Bottled Water for Dogs


In the "Do we really need another one of these" category, Century Foods International has released its Hero Dog Water. I've written about dog waters before, and yet another company is trying to get humans to buy bottled water for their dogs...I guess my water isn't good enough for my pups?? According to Century Foods, this is much better.

Hero Enhanced Dog Water is "fortified with nutrients to help keep dogs of all ages healthy and active and flavored for tastes that dogs love," according to its producer. The retail price of Hero Dog Water is $2.29 per 32-ounce bottle, which provides two servings.

Launched in early 2008, Hero Enhanced Dog Water is available in three formulas: Exercise Recovery, Hip & Joint and Healthy Aging. The first one is designed for quick rehydration of active dogs -- it includes potassium citrate and sorbate, sodium chloride, crude protein, niacin, thiamine and other ingredients. Hip & Joint, designed to help optimize joint function and mobility, includes the common arthritis supplements of glucosamine and chondroitin as well as other ingredients; and Healthy Aging includes vitamins A, D and E, zinc, selenium, niacin, thiamine and others.

The manufacturer uses a triple-filtered, reverse-osmosis purification process to remove impurities and additives such as chlorine and fluoride, according a statement at its Web site, www.herodogwater.com.

And to think, many dogs are just as happy drinking from the toilet.

Internet Hoaxes: Penguins, Part Two

Claim: Flying penguins found by BBC program.


These penguins not only take flight from the Antarctic wastes, but fly thousands of miles to the Amazonian rain forest to find winter sun.

Status: False.

Source: Telegraph

(via Penguins!)

You Eat What You Touch


Hand soap brand Lifebuoy takes aim at our increasingly germaphobic society with this new ad campaign. “You eat what you touch” is their tagline.

These surreal images of a kitten croissant and a hamster muffin are not creepy breakfasts made from pets, but are instead meant to stress the company’s message of hand-washing hygiene.

It is a creative way to get attention and perhaps even encourage non-germaphobes into thoroughly washing up before they eat.

The ads were created by the advertising agency Lowe of Jakarta, Indonesia.

(via Trendhunter)

BTW
Lifebuoy is a brand of soap was originally marketed by Lever Brothers in England beginning in 1895.

The term "B.O.", short for "body odor", was coined by Lifebuoy for an advertising campaign. The Lifebuoy radio ad, parodied by several Warner Brothers' Looney Tunes cartoons, used a foghorn-type sound to create the "B.O." sound. (wiki)

Difference Between Stray & Feral Cat?

Often you hear the terms stray and feral when referring to cats. But is there a difference. Actually, there is:

A feral cat is one that has had little or no human contact and is usually unapproachable by people. These felines differ from housecats who are allowed to visit the outdoor environment, as well as from those stray cats that once had owners and were abandoned or became lost. They have been born into or adapted to outdoor life without human contact, living together in loose families organized as colonies, and can do well in urban as well as rural areas.

In either situation, be careful before taking any stray or feral cats in your home. Leaving food out for them could also lead to other wildlife showing up on your door step eating the food. The best way is to call your local animal control office for help, as some states have laws regarding treatment of these cats.

Internet Hoaxes: Penguins, Part One

Claim: You can buy a [living] penguin on-line from penguinwarehouse.com.


Status: False.

Source: Snopes

Photo from Flickr, by Mollivan Jon

Unexpected transformations

"There once was an ugly duckling," goes the old song. This could not be more true of these stunning butterflies and their most peculiar caterpillars. Another opportunity to scratch your head at the vagaries of Mother Nature, take a look at this pictorial proof of butterfly beauty and caterpillar creepiness!

Pet Haven Giveaway - $40 Value!

Do you take video with your point and shoot digital camera? If so, it could win you over $10,000 in the SanDisk YouTube Video Contest.

The folks that run the contest want to make it even easier for you to enter, so they are providing me with some camera disks to giveaway. They aren't just any old disks, they are 4GB SD cards valued at $32-$40 retail!

