Pit Bull Photo Contest

$1,000 Winner Every Month

The Photo with the most Votes wins

Photo: Pink Sherbert Photography

GENERAL RULES OF CONTEST:

To enter the Contest, you must register either online or by postal mail, and must submit a photograph (see “How To Enter” below).

Each Contest will last one calendar month. Any and all of the photographs submitted by an entrant is/are eligible to win.

Each entrant will be entered into the Contest for the calendar month in which he or she submits his or her registration, and will also be automatically entered into the following month’s Contest, whenever available, unless otherwise notified.

The winner of the Contest will be the entrant that submits the photograph that receives the most confirmed votes from the voting public during the applicable 1-month Contest period. Voters must register, confirm their registration by clicking on the email sent to them at the email address they used to register, and can vote for as many photographs as they like, but may vote no more than once each day for any one photograph.

By registering for the Contest, entrants agree (i) to accept e-mail and direct mail marketing messages from Great American and its advertising affiliates and (ii) that such act constitutes an inquiry and/or application for purposes of applicable federal and state telemarketing laws, and therefore, we have the right to contact you by telephone for marketing purposes. See “Privacy Statement” herein for detailed information concerning Great American’s Privacy Policy.

Photo: melgupta

Protecting your Dogs Eyes with Goggles

Don´t forget your dog goggles

Dogs Benefit From Eye Protection Goggles and Sunscreen

Many dogs within various breeds have eyes that are particularly sensitive to sunlight. In an effort to shield and comfort itself against the bright light, your dog may squint, whine, or even paw at its face. Sunglasses for canines are considered a cute fashion statement but they are actually much more than that. A pair of pet dog goggles offers protection by blocking out the harmful effects of UV light and may help your canine feel more comfortable outdoors.

Protection against the Dangers of Ultraviolet Radiation

Diseases of the eye like macular degeneration, cataracts and photokeratitis affect dogs as well as humans. In addition, certain breeds of dogs can suffer from a condition called “pannus,” which is also known as chronic superficial keratitis or inflammation of the corneas. It is a disorder primarily of middle-aged dogs 4 to 7 years. Dogs that live at high altitudes, low altitudes, and/or are exposed to increased levels of ultraviolet radiation, which hit the eyes of both human and animal whether the sun is shining high in the sky or the day is cloudy, are at the greatest risks.

Pannus primarily affects German Shepards, although other predisposed breeds include Belgian Tervuren, Belgian Sheepdog, Greyhounds, Huskies and Dachshunds. Poodles, Border Collies and Labrador Retrievers have also been reported to have problems with pannus.

Ultraviolet Radiation Is Not the Only Risk to Protect Against

It is not just ultraviolet radiation that can damage our four-legged friends’ vision. Also at risk are dogs that ride with their heads out of the car window, or spend time on the bright beach, in reflective bright snow, or maybe run through brush. Pet dog goggles that function as sunglasses offer protection against UV light as well as help protect canines from airborne debris and wind.

Quality and Function in Pet Goggles

New and improved dog goggle eye protection for your pet is available, the same eyewear that has been seen on CNN, Regis and Kelly, National Geographic, Animal Planet, and in People and Woman’s World magazines. After eight years of designing and manufacturing eyewear for dogs, pet dog goggles have come a long way in quality and function. Redesigned dog goggles have an interchangeable lens system that offers a deeper lens cup, very flexible frames, and wider nose bridge. The ILS was designed from the beginning to be lighter and more comfortable for dogs.

Pet goggles for dogs offer 100% UV protection, and shatterproof, anti-fog lenses facilitated by side air vents; a very flexible, wrap-around foam-padded frame; interchangeable capable lenses; two adjustable soft elastic head and chin straps; all for complete and beneficial eye protection for your pet.

