These Pictures Will Make You Smile

Have A Great Day Within the heart of every stray Lies the singular desire to be loved.

A Purrfect Spring Gift Made Just for You (Click to play)

Make a Smilebox slideshow

My Cats "Beau and Sheik"

Everybody that knows me knows that I love cats. I like dogs, but I love cats. They are the only thing in the house that is self cleaning, except for maybe the oven, of course. I am the kind of pet lover that lets my pets sleep with me and feel offended when they don't. They look at me with great admiration and I look at them for the great pleasure and sense of love they provide. And they are great entertainment. Anyone who has a house cat knows what I mean when I say the "dash and go" game. This is where they are sitting completely still looking like they are asleep with their eyes open and in one second they are across the room like they were shot out of a cannon. This always amazes me. My cats loved the milk ring that you pull off the plastic container. We always pulled them off and threw them on the floor automatically. Most of the time you could probably round up about fifty if you crawled under the bed or dug deep enough in the closet. When we had visitors, especially the ones that didn't come over very often, or didn't have inside pets, we tried to hide them. I always felt like they would think, man these people throw their trash on the floor, how gross! One or two rings would appear during those visits if the cats liked the visitors. They would carry one over to them and drop one at their feet and look up and meow. Most of these people had no idea what was going on, so we would have to show them how to play the the "milk ring toss" game. This game got even funnier after we got a wood floor in our kitchen and family room. The cats would run and then slide........like no tomorrow. They soon learned how not to slam into the fireplace. We had a small wool rug in front of one of our chairs and when they landed on that it was like a magic carpet ride. They loved it! We no longer have Beau and Sheik. They are playing with each other in cat heaven. They are probably looking for milk rings and someone to toss them. I miss those cats with all my heart.

Keep Pets Cool, Comfortable During Summer

PET CORNER: Keep pets cool, comfortable during summer By Laverne Hughey, Humane Society of Harrison County Saturday, May 16, 2009 It is definitely summertime, with temperatures already reaching the 90s and sure to go even higher. "Summertime and the livin' is easy" is not always true for many dogs and cats. Dogs and cats can suffer from the same problems that humans do in hot, humid weather such as overheating, dehydration and even sunburn. By being aware of possible problems and taking simple precautions, our companion animals can bee comfortably cool and avoid serious weather-related problems. Small dogs that stay inside the home will not have problems, nor will the cats that live indoors. Outside pets can easily get into trouble on a hot, humid day. No matter to what a pet is accustomed, it should never, ever, be left in a vehicle during this hot weather. A dog should not be left in the back of a pickup truck, either. Even with car windows open slightly, temperatures that seem pleasant to people will rise dangerously high in a vehicle, often reaching well over 100 degrees. Pets can quickly suffer heatstroke. According to "Webster's New World Dictionary, Third College Edition," heatstroke is a "serious failure of the body's heat-regulation mechanisms resulting from excessive exposure to intense heat and characterized by high fever, dry skin, collapse and sometimes convulsions or coma." According to the ASPCA, the right time for playtime is in the cool of the early morning or evening, but never after a meal or when the weather is hot and humid. Even though your dog may be accustomed to taking a walk or run with you, please consider that asphalt and concrete become extremely hot as temperatures rise. The dog's body can heat up rapidly and sensitive paw pads can burn. Walk your canine pal as early in the day as possible before the street or sidewalk has had time to heat up or wait until the pavement has cooled down in the evening. We should be especially thoughtful of pets that have reached their senior years, as well as overweight animals during the hot weather. If they absolutely cannot come inside to stay cool, be sure there is a shady spot in the yard for them. Dogs also enjoy wading in a child's shallow pool, which will help them keep cool if the pool is kept in the shade and the water changed daily. Pets with heart or lung diseases should be indoors in air-conditioned comfort a much as possible, especially at mid-day. This also applies to snub-nosed dogs, such as Pekingese, Boston terriers, bulldogs, Shit Tzus and Lhasas Apsos. Naturally, plenty of fresh, cool water should be available at all times for all outside pets. Food bowls should be remove as soon as the outdoor pets have finished eating as ants and other insects find the food almost immediately. If the dog or cat comes back for a second helping, it will have a very painful surprise with the first bite. Pet food left out during the night will attract raccoons and other wild animals. Fleas and ticks are sure to be plentiful this year, so consult with a veterinarian as to the best way to prevent them attacking your dog or cat. Mosquitoes are already painful, and if you dog or cat is not on heart worm preventative medication, take Sam or Sweetie to the veterinarian for a blood test to be sure he or she is not infected with heart worms and get your pal the preventative. Heart worm treatment is very expensive, therefore, prevention is definitely the way to go. Thinking of shaving the dog or cat? Not a good idea as the pet can easily suffer sunburn. Experts advise against shaving or clipping closer than one inch of hair. That way, the pet will be protected from the sun as well as insect bites. A hairless dog or cat is at the mercy of hungry, biting insects. The animal will no doubt be more miserable than if it had long hair. When in doubt, always ask the veterinarian.

Twitterbug

I have definitely caught the Twitterbug. It is kind of like the flu. If you are exposed to it, you will catch it. I like it for a lot of reasons. I can chat with other Twitterers about American Idol, DWTS, cats, blogging, what kind of day it is, actually anything that I want to. My favorite people are the cat and dog people, as we all know most pet owners are good people and love and take care of their pets. They are kind to others and have interesting things to say, even if they are speaking for their pets :). It is a good way to get connected and make new friends.