Home Zookeeper

It was around this time a year ago that I lost three pets to separate causes. Two of them were beloved dogs, the other a beloved cat. I have all three of the babies’ photos on the refrigerator and I say goodnight to them every night. I still tell them I love them. I visit their graves, and they still appear in my dreams. But sometimes, I miss them a little bit extra and the day is a little harder to get through. That’s when poems like this help:

Tribute To A Best Friend

Sunlight streams through window pane
unto a spot on the floor….
then I remember,
it’s where you used to lie,
but now you are no more.
Our feet walk down a hall of carpet,
and muted echoes sound….
then I remember,
It’s where your paws would joyously abound.
A voice is heard along the road,
and up beyond the hill,
then I remember it can’t be yours….
your golden voice is still.
But I’ll take that vacant spot of floor
and empty muted hall
and lay them with the absent voice
and unused dish along the wall.
I’ll wrap these treasured memorials
in a blanket of my love
and keep them for my best friend
until we meet above.

Author Unknown

This is one of the sweet doggies I lost. Mel the Pekingese had a heart attack in my arms. She was adopted so, though she was about ten years old, we only had her for about six of those years.

When you’re a pet owner, the animals are everywhere. I was doing a panorama experiment (as a photographer, I want to try my hand at a landscape panorama) and sure enough, one of the babies shows up in the shot!

Earlier today, I was also trying to take some self portraits while taking Pepsi out for fresh air. And there she is again!

It’s silliness, I tell you, and I love it!

You all may know, by the mere fact that I keep up this little blog, that I LOVE animals. I love them so much, that I want to make a business out of it. I’ve been thinking about what would be a good career for me. I’m not much for people, I relate to animals really well, and I want to be my own boss. So, I’ve decided to try my hand at dog walking and pet sitting.

On Monday I took flyers and posted them at businesses around town, I’m going to look into placing an ad in the local paper, and try to get my name out there. I’d love to spend my days taking care of sweet little critters. Of course I’ll be dealing with owners, but it will be all centered around the welfare of their pets. It’s not a gold mine, but I’ve never been a fan of gold…

Now, my question for you all…what should I name my business?

dog walkers, pet sitters, lexington, nebraska, pet care services

My dog loves ice cream. I think it’s the coldness of the creamy stuff, but I recently found out that ice cream isn’t good for dogs because they may have trouble breaking down lactose. However, there are alternatives! Did you know they make doggie ice cream? One example is Mutt Licks ice cream. It’s made with all natural ingredients and great for doggie digestion. It even comes in a wide variety of flavors from “Mutt Mint” to “Razz Puppy” to fit your critter’s tastes.

Another alternative is to make the ice cream yourself! Here’s one recipe from The Big Dog Boutique:

-32 oz. plain yogurt*
-1 mashed banana
-2 Tablespoons peanut butter
-2 Tablespoons honey

Mix all these ingredients in your blender, then dump into ice cube trays, or paper cups, freeze and serve.

*It’s true dairy products aren’t good for dogs, but yogurt contains much less lactase than regular milk and the live cultures are great for your dog’s digestive system. This dog ice cream recipe is delicious and good for your pet!

Let me know how it turns out, dear readers!

dog ice cream, dog digestion, lactose, dairy and dogs, Mutt Licks, home made ice cream

“An animal’s eyes have the power to speak a great language.” ~ Martin Buber

animal quotes, cat eyes, pet lovers, quote of the week

I know I wrote in a previous post how ridiculous some of these high end pet products are, but this? Well, this is kind of awesome. I know my dog Perky would have liked it, it’s like looking out the window on a car ride….but not. I think it’s pretty neat.

It’s called PetPeek, and it’s basically like one of those domes you’ll find at a zoo aquarium that makes you feel like you’re in the water with the fish, only downsized for fenced-in dogs. The product is very reasonably priced too!