If you want to enter, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post with some type of contact info (website, email, whatever, as long as I can find you). Each comment will be assigned a number (first comment is number 1, etc.) Winners will be drawn via a random number generator. I'll contact the winners and the disk will be mailed to you. Don't worry, the addresses won't be sold to anyone. The Pet Haven contest goes through the end of September, while the SanDisk contest will be avaialable through November.


I have several disks to giveaway, so tell all our friends about contest!

Top 10 Reasons Cats See Vet

Knowing the most common reasons cats got the vet is important in developing a preventative health plan for your cat.

Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) recently analyzed its medical claims received in 2007 to determine the top 10 most commonly claimed conditions for cats. In fact, they found that the top 10 conditions accounted for about 25 percent of all medical claims received last year.

Most Common Cat Claims/Conditions

1. Urinary Tract Infections
2. Gastritis/Vomiting
3. Chronic Renal Failure
4. Enteritis/Diarrhea
5. Diabetes Mellitus
6. Skin Allergies
7. Colitis/Constipation
8. Ear Infections
9. Respiratory Infections
10. Hyperthyroidism

An interesting change in the top 10 list was that feline enteritis (diarrhea) went from #16 in 2006 to #4 in 2007. Diarrhea can be caused by stress, diet changes, intestinal obstruction, parasites or infections. The most common cause is dietary changes. Also, VPI commented that it is possible that the gastrointestinal related claims were up this year perhaps due to the pet food recall.

Sunday Drive



Growing up in Vermont, I always knew this time of year as "leaf-peeping season." My friends down south and out west aren't familiar with this term. We called it leaf-peeping because of the droves of tourists who came to view the beautiful fall foliage. What an amazing and gorgeous season! Over the last few days, the colors have started to come alive. So many bright reds this year. Our drive to church takes us out along back roads into the country, and it was especially enjoyable this morning. A line of turkeys marched along the dirt shoulder. An entire field was speckled with Canadian Geese--there must have been 2 or 3 hundred of them. One one side, a pasture of snowy white goats munched the grass. On the other, I caught sight of a woodchuck ambling through the tall weeds. The day was somewhat overcast, and a heavy fog hovered over the hills and mountains. Occasionally, rays of sunlight broke through. At one point, scores of plump, black birds sat shoulder to shoulder (wing to wing?) along the lines of a telephone pole. There were so many resting there together, the line stretched without a break, about as long as a football field. Whenever I see birds on a telephone wire, all I can think of is that little Pixar sketch about the big geeky blue bird that lands on the wire beside all the snobby little birds. Remember that?!
Anyway, today I'm giving thanks for such a beautiful world and a breathtaking season, every day growing more and more glorious as the autumn colors fill the countryside. God's masterpiece.

Note to Self:
A country drive can be so much more rewarding than a day at work.

Free dog toys at i-pets.com


CUSTOMER APPRECIATION SPECIAL

FREE TOY with purchase

Order $40.00 or more at i-pets.com and they'll throw in a toy valued at $2.00 or greater.

Feliway Cat Spray GIVEAWAY WINNNER

Congrats to our entry from http://ananimalloversblog.blogspot.com
She's the winner! The marketing partners of this product may have more for me to giveaway in the future, so I"ll keep everyone posted.



The makers of Feliway are giving away a bottle of their spray ($25) Value to one of Pet Haven's lucky readers. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment with some type of contact information (email or website, so I can contact you if you win).

Contes is open through Thursday, September 25th. Each comment will be assigned a number and the winner with be drawn using a random number generator.

Here is some information Feliway from the manufacturer:

With over 88 million cats owned in the U.S1 and 71 percent living in a multi-cat home, behavioral problems and co-existing can present challenges for cat owners. Feliway® is a synthetic pheromone developed solely for cats that offers a safe and natural solution to managing stress related problems.
This innovative product works by mimicking a cat’s natural facial pheromones to help reduce stress and allows our furry feline friends to reside in purr-fect harmony.

