Animal Magic: Benefits To Your Health Of Getting A Pet
by K9 Magazine
Getting out of a warm, cosy bed on dark, frosty mornings to take the dog out is probably the last thing you feel like doing. But take encouragement from the fact that it really is good for you.
Quite apart from a blast of fresh air to wake you up, going walkies gives you both the chance to get some exercise. Getting up and about is a great way to keep your dog happy and healthy, but vitally important for you, especially if you’re going to spend the rest of the day slumped at your desk.
Your daily dog walk may not feel as strenuous as sweating buckets at the gym, but rest assured it’s doing just as much good. According to pet health care experts Bob Martin, dog walkers actually get far more exercise than people who consider themselves regular gym goers – an average of five hours and 38 minutes per week, compared with just one hour and 20 minutes per week for the Lycra lovers.
Feeling smug? You should be, as even the fact that you’re getting out every day can have huge health benefits. Scientists believe that doing up to an hour of moderate activity most days combined with a healthy diet could cut mortality rates by 50 per cent.
The benefits of owning a dog go beyond a mere leg-stretch. Medical researchers have found that dog owners have lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, for example, and are generally healthier than those without a canine companion.
There’s the social aspect of meeting other dog owners while out and about, and the structure of having a daily routine; both factors which could go a long way to raising mood and stirring you from inertia. In fact, researchers at the University of Portsmouth found that daily dog walking could even ward off depression. Are there any sights in life happier than a dog proudly carrying a stick? You can’t write a prescription for that.
Cat owners can take heart from the news that researchers have claimed all manner of health benefits from caring for a feline friend – in fact a study by the University of Minnesota found that cat owners have a much lower heart attack risk.
It doesn’t take a doctor to tell you that curling up with a cat on the couch at the end of a stressful day can have psychological benefits, either. According to a study carried out by the Mental Health Foundation in conjunction with Cat’s Protection, it’s all down to the relaxing vibrations in a cat’s purr.
Even having a tank of goldfish in the corner of a room is thought to be relaxing, and while lizards and snakes aren’t everyone’s choice of perfect pet, they’re an interesting addition to the household. Having a pet is good for kids, too – it can help them develop a sense of empathy and responsibility, as well as boosting their self-esteem, say psychologists. Owning a dog can also help children become more active, guarding against obesity.
Care for your pet, and it will care for you.
www.barkitty.co.uk
Saturday 30 June 2012
Friday 29 June 2012
Tips For Dogs That Don’t Like Car Travel
Tips For Dogs That Don’t Like Car Travel
by K9 Magazine
Travel sickness is a rare condition that can take hold of certain dogs just as it can individual people. Understanding the cause and effects of travel sickness in dogs as well as, obviously, identifying a potential cure for the problem is often easier said than done. Some dogs get carsick just the same as many small children do.
If you depend on a car for most of your transportation, you will want to help your puppy overcome carsickness as quickly and easily as possible. You can do a number of things to help your dog avoid or overcome travel sickness. Cure Travel Sickness in Dogs: Top Tips From the start, help your dog form a positive association with the car.
Without starting the engine, sit in the car with your dog on your lap for a few minutes every day. Praise and pet your dog. After a week of this, start the motor. Place your pup on the seat next to you.
Pet and praise him, making the experience agreeable. After a week of repeating this once a day, get a friend or relative to go in the car with you for a daily ride. Be sure that your dog has an empty stomach and has had the chance to eliminate before getting into the car. Have your helper sit the dog on his or her lap. The helper must not allow the dog to squirm and wiggle around.
Take a short ride around the block. Each week increase slightly the distance that you travel. (One-week intervals for each of these steps are not cast in stone. Shorten or lengthen the time depending on your dog’s reaction.) Be sure that when you ride with your dog, you have someone in the car to help control him. If that’s not possible, put the dog in a crate in the car. Do not let your dog ride on the driver’s lap or crawl under his or her legs. This can become a bad habit and is very dangerous.
Once your dog begins obedience training and understands to lie down and stay, employ this exercise in the car when travelling. Associate trips in the car with fun. Every car ride should not end up at the veterinarian, groomer, or boarding kennel. Use the car to take your dog to the beach, park, or woods.
Most dogs, like most children, outgrow travel sickness. In the interim, doing the right things can minimise messes, limit nervousness, and shorten the time it takes for your dog to learn that car rides can be a lot of fun. If none of the above steps seems to help, contact your veterinarian. In this article we’re not going to touch on the medical approach to curing dog travel sickness, we’ll leave that for a future article as it is a subject in its own right.
13 Things to Take With You When Travelling With a Dog
In order to have a comfortable and enjoyable time when travelling with your dog, you need to prepare certain things ahead of time. You need to be ready in case of an emergency or any unpredictable situation that may occur. So keep in mind the following 13 items and make sure that you have them ready and available before you go on that road trip with your dog.
1. A dog crate or den with a small blanket inside for your dog’s safety and comfort, or a seatbelt harness if you prefer to have him stay on the seat.
2. An adequate supply of dog food to last for the entire trip. Make sure to bring enough extra food, especially if your dog is a fussy eater.
3. At least three gallons of extra water for your dog. If you are going to a different country, keep in mind that the water there may be different from the water you have at home. Since your dog may be sensitive to the differences in the water which could make him sick, be sure that you carry enough water to last for the entire trip.
4. A water bowl, particularly one that is heavy enough to prevent spilling so that it can be used inside a moving vehicle. An alternative to this is to teach your dog how to drink out of a water bottle.
5. A first-aid kit specifically made for your dog.
6. A suitable collar with a clear and legible ID tag.
7. Two – five chew toys.
8. Extra toys for him to play with, which will also help to keep him busy during the road trip.
9. An extra lead and extra collar. It’s amazing how many problems you can encounter if your dog’s lead and collar breaks!
10. Any vitamins or medication that he is currently taking.
11. Paper towels and plastic bags to clean up after his potty breaks.
12. His regular grooming kit, which includes a brush, flea comb, nail clippers, toothbrush, and other items that you regularly use during his grooming sessions.
13. Thick towels and large blankets in case he decides to jump in a river or run in a muddy ground when you stop the vehicle for breaks.
by K9 Magazine
Travel sickness is a rare condition that can take hold of certain dogs just as it can individual people. Understanding the cause and effects of travel sickness in dogs as well as, obviously, identifying a potential cure for the problem is often easier said than done. Some dogs get carsick just the same as many small children do.
If you depend on a car for most of your transportation, you will want to help your puppy overcome carsickness as quickly and easily as possible. You can do a number of things to help your dog avoid or overcome travel sickness. Cure Travel Sickness in Dogs: Top Tips From the start, help your dog form a positive association with the car.
Without starting the engine, sit in the car with your dog on your lap for a few minutes every day. Praise and pet your dog. After a week of this, start the motor. Place your pup on the seat next to you.
Pet and praise him, making the experience agreeable. After a week of repeating this once a day, get a friend or relative to go in the car with you for a daily ride. Be sure that your dog has an empty stomach and has had the chance to eliminate before getting into the car. Have your helper sit the dog on his or her lap. The helper must not allow the dog to squirm and wiggle around.
Take a short ride around the block. Each week increase slightly the distance that you travel. (One-week intervals for each of these steps are not cast in stone. Shorten or lengthen the time depending on your dog’s reaction.) Be sure that when you ride with your dog, you have someone in the car to help control him. If that’s not possible, put the dog in a crate in the car. Do not let your dog ride on the driver’s lap or crawl under his or her legs. This can become a bad habit and is very dangerous.
Once your dog begins obedience training and understands to lie down and stay, employ this exercise in the car when travelling. Associate trips in the car with fun. Every car ride should not end up at the veterinarian, groomer, or boarding kennel. Use the car to take your dog to the beach, park, or woods.
Most dogs, like most children, outgrow travel sickness. In the interim, doing the right things can minimise messes, limit nervousness, and shorten the time it takes for your dog to learn that car rides can be a lot of fun. If none of the above steps seems to help, contact your veterinarian. In this article we’re not going to touch on the medical approach to curing dog travel sickness, we’ll leave that for a future article as it is a subject in its own right.
13 Things to Take With You When Travelling With a Dog
In order to have a comfortable and enjoyable time when travelling with your dog, you need to prepare certain things ahead of time. You need to be ready in case of an emergency or any unpredictable situation that may occur. So keep in mind the following 13 items and make sure that you have them ready and available before you go on that road trip with your dog.
1. A dog crate or den with a small blanket inside for your dog’s safety and comfort, or a seatbelt harness if you prefer to have him stay on the seat.
2. An adequate supply of dog food to last for the entire trip. Make sure to bring enough extra food, especially if your dog is a fussy eater.
3. At least three gallons of extra water for your dog. If you are going to a different country, keep in mind that the water there may be different from the water you have at home. Since your dog may be sensitive to the differences in the water which could make him sick, be sure that you carry enough water to last for the entire trip.
4. A water bowl, particularly one that is heavy enough to prevent spilling so that it can be used inside a moving vehicle. An alternative to this is to teach your dog how to drink out of a water bottle.
5. A first-aid kit specifically made for your dog.
6. A suitable collar with a clear and legible ID tag.
7. Two – five chew toys.
8. Extra toys for him to play with, which will also help to keep him busy during the road trip.
9. An extra lead and extra collar. It’s amazing how many problems you can encounter if your dog’s lead and collar breaks!
10. Any vitamins or medication that he is currently taking.
11. Paper towels and plastic bags to clean up after his potty breaks.
12. His regular grooming kit, which includes a brush, flea comb, nail clippers, toothbrush, and other items that you regularly use during his grooming sessions.
13. Thick towels and large blankets in case he decides to jump in a river or run in a muddy ground when you stop the vehicle for breaks.
Ways for a cat to train its human...
