News, Advice and Resources for Thoughtful Pet People
Georgia (pictured left) is a kitten with a tale to tell. The 6 month kitten ran onto the subway tracks when the door to her carrier popped open and survived 25 days in the NYC subway tunnels.
Two track workers, Mark Dalessio and Efrain LaPorte, thoroughly searched the area by meowing for the kitten after reports of a possible sighting. They heard a meow in return and discovered Georgia hiding between two tracks. The lucky kitten was reunited with her human, Ashley Phillips.
Winter tricks. Wow! (thanks Adrienne)
(Update 9/25/09: You can read my recent interview with Maj. Dennis about Nubs here!)
Nubs is an Iraqi dog who had a rough start in life. He was used as a fighting dog, was badly abused, and ran in a pack of dogs in Al Anbar Province. Nubs’ ears were cut off to make him look tough and to make fights last longer since there is almost no ear left to be injured. (The same thing is done to US dogs used for fighting.) Things started looking up though for Nubs when he was rescued by Marine Major Brian Dennis.
Major Dennis took care of Nubs for 4 months. Then the Marine was ordered to move his squadron and had to leave Nubs behind. Two days later and 70 miles away, Nubs appeared at the squadron’s new location. Nubs had tracked the squadron for 70 miles across desert in 18 degree weather while injured. Dennis continued to care for him until he was informed that the dog had to go or it would be shot. Major Dennis didn’t let this remarkable dog down. He got Nubs into Jordan, found a family there to care for him, and will be transporting Nubs to the US. What a lucky dog and what a compassionate human!
Don’t miss the video of Nub’s story.
(Update: Read about my email from Maj. Brian Dennis.)
(Update: Nubs is now in San Diego.)
I’ve checked with Major Dennis and he said it was okay to post his email address. You can write him at:
brian(dot)dennis(at)usmc(dot)mil
denbri18(at)yahoo(dot)com
I love unusual dog toys. Of course it has to be something Saffron likes, but after that I like them to be something nice to look at or something fun. Valentine’s Day means there are some pretty clever toys out there. Here are some of my favorites. (Note: I haven’t researched lowest prices on these and links don’t mean I endorse that company.)
And for those of you with dogs who are tougher on their toys, here are some fun alternatives that can stand up to some chewing.
Want a filtered pet fountain, but want to cut costs? Here are great instructions complete with photos on how to make your own filtering pet fountain. It doesn’t look fancy, but I doubt you can beat the price. And it looks a lot easier to clean than store bought fountains.
So, why a filtering water bowl? Cats are instinctively drawn to running water. That’s why so many cats like to drink from the faucet when you’re brushing your teeth. Don’t want your cats licking the faucet where you get your water? A pet fountain will do the job. Kidney failure is pretty common in older cats and moving water is usually a good way to increase their water consumption. Most cats will benefit from increased water consumption.
I think dogs also prefer running water, which is why so many will drink from the toilet if given the chance. A pet fountain will help stop that. Plus, dogs are a lot messier than cats and the filter helps keep a dog’s bowl cleaner. Just like humans are supposed to drink a certain amount of water a day, dogs also benefit from a healthy level of water consumption.
I know a lot of reptiles are also drawn to running water and need a clean water source to maintain good health. When I was a kid, the rescued box turtles we had in our backyard would come running when they sensed the sprinkler was on. So don’t forget your other pets.