How to adopt a cat - or 3, or 4 or 5....(In 10 tips)

By Anna Muggiati

Generation 2014: Panda, Tigre and Pantera (All photos by me)

Dada,  my 14 years old BFF

We are celebrating cat adoption month with a very simple piece of advice. If you are not allergic, have a passion for furry cute purring creatures, and have time and money to be a responsible cat-parent, there is no reason why you should not have a cat. Before you roll your eyes and think that I am a crazy and enthusiastic cat lady, I would like to tell you this: our family of four humans, 2 senior cats just became happier when we adopted 3 kittens last December. Cats are wonderful therapists, friends and companions. You just have to let them show their love, and love them back in return.

Juju, 11 years old, raised by us

Our two first kitties, feral cats rescued from the streets, were our first babies. Dada, who is about 13 to 14 years old, came before everything, in 2003. He was our first family pet ever, even before we became a family:  before the wedding, before the party, and before my son's birth. Our second cat is the mischievous Juju, now a grumpy black lady of 11 years old. She was found by my mother in law in a box. She was a tiny kitten with less than 3 weeks. We adopted her and raised her when I was pregnant of my first son. It didn't take long for white king Dada and black princess Juju to get along. 

Years and countries passed by, and I wouldn't change a line of our crazy relocation stories, carrying cats around flights and airports....During the last 10 years, we lived happily with our two boys growing up and two cats growing older... But we felt that another generation of cats would be a positive change. After our children grew up enough not to be called babies anymore, we were lucky to meet our cat-boys at the Humane Society of Silicon Valley. Panda, Tigre and Pantera are the babies now, and  they belong to the former human babies. One of our boys even blogged about them. 

Here are few pieces of advice to help you go to your local shelter and see if your heart will beat faster if you find someow who you would like to have close to you.

1. Be curious: Try to gather as much information about your feline friend before you adopt. Most shelters always have a detailed file and are happy to share their story so you will have the right picture. Make sure to get al the info you need about vaccines etc.

Bonding before adoption at Humane Society Adoption Centre, Dec 2014

2.  Be wise: experience some time to bond with your chosen one at the shelter, before going home. 

3. Be inquisitive: read as much as you can so to make sure you will have all you need to nurture your new friend, baby or senior. Like this Humane Society article, very useful: http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/cats/tips/choosing_cat.html

4. Be amazing: adopting senior cat(s) is a wonderful way of having a mellow and fine friend around. Nice advice here: http://cattime.com/adopting-a-senior-cat.html

5. Be cautious: if you are bringing more cats to an already home with cats, follow instructions of how to introduce one cat to the other by the book, like this one here, but also use your intuition.IT can be a stressful process. I got advice of vets and counselors and finally they can even share the same bed (mine). Never introduce cats like if they were dogs (or people). 

6. Be brave: if you are confronted with a nice litter of kittens situation, consider adopting all siblings. We did it and it works:  They are always playing, having fun and make themselves busy. 

7. Be flexible: cats love to change their mind about their favorite food, treat, bed or even litter box. 

8. Be creative: cardboard boxes, regular paper bags, everyday ribbons and a paper ball are sometime their favorite toys. 

9. Be loving: if they happen to be kittens hold them everyday and make them learn to love your lap, your touch and your smell. They will grow to be purring machines!

10. Above all, be patient. Any cat will test your limits to try to customize you to the perfect cat parent.

Count the kitties...Mealtime (almost) together

Earth Day: Green Pet Parenting Tips

By Anna Muggiati

Today is Earth Day and it's never too late to adopt some easygoing ways of helping the planet to heal. Here are 4 earth friendly suggestions for pet parents to help celebrate our planet:

1. Adopt, adopt, adopt...
If you are considering growing your pet family in an eco-conscious fashion, nothing greener than helping animals in shelters. Not just humane, but also a wonderful way of bringing balance to the pet world, already out of shift due to an immense number of dogs in cats abandoned and rescued.

2. Paper instead of plastic
Substitute plastic for paper bags when cleaning after your pet. They are biodegradable and don't clog the landfills, allowing their content to be decomposed (all that organic material will be wasted inside a plastic bag!). Of course if you're walking your dog, use gloves that can be reused, or a little scooper used for that function.

3. Recycled and biodegradable
Choose toys that are made from recycled materials, as well as biodegradable cleaning and grooming products.