Someone bought me this great book so I thought I'd share some of the funnier bits. It's called 100 ways for a cat to train its human! I won't write all 100 but here are some of my favourites:
* To make sure your human understands that you are alpha cat, head of the family and pack leader institute a status-reduction programme immediately. Your human must learn that you have first right to all chairs, beds and doorways. You expect to be fed first and go through doors first. A happy human knows its place in the pecking order - well below that of the cat.
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* Though humans cannot speak cat they vocalise repeatedly. Most of their vocalisations are meaningless and can be safely ignored.
* A few human vocalisations are worth remembering. Keep an ear open for one aversive human vocalisation - the 'vet' noise. When you hear this leave home for the whole day, or if you are kept indoors, hide.
* You may also detect a repeated sound such as 'Sam', 'Tibbles' or 'Sooty'. This sound marks a primitive human attempt at the kitten-call chirrup. Dogs come when they are called. We cats take a message and get back later - maybe.
* Obedience training - take control of your human and never let it initiate an action. If your human walks towards you, walk away. If it tries to pet you, turn your back. All petting and games should be at your timing, not its choice.
* Knead their lap with your front paws. Humans appreciate this kitten-like gesture but find it extremely painful. Have fun seeing their mix of pleasure and pain.
* Place your bottom on the newspaper your human is reading, being careful to cover the area being scanned by its eyes.
* If you have a gentle and loving human, claw its tights or nip its ankles. Do not do this with agressive humans , as it can result in the boot.
* Refuse to eat from a can of food that has been opened from a previous meal. This will train your owner into buying a new small can for each meal, and we cats know this is the most expensive and tasty sort of food.
* Letting humans sleep inside the bed with you is a good way to ensure a night-long hot-water bottle.
* Reclaim the duvet during the night. This is done by gentle but firm pressure, inching your way so that the sleeping human cannot help but move off your space. This photo was actually taken when me and husband were in the bed (trying to sleep). Could she be any more central??
* Anything soft - clean laundry, mink coats, lingerie, ball gowns - makes a cat bed, except a newly purchased cat bed.
* Do some catnip. Lie on your back and roll your eyeballs. Making your human laugh is they key to a continuous supply. A laughing human soon becomes a catnip drug dealer.
* Ways of avoiding swallowing a pill include: running up on the curtains and drapes, jumping on the top of the wardrobe, climbing up a tree, hiding on the roof, crawling up the chimney, diving out of the window, sitting very quietly indeed in a dark cupboard.
* If human mating activities interfere with your sleep, take a firm line. Put an end to those interruptions by sleeping between the human pair. If necessary, rehome one of the humans.
www.barkitty.co.uk
* To make sure your human understands that you are alpha cat, head of the family and pack leader institute a status-reduction programme immediately. Your human must learn that you have first right to all chairs, beds and doorways. You expect to be fed first and go through doors first. A happy human knows its place in the pecking order - well below that of the cat.
.jpg)
* Though humans cannot speak cat they vocalise repeatedly. Most of their vocalisations are meaningless and can be safely ignored.
* A few human vocalisations are worth remembering. Keep an ear open for one aversive human vocalisation - the 'vet' noise. When you hear this leave home for the whole day, or if you are kept indoors, hide.
* You may also detect a repeated sound such as 'Sam', 'Tibbles' or 'Sooty'. This sound marks a primitive human attempt at the kitten-call chirrup. Dogs come when they are called. We cats take a message and get back later - maybe.
* Obedience training - take control of your human and never let it initiate an action. If your human walks towards you, walk away. If it tries to pet you, turn your back. All petting and games should be at your timing, not its choice.
* Knead their lap with your front paws. Humans appreciate this kitten-like gesture but find it extremely painful. Have fun seeing their mix of pleasure and pain.
* Place your bottom on the newspaper your human is reading, being careful to cover the area being scanned by its eyes.
* If you have a gentle and loving human, claw its tights or nip its ankles. Do not do this with agressive humans , as it can result in the boot.
* Refuse to eat from a can of food that has been opened from a previous meal. This will train your owner into buying a new small can for each meal, and we cats know this is the most expensive and tasty sort of food.
* Letting humans sleep inside the bed with you is a good way to ensure a night-long hot-water bottle.
* Reclaim the duvet during the night. This is done by gentle but firm pressure, inching your way so that the sleeping human cannot help but move off your space. This photo was actually taken when me and husband were in the bed (trying to sleep). Could she be any more central??
* Anything soft - clean laundry, mink coats, lingerie, ball gowns - makes a cat bed, except a newly purchased cat bed.
* Do some catnip. Lie on your back and roll your eyeballs. Making your human laugh is they key to a continuous supply. A laughing human soon becomes a catnip drug dealer.
* Ways of avoiding swallowing a pill include: running up on the curtains and drapes, jumping on the top of the wardrobe, climbing up a tree, hiding on the roof, crawling up the chimney, diving out of the window, sitting very quietly indeed in a dark cupboard.
* If human mating activities interfere with your sleep, take a firm line. Put an end to those interruptions by sleeping between the human pair. If necessary, rehome one of the humans.
www.barkitty.co.uk
Sunday 24 June 2012
Exercising with your dog!
This is taken from a website I found, thought I'd share :)
You've seen those ads on TV promising amazing results from all sorts of contraptions. Well, there's no need to invest in fancy equipment. If you have (or can borrow) a dog, you have everything you need to get in shape now!!! The following exercises can be done anywhere, anytime.
Inner Thighs: Place the dog's favorite toy between thighs. Press tighter than the dog can pull. Do not attempt bare legged - dogs who favor shortcuts to success will just dig the toy out. You could be damaged
Upper Body Strength: Lift the dog - off the couch, off the bed, out of the flower bed. Repeat, repeat, repeat. As the dog ages, this exercise is reversed - onto the couch, onto the bed, into the car and so on
Balance and Coordination, Exercise 1: Remove your puppy from unsuitable tight places. If they're too small for him, they're certainly too small for you. Do it anyway!
Balance and Coordination, Exercise 2: Practice not falling when your dog bounds across the full length of the room, sails through the air, and slams both front paws into the back of your knees.
Balance and Coordination, Exercise 3: (for use with multiple dogs) Remove all dogs from lap and answer the phone before it stops ringing.
Balance and Coordination, Exercise 4: (alternate) For older dogs, attempt to cross a room without tripping over the dog. Get off your couch without crushing any part of a sleeping elderly dog.
Upper Arms: Throw the ball. Throw the squeaky toy. Throw the Frisbee. Repeat until nauseous.
Upper Arms: (alternate) Tug the rope. Tug the pull toy. Tug the sock. Repeat until your shoulder is dislocated or the dog gives up (we all know which comes first).
Hand Coordination: Remove foreign object from dog's locked jaw. This exercise is especially popular with puppy owners. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Remember, this is a timed exercise. Movements must be quick and precise (think concert pianist) to prevent trips to the vet, which only offer the minimal exercise benefit of jaw firming clenches.
Calves: After the dog has worn out the rest of your body, hang a circular toy on your ankle and let the dog tug while you tug back. WARNING: This is feasible only for those with strong bones and small dogs. Have you taken your calcium supplement today?
Calves: (alternate) Run after dog - pick any reason, there are plenty. Dogs of any size can be used for this exercise. Greyhounds are inadvisable.
Neck Muscles: Attempt to outmaneuver the canine tongue headed for your ear, mouth, or eyeball. This is a lifelong fitness program. A dog is never too old or too feeble to "French Kiss" you when you least expect it.
You've seen those ads on TV promising amazing results from all sorts of contraptions. Well, there's no need to invest in fancy equipment. If you have (or can borrow) a dog, you have everything you need to get in shape now!!! The following exercises can be done anywhere, anytime.
Inner Thighs: Place the dog's favorite toy between thighs. Press tighter than the dog can pull. Do not attempt bare legged - dogs who favor shortcuts to success will just dig the toy out. You could be damaged
Upper Body Strength: Lift the dog - off the couch, off the bed, out of the flower bed. Repeat, repeat, repeat. As the dog ages, this exercise is reversed - onto the couch, onto the bed, into the car and so on
Balance and Coordination, Exercise 1: Remove your puppy from unsuitable tight places. If they're too small for him, they're certainly too small for you. Do it anyway!
Balance and Coordination, Exercise 2: Practice not falling when your dog bounds across the full length of the room, sails through the air, and slams both front paws into the back of your knees.
Balance and Coordination, Exercise 3: (for use with multiple dogs) Remove all dogs from lap and answer the phone before it stops ringing.
Balance and Coordination, Exercise 4: (alternate) For older dogs, attempt to cross a room without tripping over the dog. Get off your couch without crushing any part of a sleeping elderly dog.
Upper Arms: Throw the ball. Throw the squeaky toy. Throw the Frisbee. Repeat until nauseous.
Upper Arms: (alternate) Tug the rope. Tug the pull toy. Tug the sock. Repeat until your shoulder is dislocated or the dog gives up (we all know which comes first).
Hand Coordination: Remove foreign object from dog's locked jaw. This exercise is especially popular with puppy owners. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Remember, this is a timed exercise. Movements must be quick and precise (think concert pianist) to prevent trips to the vet, which only offer the minimal exercise benefit of jaw firming clenches.
Calves: After the dog has worn out the rest of your body, hang a circular toy on your ankle and let the dog tug while you tug back. WARNING: This is feasible only for those with strong bones and small dogs. Have you taken your calcium supplement today?
Calves: (alternate) Run after dog - pick any reason, there are plenty. Dogs of any size can be used for this exercise. Greyhounds are inadvisable.
Neck Muscles: Attempt to outmaneuver the canine tongue headed for your ear, mouth, or eyeball. This is a lifelong fitness program. A dog is never too old or too feeble to "French Kiss" you when you least expect it.
Laws of cat behaviour
I think this will apply to most cats... sourced from a website (I can't remember which one) :)
LAW OF CAT INERTIA
A cat at rest will tend to remain at rest, unless acted upon by some outside force, such as the opening of cat food, or a nearby scurrying mouse.