Sunscreen for your dogs

Many people benefit from the protection offered by sunscreen, and so can many dogs. Why put human sunscreen on your dog when you can use a formula designed specifically for a dog’s skin? Does your dog have light colored skin or a pink nose? Your dog needs sunscreen! Dogs have more sensitive skin than humans and thus do better with their own sunscreen. Sunscreen for pets also helps with coat condition and to prevent sun bleaching in dark haired dogs.

Doggles ILS Glasses SMALL – PINK FRAME – PINK LENS – Doggles ILS Glasses
publisher: Doggles
ASIN: B000OGP6XG
EAN: 0686644111465
sales rank: 30888
price: $15.79 (new)

Doggles ILS Interchangeable Lens System. New patented interchangeable lens system for dogs. The ultimate in Doggles! Change your lens color anytime you want-for fashion or function. But more importantly our new and improved frame has been completely redes

Doggles ILS Dog Goggle sunglasses in Chrome Color / Smoke Lens Large
publisher: Doggles
ASIN: B000G8BFXM
EAN: 0686644131159
sales rank: 70776
price: $15.99 (new)

Doggles ILS are the first and only protective eyewear designed just for dogs!

15 years of experience has made our Doggles ILS (Interchangeable Lens System) the very best in pet eyewear. For eye protection or fashion, ask for it by name.

Extra wide nose bridge. Deep lens cup. Padded and flexible rubber frame. Soft elastic adjustable head and chin straps. 100% UV protection. Anti-fog. Shatterproof.

…because your best friend is worth it!

Extra Small – For dogs 1 – 10 lbs / Back strap and frame length – 5 – 13 inches / Chin strap – 3 – 7 inches
Extra Small Breed example: Chihuahua, Pom

Small – For dogs 9 – 25 lbs / Back strap and frame length – 12 – 20 inches / Chin strap – 4 – 8 inches
Small Breed example: Beagle, Westie

Medium – For dogs 20 – 60 lbs / Back strap and frame length – 15 – 25 inches / Chin strap – 5 – 11 inches
Medium Breed example: Dalmation, Border Collie

Large – For dogs 50 – 100 lbs / Back strap and frame length – 18 – 30 inches / Chin strap – 6 – 15 inches
Large Breed example: German Shepherd, Labrador Retriever

Extra Large – For dogs 100+ lbs / Back strap and frame length – 22 – 45 inches / Chin strap – 11 – 26 inches
Extra Large Breed example: Large Rottweiler, St. Bernard

Heartwarming rescue stories for the holidays.

The Los Angeles Times‘ Rene Lynch has an intriguing review of a new book about a successful rescue. “Oogy,” written by attorney Larry Levin, is one of those tales that restores your faith in the power  of healing, love and the effort required to look beyond outward appearances.

When you’re done with that, check out Amy Worden’s post in Philly Dawg about Stanley. Again, a reason to hope for people’s capacity to make a difference.

When we first met Stanley last year he was a mangy guy with serious eye problems locked in a high kill Los Angeles shelter. Thanks to two small rescue groups and a gripping video, things are looking far brighter for Stanley this Christmas.

For all the homeless animals with no family to call their own this holiday season and for anyone who does not believe one person can’t make a difference, let Stanley’s story be a symbol of hope.

Doing wrong in order to do right?

KC Dog Blog thoughtfully spotlights the dilemma of embedding a spy inside a dogfighting ring in order to bring the ring down. In this instance, it’s the case of Terry Mills.

A couple of months ago, a story was launched in several alternative newspapers around the country about Mills. In 2008, Mills worked for the FBI on their domestic-terrorism task force. As a part of the job, Mills spent 18 months under-cover in order to break up what became the largest dog-fighting bust in the history of the United States — getting a couple of dozen people arrested, and saving more than 500 dogs from their dog fighting operations.

As a part of the undercover operation, Mills and his team became a part of the dog fighting culture…and as a part of that, began training, and fighting, their own dogs.

At the time, and even now, I wrestle with the ethics of their decision. While breaking up the dog fighting operation is certainly commendable, it’s extremely hard for me to stomach the idea of the “good guys” training dogs to fight and forcing them to endure such torture. It just seems as if there had to be a better way without purposefully putting more dogs in the ring.