4. Every H2O drop counts
Empty water bowls in the garden and plants if you need to change the water dish.



To read more:
http://www.aspca.org/blog/its-earth-day-go-green-your-pet
http://www.dogingtonpost.com/7-ways-to-be-an-eco-friendly-pet-parent/
http://www.petcarerx.com/article/7-money-saving-steps-to-having-a-green-pet/195
https://www.care.com/a/protect-the-environment-make-earth-friendly-pet-choices-07021340
http://www.treehugger.com/htgg/how-to-go-green-pets.html

Cardboard Boxes are Cats' Security Blankets

By Anna Muggiati

If you are still looking for a Valentine's treat to give to your feline friend, look no further! It will cost close to nothing and it might be right before your eyes!

Mine or yours? (Tigre and Pantera)

Mine is better (Juju and Panda)

Pantera, guess who is going to peek-a-boo you?

There are situations in life that may give you the urge to hide somewhere. Right?....  I would run as fast as I could and "vanish" inside a cardboard box every time that I felt threatened, insecure, fearful, inadequate, cold or just looking for comfort. Apparently, cats have known this relaxing "enclosure" technique since their goddess-like days in Egypt, when they would probably hide in other type of receptacles. And that's probably why they just can't resist a fresh box that has just been delivered with something, ready to be filled with their fluffiness.

Being the proud mom of two senior cats and grandma of three kittens I wasn't surprised when a Utrecht University study, published at the end of last year, hit the headlines last week. A curious mind at Wired magazine went to investigate why cats love cardboard boxes (and anything else they think they might fit into). Because of that article, cats were again on the headlines of big newspapers.

The study made by Claudia Vinke (Vet Department Utrecht University) was published in Applied Animal Behavior Science. It was based on the observation of 10 cats in shelters showed to be less stressed when using boxes to chill out, making their adaptation in the shelter smoother than the 9 cats which didn't have a box to hide. Isn't it a lovely way to reuse boxes?

Juju was found in a box when she was abandoned. Now she still loves them.

Previous studies had related the "cat in the box" situation with other factors, such as a very smart way of keep warmth. As most of us know, cardboard boxes might be just the cheapest and coziest way to have thermal protection. and something that the guys at most feral cats specialists have known about for a long time, and use them also as a emergency shelter to protect felines from winter, as you can read here. 

Dada, our oldest cat, is one that loves to sleep in a very special roofed cat bed: a comfy regular bed inside a cardboard box. Cardboard boxes are a very special hideaway for our 4-month old kittens. Panda, Tigre and Pantera love to hide and then spook the others when inside. A very funny peek-a-boo game. Ready to share your cat-in-the-box photos? Please post them to our social site: www.petzi.com.

Berkeley Study: Helicopter Parents and Cat Ladies are the best for their pets! (and a little interview with the authors behind it)

By Anna Muggiati

Did you ever think that you were over-protective, anxious and maybe somehow neurotic when taking care of your pets? I did. And I never felt bad about it, as I always felt that my cats are emotionally well nurtured and cared for. According to a study that hit the big news this week, published last Thursday on the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, humans who emphatically love their pets have the same characteristics as overzealous parents.

This is the first U.S. study to encompass the bond between parents and children or between romantic partners with pet owners’ personality types, including if they are a “dog person” or “cat person".
 Mikel Delgado (Doctoral Psychology candidate at UC Berkeley) and Gretchen Reevy (PhD Psychology UC East Bay) surveyed more than 1,000 pet parents in the US, and analyzed some of their personality traits. Nearly 40 percent said they liked dogs and cats equally, while 38 percent identified as dog people and 19 percent as cat people. Just 3 percent declared "neither".

Mikel Delgado's kitties: Clarabelle and Beani

The online questionnaire was based on human and animal attachment. One of them was The Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale and the other about the "Big Five" human personality traits.  Another tool used was the Pet Attachment Questionnaire.

The results pointed out that people who scored high on "anxious attachment" need more  reassurance from the objects of their affection. On the other hand, people who are less affectionate and distant (also known as commitment-phobic) in romantic relationships, are much less needy. Both dog and cat lovers scored low on "avoidant attachment", indicating that both personality types enjoy close relationships with their pets. And that may indicate that the most neurotic and conscientious people are the super good pet parents.

Josie, one of Gretchen Reevy's cats

We asked Mikel Delgado and Gretchen Reevy to answer some questions for us, as we just had to know about their pet-love-life, and here is their mini-interview:

_ What made you choose this field of research? 