LAW OF CAT MOTION
A cat will move in a straight line, unless there is a really good reason to change direction.
FIRST LAW OF CAT ENERGY CONSERVATION
Cats know that energy can neither be created nor destroyed and will, therefore, use as little energy as possible.
LAW OF BAG/BOX OCCUPANCY
All bags and boxes in a given room must contain a cat within the earliest possible nanosecond.
LAW OF FURNITURE REPLACEMENT
A cat's desire to scratch furniture is directly proportional to the cost of the furniture.
LAW OF CAT COMPOSITION
A cat is composed of Matter + Anti-matter + It Doesn't Matter.
LAW OF CAT OBEDIENCE
As yet undiscovered.
www.barkitty.co.uk
LAW OF CAT INERTIA
A cat at rest will tend to remain at rest, unless acted upon by some outside force, such as the opening of cat food, or a nearby scurrying mouse.
LAW OF CAT MOTION
A cat will move in a straight line, unless there is a really good reason to change direction.
FIRST LAW OF CAT ENERGY CONSERVATION
Cats know that energy can neither be created nor destroyed and will, therefore, use as little energy as possible.
LAW OF BAG/BOX OCCUPANCY
All bags and boxes in a given room must contain a cat within the earliest possible nanosecond.
LAW OF FURNITURE REPLACEMENT
A cat's desire to scratch furniture is directly proportional to the cost of the furniture.
LAW OF CAT COMPOSITION
A cat is composed of Matter + Anti-matter + It Doesn't Matter.
LAW OF CAT OBEDIENCE
As yet undiscovered.
www.barkitty.co.uk
How to give a cat a pill
This was sent to me on an email, thought I'd share...
How to give a cat a pill
1. Pick cat up and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding a baby. Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat's mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. As cat opens mouth pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow.
2. Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa.
Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process.
3. Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away.
Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm holding rear paws tightly with left hand. Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth with right forefinger. Hold mouth shut for a count of ten.
4. Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl, and cat from top of wardrobe. Call spouse from garden.
Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, hold front and rear paws.
Ignore low growls emitted by cat.
Get spouse to hold head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth.
Drop pill down ruler and rub cat's throat vigorously.
5. Retrieve cat from curtain rail, get another pill from foil wrap.
Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains.
Carefully sweep shattered figurines and vases from hearth and set to one side for gluing later.
Wrap cat in large towel and get spouse to lie on cat with head just visible from below armpit.
Put pill in end of drinking straw, force mouth open with pencil and blow down drinking straw.
6. Check label to make sure pill not harmful to humans.
Drink glass of water to take taste away.
Apply Band-Aid to spouse's forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.
Retrieve cat from neighbours shed.
Get another pill.
Place cat in cupboard & close door onto neck to leave head showing.
Force mouth open with dessert spoon.
Flick pill down throat with elastic band.
7. Fetch screwdriver from garage and put cupboard door back on hinges.
Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus jab.
Throw T-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.
Ring fire brigade to retrieve cat from tree across the road.
Apologise to neighbour who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat.
Arrange for SPCA to collect cat, and ring local pet shop to see if they have any goldfish.
How to give a dog a pill
1. Wrap it in bacon.
How to give a cat a pill
1. Pick cat up and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding a baby. Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat's mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. As cat opens mouth pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow.
2. Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa.
Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process.
3. Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away.
Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm holding rear paws tightly with left hand. Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth with right forefinger. Hold mouth shut for a count of ten.
4. Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl, and cat from top of wardrobe. Call spouse from garden.
Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, hold front and rear paws.
Ignore low growls emitted by cat.
Get spouse to hold head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth.
Drop pill down ruler and rub cat's throat vigorously.
5. Retrieve cat from curtain rail, get another pill from foil wrap.
Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains.
Carefully sweep shattered figurines and vases from hearth and set to one side for gluing later.
Wrap cat in large towel and get spouse to lie on cat with head just visible from below armpit.
Put pill in end of drinking straw, force mouth open with pencil and blow down drinking straw.
6. Check label to make sure pill not harmful to humans.
Drink glass of water to take taste away.
Apply Band-Aid to spouse's forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.
Retrieve cat from neighbours shed.
Get another pill.
Place cat in cupboard & close door onto neck to leave head showing.
Force mouth open with dessert spoon.
Flick pill down throat with elastic band.
7. Fetch screwdriver from garage and put cupboard door back on hinges.
Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus jab.
Throw T-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.
Ring fire brigade to retrieve cat from tree across the road.
Apologise to neighbour who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat.
Arrange for SPCA to collect cat, and ring local pet shop to see if they have any goldfish.
How to give a dog a pill
1. Wrap it in bacon.
Dog definitions
Also sent to me on an email, thought I'd share :)
LEASH: A strap which attaches to your collar, enabling you to lead your person where you want him/her to go.
DOG BED: Any soft, clean surface, such as the white bedspread in the guest room or the newly upholstered couch in the living room.
DROOL: is what you do when your persons have food and you don't. To do this properly you must sit as close as you can and look sad and let the drool fall to the floor, or better yet, on their laps.
SNIFF: A social custom to use when you greet other dogs. Place your nose as close as you can to the other dog's rear end and inhale deeply, repeat several times, or until your person makes you stop. This can also be done to human's crotches.
GARBAGE CAN: A container which your neighbors put out once a week to test your ingenuity. You must stand on your hind legs and try to push the lid off with your nose. If you do it right you are rewarded with margarine wrappers to shred, beef bones to consume and moldy crusts of bread.
BICYCLES: Two-wheeled exercise machines, invented for dogs to control body fat. To get maximum aerobic benefit, you must hide behind a bush and dash out, bark loudly and run alongside for a few yards;
the person then swerves and falls into the bushes, and you prance away.
DEAFNESS: This is a malady which affects dogs when their person want them in and they want to stay out. Symptoms include staring blankly at the person, then running in the opposite direction, or lying down.
THUNDER: This is a signal that the world is coming to an end. Humans remain amazingly calm during thunderstorms, so it is necessary to warn them of the danger by trembling uncontrollably, panting,
rolling your eyes wildly, and following at their heels.
WASTEBASKET: This is a dog toy filled with paper, envelopes, and old candy wrappers. When you get bored, turn over the basket and strew the papers all over the house until your person comes home
SOFAS: Are to dogs like napkins are to people. After eating it is polite to run up and down the front of the sofa and wipe your whiskers clean.
BATH: This is a process by which the humans drench the floor, walls and themselves. You can help by shaking vigorously and frequently.
BUMP: The best way to get your human's attention when they are drinking a fresh cup of coffee or tea
GOOSE BUMP: A maneuver to use as a last resort when the Regular Bump doesn't get the attention you require..... especially effective when combined with The Sniff. See above.
LOVE: Is a feeling of intense affection, given freely and without restriction. The best way you can show your love is to wag your tail. If you're lucky, a human will love you in return. If not, you can always sniff their crotches.
LEASH: A strap which attaches to your collar, enabling you to lead your person where you want him/her to go.
DOG BED: Any soft, clean surface, such as the white bedspread in the guest room or the newly upholstered couch in the living room.
DROOL: is what you do when your persons have food and you don't. To do this properly you must sit as close as you can and look sad and let the drool fall to the floor, or better yet, on their laps.
SNIFF: A social custom to use when you greet other dogs. Place your nose as close as you can to the other dog's rear end and inhale deeply, repeat several times, or until your person makes you stop. This can also be done to human's crotches.
GARBAGE CAN: A container which your neighbors put out once a week to test your ingenuity. You must stand on your hind legs and try to push the lid off with your nose. If you do it right you are rewarded with margarine wrappers to shred, beef bones to consume and moldy crusts of bread.
BICYCLES: Two-wheeled exercise machines, invented for dogs to control body fat. To get maximum aerobic benefit, you must hide behind a bush and dash out, bark loudly and run alongside for a few yards;
the person then swerves and falls into the bushes, and you prance away.
DEAFNESS: This is a malady which affects dogs when their person want them in and they want to stay out. Symptoms include staring blankly at the person, then running in the opposite direction, or lying down.
THUNDER: This is a signal that the world is coming to an end. Humans remain amazingly calm during thunderstorms, so it is necessary to warn them of the danger by trembling uncontrollably, panting,
rolling your eyes wildly, and following at their heels.
WASTEBASKET: This is a dog toy filled with paper, envelopes, and old candy wrappers. When you get bored, turn over the basket and strew the papers all over the house until your person comes home
SOFAS: Are to dogs like napkins are to people. After eating it is polite to run up and down the front of the sofa and wipe your whiskers clean.
BATH: This is a process by which the humans drench the floor, walls and themselves. You can help by shaking vigorously and frequently.
BUMP: The best way to get your human's attention when they are drinking a fresh cup of coffee or tea
GOOSE BUMP: A maneuver to use as a last resort when the Regular Bump doesn't get the attention you require..... especially effective when combined with The Sniff. See above.
LOVE: Is a feeling of intense affection, given freely and without restriction. The best way you can show your love is to wag your tail. If you're lucky, a human will love you in return. If not, you can always sniff their crotches.
Orbee Tuff products
All day I recommend the fab 'Orbee Tuff' range, so it was great to get this lovely email from Helen today:
Hi Barkitty!
I am writing to say thank you very much for the orbee dog balls! My dogs love them! They are the best dog balls that I have found on the market in 15 years of dog ownership. My dogs have chewed all the other types up except for these! They wear extremely well having sometimes been taken out into the garden and buried for some time. I found that the balls on a rope were very easy to throw...but have moved on to stringless balls - as they sometimes get caught in trees and i am left with a very disappointed collie. My collie, Delphi, though loves the whistlling ball! It has a good bounce and the noise makes it easy for her to find. I like the whistling ball as it is luminous and you can easily see it when it has been hidden under the sofa!
Thank you very much once again!
