It’s all about the slide. What a silly kitty! (thanks Nancy)
First Soup Kitchen Opens For Dogs
The German animal welfare organization, Tiertafel Deutschland, has opened the world’s first soup kitchen for dogs in Berlin. The soup kitchen called Animal Board provides one free meal a day to the dogs of the homeless and unemployed.
Tiertafel Deutschland also has a number of pet food banks established around Germany to provide food, treats, and toys. I know some people might argue that if you can’t afford pets, you shouldn’t have them. However, pets are just as much a part of the family for people struggling financially. They provide companionship, someone to care for, security, and as the woman in the video below says, the joy pets bring is “therapy” for many.
DIY: Make A Cat Bed From An Old Sweater
Here’s a great little tutorial on how to make a nifty cat bed (or small dog bed) out of an old sweater. Clever and thrifty! (Note: the tutorial uses contrasting yarn so you can see the work–you should use matching yarn and the seams won’t show.)
You don’t even need a sewing machine for this though you could use one. You will need:
- an old sweater—yours or from a thrift store
- batting, fabric scraps, etc. for stuffing
- yarn
- large tapestry needle (size 13)
- scissors
When you’re finished, the arms of the sweater will be bolsters encircling the bed. This is a pretty easy project and the author said it took her longer to write the tutorial than to make the bed. She also has a great suggestion of making one to donate to your local shelter. Nice!
The author of the tutorial has a fun blog on knitting and other crafty things.
Don’t miss this other DIY pet bed.
Pet Food Recall: Special Kitty Gourmet Blend
Mars Petcare is recalling bags of its Special Kitty Gourmet Bland dry cat food due to possible salmonella contamination. The bags of food were sold in Wal-Mart stores in:
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Massachusetts
- Maryland
- Maine
- North Carolina
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Virginia
- Vermont
- West Virginia
Here is the information you need to identify the affected bags:
- Best If Used By Date: AUG 11 09
- Best If Used By Date Location: Back of bag
- Production Lot Code: 50 XXXX X (Found on back of bag just after “Best If Used By” date. Consumers should look for “50” as the first two digits of the second line.)
UPC code numbers can be found right below the bar code on the package.
- 3.5 lb. Special Kitty gourmet blend 81131 17546
- 7 lb. Special Kitty gourmet blend 81131 17547
- 18 lb. Special Kitty gourmet blend 81131 17548
If you have a bag of the recalled food, dispose of the contents in a covered trash can and return the empty bag to the store where you bought it for a refund.
Salmonella can cause serious illness in cats and dogs and there can be cross-contamination to humans causing serious illness in humans. Here is good information on the symptoms & treatment of salmonellosis in dogs & cats. The FDA has information on how to safely handle salmonella contaminated pet food. The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention has a very informative page on salmonellosis in humans.
You can find out more about previous pet food recalls in the Pet Food Recall Archive.
Reasons To Adopt A Black Cat Or Dog
Raven making faces
There are lots of humorous reasons to adopt a black cat or dog—
- a black cat doesn’t need a costume for Halloween
- a black dog goes with any decor
- their fur doesn’t show on dark clothes
- black dogs don’t show dirt
The best reason is more serious. Black cats & dogs are much less likely to be adopted because—
- they don’t photograph well
- they aren’t distinctive like a calico cat or a dog with spots
- they don’t stand out in a sea of black cats or dogs
- some people are still superstitious
If they aren’t euthanized, black kittens & puppies tend to stay longer in shelters. Then they are no longer cute kittens or puppies, making it even tougher to get them adopted. It’s such a pervasive problem that shelters organize special adoption events just for black cats and there’s a whole organization dedicated to promoting the adoption of black dogs called BlackPearlDogs.com.
In my experience, black cats are like any other cat. The can be sweet, silly, clever, feisty, loungers, or whirlwinds. They are as beautiful as any other cat if not more so. They aren’t identical. And those of us who share our lives with them are very fond of them.
Black dogs are just as wonderful as any other dog. And they are in such great need of adoption. Bark has an article on the plight of black dogs in animals shelters and what’s being done to help them. Black dogs aren’t identical either—they have a huge range of body types and characteristics. The can be herders, retrievers, pointers, or sleepers.
Every pet adoption is a life saved, but in the case of black cats & dogs, you’re saving a life that’s at an even higher risk of being cut short.