Delgado: I used to work in an animal shelter, and I am also a cat behavior consultant, so I have dealt a lot with pets and their owners. I've seen what happens firsthand when the relationship between a pet and their person is fractured, or when people are so attached to their pets they let that relationship impact other parts of their lives.

Reevy: I have always loved animals, especially cats. I don't have the background that Mikel has in terms of working in animal shelters or working as a cat behavior consultant----I have always been an academic----but in time I realized that with my background (PhD in personality psychology) I could do research related to cat welfare. Meeting Mikel helped a lot, since she is an expert on cat behavior. As Mikel and I started to talk about doing research on cats (or cats and other pets), we saw that there hasn't been a lot of research on how individual differences in people (for example, their personality traits) are related to their attachments to their pets, so if we did this research, we could make a contribution.

Another of the Greevy's family cats: Max

_ How the finding of the study could help super pet "parents" to cope better with their separation anxiety?

Delgado: We still need to do more research to know if a high level of attachment really means people take better care of their pets (as in meeting their behavioral needs) - that is something we are working on for a future project. I think it's always great to leave your pet with plenty to do while you are gone (solo play toys and the like) so you don't have to worry too much about them when you are away.

Reevy: This study didn't focus too much on people's characteristics independent of their relationships with pets. In other words, our study doesn't present data that will directly answer this question. Our study was intended to focus more on the welfare of animals than on the welfare of people! But your question is very interesting for future study. It may be the case that people who experience separation anxiety when they leave their pets are anxious in general. If that is the case, the solution is probably not easy....

_ Are you a cat or dog person? ( BTW I am a super anxious cat lady who parents 5 cats and two humans)...

Delgado: Definitely a cat person through and through and always have been :) Although I love animals in general, I definitely feel like I relate to and understand cats better than any other species! I have two kitties, and true to form, I do have some anxious pet-parenting tendencies.

Reevy: I am basically a cat person although I do really like dogs too. While growing up, my family continuously had cats. Three cats lived to be between 12 and 17 years old, and we had those 3 (all three of them, at the same time) from the time I was 6 years old and onward. I have never had a dog. Nowadays I have a husband and two cats, no kids. I consider myself an anxious person, too!!!

_ Are pets benefiting from human loneliness and isolation? Do you see a relationship with more availability of affection from humans to pets due to their psychological profile?

Delgado (and Reevy): Most research suggests that people who are close to their pets are also close to other humans, suggesting pets don't necessarily replace our human relationships, and people who love their pets don't have social deficits. That said, I do think that pets give us lots of physical and emotional rewards (such as the studies that show petting dogs releases oxytocin and can lower heart rate, etc), and I'd much rather come home to a house with cats in it than an empty home!

Arthur: Dog of the Year

Photo: Reproduction from Team Peak Performance Facebook page

Since June, when I started this blog, I've been following all sorts of news about dogs. Dogs who were reunited with their owners, dogs who helped people, rescued dogs, service dogs and national hero dogs.  I am that kind of human who sobs when confronted to a real dog story. And I am happy to belong to a family who could even adopt a stray dog. And then, after all I read and all dog movies I watched,  there was the real Arthur.

Team Peak Performance Facebook Page Reproduction

This is the one story which I find really magic. No Hollywood writer would be able to be so creative: a dirty neglected dog, a super team of athletes, the Ecuadorian forest. The stray dog who followed a team of adventurer racers in the Ecuador's Amazon forest, restlessly, and beat all sorts of adversities. The choice of a team of athletes who were sensible enough to understand that the dog chose him, a story of a strong connection that unites man and nature in a wider prospect.

Arthur's real journey began when he didn't even had a name.  Michael Lindnord, the captain of Swedish Team Peak Performance gave a meatball to the starving dog, who was hanging around them, on the beginning of November. The sick dog - yes, with deep wounds that the Swedish team didn't want to describe to the press_  then started to be part of the race. He crossed muddy paths, climbed hills and swam (and that was when the team realized he wasn't going to leave them) after "adopting" Team Peak Performance members, despite his wounds, so deep that the vet who examined him said they were open for more than 5 months. Arthur was oblivious to his bad shape and together with those athletes he arrived at the end of the race as a winner.

What he probably wasn't aware of, was that a brighter future was on hold for him. After many days racing with the team, Lindnord just couldn't leave him behind. The decision to rescue and adopt him was easily made. On November 20th Arthur arrived in Sweden and was the great star on the news, thanks to his endurance and unbelievable sense of companionship.