• Completely undetectable by humans.
• Feliway has proven to reduce urine marking and scratching by 96 percent2.
• Ideal for multi-cat households, a Feliway Diffuser reduces urine spraying by 70 percent in one month in homes with more than one cat.
• Feliway reduces negative behaviors in cats brought on by social and environmental disruptions, such as multi-cat homes, hospitalization, relocation, new arrivals and when transporting, helping it to accept environmental changes.

• Feliway® Spray -- a 75 ml spray bottle that is applied directly on surfaces the cat is marking.
• Feliway spray can be used in addition with the Feliway Diffuser for urine spraying or scratching.
• Suggested retail price: $25.

Product Availability: Available at veterinary clinics.

More Information for Vets and Cat Owners: Call toll free (800) 276-8197 to speak with a live veterinary technician who can answer questions about Feliway, or go to www.feliway-us.com.

Note: All claims are from the maker of the product and the Pet Haven does not have any involement other then this giveaway.

Internet Hoaxes: Cats, Part Five

Claim: A Japanese man in New York breeds and sells kittens that are called bonsai kittens.


Status: False.

Source: Snopes

Source: Wikipedia

Instead of working on deadlines, completing assignments, etc, I thought I'd try something different. A fun website for you to play with. You enter a block of words, the URL to a blog or a website, or whatever, and this fascinating new website, Wordle, composes your text into word art. You can choose from many different arrangements, fonts and colors. Go ahead--skip your work today. Have fun and play!
The Wordle above was created for me by my daughter Kate, using pages of my blog. Thanks Kate!

Poop Patrol Bags


Ok, so picking up poop isn't the favorite subject of anyone, but it's something we all need to do, right? The No Trace Waste Bags by Pet Nation make clean up a snap. The bags are stronger then most others on the market. In fact, the manufacturer claims it is 5x stronger then any other comparable bag.

One-hand easy-pull dispensing makes clean-ups a breeze. Adjustable strap dispenser attaches to any leash and safety reflectors are ideal for nighttime walks. The holder might be a bit cumbersome on the leash of hyper dogs, as it is a bit heavy to have attached to the leash. But the bags are still really good. They are bio-degradable and packages contain 25% more bags.

When you order the dispenser, you'll also receive 3 refill rolls of bags.

Available in pink, blue, or gray.

This product can be found at most retailers and is part of the PetSmart favorite things promotion. In the promotion,
Online shoppers can save 15% with this link and their PetSmart card.

Internet Hoaxes: Cats, Part Three

Claim: Homeowners discover a furtively flushing feline is the source of their huge water bills.



Status: Real video; inaccurate description.

Source: Snopes

Cat's cradle



Photo via Baby Block

Bath time

To Dicker or Not to Dicker


You get all types at a garage sale. I'm telling you--all types! There are those who pay what you're asking-- sometimes even happily. Because seriously, I try to price everything cheap, cheap, cheap...I'm well aware it's a garage sale, and people rightly expect bargain. There are those who dicker on the price. I don't even mind this, if it's done nicely. ("What's the best you can do on your computer desk?") But others insist on haggling over every single price ("This sweater is marked $1--how about would you take a nickel?") or worse, insulting everything ("I could get this priceless Waterford crystal at the Dollar Store!") and then expecting me to accept their miserly offer.
This past weekend we had a garage sale, which is an exercise in exhaustion. It took days to set everything out on tables, organize and price the goods, and hang signs all over the city. We ended up with beautiful weather (no rain!) and a good, steady turn out. Definitely worth it.
Garage sales are a wonderful microcosm for studying human preconceptions too. One scruffy looking young man in ragged jeans, hair slicked back into a ponytail, tattoos on his arms, sauntered up the driveway. "He's not going to find anything here," I thought, noting we had no tools, biker parts, heavy metal CDs. But--shame on me for judging-- he ended up leaving with a pile of books--classics, too.
One man spent a lot of time looking over the clothes. He was a short, well-dressed Asian man. He came up with an armful of clothes--dress shirts, fleece jackets, khakis. 12 items. I had them marked at $2 each or 4 for $5. That is usually a good deal for nice quality, good name brand clothing. "I give you $3." He said, in broken English. "How about $10?" I said, trying to strike a deal.
"Three dollar," he insisted. "Refuge," he pointed to himself. "Refuge."
"Okay, fine," I sighed, accepting the bills. I have no way of knowing if he really was a refuge, or a wealthy businessman, but whatever. On his way down the driveway he picked up a new notebook. "Present?" he said, holding it up.
"Fine, take it," I said. I knew there was no point in arguing.

