Everything I know About a Good Death I Learned from My Cat: And I Have Her Vet To Thank

My cat has been dying for the last two years. It is normal to me now — it is simply the state of affairs. There's a rhythm to her medication: prednisone and urosodiol in the morning, urosodiol again in the evening, chemo every other day, a vitamin B shot once a week. And now, toward the end, painkillers. Over these last two years, I've come to suspect that my cat has gotten better, more comprehensive planning around her eventual death than most people do.

Dorothy Parker — Dottie, to her friends — is a cat I adopted in Brooklyn from a local vet; she made the cross-country hop with me to Oakland with minimal fuss. Her attitude, most of the time, is that of a 14-year-old Marxist in a Che Guevara T-shirt. One of her favorite moods is murder. She likes cuddling, hates strangers, and goes crazy for ice cream. She steals cheese. I live with a tiny, vicious alien, and I love her.

My cat has been dying for the last two years. It is normal to me now — it is simply the state of affairs. There's a rhythm to her medication: prednisone and urosodiol in the morning, urosodiol again in the evening, chemo every other day, a vitamin B shot once a week. And now, toward the end, painkillers. Over these last two years, I've come to suspect that my cat has gotten better, more comprehensive planning around her eventual death than most people do.

Dorothy Parker — Dottie, to her friends — is a cat I adopted in Brooklyn from a local vet; she made the cross-country hop with me to Oakland with minimal fuss. Her attitude, most of the time, is that of a 14-year-old Marxist in a Che Guevara T-shirt. One of her favorite moods is murder. She likes cuddling, hates strangers, and goes crazy for ice cream. She steals cheese. I live with a tiny, vicious alien, and I love her.

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Labs Reigned as the Nation's Top Dog Last Year for the 24th Year: But Bulldogs Are Close Behind

America's fondness for Labrador retrievers is still setting records, but bulldogs are breaking new ground.

Labs reigned as the nation's top dog last year for the 24th year after breaking poodles' decades-old record in 2013, according to American Kennel Club rankings set to be released Thursday. But bulldogs have hit a new high — No. 4 — and their bat-eared cousins, French bulldogs, sauntered into the top 10 for the first time in nearly a century.

German shepherds, golden retrievers and beagles are holding their own in the top five, with Yorkshire terriers, poodles, boxers and Rottweilers filling out the top 10. Dachshunds slipped from 10th to 11th.

Bulldogs' rise is no surprise to fans who extol their unmistakable, push-faced expressions and generally calm demeanors.

"They just have such character," says Bulldog Club of America communications chairwoman Annette Noble. The breed is known for being gentle but resolute — given direction, a bulldog may well want "to think about it first and decide whether it's worth it," as Noble puts it.

The smaller, less jowly French bulldog — sometimes dubbed "a clown in the cloak of a philosopher" — has surged from 49th to 9th in a decade.

Frenchies were No. 6 in the decade of the 1910s, but their prevalence later waned. Then appearances in movies, TV shows and advertising raised their profile in recent years.

Labrador retrievers hit the top 10 in the 1970s and haven't left since.

Originally bred to fetch game, Labs have proven able and willing to play virtually any canine role: search-and-rescue and police work, agility and other dog sports, guide and therapy dog work, and sensitive family companion. Breeder Micki Beerman recalls one of her Labs winning over a hesitant child by gradually moving closer, until the child began to pet the dog.

"They're just very intuitive," said Beerman, of Brooklyn. "They kind of know when you need them."

The AKC doesn't release raw numbers, only rankings. They reflect puppies and other newly registered dogs.

Dog breeding draws criticism from animal-rights activists who feel it ends up fueling puppy mills, siphons attention from mixed-breed dogs that need homes and sometimes propagates unhealthy traits.

The AKC says that its breed standards and recommended health testing help responsible people breed healthy dogs and that knowing breed characteristics helps owners choose a pet that's right for them.

Long-Term Considerations for a Successful Reef Tank

A lot of aquarists tell me that the most exciting part of a reef is setting it up and stocking the tank. For others, the excitement comes from watching the reef develop and change over time. A reef tank is certainly a long-term commitment. I often remember reading German articles, where they would describe a one year-old reef as a new system. There are certainly a lot of things that change within a reef aquarium over time. And what I'm discovering is that the habits and practices of the reef keeper have to change over time as well. This article is intended to address long-term concerns, and suggest steps a reefkeeper should consider taking with a reef aquarium that he/she intends to keep for many years.

To read more on this story, click here: Long-Term Considerations for a Successful Reef Tank

Benefits of Spaying or Neutering Your Pet Rabbit

As a pet owner, it is important that you know the facts about spaying or neutering your house rabbit. This article covers some of the benefits to having the procedure done (if performed at the right time by a rabbit-savvy veterinarian), and it also includes a few notes on what to expect during and after the surgery.

Benefits of Spaying or Neutering Your Pet Rabbit
There are many benefits to spaying or neutering a rabbit. First and foremost, a fixed rabbit can live a longer, healthier life as the risk of cancer and urinary tract infections are greatly reduced.

Second, a rabbit that is spayed/neutered becomes calmer and easier to manage. Their destructive habits subside a bit,yet they don’t lose their charmingly mischievous nature. Altered rabbits are also easier to litter train and have less of an urge to spray.

Spayed and neutered house rabbits are easier to bond because of their calmer demeanor. And of course, an altered couple will not end up with a litter of baby buns. While baby bunnies are adorable, there is an issue with overpopulation. Most rabbit shelters are consistently full.

When Should You Spay or Neuter Your Pet Rabbit?
When male rabbits are between 3 and 5 months old, they are old enough to be neutered. Female rabbits are generally old enough to be spayed between 4 and 6 months; this is when they first reach sexual maturity. When rabbits have reached middle age (5-6 years old) they can be considered too old to be altered. Rabbits that are too young or too old are at higher risk for complications from surgery.

What to Expect from the Spay/Neuter Surgery
Spaying is the procedure performed on female rabbits to remove the reproductive organs. The procedure takes place through the abdomen. Blood vessels that lead to the reproductive tract are tied and the reproductive tract is removed. The rabbit then receives several sets of sutures to close her back up.

Neutering is performed on male rabbits to remove the testes. The veterinarian will make an incision in the scrotum and remove the testicles through it. Up to three weeks after the surgery a male rabbit can still have semen stored in his body. For this reason a recently altered male should be kept away from unaltered female rabbits during this time period.

In order to provide a safe spay/neuter experience for your rabbit you need to find an experienced veterinarian. When looking for a veterinarian, be sure to ask if he/she has had experience working with rabbits. If there is a local rabbit shelter in your area, they may be able to recommend a vet to you.

If you have adopted your rabbit from shelter or rescue, the rabbit may already be altered. Be sure to ask. Talk to your qualified vet about what to do to prepare your rabbit for surgery and how to provide care post-surgery. Also ask your veterinarian to explain the procedure thoroughly as it may ease your own anxieties to know what will happen.

Be sure to monitor your rabbit after the procedure for changes in behavior, failure to eat, pulling at stitches or signs of infection.