Helen
I really recommend spending a bit more on these toys, not only are they a great product, 2% of every sale goes to dogs charities... Brilliant! Oh, and they act as a breath freshener too! What more could you ask for?
You can buy them here...http://www.barkitty.co.uk/category_dog_toys_2.shtml
Hi Barkitty!
I am writing to say thank you very much for the orbee dog balls! My dogs love them! They are the best dog balls that I have found on the market in 15 years of dog ownership. My dogs have chewed all the other types up except for these! They wear extremely well having sometimes been taken out into the garden and buried for some time. I found that the balls on a rope were very easy to throw...but have moved on to stringless balls - as they sometimes get caught in trees and i am left with a very disappointed collie. My collie, Delphi, though loves the whistlling ball! It has a good bounce and the noise makes it easy for her to find. I like the whistling ball as it is luminous and you can easily see it when it has been hidden under the sofa!
Thank you very much once again!
Helen
I really recommend spending a bit more on these toys, not only are they a great product, 2% of every sale goes to dogs charities... Brilliant! Oh, and they act as a breath freshener too! What more could you ask for?
You can buy them here...http://www.barkitty.co.uk/category_dog_toys_2.shtml
Saturday 23 June 2012
Friday 22 June 2012
Gemma Correll Illustrations
If you have never visited Gemma Correll's website then you need to rectify that and look ASAP!
She is a fab illustrator, and draws such cute animals! I'm a huge fan, so wanted to share...
http://www.gemmacorrell.com/portfolio/illustration/
www.barkitty.co.uk
She is a fab illustrator, and draws such cute animals! I'm a huge fan, so wanted to share...
http://www.gemmacorrell.com/portfolio/illustration/
www.barkitty.co.uk
Thursday 21 June 2012
You know you're a dog person when..
Well I know me and most of my customers would recognise some of this :) ... a friend sent this in an email...
You know you're a dog person when...
You have more dog beds, chew toys, collars, leashes, harnesses, and dog crates than you have dogs.
You meet other people with dogs, and remember their dog's call name after 30 seconds, but don't get the owner/handler's name until you've met them 2 or 3 times.
You don't think twice about trading licks of an ice cream cone with your dog.
Your parents give up on grandchildren and start to refer to your dogs as "your kids" or your children." (Bonus: they start to call them "our granddogs.")
90 percent of your Internet connection time goes to the dogs (seeing what's new when you enter your breed into the browser, reading up on multiple lists, checking out photos, sounds and FAQs, etc.).
You have hundreds of pictures of your dogs on your desk at work, in your wallet, etc., but none of your family or yourself.
No one wants to ride in your car because they know they'll get dog hair on their clothes.
You reach into your pockets for change, and liver treats, dog kibble, and pick-up bags fall all over. (Bonus: You've done this in a classy establishment.)
You've had long meaningful discussions with your friends on the best way to trim your dog's nails, but have never had a manicure or pedicure in your lifetime.
Books and movies are ruined for you if the dog references are incorrect.
The highlight of your day is spending time with your dog.
You watch simply awful movies because your breed is either featured in a cameo scene or there's a 3-second camera shot during a crowd scene.
All of your clothes have dog hair on them, even when they come back from the laundromat or dry cleaners.
The only thing your friends, colleagues, and passing acquaintances say to you when they see you is, "How are the dogs?" or "How many dogs do you have now?"
Your photo Christmas cards feature your dogs (humans optional).
www.barkitty.co.uk
You know you're a dog person when...
You have more dog beds, chew toys, collars, leashes, harnesses, and dog crates than you have dogs.
You meet other people with dogs, and remember their dog's call name after 30 seconds, but don't get the owner/handler's name until you've met them 2 or 3 times.
You don't think twice about trading licks of an ice cream cone with your dog.
Your parents give up on grandchildren and start to refer to your dogs as "your kids" or your children." (Bonus: they start to call them "our granddogs.")
90 percent of your Internet connection time goes to the dogs (seeing what's new when you enter your breed into the browser, reading up on multiple lists, checking out photos, sounds and FAQs, etc.).
You have hundreds of pictures of your dogs on your desk at work, in your wallet, etc., but none of your family or yourself.
No one wants to ride in your car because they know they'll get dog hair on their clothes.
You reach into your pockets for change, and liver treats, dog kibble, and pick-up bags fall all over. (Bonus: You've done this in a classy establishment.)
You've had long meaningful discussions with your friends on the best way to trim your dog's nails, but have never had a manicure or pedicure in your lifetime.
Books and movies are ruined for you if the dog references are incorrect.
The highlight of your day is spending time with your dog.
All of your clothes have dog hair on them, even when they come back from the laundromat or dry cleaners.
The only thing your friends, colleagues, and passing acquaintances say to you when they see you is, "How are the dogs?" or "How many dogs do you have now?"
Your photo Christmas cards feature your dogs (humans optional).
www.barkitty.co.uk
Friday 15 June 2012
Mutts & Hounds Union Jack
One of my best sellers so far has been the Mutts & Hounds harness and neckerchief. I thought I'd share some of my favourite customer pics in these lovely products. Available from www.barkitty.co.uk from £26.00
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Barkitty official opening party!
Well they say the best things come to those who wait, so 5 weeks into trading the Mayor of Northampton officially ‘cut the ribbon’. It was a great day laden with plenty of bubbly and jubilee cakes from the Shires Deli; along with doggy ‘pupcakes’ by Scruffy Mutz in Northampton which, according to Jason, tasted OK!
I think we had over 50 people here for the cutting of the ribbon, and I was so thrilled to see the shop full of smiling faces (maybe that was the bubbles).
Thank you again for all of the support I receive, I really couldn’t do any of this without you. My Facebook page is constantly increasing in popularity and I have 1000 ‘likes’ already. If you haven’t already joined, then please do because it’s a great community and has lots of fun facts and photo’s of pets.
In June I have been featured in local magazines like Limelite, Neon, R Mag, Image and Northants Life; as well as huge national magazine Dogs Today. I’m nearly as famous as a Big Brother contestant in these parts! Image magazine are featuring my products in a photoshoot which looks to be great fun.
I have some exciting projects underway, including my own brand, so watch this space for the announcements coming soon!
I have a great family and friends, but also a fantastic group of customers who are so enthusiastic about the shop. It was a big leap for me to leave my job and set up a business, but so far it has been a very positive experience.
Don't forget to visit my website www.barkitty.co.uk and sign up for a newsletter :)
Lisa x
Well they say the best things come to those who wait, so 5 weeks into trading the Mayor of Northampton officially ‘cut the ribbon’. It was a great day laden with plenty of bubbly and jubilee cakes from the Shires Deli; along with doggy ‘pupcakes’ by Scruffy Mutz in Northampton which, according to Jason, tasted OK!
I think we had over 50 people here for the cutting of the ribbon, and I was so thrilled to see the shop full of smiling faces (maybe that was the bubbles).
Thank you again for all of the support I receive, I really couldn’t do any of this without you. My Facebook page is constantly increasing in popularity and I have 1000 ‘likes’ already. If you haven’t already joined, then please do because it’s a great community and has lots of fun facts and photo’s of pets.
In June I have been featured in local magazines like Limelite, Neon, R Mag, Image and Northants Life; as well as huge national magazine Dogs Today. I’m nearly as famous as a Big Brother contestant in these parts! Image magazine are featuring my products in a photoshoot which looks to be great fun.
I have some exciting projects underway, including my own brand, so watch this space for the announcements coming soon!
I have a great family and friends, but also a fantastic group of customers who are so enthusiastic about the shop. It was a big leap for me to leave my job and set up a business, but so far it has been a very positive experience.
Don't forget to visit my website www.barkitty.co.uk and sign up for a newsletter :)
Lisa x
Tuesday 12 June 2012
Weird & Wonderful cat facts...
Thought I'd share these too, found on a website ...
On average, cats spend 2/3 of every day sleeping. That means a nine-year-old cat has been awake for only three years of its life
Unlike dogs, cats do not have a sweet tooth. Scientists believe this is due to a mutation in a key taste receptor (note to readers of my other cat fact post:this seems to keep popping up on cat fact sites?)
When a cat chases its prey, it keeps its head level. Dogs and humans bob their heads up and down
The technical term for a cat’s hairball is a “bezoar.”
A group of cats is called a “clowder.”
Female cats tend to be right pawed, while male cats are more often left pawed. Interestingly, while 90% of humans are right handed, the remaining 10% of lefties also tend to be male. Someone tell the Hello Kitty illustrators! :)
A cat cannot climb head first down a tree because its claws are curved the wrong way. A cat can’t climb head first down a tree because every claw on a cat’s paw points the same way. To get down from a tree, a cat must back down.
Cats make about 100 different sounds. Dogs make only about 10.
A cat’s brain is biologically more similar to a human brain than it is to a dog’s. Both humans and cats have identical regions in their brains that are responsible for emotions
There are more than 500 million domestic cats in the world, with approximately 40 recognized breeds
While it is commonly thought that the ancient Egyptians were the first to domesticate cats, the oldest known pet cat was recently found in a 9,500-year-old grave on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. This grave predates early Egyptian art depicting cats by 4,000 years or more.
During the time of the Spanish Inquisition, Pope Innocent VIII condemned cats as evil and thousands of cats were burned. Unfortunately, the widespread killing of cats led to an explosion of the rat population, which exacerbated the effects of the Black Death.
Cats are North America’s most popular pets: there are 73 million cats compared to 63 million dogs. Over 30% of households in North America own a cat.
The first cat in space was a French cat named Felicette (a.k.a. “Astrocat”) In 1963, France blasted the cat into outer space. Electrodes implanted in her brains sent neurological signals back to Earth. She survived the trip.
The group of words associated with cat (catt, cath, chat, katze) stem from the Latin catus, meaning domestic cat, as opposed to feles, or wild cat.