Now the garage sale is all cleaned up and packed away. The leftover clothes are all being donated to a church outreach. The books go to the library for their annual booksale. Neckties are being mailed to a high school in Africa. It takes a lot of work to get these items to different places that can use them. I don't mind. I love to donate to good causes. I just don't like feeling like I've been had.

Internet Hoaxes: Cats, Part One

Claim: Photographs show a variety of "painted cats."





Status: False.

Source: Snopes

Cute or not? Baby silvery gibbon



Photo credit: Michaela Rehle / Reuters

PetSmart Favorite Things Coupon

PetSmart is offering 15% off over 1,000 products for your pets.

It's part of their Favorite Things promotion. As part of this promotion, they are asking shoppers to rate and review their favorite (or not so favorite) products. Simply search their site and find products you want to review. You do have to have a free account with them and log in to review. Writers can also upload pictures of their pets using the product.

Greenies Pill Pockets


Items come along that are so thoughtful you wonder why you didn't think of that first. Greenies pill pockets are one of those items.

When I first tried giving pills to my dogs, I tried to give it to them as just another treat. But, apparently the pill didn't taste like chicken, because after the first couple of times, they knew exactly what it was and wouldn't take the pill.

So, then I had to hide it in peanut butter, which is quite messy. With Greenies Pill Pockets, all I have to do is stick the pill in the little pouch, and the dogs don't even know the difference. No mess, no fuss. The greenies are made for both dogs and cats, and have a variety of flavors.

It's easy to use. Simply hold the pill pockets treat with thumb and forefinger, and insert tablet. Pinch the top of the pocket to secure the treat inside, and give your pet their pill, consealed in the pocket. It's great for small pills. If you pet needs to take a larger pill, trying putting two of the pockets together, one on each side of the pill.

This product can be found at most retailers and is part of the PetSmart favorite things promotion. In the promotion,
Online shoppers can save 15% with this link and their PetSmart card.

Fast food



(via Phils Phun)

Legs


Photo: Herbert Knosowski / AP

Internet Hoaxes: Dogs, Part Seven

Claim: Photograph shows a 115-pound coyote killed in New York.

Status: Real picture; inaccurate description.

Reference: Snopes

Catgut

Photography by Staffan Windstrand

Since 1998 Staffan Windstrand has been very active in a five-year media project (together with friends and colleagues Magnus Elander and Johan Lewenhaupt), called ”The Scandinavian Big Five”, in which they try to cover all aspects of the five large Scaninavian carnivores – the wolf, the bear, the lynx, the wolverine – and man.
Man being the by far most common, most distributed, most dangerous and most ruthless of them…

There are many more wonderful nature photos at the Staffan Windstrand Gallery.

Internet Hoaxes: Dogs, Part Six

Claim: Thousands of Japanese pet owners were victimized by swindlers who sold them sheep and told them the animals were poodles.

Status: False.

Reference: Snopes

Internet Hoaxes: Dogs, Part Five

Claim: Photograph shows fireman receiving kiss of gratitude from a Doberman he had just rescued from a house fire.