This is the same kind of difficult position that Donnie Brasco faced while embedded with the Mafia. The answers aren’t always so easy. Bravo to KC Dog Blog for talking about the issue.

Best blog post this week:

Stop me if you’ve heard this before….the best piece of writing in the pet blogosphere comes from Shirley at YesBiscuit. There’s a lot of meat to it, and it deserves a LOT of discussion. It’s a case that appears to have been preventable, and at the same time the real facts at hand are not entirely clear. Shirley’s lede sets the table.

44 dogs “rescued” by HSUS from a home in AL early this month.

So you can see how it gets thorny. I’d love to get your thoughts on it.

RIP Splash:

The late Senator Ted Kennedy was a devoted owner of Portuguese Water Dogs Cappy, Splash and Sunny. They went everywhere with him, from the deck of his yacht Mya on Nantucket Sound to his Capitol Hill office.  Bo Obama, himself a Portie, was a gift from the Senator to the President. Last week, Senator Kennedy’s widow Vicki announced the passing of Splash at the age of thirteen. We extend our condolences to the Kennedy family.

Pet travel tips:

Are you traveling with your pets during the holidays this winter? Our friend Arden Moore, a.k.a. The Pet Safety Lady, offers timely tips.

Happy Petmas:

Pawcurious give us the 12 Days of Petmas.

Year in review:

From the genius factory of icanhascheezburger: 2010, The year in Lolcats.

Note: This is the last news roundup of 2010. Have a safe, happy and healthy New Year. My next newswrap is  Monday, Jan. 3.

I always like to hear from readers, especially if you have tips, and links for interesting stories. Give me a shout in the comments, or better yet, send me an e-mail.

Another Related Post: how to report a puppy mill in england

Shoot first and never ask later

Stop me if you’ve heard this before.  A family dog in an enclosed residential setting is killed by police. This time it’s Atlanta.  Nineteen year-old Jonathan King’s golden retriever Boomer was approached by Clayton County (Georgia) police.

ABC News picks up the story from there:

While King says he did not witness the shooting, a neighbor told him that he saw the dog approach the cop and then immediately fall to the ground upon being shot.

“My neighbor told me it happened so quick that he was speechless,” said King, who was down the block when Boomer was shot. “He said that he didn’t think you could even pull your firearm out and discharge it that fast.”

Boomer was seven years old and had no history of biting. The neighbor who witnessed the shooting confirmed Boomer shouldn’t have been killed.

Reached by telephone, King’s neighbor who said he witnessed the shooting, and who asked that his name not be used, confirmed the shooting needn’t have happened.

“He’s not an attack dog,” the neighbor said of Boomer. “He’s a golden retriever and that’s it. I’ve known this dog since he was a puppy,” he said. “I’ve known the boy since he was a little boy. It was a horrible thing to see this kid go through this.”

“Now this poor kid has to go through Christmas without his dog,” he added.

Not such a merry Christmas for poor Jonathan. Meanwhile, this post from Seattle DogSpot contains some useful tidbits on how police approach situations like this (and how little preparation often takes place).

Unapproved drugs and veterinary medicine: The Food and Drug Administration is addressing the issue of unapproved animal medications. From Veterinary Practice News:

The FDA said it is concerned that the safety and effectiveness of these marketed products have not been demonstrated. An FDA approval ensures that the drug’s strength, quality and purity are consistent from batch to batch and that the drug’s labeling is appropriate and truthful, according to the agency.

For the full text of the FDA notice, click here.

Caring for police dogs after service: Did you ever think about what happens to police dogs when they face retirement?  Generally, they’re on their own. Although their handlers often take them in as permanent companion pets, those handlers are also then responsible for the cost of the dog’s care. That can add up quickly, particularly if there are lingering injuries or disorders from the dog’s service time. Bosco is a German Shepherd who served the Tampa police force faithfully until a back injury forced him into retirement. Bosco’s handler (and now his owner) Jason Tkach, founded a non-profit called Tampa Police K-9 Association, whose mission is to raise funds to defray the cost for K-9 veterans’ care.  (Thanks to Cathy A for the tip)

The next crop of scientists: Discover Magazine has a terrific story about a scientific study published in “Biology Letters,” a journal from Great Britain’s world famous Royal Society.