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I was on the Humane Society website recently and came across some statistics about dog and cat ownership:

Dogs

-There are approximately 73 million owned dogs in the United States
-Thirty-nine percent of U.S. households own at least one dog
-Most owners (60 percent) own one dog
-Twenty-five percent of owners own two dogs
-Fourteen percent of owners own three or more dogs
-On average, owners have almost two dogs (1.7)
-The proportion of male to female dogs is about even
-Sixteen percent of owned dogs were adopted from an animal shelter
-On average, dog owners spent $211 on veterinary visits (vaccine, well visits) annually
-More than seventy percent of owned dogs are spayed or neutered

Cats

-There are approximately 90 million owned cats in the United States
-Thirty-four percent of U.S. households (or 37.7 million) own at least one cat
-Fifty percent of owners own more than one cat
-On average, owners have two cats (2.4)
-Slightly more female cats are owned than male cats (66 percent vs. 64 percent respectively)
-Fifteen percent of owned cats were adopted from an animal shelter
-Cat owners spent an average of $179 on routine veterinary visits
-Eighty-four percent of owned cats are spayed or neutered

So, where do you fit in these statistics?

pet statistics, animal ownership statistics, dog facts, cat facts, vet bills, pet owner information

Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund

April 16, 2007, will be remembered as one of the darkest days in the history of the Virginia Tech community and the world beyond.

To remember and honor the victims of those tragic events, the university has established the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund to aid in the healing process and generate financial support.

The fund will be used to cover expenses including but not limited to:

• Grief counseling
• Memorials
• Communication expenses
• Comfort expenses
• Incidental needs

If you plan to give, please click the link below:

Okay, this is just…weird. I was surfing the net, looking to see what kind of unique gifts are out there (I love giving gifts!), and I came across this book. It’s called The Complete Petrosexual: A Handbook of Style for the Modern Dog
.

Yes. Petrosexual!

Now, I’m all for spoiling pets, mine get treats, love, walks, kisses, and Pepsi even has a couple of cute doggie jackets, but pets are NOT accessories, and anyone who treats their pets as that and nothing more is not a real animal lover. I’m talking about the Paris Hilton’s that walk down the red carpet with a shivering little chihuahua in a pink satin outfit. It’s just not normal.

Ok, maybe I’m not the right person to be saying this. After all, I did get a tattoo of my dog’s paw print, but a dog is not a dress up doll. A dog is a companion, a partner in crime (so to speak), a little furry child that is generally meant to be naked!

I suppose I just don’t understand how some people are apparently up on what’s hip in the doggie fashion world, what prints are in for pet couches, and completely fine with spending thousands of dollars on a diamond studded collar. I love to have my babies look cute, but sometimes going to far can make your pet uncomfortable. I’m sure my fluffy pomeranian wouldn’t appreciate having to wear the latest doggie couture argyle sweater in the middle of summer. Or any garment for that matter. Trust me, your dog does not need a swimming suit. Or pajamas. Or shoes. Really.

I love to photograph my pets. Being able to freeze a moment in time forever, to create a lasting memory, is a wonderful thing. I know one day the pets I have now will be gone, and I’m going to want those memories to look back on.

This is Mia. She was laying on my bed, bathed in the evening sun, and I couldn’t resist capturing her image.

Are your pets often the subject of your photos?

calico cat, kitty pictures, pet photography, pet memories, remembering pets

“A dog wags its tail with its heart” -Martin Buxbaum

Incidentally, my little dog Pepsi actually doesn’t wag her tail. She’ll lift it once or twice if she’s being spoken to, and when she’s really excited she’ll give four or five “lifts” in rapid succession…

Have you ever had a dog that couldn’t wag its tail?

dog quotes, pomeranian, tail wagging, happy dog, words to live by

Nearly a year ago the family dog of about 15 years had to be put to sleep due to kidney failure. She was old, and she lived a good life, but it was so hard to watch her deteriorate and then finally make the decision to end her pain forever.

Learn more about kidney failure here.

This is Perky. I miss her so.

A Moment of Science answers the question, “Do cats overheat?”

“Close your eyes and imagine it’s a hot summer day. You’re sitting on the front porch, peacefully sweating and fanning yourself. Your dog is sprawled out next to you, panting. You glance over at your cat, who is calmly washing itself–again. You note that while you and your dog are slowly dissolving into puddles, your cat seems unaffected by the heat. But is this really true?”

Read the rest here!

cat science, do cats overheat?, how cats sweat, a moment of science

Did you know there’s an IQ test for dogs?

“These six tests will help you work out whether your canine should go to Harvard or just stay asleep on the couch.

They test your dog’s adaptive intelligence- the ability to solve problems, understand language and learn social cues, like responding to a human smile.”

Take the test here!

dog IQ, pet tests, smart dog, kanine intelligence

“Dogs come when they’re called; cats take a message and get back to you later.” ~ Mary Bly

pet quotes, cat humor, words to live by, quotes