http://www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/whydo2.html

At least now I understand a little better as to why Boo (shown above) can be found napping more often than running around the house! Must be nice to sleep all day. If there is a 'next life', I want to be a CAT!

Stuffed Dog

Here's Pokey, with her favorite toy (photo taken in 2006). Our dogs love their stuffed animals! Unfortunately, I've had to quit buying them for awhile, as I am really bad about sewing them back up. It doesn't take long before the dogs have torn a hole in them and I'm sure the 'stuffing' is not edible, so I put them on a shelf and there they sit until I get around to sewing them up or throwing them away, whichever comes first. Besides, my husband told me that I spend too much money on toys for the dogs. He's right, but don't tell him! You KNOW every time you agree with the man in your life, you just become an enabler. Thus, 'I'm always right', becomes his favorite answer! I just think of it this way... if I agree with him and things go wrong, it's HIS fault, not mine!

Cody & Lady

This photo was taken on 9/24/07, 3 days after birth. It's hard to tell them apart at this stage, but the one at the top of the picture is Cody and the puppy below is Lady. We know their mother (Rosie) is Hound mix, but believe the father to be German Shepherd mix...They were more than 2 months old before we named them. We wanted to give that opportunity solely to the new owner(s) but, as time went on, we couldn't find it in ourselves to continue calling them #1 and #2. Besides, after 8 weeks of waking to their cries in the middle of the night and watching them play, you've already developed an attachment whether you want to or not. Lady, has since found a new home, and we decided to keep Cody in the end. One of the many nights the puppies woke us from our sleep, my husband decided that both of us didn't need to lose more sleep that night and he took Cody to the Vet hospital, as she seemed to be crying non-stop and breathing heavily. The veterinarian believed it was possible that she had pneumonia from suckling milk into her lungs. She quickly became the favorite, unintentionally of course, because she had to be dropper-fed her medicine 3 times a day and she almost instantly enjoyed the human contact medicine time provided. Rosie actually had 3 puppies, but the first one was stillborn. Rosie has now been spayed and this first litter will be her last. Cody will be spayed next! No more puppy all-nighters for us!

Rosie

I have so many photos of Rosie, so I decided to go back to the beginning for her introduction on the blog. This is her adorable little mug when my husband found her laying in a nearby field. I should keep better records of their actual ages, but that's hard to do if they are strays and dumped animals when you bring them into your home. I know she is probably over 2 years old now. In this photo, we guessed her to be around 5-8 months. She is Hound mix and we're not sure what she is mixed with. We didn't plan on keeping her, and I'll show you the poster I made of her when we were trying to find her a home in a future post. But she's still here, and we are all the better for it. You couldn't have a dog that is more anxious to please their master. Chris has taught her several commands, including 'shake' and 'other paw'. Yep, she shakes with both paws! She goes to bed by command (we occasionally use this as punishment if she is bad) but at night around 9-10 pm, just like our cat Boo, you will usually find her already in bed for the night. Just like most puppies, I had to break her from chewing up my shoes, but we have yet to find the secret to stop her from digging! If someone has some ideas, suggestions are welcome.

Boo

AKA Booboo, our youngest cat, was adopted from an animal shelter in Greensboro, NC about 8 1/2 years ago and I think she was about 3 months old at the time. When she was younger, she would play fetch like a dog, with Chris (Guz), but those days have long gone. Just like Pebbles, she rode from N.C. to CA when we moved across country over 4 years ago. Unfortunately, her entire trip was spent under the seat of the car I was driving. Chris had to fish her out each evening when we got a hotel room. The reason for her name is because she was afraid of everything when we first brought her home and she still is! Everything and everyone except Chris and I that is. Boo even keeps her distance from Pebbles even though they've lived together for over 8 years! She will show her face when my daughter's family visits, but no one else gets the pleasure of seeing her. Her favorite hiding place is under the couch and/or love seat. One of my nicknames for her is 'Black Booger' because she has sneezing fits so fierce that she can spray you down if you aren't careful! She is our reminder every evening that it is time to go to bed. She will pace the hallway between the bedroom and kitchen until we come to bed. If you look at her (during this ritual) she will mew as if to say, "Don't you know I need my beauty rest? Get the move on folks, it's BEDTIME"! Occasionally she will give up and take her spot in the middle. And talk about a bed hog! Let's just say, you always know she's there throughout the night.

Pokey

This is our oldest dog Pokey. She is Chow mix. We don't really know her age, as she was a stray that decided we were going to be her new family. At the beginning, she was very scrawny and didn't appear to be doing so well foraging for food in the neighborhood, so my husband began feeding her once a day and she took up residence under our house. She was our first dog, and she gave us so much pleasure that you couldn't help but love her, even when you were woken in the middle of the night because she was knocking into the underside of the house while scratching herself or chasing a critter. Having her greet us everyday when we walked to the car or returned home from work, was a joy in itself. Needless to say, she became a part of the family we didn't want to lose. We weren't sure how well she would do as an indoor dog, but started bringing her in when we found out she was pregnant because the last place I wanted her to have her puppies was under the house! She had a problem pregnancy and wound up having to have a hysterectomy. She is true to her name, Pokey, and when you call her she comes piddle-poking along. I swear I can hear her saying to herself, "Yea, yea, I'm coming already, don't get your panties in a wad." Oddly enough, she is swift on her feet when she wants to be and before we made her a house dog, she brought a few trophies to our backdoor!

Pebbles

Pebbles is the oldest of our furry family members and she is the BOSS! She tolerates other animals and reminds them that she is not to be messed with by lashing out with her swift paw if any other cat or dog gets too close. She first came into our family for my daughter, almost 10 years ago. When my daughter moved out, she couldn't bare to take Pebbles away from me, as we had gotten quite close, so she got a new kitten of her own. Pebbles use to hiss and get really mad if you touched her tail. My husband tamed her of that. He has a way with animals. He can gain their complete trust and love in a short amount of time. Her favorite sleeping spot is under the covers in our bed. She has such an unusual color with unique markings. I don't think I've ever seen another cat like her. I remember back when I went to buy a new couch, many years ago, I bought one that was multicolored just like her, so that her cat hair wouldn't be so evident between cleanings. When you would take a photo of her on the sofa, she just blended right in. She had the privilege of riding across country (from N.C. to CA) in a moving truck with my husband. She sat there in the passenger seat like nobodies business!