The term “puss” is the root of the principal word for “cat” in the Romanian term pisica and the root of secondary words in Lithuanian (puz) and Low German puus. Some scholars suggest that “puss” could be imitative of the hissing sound used to get a cat’s attention.
Approximately 40,000 people are bitten by cats in the U.S. annually(is that all, Jasmine has bitten me that many times today!! haha)
According to Hebrew legend, Noah prayed to God for help protecting all the food he stored on the ark from being eaten by rats. In reply, God made the lion sneeze, and out popped a cat.
A cat’s hearing is better than a dog’s. And a cat can hear high-frequency sounds up to two octaves higher than a human.
A cat can jump up to five times its own height in a single bound.
Some cats have survived falls of over 65 feet (20 meters), due largely to their “righting reflex.” The eyes and balance organs in the inner ear tell it where it is in space so the cat can land on its feet. Even cats without a tail have this ability.
When a family cat died in ancient Egypt, family members would mourn by shaving off their eyebrows. They also held elaborate funerals during which they drank wine and beat their breasts. The cat was embalmed with a sculpted wooden mask and the tiny mummy was placed in the family tomb or in a pet cemetery with tiny mummies of mice.
The earliest ancestor of the modern cat lived about 30 million years ago. Scientists called it the Proailurus, which means “first cat” in Greek. The group of animals that pet cats belong to emerged around 12 million years ago.
Mohammed loved cats and reportedly his favorite cat, Muezza, was a tabby. Legend says that tabby cats have an “M” for Mohammed on top of their heads because Mohammad would often rest his hand on the cat’s head.
Cats hate the water because their fur does not insulate well when it’s wet. The Turkish Van, however, is one cat that likes swimming. Bred in central Asia, its coat has a unique texture that makes it water resistant.
The costliest cat ever is named Little Nicky, who cost his owner $50,000. He is a clone of an older cat
A cat’s eyesight is both better and worse than humans. It is better because cats can see in much dimmer light and they have a wider peripheral view. It’s worse because they don’t see color as well as humans do. Scientists believe grass appears red to cats
The ability of a cat to find its way home is called “psi-traveling.” Experts think cats either use the angle of the sunlight to find their way or that cats have magnetized cells in their brains that act as compasses.
Isaac Newton invented the cat flap. Newton was experimenting in a pitch-black room. Spithead, one of his cats, kept opening the door and wrecking his experiment. The cat flap kept both Newton and Spithead happy.
A cat lover is called an Ailurophilia (Greek: cat+lover)... I've been called worse I suppose!!
Me and my cat... :)
On average, cats spend 2/3 of every day sleeping. That means a nine-year-old cat has been awake for only three years of its life
Unlike dogs, cats do not have a sweet tooth. Scientists believe this is due to a mutation in a key taste receptor (note to readers of my other cat fact post:this seems to keep popping up on cat fact sites?)
When a cat chases its prey, it keeps its head level. Dogs and humans bob their heads up and down
The technical term for a cat’s hairball is a “bezoar.”
A group of cats is called a “clowder.”
Female cats tend to be right pawed, while male cats are more often left pawed. Interestingly, while 90% of humans are right handed, the remaining 10% of lefties also tend to be male. Someone tell the Hello Kitty illustrators! :)
A cat cannot climb head first down a tree because its claws are curved the wrong way. A cat can’t climb head first down a tree because every claw on a cat’s paw points the same way. To get down from a tree, a cat must back down.
Cats make about 100 different sounds. Dogs make only about 10.
A cat’s brain is biologically more similar to a human brain than it is to a dog’s. Both humans and cats have identical regions in their brains that are responsible for emotions
There are more than 500 million domestic cats in the world, with approximately 40 recognized breeds
While it is commonly thought that the ancient Egyptians were the first to domesticate cats, the oldest known pet cat was recently found in a 9,500-year-old grave on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. This grave predates early Egyptian art depicting cats by 4,000 years or more.
During the time of the Spanish Inquisition, Pope Innocent VIII condemned cats as evil and thousands of cats were burned. Unfortunately, the widespread killing of cats led to an explosion of the rat population, which exacerbated the effects of the Black Death.
Cats are North America’s most popular pets: there are 73 million cats compared to 63 million dogs. Over 30% of households in North America own a cat.
The first cat in space was a French cat named Felicette (a.k.a. “Astrocat”) In 1963, France blasted the cat into outer space. Electrodes implanted in her brains sent neurological signals back to Earth. She survived the trip.
The group of words associated with cat (catt, cath, chat, katze) stem from the Latin catus, meaning domestic cat, as opposed to feles, or wild cat.
The term “puss” is the root of the principal word for “cat” in the Romanian term pisica and the root of secondary words in Lithuanian (puz) and Low German puus. Some scholars suggest that “puss” could be imitative of the hissing sound used to get a cat’s attention.
Approximately 40,000 people are bitten by cats in the U.S. annually(is that all, Jasmine has bitten me that many times today!! haha)
According to Hebrew legend, Noah prayed to God for help protecting all the food he stored on the ark from being eaten by rats. In reply, God made the lion sneeze, and out popped a cat.
A cat’s hearing is better than a dog’s. And a cat can hear high-frequency sounds up to two octaves higher than a human.
A cat can jump up to five times its own height in a single bound.
Some cats have survived falls of over 65 feet (20 meters), due largely to their “righting reflex.” The eyes and balance organs in the inner ear tell it where it is in space so the cat can land on its feet. Even cats without a tail have this ability.
When a family cat died in ancient Egypt, family members would mourn by shaving off their eyebrows. They also held elaborate funerals during which they drank wine and beat their breasts. The cat was embalmed with a sculpted wooden mask and the tiny mummy was placed in the family tomb or in a pet cemetery with tiny mummies of mice.
The earliest ancestor of the modern cat lived about 30 million years ago. Scientists called it the Proailurus, which means “first cat” in Greek. The group of animals that pet cats belong to emerged around 12 million years ago.
Mohammed loved cats and reportedly his favorite cat, Muezza, was a tabby. Legend says that tabby cats have an “M” for Mohammed on top of their heads because Mohammad would often rest his hand on the cat’s head.
Cats hate the water because their fur does not insulate well when it’s wet. The Turkish Van, however, is one cat that likes swimming. Bred in central Asia, its coat has a unique texture that makes it water resistant.
The costliest cat ever is named Little Nicky, who cost his owner $50,000. He is a clone of an older cat
A cat’s eyesight is both better and worse than humans. It is better because cats can see in much dimmer light and they have a wider peripheral view. It’s worse because they don’t see color as well as humans do. Scientists believe grass appears red to cats
The ability of a cat to find its way home is called “psi-traveling.” Experts think cats either use the angle of the sunlight to find their way or that cats have magnetized cells in their brains that act as compasses.
Isaac Newton invented the cat flap. Newton was experimenting in a pitch-black room. Spithead, one of his cats, kept opening the door and wrecking his experiment. The cat flap kept both Newton and Spithead happy.
A cat lover is called an Ailurophilia (Greek: cat+lover)... I've been called worse I suppose!!
Me and my cat... :)
Monday 11 June 2012
Can dogs detect illness?
This is an article I found...
Q. I’ve heard dogs can smell when people are sick. Do they sense a change in a person or do they actually smell that something isn’t quite right?
A. A bit of both. Dogs have a remarkable sense of smell — bloodhounds have almost 50 times as many scent receptors as humans; that translates to a sense of smell that’s 10,000 to 100,000 times better than what we have.
Researchers in Germany followed a program developed at Dr. Mike’s Cleveland Clinic that trained dogs to detect the smell of a waste product of lung cancer. The German dogs can smell your breath and ID lung cancer correctly 93 percent of the time. A Japanese pooch sniffed the breath and stool samples of more than 300 people and correctly IDed which people had bowel cancer 98 percent of the time. Other studies demonstrate dogs can detect early stage breast cancer, melanomas and bladder cancer with an accuracy rate of 88 percent to 97 percent.
How is this possible? Malignant tumors exude tiny amounts of volatile organic compounds that aren’t in healthy tissue. Dogs can sniff out each one in concentrations as dilute as parts per trillion. The dogs’ ability to smell VOCs may lead to a new test to detect cancer. If it gets inexpensive enough, maybe we’ll all have a breath analysis once a year to spot early, otherwise undetectable, disease.
Dogs also can be trained to detect changes in behavior (when your tell isn’t your smell) and recognize the onset of high blood pressure, a heart attack and epileptic seizures, and to get a person the help he or she needs.
This is an article in the DM about dogs being able to sense a diabetic attack...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2147787/How-dog-smell-diabetic-attack-strikes.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
Q. I’ve heard dogs can smell when people are sick. Do they sense a change in a person or do they actually smell that something isn’t quite right?
A. A bit of both. Dogs have a remarkable sense of smell — bloodhounds have almost 50 times as many scent receptors as humans; that translates to a sense of smell that’s 10,000 to 100,000 times better than what we have.
Researchers in Germany followed a program developed at Dr. Mike’s Cleveland Clinic that trained dogs to detect the smell of a waste product of lung cancer. The German dogs can smell your breath and ID lung cancer correctly 93 percent of the time. A Japanese pooch sniffed the breath and stool samples of more than 300 people and correctly IDed which people had bowel cancer 98 percent of the time. Other studies demonstrate dogs can detect early stage breast cancer, melanomas and bladder cancer with an accuracy rate of 88 percent to 97 percent.
How is this possible? Malignant tumors exude tiny amounts of volatile organic compounds that aren’t in healthy tissue. Dogs can sniff out each one in concentrations as dilute as parts per trillion. The dogs’ ability to smell VOCs may lead to a new test to detect cancer. If it gets inexpensive enough, maybe we’ll all have a breath analysis once a year to spot early, otherwise undetectable, disease.
Dogs also can be trained to detect changes in behavior (when your tell isn’t your smell) and recognize the onset of high blood pressure, a heart attack and epileptic seizures, and to get a person the help he or she needs.
