Buddy, the birthday cat
My cat, Buddy, had his 13th birthday this week. It was a quiet affair, just his furry brother Max, and me and my husband. Buddy got extra treats and extra loving, but nothing extraordinary. He’s not into toys, so we didn’t get him a gift. I take that back. Hubby didn’t squirt him with the water bottle when he started crying for food two hours early.
Other humans and cats posted birthday wishes for Buddy on Catster and YouPet, the two social networks that my cats belong to. That was nice, and Buddy appreciated all the well-wishes.
Thinking about pet birthdays and what to write on, I did a Google search. I found recipes for birthday cakes for your pet, themes for pet parties, sites where you can send pet birthday ecards, and even a gift registry. Who knew?
If you celebrate your pet’s birthday with a cake for your pet and other four-leggers, don’t make a regular people birthday cake. Find a recipe made specifically for animals. Ingredients in cakes that you and I will eat aren’t good for your pets. You can always make two cakes, a special animal cake, and one for their humans.
Do you celebrate your pet’s birthday? If so, how do you recognize their special day?
Photo credit: Beth VanHoose
August 28th, 2009 by Beth VanHoose | Posted in Fun | Comments (0)
Adopt A Pet, Live Longer
Today, Wednesday August 12, is Petfinder’s Adopt A Less-Adoptable Pet Day. This day is dedicated to trying to get the harder-to-adopt pets adopted out to caring and loving owners.
Just what makes a pet less-adoptable? Senior cats and dogs are the hardest to place, according to Petfinder’s survey of animal shelters and rescue groups. The second most difficult animals to place are those with medical conditions.
Following closely as the third less-adoptable group are cats and dogs who are victims of breed prejudice. Dog breeds such as Pit Bulls are hard to adopt because of their reputation. Black cats are often overlooked because of people’s superstitions.
Why should you consider a less-adoptable pet?
Older animals are often mellower than their young counterparts, and are already trained. Senior animals often wind up in shelters because their owner passed away, and for whatever reason, the family couldn’t keep the pet.
Animals with a disability usually don’t let their physical handicap affect them. It’s a human mindset that prevents these animals from being part of someone’s life. Adopting one of these deserving animals will make you look and feel like a hero.
Less-adoptable pets shouldn’t be overlooked when you are making the decision on which animal to add to your family. Having pets makes life more enjoyable. As the picture states, “Adopt A Pet, Live Longer”.
Photo credit: sayheypatrick via Flickr
August 12th, 2009 by Beth VanHoose | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)
A happy and healthy Max
A lot of people are asking about health insurance for pets, and if it’s something they should consider. Obtaining animal health care insurance is a personal decision, just as family health care is a personal decision.
Many American pet owners do carry health insurance policies on their pets, but the majority do not. Pet insurance has been available for more than twenty years, but less that 1% of US pet owners carry this type of insurance. Pet insurance is much more common in England and other European countries.
Pets are a part of your family. You would do almost anything to make sure your furry friends are happy and healthy. However, in this economy, health insurance for your pet may seem like a frivolous expense.
Like human health insurance, pet insurance has a monthly fee. Unlike your health insurance, this fee will not be taken out of your paycheck, and will need to be paid for directly each month. These monthly fees can range from $15 or more per month, depending on the type of coverage. Most companies that offer pet insurance have different levels of coverage, much like conventional health insurance policies for humans.
Some policies may also have an upfront co-payment for office visits or prescription medications, while other plans may cover 100% of costs. Depending on the policy, coverage can include everything from office visits and exams, tests and treatments, hospitalization, and prescription medicines. Some policies also include pet dentistry.
If you are considering pet health insurance, do your research. There are many different companies providing pet insurance. Ask your veterinarian if they accept pet health insurance and what companies they recommend.
With the rising cost of veterinary care, pet health insurance can bring peace of mind to a pet owner should an accident or emergency occur.
Photo credit: Beth VanHoose
July 29th, 2009 by Beth VanHoose | Posted in Pet Health | Comments (0)
Dwarf Hamsters in their wheel
Social networking is the new “It” thing. Everybody’s doing it. Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, LinkedIn – I’ll bet that almost everyone you know has a page or a presence on at least one of these services. But, did you know that there are also social networks for pets?
These social networks are not just for the pet owners, but for the pets themselves. Some have been around for years, others are new and hoping to gain the popularity of the social networks for humans.
These networks work basically the same as Facebook and Myspace. On most, you can create a profile page for each of your pets, collect friends, play games, decorate your page, add pictures, send gifts, and write blogs. Just like the social networks for humans, each pet network has its own format and functionality. If you join a site, or sites, you’ll want to experiment to see which one is right for you.
Here are some social networking sites for pets:
Dogster – The original social networking site for dogs and their owners. Dogster was created in January of 2004.
Catster – The sister site of Dogster, created in August of 2004. This site is for cats and their owners. My cats each have their own pages on Catster. Max’s page is here, and you can find Buddy here.
Hamsterster – Believe it or not, there’s a social network for hamsters and gerbils. Not having one of these animals, I don’t know much about this site, but there seems to be quite a few hamsters and gerbils who belong to this site. Not affiliated with Dogster/Catster.
Petster – This is another site that’s not affiliated with Dogster/Catster but is playing off the popularity of those sites. Petster is a site for all types of pets. On the front page of the site, they list the top 5 types of pets listed on Petster – dogs, cats, birds, rabbits and hamsters. Looking through the pictures of new pets, besides the top 5 types of pets I also saw horses, fish, reptiles and even a crab. So, if you have any kind of pet, you might want to check out this site.
Other sites that welcome all pets are Youpet, Yeepet, and Cute as Hell. These sites are all relatively new sites, but are growing quickly in the number of members joining daily.
Photo credit:
July 10th, 2009 by Beth VanHoose | Posted in Fun | Comments (0)
Are you an animal lover? No matter what your breed, we’ve got stories, pictures and animal care tips for you in out iPets blog. Learn new pet tricks, read about the latest trends in pet ownership, and gather helpful tips about choosing and caring for your furry (or scaly!) friend.
Wondering how to pick the perfect pooch? Curious about the latest hypoallergenic dog breeds? Just wondering why your dog loves to eat grass so much? Our blog on Dogs has all you need to know (and more) about your pup. It’s a must-read for any dog lover!
Smart, independent, resilient—what’s not to love about a kitty? Our Cat blog shares stories and tips about cats, from what to feed them to how to housebreak your new kitten.
Small pets—whether dogs, cat, fish or lizard—are more portable, easy to care for, and just as much fun as their bigger counterparts. Check out our Small Pets blog for information on how to care for smaller animals, from common mistakes to how to choose the right companion.
May 12th, 2009 by Pet Guy | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)
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