[The] paper, based on fieldwork carried out in a local churchyard, describes how bumblebees can learn which flowers to forage from with more flexibility than anyone had thought.

What makes the study interesting is that it was designed and carried out by a class of children from England’s Blackawton Primary School in Devon. The kids are all between eight and ten years old.

The kids received some support from Beau Lotto, a neuroscientist at University College London, and David Strudwick, Blackawton’s head teacher. But the work is all their own.

The class (including Lotto’s son, Misha) came up with their own questions, devised hypotheses, designed experiments, and analysed data. They wrote the paper themselves (except for the abstract), and they drew all the figures with colouring pencils.

It’s a wonderful article about where the next crop of scientists might come from. (Thanks, Marge)

Don’t worry, dog owners: A study cited in esciencenews.com makes a reassuring point.  Dog owners whose pets sleep in the same bed with them, or permit dogs to lick their faces, are no more likely to spread germs such as the E. coli bacteria than other dog owners.

Dr. Kate Stenske, a clinical assistant professor at Kansas State’s College of Veterinary Medicine, studied this association as part of her doctoral research at the University of Tennessee. The research is scheduled to appear in an upcoming issue of the American Journal of Veterinary Research.

Stenske said the finding that these human-animal bonding behaviors aren’t more likely to spread germs is good news because there are physical and psychological benefits of pet ownership.

That last part isn’t news. Dr. Becker’s been saying it for years.

This year’s last Christmas shopping idea: It’s weird, a little cool, and at least worth a look. Also, Ericka told me to check it out, so I’m asking you to give it a look.

Finally…
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see more Lolcats and funny pictures
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The good folks from icanhascheezburger always find the best message for the season. From all of us at Pet Connection, happy holidays.

I always like to hear from readers, especially if you have tips, and links for interesting stories. Give me a shout in the comments, or better yet, send me an e-mail.

Another Relagted Post: veterinary palliative care

Back from the edge…

It has been raining hard here in Southern California for days now, and although the dogs have been out to walk and run, I haven’t taken them out for a vigorous play session in a couple of days. Four bored Aussies are not conducive to me getting any work done, so yesterday afternoon I took them to the Kindred Spirits training yard for a good hard run and play time.

After their initial dash around, checking to make sure nothing had happened there while they were gone, I got out the toys and began throwing them. Bashir and Sisko run hard after the toys — every throw is a personal challenge! But even the old man, Riker, was chasing the toys. He can’t keep up with the younger dogs,  but he gives it his all. And I toss him a shorter throw every now and then to make him feel good.

But Archer was the one who astounded me yesterday. For the first time since he got sick, he was running hard and chasing the toys. He has played before, and I’ve mentioned it here –  but yesterday he was running and playing with enthusiasm.

He was running after the toy so hard he’d over run it and slip on the wet grass. He even tumbled over a few times. He challenged Bashir for the toy and tried to grab it away from Sisko. Archer was playing hard and enjoying himself. Wow!

Archer got sick during the second week of November so he’s been a while coming back. But I have to say right now he’s 99 percent back to normal. He just needs to get his stamina back. After a while, during the play, his tongue was hanging out more than the other dogs –  even Riker. And when we got home, Archer was the first to fall asleep. So the stamina isn’t quite there yet.

Other than his stamina, though, he’s back. He’s enjoying his service dog work with Paul. I haven’t taken him on any therapy dog visits yet but I doubt we’ll have a problem.  He’s eager to work as a demo dog in our classes, and he’s happy to get back into training. Paul and he are doing their trick training every morning after breakfast; a treasured routine of theirs.