The flood of letters and interest about Arthur's new life made Team Peak Performance organize Arthur Foundation, a non-profit organization to help stray dogs everywhere in the world. I am touched by it and will make sure to contribute to their cause in all ways. This really touches me, because I was in the Amazon forest once a long time ago in a difficult situation while crossing a strenuous trail and certainly if I crossed paths with a local stray dog willing to help me, I would do exactly what Captain Lindnord did. Wouldn't you?

Guest Blogger: Diary of a Cat Rescuer

  Rosa - Photos by David Kirk

By Leigh Kirk*

Rescue never sleeps. At any given moment, everywhere in our communities, animals’ lives are in jeopardy either in our shelters or on our streets. And it’s always the rescue calls that come in at off hours —7:30 a.m., late at night, a Sunday — that are the most dire.

When you get involved in rescue, it kind of feels like an infinite black hole that sucks you deeper and farther from “normal” life as you know it. It’s really hard to get a day off.

One particular Sunday a couple of months ago, we decided to try and catch a break and not answer the phone. We deserve one day off, right?  At 10:30a.m. the phone rang. I think we were making vegan waffles.  Two hours later, we broke down and listened to the voicemail from a stranger named Rosa.  So much for a Sunday off.

I called Rosa back. In response to a Facebook plea for help, she had just driven 20 miles to pick up a beautiful young orange female cat with her front leg almost severed. A car accident was suspected.  She had since been sighted for two weeks living in this condition on the streets while caring for her kittens. 

My phone chimed. Pictures of this beautiful orange cat with her broken leg arrived by text. As bad as they were, they didn’t quite prepare me for the grizzly sight that greeted us when we met Rosa. We had arranged to meet at our only emergency clinic open on a Sunday. The photos we took at the emergency hospital proved even too graphic to post on our fundraising page for this kitty’s medical expenses. Her front left leg was almost completely severed and the tissue on the lower half of the leg had died during her time on the street.

We learned further that this very sweet and brave kitty had been abandoned in this state by her owner who had moved across town.

We had no choice but to sign up for a night of expensive hospitalization and triage.  It’s always nerve-wracking not knowing where the funds will come from for what could be an expensive medical rescue.  Thanks to the work and commitment of an active volunteer and the strength of her community network, we rallied support to help cover her bills.

The next day we transported her, leg bandaged, to our regular rescue vet. Thank God they generously support the work we do with deep discounts, allowing us to rescue as many animals as the money will stretch to cover. She promptly received the leg amputation she needed to survive. There was no other option. Her recovery was nothing short of miraculous. Seeing resilience and zest for life in the face of this trauma was a true inspiration.

We needed to name her, this was no longer just another cat off the streets.  Orange female cats are unusual – most are male. We wanted a strong female name for her, this orange mother, who cared for her three identical orange boy kittens under those challenging conditions. After some mulling, we decided upon Rosa, the name of the compassionate woman who drove 20 miles to rescue her in response to a Facebook post from a stranger. And we were drawn to the legacy of Rosa Parks, another strong female figure who fought in the face of adversity.

As dark as animal rescue can be, an almost constant dragging on the soul, there are also the moments of light; the people who give, the animals who survive and live lives filled with love, and the community members who choose to rally and give their support for homeless and vulnerable animal in need.

I went back to the apartment complex to find (the cat) Rosa’s kittens.  Rosa (the street rescuer) had asked the kids who lived there to catch them. I arrived after dark to find two of the three kittens in an old white birdcage and the third sibling hanging close to his two jailed siblings. Oh no, I couldn't leave one kitten behind! Saying a prayer, I set a spare humane cat trap that I had in the car.  Little did I realize how much the kittens were starving, so less than a few minutes later, I had the third loose baby in the trap. Off we drove into a much needed sunset. Rosa and her three boy kittens, all orange like her, never looked back. 

Less than three months later, all have been adopted into loving homes, with two of the boys going as a pair, and Rosa flying home to Canada with her new parents. A family of five adopted children await her, a family who understands what it is like to overcome adversity and to find a loving family.

Rosa's kitties (By David Kirk)

* Our guest blogger Leigh Kirk is the president of Forever Meow , dedicated to rescue and save feral and abandoned cats. To read more about Rosa, go to Rosa's Rescue Facebook page.

