Sunday, February 11, 2007 , the wee hours

Great magazines for pet lovers

I love magazines, and I wanted to compile a list of my favourite publications about animals and pets.  I started working on this entry on January 25th, believe it or not, and it’s taken me this long to get around to finishing it!  In any case, here are the pet/animal magazines I read regularly:

  • Cat Watch:  This is a small publication, newsletter format, and it’s only a few pages long.  Still, it packs a lot of information into those pages, and it’s all very current and cutting edge.  And useful.  Every issue has at least one article which relates to a pet health or behavioural problem that’s affected us.  There are no advertisements, and each issue can be stored in a three-ring binder for future reference.
  • Whole Dog Journal:  This is another newsletter publication, but it focuses more on natural health and healing.  Lots of very pertinent medical information is included, so it’s not all Bach flower essences and reiki.  They annually publish a very popular guide to dog food which is worth the cost of the entire subscription.  They also have an online-only subscription option, and they’ll send your newsletter via email, in html or pdf, to save trees.
  • Animal Sheltering:  This large magazine is a publication of HSUS.  It won’t suit everyone’s tastes, and it’s geared at workers in the animal rescue/shelter community.  A lot of the articles are over my head, but I still love it for things like the advertisements.  Is that weird, loving a magazine for the ads?!  It’s a great place to find information on animal rescue products like traps, display cages, medical equipment, etc.
  • Best Friends:  You can buy Best Friends magazine at the newsstand, or receive it free with a $25 donation to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary.  It’s the best nonprofit publication I’ve ever seen, and is actually cheery.  Yes, instead of horrifying you with terrible stories, it’s full of good stories about happy pet adoptions and interesting animal news from around the world.  I guarantee that every issue contains at least one adorable puppy and/or kitten photo.
  • The Bark:  The Bark is a lifestyle magazine for dog owners.  The articles are very current and up-to-date, featuring trends in the world of dogs.  There’s something in it for every dog owner, whether the dog is a purebred or a mutt, and it also has some neat ads.  The Bark is where I first saw an ad for Merrick pet food, for example.  This would be a great gift magazine for someone who loves their dog, but doesn’t want to get involved with reading veterinary journals or dry articles about pet food nutrition.  The articles are informative but lively, and even a non-dog owner would enjoy them.
  • Companion Parrot Quarterly:  Hands down, the best animal-themed magazine ever produced.  Each issue is absolutely packed with good information, and editor Sally Blanchard fills the magazine with articles by experts on topics like parrot nutrition and behaviour.  Blanchard draws the most amazing illustrations for each issue, too.  I enjoy all the parrot anecdotes which readers submit each month, as well.  This is perhaps the only magazine I permanently hoard, and I’ve kept every single issue I’ve ever received.
  • Veterinary Technician:  I started reading vet tech a couple of years ago, before I ever imagined I could perhaps become a tech myself.  While the scientific information in some articles can be challenging, it’s nevertheless an excellent publication for the pet owner who wants to be very involved and knowledgeable about their pet’s health.  It will also give you insight into some of the challenges of working as a vet tech.  These are very dedicated people who are well-educated but who often don’t earn a whole lot of money, so remember to send your techs a box of chocolates every once in a while.

I still sometimes enjoy an issue of Cat Fancy or Dog Fancy, but the issues become a bit repetitive after you’ve read them for a while.  I used to love Bird Talk, but after two years of subscribing, I noticed that many of the articles started to repeat themselves, and I wasn’t learning anything new.  I also didn’t enjoy the “posters” in each issue.  They were pretty to look at, but what was I supposed to do with them?  I would have rather seen the ink used for more information (or the ink not used and the price reduced).  Still, any of the Fancy Publications magazines make good gifts if you know someone loves a particular type of animal.

Any favourite magazines of yours that I’ve forgotten to mention?

Posted by Leigh-Ann on 02/11 at 02:03 AM
The Litterbox • (1) Comments • Permalink

Saturday, February 10, 2007 , early evening

Madison at three weeks

image

She’s trying to make friends, and just learning that she has paws to lick and stick in her mouth.  Doesn’t Missy Mae look thrilled?!