This is an article in the DM about dogs being able to sense a diabetic attack...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2147787/How-dog-smell-diabetic-attack-strikes.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
Sunday 10 June 2012
Does your dog or cat see ghosts?
On my regular evening browsing I came across the article below. I have often wondered what my cat can see/hear when she looks into thin air as if she's watching someone or something. Has anyone had similar experiences with their own pets?
EVEN PEOPLE WHO believe in an afterlife and the possibility of ghosts are often skeptical when it comes to the idea of spirit animals. They don't have souls or spirits, goes the argument, and therefore cannot have a life in the next world. But cats, dogs, birds and other animals are made up of the same energy that humans are, and it may be as possible that this energy can survive death, just as it can for people. Anyone who is close to their pets will testify to the psychic connection they share. Psychic energy and spiritual energy may all be a part of the same phenomenon, and so animals might have as much of a connection to the unseen world as we do.
Maybe more. Animals not only may appear as ghostly forms, they may also be more sensitive to the proximity of spirits. Barbara S. tells of a stray black-and-white cat that her family adopted in the Queens section of New York City. They lived in an old attached house that had no history of strange activity, as far as they knew, but this high-strung kitten seemed to be able to see things Barbara's family could not:
•She would look at the stairs, her gaze slowly moving from the bottom to the top, as if she was observing someone walking up the steps. At other times, her green eyes would be transfixed upon a certain spot on the ceiling above me. While I couldn't see anything, the cat was definitely watching something. After my son went away to college, I decided to put the house up for sale. One evening, shortly after the real estate agent that I contacted had looked at the house, I sat in my favorite chairwith my little cat nearby excitedly looking at the ceiling above me. I heard people run down the stairs in the house next door. Maybe the noise triggered what happened next, which was truly horrible. What I heard sounded like the heavy, thumping steps of a big man with real heavy boots walking on my living room ceiling upside down. The cat was absolutely frantic. She looked at the ceiling, hissing and spitting. After about ten seconds of deafening noise, there was silence. The cat stopped looking at the ceiling. I checked the upstairs rooms, but, of course, there was no one [else] in the house.
Dogs can be just as sensitive as cats when it comes to sensing the unseen. Elven M. tells of ghostly figures in her home that made their presence known so often that her family actually named one of them: Bill; the other was the ghost of a little girl. Elven believes that her dogs -- a seeing-eye trained German Shepherd, Haywood, and a blue healer, Tuscon -- were the first to notice them. Elven was on the phone one day...
•Haywood was lying at my feet and began to growl. Tuscon went and hid behind the stereo in the corner. As Haywood stood up, I felt a gust of cold air brush past me, and he continued to growl. He moved to the top of the stairs that led into the family room, and the hair on the back of his neck stood up as he growled and snarled into the dark basement. I feared that someone had broken into the house. I turned on the downstairs light as I stood directly behind Haywood, ready to let him run and attack whoever it was in the basement. I saw nothing, yet he continued to growl. I stayed on the phone and went across the room and pulled into the corner, scared to death. My boyfriend at the time was consoling me, telling me there was nothing there. At that moment, a little girl's voice came from the vent in the floor next to me. Haywood came and sat beside me as though he was protecting me, growling across the room the whole time. By the time my parents returned home, I was very upset and very scared as the voice continued.
"There is an obscure superstition that goes something like this: Knowing that animals can see ghosts, when an animal sees a ghost one can, from behind the animal, look between their ears toward where the animal is looking and see the ghost that they see," says Scott P. Yet he tried this very thing and discovered that the superstition is not true. He had the opportunity to test it as a young boy on a winter's day in his family's 100-year-old home,which had previously been a funeral home:
•I, with my cat and dog curled up for warmth, sat on a heater vent wrapped in a blanket. I was in the living room with a perfect view of the entryway. From here I heard some footsteps upstairs. The cat's and dog's ears both perked up at the sound of the footsteps as they seemed to go down the hall toward the top of the spiraling staircase in the entryway. Both animals watched some invisible presence slowly walk down the stairs and through the living room then into the dining room. I, quite apprehensively, looked between both my cat's and my dog's ears as their heads and eyes seemed to follow someone walking though my house. Both animals' heads moved in tandem and the acted very much aware of the presence. Yet I could sense nothing aside from the sound of steps and the reaction of the animals. I was somewhat disappointed.
EVEN PEOPLE WHO believe in an afterlife and the possibility of ghosts are often skeptical when it comes to the idea of spirit animals. They don't have souls or spirits, goes the argument, and therefore cannot have a life in the next world. But cats, dogs, birds and other animals are made up of the same energy that humans are, and it may be as possible that this energy can survive death, just as it can for people. Anyone who is close to their pets will testify to the psychic connection they share. Psychic energy and spiritual energy may all be a part of the same phenomenon, and so animals might have as much of a connection to the unseen world as we do.
Maybe more. Animals not only may appear as ghostly forms, they may also be more sensitive to the proximity of spirits. Barbara S. tells of a stray black-and-white cat that her family adopted in the Queens section of New York City. They lived in an old attached house that had no history of strange activity, as far as they knew, but this high-strung kitten seemed to be able to see things Barbara's family could not:
•She would look at the stairs, her gaze slowly moving from the bottom to the top, as if she was observing someone walking up the steps. At other times, her green eyes would be transfixed upon a certain spot on the ceiling above me. While I couldn't see anything, the cat was definitely watching something. After my son went away to college, I decided to put the house up for sale. One evening, shortly after the real estate agent that I contacted had looked at the house, I sat in my favorite chairwith my little cat nearby excitedly looking at the ceiling above me. I heard people run down the stairs in the house next door. Maybe the noise triggered what happened next, which was truly horrible. What I heard sounded like the heavy, thumping steps of a big man with real heavy boots walking on my living room ceiling upside down. The cat was absolutely frantic. She looked at the ceiling, hissing and spitting. After about ten seconds of deafening noise, there was silence. The cat stopped looking at the ceiling. I checked the upstairs rooms, but, of course, there was no one [else] in the house.
Dogs can be just as sensitive as cats when it comes to sensing the unseen. Elven M. tells of ghostly figures in her home that made their presence known so often that her family actually named one of them: Bill; the other was the ghost of a little girl. Elven believes that her dogs -- a seeing-eye trained German Shepherd, Haywood, and a blue healer, Tuscon -- were the first to notice them. Elven was on the phone one day...
•Haywood was lying at my feet and began to growl. Tuscon went and hid behind the stereo in the corner. As Haywood stood up, I felt a gust of cold air brush past me, and he continued to growl. He moved to the top of the stairs that led into the family room, and the hair on the back of his neck stood up as he growled and snarled into the dark basement. I feared that someone had broken into the house. I turned on the downstairs light as I stood directly behind Haywood, ready to let him run and attack whoever it was in the basement. I saw nothing, yet he continued to growl. I stayed on the phone and went across the room and pulled into the corner, scared to death. My boyfriend at the time was consoling me, telling me there was nothing there. At that moment, a little girl's voice came from the vent in the floor next to me. Haywood came and sat beside me as though he was protecting me, growling across the room the whole time. By the time my parents returned home, I was very upset and very scared as the voice continued.
"There is an obscure superstition that goes something like this: Knowing that animals can see ghosts, when an animal sees a ghost one can, from behind the animal, look between their ears toward where the animal is looking and see the ghost that they see," says Scott P. Yet he tried this very thing and discovered that the superstition is not true. He had the opportunity to test it as a young boy on a winter's day in his family's 100-year-old home,which had previously been a funeral home:
•I, with my cat and dog curled up for warmth, sat on a heater vent wrapped in a blanket. I was in the living room with a perfect view of the entryway. From here I heard some footsteps upstairs. The cat's and dog's ears both perked up at the sound of the footsteps as they seemed to go down the hall toward the top of the spiraling staircase in the entryway. Both animals watched some invisible presence slowly walk down the stairs and through the living room then into the dining room. I, quite apprehensively, looked between both my cat's and my dog's ears as their heads and eyes seemed to follow someone walking though my house. Both animals' heads moved in tandem and the acted very much aware of the presence. Yet I could sense nothing aside from the sound of steps and the reaction of the animals. I was somewhat disappointed.
Saturday 9 June 2012
Dog Sad When Owner Sad? Study Shows Pets' Reaction To Human Tears
Article from huffingtonpost.com 8th June...
Dog Sad When Owner Sad? Study Shows Pets' Reaction To Human Tears
By: Stephanie Pappas, LiveScience Senior Writer
Published: 06/08/2012 10:04 AM EDT on LiveScience
Plenty of pet owners are comforted by a pair of puppy-dog eyes or a swipe of the tongue when their dog catches them crying. Now, new research suggests that dogs really do respond uniquely to tears. But whether pets have empathy for human pain is less clear.
In a study published online May 30 in the journal Animal Cognition, University of London researchers found that dogs were more likely to approach a crying person than someone who was humming or talking, and that they normally responded to weeping with submissive behaviors. The results are what you might expect if dogs understand our pain, the researchers wrote, but it's not proof that they do.
"The humming was designed to be a relatively novel behavior, which might be likely to pique the dogs' curiosity," study researcher and psychologist Deborah Custance said in a statement. "The fact that the dogs differentiated between crying and humming indicates that their response to crying was not purely driven by curiosity. Rather, the crying carried greater emotional meaning for the dogs and provoked a stronger overall response than either humming or talking."
Humans domesticated dogs at least 15,000 years ago, and many a pet owner has a tale of their canine offering comfort in tough times. Studies have shown that dogs are experts at human communication, but scientists haven't been able to show conclusively that dogs feel empathy or truly understand the pain of others. In one 2006 study, researchers had owners fake heart attacks or pretend to be pinned beneath furniture, and learned that pet dogs failed to go for help (so much for Lassie saving Timmy from the well).