Another Related Post: number of puppies euthanized uk in 2010

Good Dog Rules

I love this time of year for the outrageously funny things that find their way into my e-mail Inbox. One recurrent favorite of mine is the list of things dogs must remember in order to be a “Good Dog.” I received it earlier this week and it both warmed my heart and brought to front of mind some of the most precious memories of my life. It’s moments like these that remind me what a privilege it is to share days and nights, ups and downs, highs and lows with furry four-leggeds. I’d like to share a few of these stories, smiles, and memories …

To be a Good Dog I will remember:

The sofa is not a “face towel.”The garbage collector is not stealing our stuff.I will not eat the cats’ food before they eat it or after they throw it up.

Micah, my very first dog as an adult, was a heat-seeking missile when it came to food (matched only by my current Golden Retriever, Farrah). He and my cat of that time, OJ, had a deal. Periodically OJ would eat too quickly and erp up his breakfast or dinner, providing Micah with an extra “snack.” They were in cahoots for all the years they lived together.

I will not play tug-of-war with Mom’s underwear when she’s on the toilet.I must shake the rainwater out of my fur before entering the house — not after.The litter box is not a cookie jar.

Mollie Mae was not the sharpest knife in the drawer. She was a very sweet, very petite Saint Bernard — only 85 pounds — and we had an idea early on that she would not attend MIT. We found out late in her life that she had a condition we generally associate with tiny dogs like Chihuahuas and Yorkie –  hydrocephalus –  also called “water on the brain.” When the neurologist called following Mollie’s brain MRI she said, “The good news is that Mollie does NOT have a brain tumor, and the bad news is that Mollie dosen’t have very much brain at all.” We joked that Mollie had only one neuron, and it fired backward. She really seemed able to hold only one thought in her brain at a time. Her favorite “one thought” was the memory of where the “crunchy granola bars” lived. Inspite of scooping litter pans twice daily, Mollie Mae regularly managed to raid what was, for her, her favorite “cookie jar.”

I don’t need to suddenly stand up straight up when I’m under the coffee table.I will not come in from outside and immediately drag my butt across the carpet.I will not roll on dead seagulls, fish, crabs, etc., just because I like the way they smell.

Cimarron was our genetically deaf Australian Shepherd. She was the product of two blue merle parents and was relinquished to us when we refused to kill her for the sin of deafness. She was mostly white with two blue merle patches, and loved nothing better than throwing her pristine whiteness onto something long enough dead to be really stinky, but not long enough dead to be returned to the dust of the earth. In spite of the nastiness, we had to smile at her delight in visiting outdoor “cologne bars.”

I will not sit in the middle of the living room and lick my crotch.The cat is not a “squeaky toy” so when I play with him and he makes that noise, it’s usually not a good thing.Sticking my nose into someone’s crotch is an unacceptable way of saying “hello.”

Murphy was an amazing dog (that’s Murphy with me in the photo). She was diagnosed at 5 years of age with osteosarcoma (bone cancer) in her left front leg. Following a bone transplant to keep her leg and IV chemotherapy, she lived a completely normal life until her second osteosarcoma three years later. This tumor was in her right rear leg, and was treated with radiation therapy and a second round of IV chemotherapy. She was in remission until she died, five years after her first bone cancer diagnosis, when her heart stopped while she slept.

Murphy was the most gregarious Great Dane I have yet met. And her favorite way to say “hello” was to use her head as a battering ram into that most private area of a human’s body. Ultimately, we had to warn our male friends to wear their steel cups when they came to visit.

What a joy it has been to witness this steady stream of characters into and out of our lives! Each day is a new adventure with them. How wonderful it is to share space with animals.

Another Related Post: doggles for puppies

Put trust in your dog walker?

Ever wonder what’s happening while your dog walker is out with your dog? From my column this week on SFGate.com:

The little white poodle was curled up under the wheel of a minivan parked next to San Francisco’s Sigmund Stern Grove. The street was wet from recent rains, and her leash trailed out from beneath the car.