Posted by Leigh-Ann on 02/10 at 07:10 PM
The Litterbox • (6) Comments • Permalink

Thursday, February 08, 2007 , late evening

One kitten is not easier than four

Remember a couple of weeks ago when I was all cheery and cocky about how easy it was to raise just one kitten?  I could spend lots of time with her, it hardly took any time to feed her, etc.?  I take it all back - it’s not that easy!  She’s very, very fussy, I think because she doesn’t have any littermates for cuddling and entertainment.  I’m trying to spend a lot of time with her to compensate, but she’s like a colicky baby.  She’s eating enough, is energetic, and seems very healthy, so I’m not worried about her physical health.  I just hope I’m properly tending to her emotional health.

I’ve tried to elicit Missy Mae’s help, but she’s been reluctant so far.  She might come around.  In the interim, I ordered a Doggles Comfort Pal (the small kitten one), and I hope it will arrive by tomorrow.  It supposedly has an audible heartbeat—too bad it doesn’t have a heat source.  I’ll have to wrap it in a towel because Madison is learning to, um, poop and pee on her own.

Other than screeching like a banshee, she really is fun.  She loves being cuddled up under my chin and having her belly rubbed.  I wish she was a better eater - she takes a very long time to eat - but she’s still fun.  Loud, though!  Loud!  I’m waiting for the neighbours to ask us if we’ve got a baby in the house.

Posted by Leigh-Ann on 02/08 at 10:13 PM
The Litterbox • (4) Comments • Permalink

Tuesday, February 06, 2007 , terribly early in the morning

The Emergency Vets are back!

If you were a fan of Animal Planet’s “Emergency Vets”, then you’ll be excited to learn that the ER docs are back in a new show, ”E-Vet Interns”.  I think the show may have debuted tonight, but you’ll be able to find multiple re-airings and repeats of it if you missed it.  I’m TiVo-ing it as incentive to walk on the treadmill—I’ll only watch it when I’m walking, or so I tell myself.

Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald of Emergency Vets will be here in Las Vegas doing a fund-raiser lunch during the Western Veterinary Conference.  I’ve heard some of his stand-up, and I’m glad he’s kept his day job wink

Posted by Leigh-Ann on 02/06 at 04:20 AM
The Litterbox • (4) Comments • Permalink

Monday, February 05, 2007 , the wee hours

If you walked a mile in my shoes, you’d fall down

I try to keep all my writing on the subject of fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis on my other blog, Tired Girls.  I do enough complaining here without making you read about my pharmaceutical bills as well.  However, I’ve recently had some experiences where people who read this blog have been confused about the state of my health, so I wanted to try and explain what it’s like to have FMS/CFS/ME.

My illnesses are not “all in my head”.  Sadly, used to think they were all in my head, and assumed that with willpower, I could make my symptoms vanish.  It didn’t work.  Ironically, the more I push and fight how I feel, the worse I get.  I know your thoughts are well-intentioned, but I cannot just “get over it”, and I cannot just “try a little harder”.  My symptoms will not magically disappear if I “spend less time in front of the computer”, or “get some fresh air”.  My illness may include the word “fatigue” in its name, but it’s not a fatigue you’ve ever experienced, unless you’ve perhaps had the flu.  Have you ever woken up sick, achy, feverish—so sore that it hurt to put your feet on the floor, so tired you barely had energy to walk to the bathroom?  That’s how I’ve felt just about every single day for the past ten years.  Every morning, I force myself to get up, and to earn a living, and to care for the pets, and some days it’s so difficult that I can’t bear to climb the stairs.  The mere fact I get out of bed every day makes me a superhero.

I have my own FMS/CFS demons that I fight with.  There’s still a small voice in my head which feels guilty if I need to take a nap.  There’s a part of me which wonders if I am just being lazy, and if I should keep trying to push through the pain, because I forget that how I feel isn’t the norm.  I can’t remember what it was like to live without pain, and I find it hard to imagine that there are people who get up in the morning, or who get up from sitting, and who feel good.  I don’t remember what it’s like to feel energetic, even though I was a long-distance cyclist when I first got sick, and used to love working out.  I can’t remember what it was like to easily carry a 40lb. bag of cat litter—now I have to buy the 20lb. bag, because it’s the only one I can lift.  Even worse is the mental fog - I have trouble thinking clearly to write or research unless I’m aided with medication.  When I write blog entries, I’m medicated so my brain can focus on thinking and not on pain.  Given that I make my living by writing, you can see how this problem can be a challenge and a nightmare.