But seeking out assistance is a complex task, and Custance and her colleague Jennifer Mayer wanted to keep it simple. They recruited 18 pet dogs and their owners to test whether dogs would respond to crying with empathetic behaviors. The dogs included a mix of mutts, Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers and a few other common breeds. [What Your Dog's Breed Says About You]
The experiment took place in the owners' living rooms. Mayer would arrive and ignore the dog so that it would have little interest in her. Then she and the owner would take turns talking, fake-crying and humming.
Of the 18 dogs in the study, 15 approached their owner or Mayer during crying fits, while only six approached during humming. That suggests that it's emotional content, not curiosity, that brings the dogs running. Likewise, the dogs always approached the crying person, never the quiet person, as one might expect if the dog was seeking (rather than trying to provide) comfort.
"The dogs approached whoever was crying regardless of their identity. Thus they were responding to the person's emotion, not their own needs, which is suggestive of empathic-like comfort-offering behavior," Mayer said in a statement.
Of the 15 dogs that approached a crying owner or stranger, 13 did so with submissive body language, such as tucked tails and bowed heads, another behavior consistent with empathy (the other two were alert or playful). Still, the researchers aren't dog whisperers, and they can't prove conclusively what the dogs were thinking. It's possible that dogs learn to approach crying people because their owners give them affection when they do, the researchers wrote.
"We in no way claim that the present study provides definitive answers to the question of empathy in dogs," Mayer and Custance wrote. Nevertheless, they said, their experiment opens the door for more study of dogs' emotional lives, from whether different breeds respond to emotional owners differently to whether dogs understand the difference between laughter and tears.
Dog Sad When Owner Sad? Study Shows Pets' Reaction To Human Tears
Published: 06/08/2012 10:04 AM EDT on LiveScience
Plenty of pet owners are comforted by a pair of puppy-dog eyes or a swipe of the tongue when their dog catches them crying. Now, new research suggests that dogs really do respond uniquely to tears. But whether pets have empathy for human pain is less clear.
In a study published online May 30 in the journal Animal Cognition, University of London researchers found that dogs were more likely to approach a crying person than someone who was humming or talking, and that they normally responded to weeping with submissive behaviors. The results are what you might expect if dogs understand our pain, the researchers wrote, but it's not proof that they do.
"The humming was designed to be a relatively novel behavior, which might be likely to pique the dogs' curiosity," study researcher and psychologist Deborah Custance said in a statement. "The fact that the dogs differentiated between crying and humming indicates that their response to crying was not purely driven by curiosity. Rather, the crying carried greater emotional meaning for the dogs and provoked a stronger overall response than either humming or talking."
Humans domesticated dogs at least 15,000 years ago, and many a pet owner has a tale of their canine offering comfort in tough times. Studies have shown that dogs are experts at human communication, but scientists haven't been able to show conclusively that dogs feel empathy or truly understand the pain of others. In one 2006 study, researchers had owners fake heart attacks or pretend to be pinned beneath furniture, and learned that pet dogs failed to go for help (so much for Lassie saving Timmy from the well).
But seeking out assistance is a complex task, and Custance and her colleague Jennifer Mayer wanted to keep it simple. They recruited 18 pet dogs and their owners to test whether dogs would respond to crying with empathetic behaviors. The dogs included a mix of mutts, Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers and a few other common breeds. [What Your Dog's Breed Says About You]
The experiment took place in the owners' living rooms. Mayer would arrive and ignore the dog so that it would have little interest in her. Then she and the owner would take turns talking, fake-crying and humming.
Of the 18 dogs in the study, 15 approached their owner or Mayer during crying fits, while only six approached during humming. That suggests that it's emotional content, not curiosity, that brings the dogs running. Likewise, the dogs always approached the crying person, never the quiet person, as one might expect if the dog was seeking (rather than trying to provide) comfort.
"The dogs approached whoever was crying regardless of their identity. Thus they were responding to the person's emotion, not their own needs, which is suggestive of empathic-like comfort-offering behavior," Mayer said in a statement.
Of the 15 dogs that approached a crying owner or stranger, 13 did so with submissive body language, such as tucked tails and bowed heads, another behavior consistent with empathy (the other two were alert or playful). Still, the researchers aren't dog whisperers, and they can't prove conclusively what the dogs were thinking. It's possible that dogs learn to approach crying people because their owners give them affection when they do, the researchers wrote.
"We in no way claim that the present study provides definitive answers to the question of empathy in dogs," Mayer and Custance wrote. Nevertheless, they said, their experiment opens the door for more study of dogs' emotional lives, from whether different breeds respond to emotional owners differently to whether dogs understand the difference between laughter and tears.
Did you know?? Dog facts!
On my dog site browsing I came across these dog facts. Some I knew but some I found really interesting, thought I'd share;
The first guide dogs for the blind and visually impaired were trained in Germany to provide assistance for those blinded in the war. German Shepherds were used for their protective and strong sense of loyalty to their owner.
If you love dogs, but dislike the sound of barking, a possible solution is a Basenji dog. This dog is a breed of dog that does not bark, but instead makes a yodel-like sound.
Eighty percent of dog owners buy their dog a present for holidays and birthdays. More than half of them sign letters and cards from themselves and their pets.
If you’re one of the many dog owners who often get the feeling that your dog can read your mind, that could be exactly what they are doing. A team of doctors and scientists in Russia, conducted telepathic experiments with dogs, of which half the tests were successful. Most of the experiments involved testing the dog's ability to read unspoken commands. The research team concluded that some ESP factor must be at work.
Did you know up to 98% of puppies are born with worms. This may be caused by worms entering the placenta, or from mammary glands during feeding.
Puppies sleep ninety percent of the day for their first few weeks.
A frightened dog will put its tail between his legs because it cuts off the sent glands in its anal region which a very vulnerable part of the anatomy. Since the anal glands carry personal scents that identify the individual dogs, the tail between the legs action is the dog’s equivalent of insecure humans hiding their faces.
Did you know the average dog has 42 permanent teeth in their mouth!
It is a myth that dogs are color blind. Dog fact: dogs can actually see in color but not as vividly as humans. It is similar to our vision at dusk. They do have better low-light vision than humans because of a special light-reflecting layer behind their retinas.
The U.S. has the highest dog population in the world.
Dogs can be trained to detect epileptic seizures.
15 people die in the U.S. every year from dog bites.
In 2002 alone, more people in the U.S. were killed by dogs than by sharks in the past 100 years.
The bible mentions dogs 14 times.
Dalmatian puppies are born completely white.
An estimated 1,000,000 dogs in the U.S. have been named as the primary beneficiaries in their owner’s will.
An American Animal Hospital Association poll found that 33% of dog owners admit to talking to their dogs on the phone and leaving answering machine messages for them while they are away.
A dog’s nose print is as unique as a human’s finger print and can be used to accurately identify them.
Feel free to add anymore if you have them xx
www.barkitty.co.uk
The first guide dogs for the blind and visually impaired were trained in Germany to provide assistance for those blinded in the war. German Shepherds were used for their protective and strong sense of loyalty to their owner.
If you love dogs, but dislike the sound of barking, a possible solution is a Basenji dog. This dog is a breed of dog that does not bark, but instead makes a yodel-like sound.
Eighty percent of dog owners buy their dog a present for holidays and birthdays. More than half of them sign letters and cards from themselves and their pets.
If you’re one of the many dog owners who often get the feeling that your dog can read your mind, that could be exactly what they are doing. A team of doctors and scientists in Russia, conducted telepathic experiments with dogs, of which half the tests were successful. Most of the experiments involved testing the dog's ability to read unspoken commands. The research team concluded that some ESP factor must be at work.
Did you know up to 98% of puppies are born with worms. This may be caused by worms entering the placenta, or from mammary glands during feeding.
Puppies sleep ninety percent of the day for their first few weeks.
A frightened dog will put its tail between his legs because it cuts off the sent glands in its anal region which a very vulnerable part of the anatomy. Since the anal glands carry personal scents that identify the individual dogs, the tail between the legs action is the dog’s equivalent of insecure humans hiding their faces.
Did you know the average dog has 42 permanent teeth in their mouth!
It is a myth that dogs are color blind. Dog fact: dogs can actually see in color but not as vividly as humans. It is similar to our vision at dusk. They do have better low-light vision than humans because of a special light-reflecting layer behind their retinas.
The U.S. has the highest dog population in the world.
Dogs can be trained to detect epileptic seizures.
15 people die in the U.S. every year from dog bites.
In 2002 alone, more people in the U.S. were killed by dogs than by sharks in the past 100 years.
The bible mentions dogs 14 times.
Dalmatian puppies are born completely white.
An estimated 1,000,000 dogs in the U.S. have been named as the primary beneficiaries in their owner’s will.
An American Animal Hospital Association poll found that 33% of dog owners admit to talking to their dogs on the phone and leaving answering machine messages for them while they are away.
A dog’s nose print is as unique as a human’s finger print and can be used to accurately identify them.
Feel free to add anymore if you have them xx
www.barkitty.co.uk
Friday 8 June 2012
How a dog hugs a baby
I recieved this through on an email this morning and thought I'd share it... This is the same Brutus who saved his owner in my previous dog by cutting a mans throat...
Instructions for properly hugging a baby (from a dog's point of view):
5. Finally, if a camera is present, you will need to execute
the difficult and patented 'hug, smile, and lean' so
as to achieve the best photo quality.
www.barkitty.co.uk
Instructions for properly hugging a baby (from a dog's point of view):
1. First, uh, find a baby.
2. Second, be sure that the object you found was indeed a baby,
by employing classic sniffing techniques.
by employing classic sniffing techniques.
3. Next, you will need to flatten the baby before
actually beginning the hugging process.
actually beginning the hugging process.
