Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Watch Out Grumpy Cat, Sauerkraut Is Starting a Craze of Her Own
7 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Adopted A Dog
Both of my dogs have given me very different opportunities to learn what truly goes into owning a living, breathing, eating, pooping, thinking, chewing, high-energy, accident-prone, vaccination-needing, attention-seeking being. And while nothing could make me regret bringing home either of my wonderful dogs — no matter how high the vet bills or how frustrating the training — I do wish that I'd have gone into the adoptions with eyes wide open. (And maybe a little more padding in my savings account.)
While I only have hindsight, it is 20-20. I hope that it can help someone else prepare a little more for what they're getting into when they sign up for a dog. Here are the seven things I wish someone would have said to me before I signed the adoption papers, just so I knew exactly what I was getting into.
1. You're going to spend a lot of money. A. Lot. Of. Money.
Whatever you think you're going to spend on a dog, triple it. Better yet, quadruple it. And depending on your dog, double whatever the sum of your quadrupling.
Americans spent $55.7 billion on pets in 2013. We spent an estimated $58.5 billion in 2014. In fact, every year, we spend billions more than the previous year on our non-human family members. Why? Because we care.
The bulk of what we spend goes toward better food. These days it's tough to trust just any old can of ground-up goodness-knows-what. Is it nutritious? Is it safe? Is it ethical? More and more pet stores are offering better options like dehydrated or frozen raw food made with organic ingredients. Honest Kitchen, Grandma Lucy's, Small Batch, Orijen, Stella & Chewy's, Primal, Natural Balance and other brands have come onto the market to offer dog owners only the best for their pups. And they aren't cheap.
Beyond the absolute basics of food, there are the basics of annual vaccinations and licensing your dog with your city. There's also microchipping your dog and getting him registered in search databases, which is a huge step in ensuring a lost dog can be returned to his or her owner.
Then there are the vet visits — not predictable in when they'll happen or why, but predictable in that they will indeed happen. Some dogs are prone to skin infections or allergies or ear infections. Young dogs run the risk of injuring themselves in overly rambunctious play. Old dogs run the risk of developing arthritis, or the scary c-word, cancer. And there's always the expense of monthly flea, tick and heartworm medications. Some pet owners opt to get pet insurance with monthly payments in case of an emergency or as a way to handle expensive prescriptions if the dog has special health needs, so there's another monthly cost to consider.
Then there is the money you don't spend on your dog but you spend because of your dog. Replacing furniture or carpets, for instance. I've had to get a toilet repaired (ball got stuck in it) and a window replaced (ball went through it) and a new fence installed (ball went under it so dog went through it).
There are the necessities like baths and grooming and nail trimming. And there's the fun stuff like collars, tags, treats, beds, crates, harnesses, leashes, sweaters or boots if you live in cold climates, cooling blankets if you live in hot climates, bully sticks and marrow bones, chew toys and stuffed toys, replacement toys, replacement toys for the replacement toys, Chuck-Its and tennis balls, training treat pouches, poop bags ... I could keep going, but I think you get the idea.
And there's the cost of classes. An obedience class or two is a must. But there's also private trainers to get one-on-one help. Special classes for dogs with particular issues like reactivity or shyness. There are canine good citizen classes or agility classes or rally classes or scent work classes.
What if you travel a lot and need to board your dog with someone while you're away? Or what if you work all day and need to hire a dog walker or enroll your pooch in doggy daycare so they get enough exercise and don't tear up everything in the house?
So when I say double what you quadrupled, I'm not exaggerating. You're not paying for an adoption fee, a collar, leash and some food — oh, not by a long shot. Still, all this doesn't add up to not getting a dog. It just means you'll need to do some serious thinking about budgeting for and making decisions about what you're going to spend money on and preparing for that fact.
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Meet Sauerkraut, the Internet's New Favorite Grumpy Face Kitty
Taking a break out from tracking Sauerkraut's rise to the top, I spoke to her human, Amy Bender, about the origins of her perturbed look, her views on Grumpy Cat, and whether she's actually a fan of the fermented cabbage dish she is named after.
Catster: What made you decide to keep Sauerkraut, as opposed to just fostering her?
Amy Bender: Her health issues made her less adoptable to the usual crowd. When you put so much care into a special needs kitty, you get attached and want the best for them.
Getting to the big question, what's at the heart of Sauerkraut's grumpiness?
I think she's very annoyed that she doesn't have thumbs and a driver's license.
So what one thing in the world would make Sauerkraut a little less grumpy?
Becoming the next leader of North Korea.
How does she feel about Grumpy Cat, the world's most notable crabby cat?
Definitely a role model. Actually, Sauerkraut would love to meet her some day.
Sauerkraut's Facebook page mentions that she has a plan for world domination. How is she going about achieving that?
She has a secret war room where she has clandestine meetings with some minions, a devil bear, and Domo. I'm not allowed in. I think we are all in trouble though. I'm working on a bunker.