My Cat Cafe World Trip- Part One

By Anna Muggiati

Forget about my former travel plans to visit all the alive panda bears when I become an old lady. When I reach my 70's, I will celebrate my birthday to be an official cat lady visiting cat cafes around the world.

So, before you start asking yourself what exactly is a cat cafe, I will be brief: It's a place where you go for a cappuccino or a tea and might be able to pet or just watch cats going around doing their cute kitty activities, or just being adorable. Most of them are also a cat adoption center and have partnerships with rescue groups and shelters.

So my cat cafe travel plan starts here and on the next and final part I will enlist the cat cafes I want to visit in Asia and the MiddleEast -- and probably the one that is the birthplace of this amazing concept, in Taiwan! For now some in North America and Europe!

 The first cat cafe in the US: Lauren's photo at Cat Town Cafe from their Facebook page

Cat Town Cafe - Oakland, California - That will be easy. It opened last week and it is the first cat cafe in the US! I will try to get there as soon as I can make a reservation. For this one, I won't have to wait for the international trip, as I live about an hour away by car. I am really excited about this one, and to be lucky enough to meet the founders soon, as Adam Myatt, aka as The Catman of West Oakland made a extensive search of cat cafes in Japan to find inspiration.

KItTea - San Francisco, California - I am thrilled that this project is going well and is successfully raising money to open its doors soon. The concept is to have about 10 cats around, all for adoption, while giving them a high quality of life. The place has a bit of a different idea on relaxation, so a kettle of tea will replace the noisy coffee machines and will have a dream like environment for their resident kitties.

The Cat Cafe - San Diego - Also fundraising, it has a similar plan as the other cat cafes that are also an adoption center. Looking forward to go there, as in San Diego I can see also pandas (my original project).

Café des Chats, Montreal, Canada- Opened very recently it looks like a very nice place. Very good looking cats are available for petting while coffee is served. They were all adopted. Can't wait to visit there!

Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium, London - Nested in one of the artsy neighborhoods of London, they are serving tea while their rescued cats are having fun. No adoptions there, but gazing their beauties is going to be awesome. Really elegant!

Les Café des Chats, Paris, France - At the heart of Marais, this promises to be more of a gourmet experience, as cats stroll along. Opened last year, the café offers also a brunch, and has very restrictive rules about their adopted cats. Sounds like an intriguing visit.

La Gatoteca, Madrid - Ok, now they got me on this one. Not just coffee and cats, but also Yoga classes with the cats!!! Also, they have cats for adoption, and an extensive list of courses for humans to understand about cats.

Neko Café - Turin, Italy - I hope I that when I get there I will meet cats as cute as Felix, Matisse and Fausto! The first Italian cat café has an extensive menu and you can actually have dinner there as they specialize in vegan and vegetarian organic dishes! From the web, the Italian Cat café is by far the one that has the most detailed FAQ and a very well humored one. Just check it out : http://www.nekocafe.it/faq-neko-cafe

Café Neko - Vienna, Austria - I had to go to Yelp to see what this is really about. The reviews are awesome and the place looks like the ultimate cool spot to be sipping hot drinks and tasting japanese delicacies.

Fish Gazing

No, it's not Nemo!!! Clownfish at Monterey Aquarium (Photos by Anna Mugg)

By now I am pretty sure that there's a pet out there for any kind of human personality. And humans suitable to take care of any kind of domestic animals. That made me remember about two friends from the past: an introspective, who would spend hours taking care of his fish and was very proud of it; and the extrovert, whose fish were the coolest piece of design in his home.

Fish were on the news this week. George, the goldfish, survived a delicate surgery in Australia. I vaguely remembered little goldfish being sold at the farmers' market in my hometown, and how sad I was to see that some wouldn't survive their first day in a flower bowl. Fish can be very nice pets, as George's owner said. Clownfish (just like Nemo) also were in the news. They might be able swim about 250 miles,  proving that Pixar's blockbuster has some truth in it!

WikiHow has an interesting article for beginners that elevate fish to a very special kind of place. It even teaches that they can be trained to interact with you and be really cool friends. In that case I would say that they are wonderful listeners! So, how do you choose a fish? Should it be marine or fresh water? Well, I would opt for the second, as you might be wondering if you would have Nemo in your aquarium (and all those crazy fish) or even feel really bad about contributing to the depletion of tropical fish and coral reefs. Having just read this article here from Scientific American, I would just keep visiting marine aquariums like Monterey.