4. The 'paw slide' = Simply slide paws around baby
and prepare for possible close-up.
and prepare for possible close-up.
the difficult and patented 'hug, smile, and lean' so
as to achieve the best photo quality.
www.barkitty.co.uk
How a dog saved his owner
HOW A DOG SAVED HIS OWNER ... ABSOLUTELY AMAZING
I Thought you might like to know about this dog and his history. The ending is quite amazing after you read the beginning...........
The K9 above is Brutus, a military K9 at McChord… He's huge - part Boxer and part British Bull Mastiff and
tops the scales at 200 lbs. His handler took the picture.
Brutus is running toward me because he knows, I have some
Milkbone treats, so he's slobbering away! I had to duck around a tree just before he got to me in case he couldn't stop, but he did.
Brutus was the recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor
last year from his tour in Iraq.
His handler and four other soldiers were taken hostage by
insurgents. Brutus and his handler communicate by sign language and he gave Brutus the signal that meant 'go away but come back and find me'. The Iraqis paid no attention to Brutus. He came back later and quietly tore the throat out of one guard at one door and another guard at another door. He then jumped against one of the doors repeatedly (the guys were being held in an old warehouse) until it opened. He went in and untied his handler, and they all escaped.
He's the first K9 to receive this honor. If he knows you're ok, he's a big old lug and wants to sit in your lap. He enjoys the company of cats. K-9 Congressional Medal of Honor Winner thought you'd find this interesting.
Talk about animal intelligence and bonding with humans!
Remember that they can't do a lot of things for
themselves and they depend on you to make
their life a quality life!
I Thought you might like to know about this dog and his history. The ending is quite amazing after you read the beginning...........
The K9 above is Brutus, a military K9 at McChord… He's huge - part Boxer and part British Bull Mastiff and
tops the scales at 200 lbs. His handler took the picture.
Brutus is running toward me because he knows, I have some
Milkbone treats, so he's slobbering away! I had to duck around a tree just before he got to me in case he couldn't stop, but he did.
Brutus was the recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor
last year from his tour in Iraq.
His handler and four other soldiers were taken hostage by
insurgents. Brutus and his handler communicate by sign language and he gave Brutus the signal that meant 'go away but come back and find me'. The Iraqis paid no attention to Brutus. He came back later and quietly tore the throat out of one guard at one door and another guard at another door. He then jumped against one of the doors repeatedly (the guys were being held in an old warehouse) until it opened. He went in and untied his handler, and they all escaped.
He's the first K9 to receive this honor. If he knows you're ok, he's a big old lug and wants to sit in your lap. He enjoys the company of cats. K-9 Congressional Medal of Honor Winner thought you'd find this interesting.
Talk about animal intelligence and bonding with humans!
Remember that they can't do a lot of things for
themselves and they depend on you to make
their life a quality life!
Wednesday 6 June 2012
The World's Richest Dog
Facts I found online about Gunther, the world's richest dog!...
Gunther IV, the world's richest dog, purchased a villa from Madonna for more than $3 million.
Gunther IV, a German Shepard, is worth nearly $140 million, making him the world's richest dog.
Gunther has expensive tastes: he bought a villa from Madonna (well, technically, a group bought it on his behalf), owns properties in Italy, Germany, and the Bahamas, and purchased a rare white truffle for $1,500.
Gunther IV, the world's richest dog, purchased a villa from Madonna for more than $3 million.
Gunther IV, a German Shepard, is worth nearly $140 million, making him the world's richest dog.
Gunther has expensive tastes: he bought a villa from Madonna (well, technically, a group bought it on his behalf), owns properties in Italy, Germany, and the Bahamas, and purchased a rare white truffle for $1,500.
Karl Lagerfeld’s Cat Has Personal Maids, an iPad, and a More Glamorous Existence Than You... from Vanity Fair...
“She is like a kept woman. She has a strong personality. She has lunch and dinner with me on the table, with her own food. She doesn’t touch my food. She doesn’t want to eat on the floor. She sleeps under a pillow, and she even knows how to use an iPad. She has two personal maids, for both night and day. She is beyond spoiled.”
To recap, Choupette has two more personal maids, and two more meals (per day) with Karl Lagerfield, than you probably ever will. Also, unlike your cat, Choupette has a working knowledge of touch-screen technology. As if these revelations were not brilliant/borderline-depressing enough, Lagerfeld also concedes that when he is out of town, he enlists Choupette’s maids to keep records of her day-to-day routine. “When I am not there, the maids take down, in little books, everything she did, from what she ate to how she behaved, if she was tired and if she wasn’t sleeping. […] We have almost 600 pages. […] It could be funny to make a little book of Choupette’s diary.” Sigh.
picture (c) Karl Lagerfeld Twitter
The article in full is below...
http://www.vanityfair.com/online/oscars/2012/06/karl-lagerfeld-chanel-cat-maids-ipad
“She is like a kept woman. She has a strong personality. She has lunch and dinner with me on the table, with her own food. She doesn’t touch my food. She doesn’t want to eat on the floor. She sleeps under a pillow, and she even knows how to use an iPad. She has two personal maids, for both night and day. She is beyond spoiled.”
To recap, Choupette has two more personal maids, and two more meals (per day) with Karl Lagerfield, than you probably ever will. Also, unlike your cat, Choupette has a working knowledge of touch-screen technology. As if these revelations were not brilliant/borderline-depressing enough, Lagerfeld also concedes that when he is out of town, he enlists Choupette’s maids to keep records of her day-to-day routine. “When I am not there, the maids take down, in little books, everything she did, from what she ate to how she behaved, if she was tired and if she wasn’t sleeping. […] We have almost 600 pages. […] It could be funny to make a little book of Choupette’s diary.” Sigh.
picture (c) Karl Lagerfeld Twitter
The article in full is below...
http://www.vanityfair.com/online/oscars/2012/06/karl-lagerfeld-chanel-cat-maids-ipad
Saturday 2 June 2012
A dog in cats clothing?
This morning when I went downstairs, my cat jumped up at my legs like a dog, and then followed me to her food making a growling noise! I thought this was unusual dog-like behaviour so jokingly said "sit", and she sat! I'm sure this is a fluke, because as clever Jasmine is, I don't think she would like to lower herself to act 'dog like'! Haha!
It made me wonder if people have managed to train cats in this way before? I've seen Mr Jinks flushing the toilet in 'Meet the Fockers' but how far can people take it?
How about Chas, the ginger cat who helped his owner solve a crossword puzzle in the Daily Mail?
The Gloucester pensioner couldn't help but chuckle when his quick-witted cat Chas provided him with the answer to the very last clue in his crossword.
The persistent puss kept plonking his paw down on the page, preventing Arthur from finishing his 'codebreaker' puzzle. It was only after repeatedly moving the ginger cat out of the way that Mr Farminer realised the word he needed was - of all things - PAW.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2153314/Arthur-Farminers-codebreaking-cat-Chas-helps-owner-solve-word-puzzle-putting-paw-final-answer.html#ixzz1wdk6hZeF
YOU all know about cat litter, but what about cat Twitter?
Meet the world's most popular cat who has nearly 1 and a half million fans following his every move.
Moggy blogger Sockamillion (@Sockington) posts messages with the help of his owner.
But be warned - the Tweets aren't quite as exciting as Oprah's or as cutting as Joey Barton's.
This cat's updates include: LOOK FOR THE TOY WITH THE SUNPATCH INSIDE AND IT'S GONE dum dum dum CATNIP IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS hurrrrrrrrrrr AWESOME NIP DUDES
Another reads: “ Step on water SHAKE PAW step on water SHAKE PAW step on water SHAKE PAW last time I am in this stupid bathroom today I swear”.
Or how about Cats making Tea?
MONKEYS might think they've got the 'tea-making animal' market cornered, but they've got some competition.
Because here's a clever cat who can knock up a purr-fect cuppa.
Her name is Mrs Moggs and she's been pictured doing jobs around the house for a new calendar.
But the PG Tips chimps needn't worry too much - it's all the work of computer wizards!!
What can your cats do that are unusual? I'm off home now, where I'm hoping Jasmine will be waiting with my slippers and newspaper :)
It made me wonder if people have managed to train cats in this way before? I've seen Mr Jinks flushing the toilet in 'Meet the Fockers' but how far can people take it?
How about Chas, the ginger cat who helped his owner solve a crossword puzzle in the Daily Mail?
The Gloucester pensioner couldn't help but chuckle when his quick-witted cat Chas provided him with the answer to the very last clue in his crossword.
The persistent puss kept plonking his paw down on the page, preventing Arthur from finishing his 'codebreaker' puzzle. It was only after repeatedly moving the ginger cat out of the way that Mr Farminer realised the word he needed was - of all things - PAW.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2153314/Arthur-Farminers-codebreaking-cat-Chas-helps-owner-solve-word-puzzle-putting-paw-final-answer.html#ixzz1wdk6hZeF
YOU all know about cat litter, but what about cat Twitter?
Meet the world's most popular cat who has nearly 1 and a half million fans following his every move.
Moggy blogger Sockamillion (@Sockington) posts messages with the help of his owner.
But be warned - the Tweets aren't quite as exciting as Oprah's or as cutting as Joey Barton's.
This cat's updates include: LOOK FOR THE TOY WITH THE SUNPATCH INSIDE AND IT'S GONE dum dum dum CATNIP IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS hurrrrrrrrrrr AWESOME NIP DUDES
Another reads: “ Step on water SHAKE PAW step on water SHAKE PAW step on water SHAKE PAW last time I am in this stupid bathroom today I swear”.
Or how about Cats making Tea?
MONKEYS might think they've got the 'tea-making animal' market cornered, but they've got some competition.
Because here's a clever cat who can knock up a purr-fect cuppa.
Her name is Mrs Moggs and she's been pictured doing jobs around the house for a new calendar.
But the PG Tips chimps needn't worry too much - it's all the work of computer wizards!!
What can your cats do that are unusual? I'm off home now, where I'm hoping Jasmine will be waiting with my slippers and newspaper :)
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