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Crazy Cat People - Hilariously Imaginative Pictures of People in Purr-fectly Normal Scenarios Surrounded by Playful Felines
To see these adorable pictures, click here: Crazy Cat People - Hilariously Imaginative Pictures of People in Purr-fectly Normal Scenarios Surrounded by Playful Felines
Las Vegas Pet Shop Owner Who Was Caught on Surveillance Video Torching Her Business Before 27 Puppies and Dogs Were Rescued: Gets 14 Years in Prison ...Despite Revealing That She's Pregnant
Clark County District Court Judge David Barker said he thought Gloria Eun Hye Lee, 36, was using her pregnancy to try to get him to hand down a lesser sentence.
He sentenced Lee to five to 14 years in state prison, nearly the maximum that prosecutor Shanon Clowers sought.
Clowers accused Lee of using her pregnancy in a manipulative bid for a "get-out-of-jail-free card."
Lee's attorney, Tom Pitaro, didn't immediately respond later to messages.
Clowers noted that Lee told the court the father of her child was her husband, from whom Lee was estranged at the time of the January 2014 fire at the Prince and Princess pet shop in southwest Las Vegas, and who she once tried to blame for the crime.
Store security video showed Lee removing files in an office while co-defendant Kirk Bills poured liquid on the floor around locked kennel cages and ignited it.
Lee pleaded guilty in October to arson, insurance fraud and attempted animal cruelty charges in a plea deal that had 28 other charges against her dismissed.
Bills pleaded guilty to arson and attempted animal cruelty. He'll be sentenced Monday. His lawyer, Roger Bailey, said he hopes for leniency and a two-to-five year sentence that, with time already served, could get Bills out of prison as early as next year.
Ceiling fire sprinklers quickly doused the flames, and none of the 27 animals was fatally injured before firefighters arrived.
But the incident sparked intense passions among animal rights advocates who picketed the courthouse for nearly every court appearance. Lee was arrested in Las Vegas shortly after the fire. Bills was arrested days later in Crown Point, Indiana.
It also touched off a weekslong ownership battle that ended when 25 rescued puppies were raffled in March 2014 for $250 apiece to benefit a foundation that runs the local Lied Animal Shelter. Two adult dogs were placed by a rescue group called A Home 4 Spot.
Parents Encourage Toddler To Kiss Pit Bull - What Are Your Thoughts?
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Amur Leopard—World's Rarest Cat—Doubles in Population
For the census, camera traps were spread out over more than 900,000 acres of leopard habitat. Scientists then reviewed 10,000 images and identified nearly 60 individual animals, judging by the distinctive pattern of spots on the leopards’ fur. The census was carried out by the Land of the Leopard National Park jointly with the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, with the support of The Amur Leopard Center and WWF-Russia.
Land of the Leopard National Park, established in 2012, includes all of the Amur leopard’s known breeding areas and about 60 percent of the critically endangered cat’s remaining habitat.
Saving the world’s rarest cat
Conservationists are also working towards monitoring leopard populations across the border in neighboring Chinese nature reserves. One of the highly anticipated next steps would be the establishment of a Sino-Russian transboundary nature reserve.
“There’s still a lot of work to be done in order to secure a safe future for the Amur leopard, but these numbers demonstrate that things are moving in the right direction,” said Dr. Barney Long, Director of Species Conservation for WWF-US.
The dramatic good news for Amur leopards comes on the heels of WWF’s release of the first footage of a family of Amur tigers inside China. Both animals share the same habitat.
Karelian Bear Dogs Play Major Role the Nevada Department of Wildlife Bear Program
There travel with their owner, Carl Lackey, a Bear Biologist with the Nevada Department of Wildlife.
This includes trucks, ATVs, helicopters, ski lifts, classrooms and everywhere else!
Their main job…to harass the bear by chasing it, barking in its face, and making it run away or climb a tree.
Combined with a shotgun firing rubber bullets, the idea is to make the bears not want to return. NDOW has had more success with this procedure than by relocating the bears, many of which return to the capture site within days or weeks if no aversion techniques are used.
"They're extremely important to what we do," Lackey said of the dogs. "They're our main tool in non-lethal bear management. Our No. 1 goal is to release bears."
Karelians are a specialized breed, originally from Russia and Finland where they were used by grizzly bear and moose hunters. They have a body type similar to a husky and facial features similar to a border collie. Lackey said they also have tremendous instincts and physical attributes.
"They're fearless and they're really, really quick," he said, comparing them to a mongoose that is able to keep away from a cobra strike.
Lackey bought his first Karelian, Stryker, in 2001 from the Wind River Bear Institute in Florence, Mont., a facility that raises and trains the dogs. Stryker helped with more than 400 bear. Rooster, a son of Stryker, joined the team in 2004, and has helped with more than 300, Lackey said. Now Dazzle is working alongside Rooster. Some of his other offspring is working as bear dogs with wildlife departments in Montana, Alaska and Washington State.
Along with chasing the bears during release operations, the dogs can also be used to search under houses when its suspected bears might be trying to hibernate there, tracking, patrolling, finding food attractants and a variety of other duties.
Lackey also uses his dogs in schools when he gives presentations.
"They're great ambassadors," Lackey said. "The kids love them. They're great family dogs, too."
Lackey owns his dogs and provides for their care. He would like to see the bear dog program expanded in Nevada.
"We'd like to get one or two more dogs and be able to place them with a warden or two," he said.
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