If you decide to dive in the vast universe of possibilities of how an aquarium should be maintained and all the diversity of fish you can have, please visit The Fish Channel, as it has a vast collection of information that might help beginners and long term aquarium lovers. Or, to go even fancier, watch what the guys from Tanked (Animal Planet) have to share. 

But the most important factor which would make people inclined to keep an amazing aquarium is for the healing and calming purposes. One study from Purdue University points out that aquariums help on the quality of life of Alzheimer's patients, calming them and inspiring them to eat better. And lots of doctor's offices and hospital are including fish tanks in their waiting room, supporting the theory that they have calming effects on patients and are the perfect addition to any waiting room to reduce anxiety.

Unconditional Match Maker

What happens when animal rescue meets dating online agency?
Love.
Right?!
Some cool interns at creative ad agency in New York had the brilliant idea of partnering the matchmaking Tinder with Social Tees Animal Rescue, so that puppy love also can have a happy end turn.
The result is this wonderful video here:

Because of this awesome idea, some pets already found true love. And some humans, unconditional love.

I just LOVE this concept. Don't you?

That's why the Lady isn't a Tramp!

"Take me with you" , Photo by Daniel Feldman

I just love when happy ending stories like Lady The Lab emerge from social media and hit the big news. A senior black lab walked about 30 miles to find her former owners. She was rejected and, once again, returned to the Chautauqua County Animal Shelter, in Kansas. Before that, she was on the same shelter available for adoption, as her previous parent had died (at that time she was known as Ma Kettle.
The news about the darling dog spread through Facebook, and Lady had her fortunate day last Thursday: Helen Rich, heir of the Wrigley company, saw her and sent her personal assistants by private jet to go to her rescue. Tonight, Lady will have a peaceful night and probably won't try to walk 30 miles again... Now, maybe you are inspired and might have a look on this article by the ASPCA: 10 reasons to adopt a senior dog.

Cat Burglars Exposed

Reproduction of Slinky Malinki, by Lynley Dodd

Once upon a time, some summers ago, Sam, a handsome orange tabby from next door was roaming happily in our backyard. I knew he was out there. My indoor cats were very annoyed about his presence and started hissing and meowing loudly in the middle of the night. For me, he looked like a nice pet inviting himself to join us. But later I figured that he was just taking a break from his mischievous adventures. And probably, he was the one who brought the little feathery gift to my porch.

Recently some studies pointed out that cats might be contributing to the decrease of the bird population in the US. To find if this is really happening some cool guys decided to investigate this assumption and are together on the project Cat Tracker, lead by North Carolina Museum of Natural Science. The multidisciplinary program is empowering cats with tiny cameras, GPS harness to register their whereabouts and also working with info gathered by feces analysis, so to find out what they are really up to. So, why those and many other cats are stealing or hunting? Where do they go? What's their motivation? They have all technology to enable truthful answers and maybe you can even enroll your faraway cat to make part of program. Just check it here.

Also, it looks like cats are bringing all sorts of souvenirs from their neighbors. Ghostie, a little white cat who lives in Portsmouth (UK) was in local and national news last week. Like one of my favorites children's book, Slinky Malinki (Lynley Dodd. 1990) he steals clothes and brings them home, as a gift for his parents. Unlike Slinky Malinki, white Ghostie goes stealing anytime of the day. Why does he do that?

Maybe this little thief here, in a special Animal Planet feature, caught in action few years ago, might know why he chooses carefully clothes from his neighbors lines. Or maybe no explanation is needed. After all, we are talking about talented burglars... cats.

Keep them Cool

Dogs are extremely sensitive to high temperatures and might be endangered if left in the car or exposed to over heating while exercising.  Other factors that may contribute for heat related conditions are: age, obesity, heavy coats, chronic illnesses and also the breed of the dog.

According to Dr. Thimothy B. Hacket, from Colorado State University, parents should think twice before getting out with they dogs and leaving them in a car while running errands or shopping: "A dog’s normal body temperature hovers around 101 degrees F, and a dog’s core temperature may approach 110 degrees F or higher if it is left in a hot car. Serious symptoms of heat-related illness typically develop when a dog’s body temperature rises above 108 degrees F."