A big issue for me is that every little stress makes me feel worse, even just the stress of a changed schedule.  I have to budget my energy if I want to leave the house.  Flippy and I try to plan no more than two “events” in any given week, because we need time to prepare and time to recover.  This causes some family strife, because we can’t just drop everything on a whim and join the family for a meal or other get-together—we have to specifically plan and budget our resources ahead of time.  We’re not anti-social, we just aren’t always capable of expending the energy.  Also, please believe me when I tell you that I know I’ve gained weight over the past three years.  It’s not like I haven’t noticed, and I can’t rectify the problem with exercise or dieting.  Some of the weight was brought on by medication, and some by inactivity, but I’m not capable of exercising anymore.  I’d like to be, and I hope to find a medication which will allow me to achieve that goal, but right now my doctor doesn’t want me attempting anything other than light swimming.  My physical condition is not a symptom of a lack of fortitude.

Anyway, I guess this is the end of another of my semi-pointless rants.  I’ve always been a “Type A” personality, and I’ve been a go-getter and an over-achiever since I was a small child.  I never wanted to be told that there was anything I couldn’t do, any goal I couldn’t realize.  I lived an unconventional and exciting life, and then I fell ill with a disease that holds me back.  I hate sitting in one place, I hate not being in control, and I hate that there’s now a force in my life which is stronger than my willpower or my motivation.  More than those things, I hate that some people now perceive me as lazy!  I wish I could trade bodies with those people so they could see how I feel, but the joke would be on them… I wouldn’t give their body back.

Tomorrow, I’ll try to blog about kittens and puppies or something warm and cute smile

Posted by Leigh-Ann on 02/05 at 12:47 AM
The Litterbox • (14) Comments • Permalink

Sunday, February 04, 2007 , the wee hours

Problems with Beneful dry dog food?

Edited on Feb. 11th to add this link to Snopes.com, where they have a response from Purina.

I’m seeing scattered reports on various forums about problems with Beneful dog food, perhaps even an aflatoxin problem.  I can’t verify anything, there doesn’t seem to be any official report, and some of the forums discussing it don’t necessarily seem particularly reputable (or, in some cases, articulate).  However, I still feel like I should mention it here, because if this is just the beginnings of a larger issue, I’d feel terrible if I’d hadn’t said anything.

Long story short, there are rumours flying around about Beneful making dogs sick.  They’re just rumours at this point.  If you feed your dog Beneful, keep this in mind, and be sure to take your dog to the vet if he/she stops eating, is vomiting, or is otherwise “just not right”.  There may be nothing at all to the story (there are lots of people online who get their jollies from scaring others), but just be aware.  If you feed your dog a corn-based kibble you should always be aware of the potential for aflatoxin, in any case.

Posted by Leigh-Ann on 02/04 at 12:48 AM
The Litterbox • (2) Comments • Permalink

Saturday, February 03, 2007 , late at night

Poison alert: liquid potpourri

There’s nothing like a blog entry about poisonous substances to brighten up a weekend, so I’d like to pass along a warning from the ASPCA about the dangers of liquid potpourri to your pets.  Not only can liquid potpourri obviously cause burns from heat, the essential oils in the potpourri can cause chemical burns and other harsh reactions.  Cats are especially susceptible to the problem—if they climb up on a surface and spill the potpourri contents, they may lick spilled material off their fur.  Instead of heating potpourri to make your house smell good, may I suggest baking some chocolate chip cookies instead?  You can invite me over to help eat them if you’re concerned about such things.

Posted by Leigh-Ann on 02/03 at 11:51 PM
The Litterbox • (0) Comments • Permalink

February is “spay and neuter” month

February 27th is Spay Day USA, and throughout the month there are special events being held online, and in communities all across the country.  Check out the Spay Day USA website for information about events and promotional tips.  You can download artwork for t-shirts, posters, and even billboards, as well as scripts for things like radio PSAs.  Lots of great information!

Posted by Leigh-Ann on 02/03 at 11:41 PM
The Litterbox • (0) Comments • Permalink

Friday, February 02, 2007 , terribly early in the morning

Guess who’s two weeks old?

image

Posted by Leigh-Ann on 02/02 at 03:01 AM
The Litterbox • (5) Comments • Permalink
Page 2 of 2 pages  <  1 2

Adopt a Big Dog!