I’d just come out of the park, where I’d seen a dog walker unload six or seven dogs from that vehicle and bring them into the off-leash dog play area, leashes trailing just like hers. It was clear she was one of his charges, and he hadn’t noticed or didn’t care that she’d stayed behind.

Obviously he was one of the bad dog walkers. Fortunately, I have one of the best, Courtney Gunter of San Francisco’s The Whole Pet. She was voted “Best Pet Sitter in the Bay Area” in Bay Woof Magazine’s “Beast of the Bay” competition, and runner up as best dog trainer and best dog walker, too.

I asked her for her tips on finding a good dog walker and avoiding the bad:

“Start by asking how many dogs they walk at a time,” Gunter says. “The City of San Francisco guidelines say that each person should walk no more than six dogs. Anyone who doesn’t know that, or gives you a higher number, should be avoided.”

Good dog walkers will have references and a contract for you to sign. They’ll also have clear policies on cancellations for weather, illness or other emergencies. And they tend to get as much information as possible about your dog before signing you up as a client. In fact, they probably will have as many questions for you as you have for them.

“Knowing how to integrate different dogs into a group takes skill and experience,” Gunter says. “They need to really get to know the dogs they walk together, so that everyone has a safe and enjoyable experience. If the dog walker doesn’t seem to have a handle on that, I’d consider that a pretty big red flag.”

Other questions to ask include how they handle first aid, how they deal with behavior problems, and how long they’ll keep the dog at the park.

“Just because the dog is out for six hours doesn’t mean they’re at the park for six hours,” Gunter says. “Is your dog just riding around in a van while they pick up 15 other dogs? That’s not what you’re paying for.”

Read the rest of Courtney’s tips here!

View the original article here

Weatherproof your Dog.

It has been pouring here in Southern California  for several days now, and I am starting to wonder if our inflatable guest bed will float. As much as I love a rainy day, or five, toweling off three dogs half a dozen or more times a day is getting old. The only good thing is that none of them hesitate about going out into the most torrential of downpours. They mosey along as if it were a sunny day at the beach. Savanna the Greyhound was the same way. Even though it means I’m standing out in it, too, I’m grateful for their attitude. So often I hear about dogs who flat-out refuse to set paw outdoors when it’s raining or there’s snow on the ground.

I have a theory about that. Those dogs have learned that there’s an option. Mine have never known any alternative. Since we don’t have a yard, they must be walked outdoors. When they go out, we have to go out with them. That, of course, is the classic training technique for teaching dogs to potty outside, but in my experience it works for weatherproofing, too. Dogs will follow where we go, even if they secretly think we’re crazy to walk out into the rain or snow.

We were meeting with a new pet sitter the other day who is going to stay with the girls for a couple of days while we visit friends in Las Vegas. With all the rain we’ve been having, she very sensibly asked how the girls were about going out in it. I assured her that it wouldn’t be a problem. She says a lot of times people tell her that their dogs won’t go out in the rain, but when she takes them, they’re perfectly willing. It’s all in your attitude, I think.

Dogs are not delicate flowers. Not even Cavaliers or other toy breeds. They won’t melt if they get wet. You won’t either.  There’s a reason we have raincoats and umbrellas.

Now that I’ve had my little rant, I remember that not everyone works at home and can put this plan into practice. So if your dogs are weather-tough, how did they get that way? Is it their breed, your attitude, having company when they go out, some combination of those, or something completely different? Inquiring minds want to know.

View the original article here

Can a retriever love water too much?

If you’ve ever wondered if there’s such a thing as too much water, here’s your answer.

Tobey the Labrador Retriever (you just knew it was a Retriever when you heard the subject was water, didn’t you?) had a fascination for the water coming out of the sprinklers. Like a lot of pet owners, his Ellen Jones of Charlotte, N.C., liked to make him happy. So from time to time, she’d put out the sprinkler and let Tobey have at it.