Status: Real picture; inaccurate description.

Reference: Snopes

Catscan



Photo via: Cute Overload

NFAFC Protects The Deep Sea

The North-East Atlantic Fishers Commission (NEAFC, www.neafc.org) has agreed to implement a UN resolution from 2006 that protects cold water corals, sponges, and other deep-sea species in the Northeastern Atlantic.

This resolution will protect the deep-sea ecosystems and lead to more sustainable deep-sea fishing throughout the Northeastern Atlantic. The fisheries that use high seas bottom fishing methods that damages corals, and other species will be subject to environmental impact evaluations, and some areas will be closed to fishing where damage cannot be prevented.

The NEAFC has closed several high-risk areas over the past four years, but this resolution is a huge step in protecting Northeast Atlantic deep-sea species.

Hey, I was here first!


Photo: Jarrett Raffety / Rawlins Daily Times

Junior the monkey

There's a wonderful post at Old Picture of the Day about Junior, who belonged to the author's grandfather.

Junior, acquired because of a practical joke, became a member of the family and an asset in their gas station business.

Junior loved his job, and enjoyed all the attention he got. He got along well with his coworkers, and he never complained about anything. He received excellent marks in all his reviews, and he was named employee of the month on several different occasions. He was never late for work, and always was the first to jump up when a customer drove in. He really was one of the boys down at the station.

Here's another photo of Junior working at the gas station.

Sleeping Spots



Kelly is provided with two very lovely doggy beds. One is by my desk so she can be near me while I work. The other is upstairs next to our bed for her to sleep at night. Kelly likes these beds, and even sleeps in them at times. But, since she sleeps a good majority of the day, she has lots of other preferred sleeping spots. Her favorite is the back of the couch. At times she curls up on the seat of the couch like a normal person--er, dog--but most often she jumps up to the back of the couch and sprawls out. If we are sitting on the couch and beckon her to come sit beside us, she jumps up and springs to the back of the couch and curls behind our necks. To me, this is cat behavior. Kelly is not a cat-sized dog. She's 35 lbs, rather large to be wrapped around a neck. But it does feel soft and warm. Kelly also loves to lay on a narrow ledge on the front porch. This ledge is only 4 inches wide! There is a wicker couch out there, a chair, and a trunk with a nice comfy cushion on top. But Kelly chooses a narrow ledge. Go figure.
Where do your dogs like to sleep?

Internet Hoaxes: Dogs, Part Four

Claim: Photograph shows a fox amidst a group of dogs.

Status: False.

Reference: Snopes

Today's ahhhh!



from Flickr, by floridapfe

Why Dogs Eat Grass


Does your dog like to nibble on the grass? According to this article from Pet Place, offers up several theories, though the definite answer isn't really clear.

Do dogs eat the grass to make themselves vomit when they're ill? Or does eating the grass simply something they like and then leads to vomiting. Many vets feel it's the latter, that dogs are simply following their ancestors who lived in the wild, and enjoy nibbling on some grass.

Though the act itself if relatively harmless, eating grass that has been treated with pesticides or other chemicals is dangerous to your pet.

Never Release Hobby Fish Into The Wild


After catching a fish with teeth in an Illinois subdivision, Mark Dill and his 10-year-old son were certain they had found a piranha.

What they caught was a close cousin, the pacu, an aquarium fish sold in many pet stores. These fish look like piranhas, but grow much larger and have two rows of square teeth, unlike the piranha, which has one row of pointed teeth.

The fish was likely released into the wild once it got too big for some one's home aquarium.

The illegal release of fish into public waterways can be dangerous to current ecosystems because the fish can introduce new parasites and foreign diseases. Other species could be in danger if the "foreign" fish starts to eat the natives.

The best solution is to call your local store or check with an aquarium society and find someone to take it off your hands. Better yet, research a fish before adding it to your aquarium to find out how big it gets and how much trouble it can cause you.