Archive for the ‘raise a paw’ Category
What is a Dewclaw?
Raise A Paw
When I was about 12, our family dog — Louie — ended up somehow catching his dewclaw in a metal piece of his collar and tearing the nail. Poor pup had to wear a cast while it healed, which wasn’t fun for anyone.
At the time, I ignored the the fact that I had no idea what purpose a dewclaw served, but now I find myself wondering what this mysterious nubbin is all about.
Can I Flush My Indoor Cat’s Poo?
Raise a Paw
Back in December and January, I posted about toxoplasmosis and why you shouldn’t flush cat poop down the toilet. Well, Pawesome cohort tipped me off that there’s been some discussion about whether it’s OK to flush cat litter/poo if your cats are indoor cats. Read the rest of this entry »
Do All Dogs Bark?
Raise A Paw
There is a new puppy in my building who, while adorable, is a chatterbox. Every time you come in to the building, leave the building, walk near the building or think about the building, she’s barking at you. I know she is just doing her puppy duty and to be perfectly honest, she’s so cute I don’t imagine I could even consider being annoyed at her, but that pooch has got to be wearing her vocal chords out.
Which got me to thinking about how people can wear their own voice box out. Or even, be born without the ability to speak at all. (Holly Hunter in The Piano, anyone?) So, if people have a voice that can stop working, can dogs? I mean, essentially, the voice box is the same idea, so that led me to wonder, Do All Dogs Bark?
Hittin’ The Nip
Raise a Paw
Snuggles serenely lies on a paper towel, staring into infinity, oblivious to all that surrounds him until The Dude cautiously slinks into his field of vision. Snugs slowly and deliberately turns his head, a formidable glare affixed to his piceous visage, and Dude freezes in his tracks. The tension is palpable. The standoff continues for what surely seems like hours to the two black felines, and then… BAP! Dude gets bopped on the nose and beats a hasty retreat. Snugs re-adjusts to ensure maximum possible coverage of the paper towel, then returns to his zen-like state. The battle for the nip has subsided… for now.
But why?
As I sit there watching my stoned cats interact with each other, it dawns on me that I have absolutely no idea why they like catnip. Furthermore, I have no idea why the now-departed cats I’ve shared my living space with didn’t like catnip. Human drugs need to be taken into the body in some way — drunk, eaten, smoked, sniffed, injected — to do its stuff. Catnip, however, seems to require no such consumption; a cat’s proximity is sufficient to trigger a strong and often entertaining reaction. I resolve to find the answers.
Are Avocados Really Toxic to Dogs?
Raise a Paw
Last week a friend posted this clip on his FB page: In this episode of California’s Gold, avocado farmers in Fallbrook, CA are showing Huell Howser (love him!) their funny dog who loves eating the rich, fatty, delicious fallen green fruit. They explain that this dog, as well as all their dogs, love eating avocados. I was a little horrified when I saw this because I have always heard that avocados should not be fed to dogs, that they are toxic for pooches (as well as cats, birds, and horses). But these farmers, along with some other dog owners, contend that avocados are healthy treats for dogs, and point to their shiny, healthy coats that the fruits seem to give them. There are even dog foods on the market that contain avocados in them. So who’s right?
Cat Nights
Raise a Paw
So here we are, smack in the middle of the “Dog Days” of summer, but did you know that today, August 17, is the beginning of “Cat Nights”?
According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the idea of cats having nine lives comes from an old Irish legend of witches transforming themselves into cats. This legend states that a witch can do this and change back only 8 times. The last chance they have to do it is on August 17, and if it’s their last chance, they’ll remain a cat forever. It goes on to speculate that since August is a particularly “yowly” time for cats (is it?) the caterwauling made people suspect a witch in her final and permanent feline form was on the prowl.
The few other references to Cat Nights I could find all seem to either reference The Old Farmer’s Almanac or use suspiciously similar language. So is this truly an obscure and arcane legend? Or is it something made up by an almanac author who didn’t have anything to write on the calendar for August 17? Either way, I think it’s kind of fun. Maybe I’ll take my kitties for a late night cat walk.
Image: The Love Potion by Evelyn de Morgan, taken from Wikipedia