But one day, things didn’t go the way they usually did — and they ended up with a big claim to his pet insurance company, VPI. Let’s let them tell the story:

Tobey especially enjoys stealing mouthfuls of water as the sprinkler swishes back and forth. “He chomps at the sprinkler head and the water just goes right down his throat,” Ellen said. “He puts on such a show that neighbors walking by the house stop and stare in amazement.”

Ellen recently set the sprinkler out for Tobey, and it wasn’t long before she noticed Tobey was in trouble. Within 30 minutes, Tobey went from running around and chomping at the streams of water to vomiting and not being able to sit or lie down comfortably. Ellen was especially alarmed at the size of Tobey’s stomach, which had become swollen from consuming so much water. Since Tobey has a history of bloat, a condition in which the stomach becomes stretched and even twisted from excessive gas or fluid, Ellen didn’t want to take any chances and took him to the veterinarian.

Tobey’s veterinarian took X-rays and performed an exam, gently pushing on the dog’s abdomen to determine the seriousness of his distended belly. Tobey was lucky: his over-indulgence had not resulted in water poisoning or bloat. The Lab was sent home a few hours later with a prescription for rest, and Ellen was advised to keep water out of Tobey’s reach for the rest of the day.

“It sounds silly, having a belly full of water,” Ellen said, “but it can be just as dangerous as over-eating.” Sadly for Tobey, his days of running around and drinking from the sprinkler are over. “I had to put the sprinkler away,” Ellen said. “We won’t be doing that exercise anymore.”

Toby’s the November nominee for VPI’s Hambone Awards, which were named after a dog who got locked inside a refrigerator and, while he was in there, ate an entire ham. Or that’s the official story. I think they were designed just to keep veterinarians like me shaking our heads in amazement at the things pets can get into — when we’re not shaking them saying, “Oh, I had something a lot weirder than that happen once…”

You can read Tobey’s story, and more about the Hambone Awards, here.

Note: VPI is one of our sponsors on Pet Connection.

View the original article here

Four-legged Holiday Season

December 14, 2010

What if you invited someone to Thanksgiving dinner, and she showed up with an unannounced companion? And what if that companion had four feet, and fur? Gina Spadafori responds to a reader with just that problem in this week’s Pet Connection newspaper feature:

Bringing an uninvited guest to someone’s home is never a good idea, whether that guest has two legs or four.While you were blindsided — and handled the situation with graciousness — most people have at least a little warning when it comes to working out the issues of pets during the holidays. It’s always a good idea to discuss arrangements in advance, and don’t assume anything.

The ground rules: The person who has the ground sets the rules, and the decision to bend or break them is theirs alone to make. If you want to bring your pet to a family gathering but your son-in-law says absolutely not in his house, you have to respect that. Arrange to stay at a pet-friendly hotel or leave your pet behind, boarded or with a pet-sitter.

Likewise, the person who demands you remove a member of your family (the furry one) as a condition of his visit is barking up the wrong tree. My pets are part of my family, and you need to accept that before you cross the threshold into my home.

Once the boundaries are established, there may be some wiggle room on the details. Pets may be welcome if they’ll stay in a crate when unattended, for example, or someone with mild pet allergies could be accommodated in a clean, pet-free room in a home with pets.

Communication is always key, and no surprises should always be the bottom line.

And from Dr. Becker and Mikkel Becker, one of the cat’s secrets revealed:

Cats are able to squeeze through spaces that seem narrower than they are because they don’t have a rigid collarbone to block their way through nooks and crannies. Once they can get their head and shoulders through, their sleek bodies present no further obstacle. That’s if those bodies are sleek, that is. The world is full of fat cats, after all, and for them fitting through tiny holes is not a given. For one thing, they may think they’re capable of fitting even if their paunch says otherwise. That’s because a cat’s whiskers — super-sensitive specialized hairs — spread roughly as wide as a cat does. But they don’t grow longer as a cat gets wider, which can lead some corpulent cats into sticky situations.

Read this week’s entire Pet Connection here!

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View the original article here