Dr. Hacket recommends that owners should be aware of overheating while their dogs are out exercising in a hot day: "Remember that dogs age faster than people – so your 7-year-old golden retriever might not cope with a summertime hike or run as easily as you might think, even if he acts eager to go. Make sure to ask your veterinarian about the risks of heat-related illness, and specifically about your dog’s ability to handle heavy exercise". For more suggestions on how to keep your dog cool, go to this article,  which part of the Educational Program on Pet's Health at Colorado University.

Sunday Special - A Healing Companionship

Dada, my personal therapist

Did you ever feel that your pets get closer to you when you're feeling sick or sad? You're not alone. Every time I am not well, both of my cats are very attentive and get physically closer to me. Maybe not just to enjoy the heat of a fever, as many would believe, but simply because they might know that their presence really makes me feel better.

The healing powers of pets are not just exclusive to cats and dogs. Dolphins, rabbits, llamas and even wolves have been in programs to help humans. This week, Hope, a miniature horse was in the news. She joined other pets on the Sutter Health Paws on Call. The program, which uses the help of human volunteers and their pets is one of the many projects of the growing trend of having pets as therapists. Something that the Mayo Clinic sees as a tool increasingly used by doctors and requested by patients.

Many organizations throughout the US help family pets to share their love with humans who are in the need. Pet Partners  is one of the oldest organizations in the US with national scope, and has many community partners including the ASPCA. It offers online courses so that pet parents can be trained to be a handler and share their pet affection visiting hospitals, nursing homes and rehabilitation services. In San Jose, California, Furry Friends is a volunteer based program and it also includes bringing therapy animals to help children to read. Watch this adorable video: Tales to Tales.

According Dr. David Sacks, MD, on the article What Therapy Animals Can Teach Us About Being Human, published in Psychology Today, the therapy assisted by animals is backed by a number of scientific papers that relate the presence of a pet with human well being. "Animals are physically and psychologically comforting. Anyone who has held a puppy or leaned their head against the neck of a horse after a bad day can attest that animals ease stress. Studies confirm that animals can boost levels of oxytocin, a hormone that reduces anxiety and blood pressure, and can even help extend the life of those recovering from coronary problems", he wrote.

Matchmaking Made in App Heaven

Welcome BarkBuddy! It's a new app ready to help you find the dog of your life (or one more of them) in the US and Canada. According to Bark and Co, it is going to help thousands of adoptable pets to find the best place to live, once it helps the match after building your profile so to find you a nice buddy.

"Once you sniff out a perfect new pack member, Barkbuddy helps you get the tennis ball rolling by easily allowing you to contact rescue organization by phone or email"informs the PR. Through the app you will be able to dig out more information about a cute pup and build your own favorites gallery sharing with friends.

Now...what are you waiting for? I will download the app right now in my IPad. Even if I am not looking for a dog, I might know someone who is, making everybody happier. There are about 250 thousand of barking friends, just in the US and Canada, waiting to be adopted.

Yes.I Will Walk You

by Pixabay, the coolest image bank

A recent study by Elizabeth Richards, from Purdue University, is confirming to us what many dog owners already knew. Your dog will forcefully walk you out of the house and make your life healthier. That's probably why I know so many dog parents while I walk my children to school. If it wasn't for their four legged beauties I would never meet them! Thanks friends!

Meow in a Cup

Love coffee? And to have a cup surrounded by cats? So, just visit a cat coffee! Today's CNN article brings good news telling us all about a fashion trend which started in Taiwan and is now spreading  worldwide. And please, let us know if you have ever the chance of visiting one of them.

No Kiss Please

Sometimes living with a dog means lots of slobbery kisses on your face, hands and anywhere Toto feels it's right to lick. After being far away  all day you can't avoid a warm welcome from your best friend. But beware: this explicit proof of love might be contributing for the increase of incidence of antibiotic resistant diseases in humans worldwide.

The hypothesis is being raised by Professor Nigel French, from Massey University, in New Zealand, who is going to investigate it closer thanks to a grant which is going to fund 3 years of study. After observing that there's a significant increase of urinary infections in humans cause by two types of antibiotic resistant bacteria.

According to Massey University, 68% of the households in New Zealand own pets. Of those, close to a half have 2 cats and 1/3 have dogs, which are about 700,000.

Dr. French says that the infections could be transmitted by dog's mouth contact. After all, the canine higiene standards are a bit different from ours. The study also takes in consideration that dogs are being treated with antibiotics, so that might also contribute for the worldwide resistance. So, while the study is investigating this close relationship the idea is just to be cautious and wash your hands and face after being kissed by a dog.