Pet Mania - Totally Addicted to Pets

My Blogging Competition

2008-11-03T18:29:00.000-06:00

Well, it looks like I have some pretty tough competition for writing about cats & dogs. Who better to know what cats are up to than a cute gray cat? I love this photo!

What's in Our Pets' Food?

2008-11-02T20:30:00.000-06:00

I know most pet owners were as upset and scared as I was when we first started hearing about the melamine that was in some of the pet foods on the market. And it seemed like every day another brand was being put on the danger list. Cats and dogs were dying from the contaminated foods and all I could think of was what would I do if my pets were eating the bad foods.

I talked to my veterinarian about the foods and started being even more careful about the brands I buy for my boys, but I still have my doubts about what is in the foods. They could be putting anything in the foods...the US government doesn't regulate the ingredients in pet foods!

I don't know about you, but I was completely shocked when I found that out. And to prove my point, here's a recent news item from the CBS early show that explains the problem:

[video source]

Recently, I heard about an all-natural pet food brand, Addiction Foods. It's not one of the common brands, and it's made from meats like kangaroo and venison. They have both cat & dog foods and all of them are made with only natural ingredients. I just had to give them a try.

It made me laugh for a minute when I found out that one of their dog foods is made with the meat of wild kangaroos, but my dog loved it when I gave it to him for the first time. He doesn't care if kangaroos aren't even from this hemisphere, he just knows he likes the food.

And my kitty-boys were crazy about the cat food too. To watch them eat it, you would have thought they hadn't eaten in a week. (Anyone who knows my cats knows that they are definitely NOT underfed!)

I guess until the government decides that pets are as important as people when it comes to food, I'll have to buy the special brands for my four-legged babies. But to me, they are definitely worth it!

Carnival of Dogs and Cats - November 2, 2008

2008-11-02T16:21:00.003-06:00

Welcome to the November 2, 2008 edition of Carnival of Dogs and Cats.

Animal Lovers in the News

BoaTips presents Corn Snakes | Snake Tips, How To's and Snake Videos | Boatips.com posted at Snake Care, saying, "How to deal with corn snakes"

Cats

Mark presents Railway Kitty Keeps Cash Coming posted at Lets Japan, saying, "After 18 months "on the job", Tama-chan, the cat stationmaster at a rural train station in Japan continues to attract tourists."

sarah presents Sleepy kitten videos posted at SARAHSPY.

Lynn presents My Cats Are Buddhists posted at Adornments by Lynn.

Dogs

Madeleine Begun Kane presents A Poodle Tale posted at Mad Kane's Humor Blog.

Lynn presents The Greatest American Dog Was at the The Really Awards posted at Reality Exploits - Reality TV, saying, "Photos of Travis Brorsen and Presley, The Greatest American Dog, Presley, on the Red Carpet at the FOX Reality Channel's Really Awards."

Mel presents Have a Daisy Day posted at Daisy the Wonder Dog and How She Found Her Inner Lab, saying, "Daisy is a rescue from a puppy mill, where she was a breeder dog. When I got her she was scared, fearful and lacking in any social skills. This blog is her story and how she found her inner lab."

NAOMI presents BUY YOUR CHILD A DOG FOR BETTER EXAM RESULTS posted at Diary From England.

Pet Foods

Condo Blues presents Allergy Free Apple and Banana Dog Treats posted at Condo Blues.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of the Carnival of Dogs and Cats using our carnival submission form.

A Truly Heroic Dog!

2008-10-28T19:29:00.002-05:00

I saw this on the news and knew immediately that I had to write about it.

When the family's house was on fire, this wonderful dog stayed by the side of a box containing four little kittens until someone came to rescue them. What an amazing act of heroism!

It makes me want to cry to see the dog licking the little kittens he saved. Get your tissues ready and watch this:

[video source]

Cats in Costumes

2008-10-28T18:47:00.010-05:00

Not to be outdone by the canine crowd, the felines have got some amazing costumes to show off too! I laughed and giggled through most of the sites I searched to find these. I have to admit that most of these kitties don't seem to be having much fun...

Here's a good example, a grumpy-looking bunny:

Now, this is one cool cat:

Look, Charlie Brown, it's the Great Pumpkin Cat!

Do you know which one of the Harry Potter movies this is from? I can't remember.

Oh, no, it's a terrorist kittie!

Hey, look! It's the Caped Crusader Cat!

You look fa-a-abulous, dah-ling...simply purr-fect!

This is obviously the GOOD witch cat!

That's funny, I didn't know that the Village People singing group had a cat...

I think my three kitty boys would kill me in my sleep if I ever did this to them... But it's hilarious to see these anyway!

There are lots more here and here.

Fabulous Dog Costumes!

2008-10-28T18:36:00.000-05:00

This is hilarious! It's a slide show of some fabulous dog costumes. My absolute favorite is the three-headed dog, but I also love the hot dogs, the spider and the vampire. You will love this:

[video source]

Pet Halloween Party!

2008-10-28T18:24:00.002-05:00

I found some really fun photos of a Hollywood pet Halloween party! Gee, that's a big surprise...celebrities who dress up their dogs... ;-)

Is this a bumble bee or a convict costume...?

Here's a nurse puppy! What a cutie!

Here's a ballerina doggie. I'm not sure the dog is loving the outfit, though...

Hey, kids! It's Oscar the Grouch from Sesame Street! I love it!

This dog is dressed as a Mexican wrestler. What a hoot!

Are you dressing up your pet this Hallween?

'Tis the Season to Dress Up Your Pets!

2008-10-28T18:13:00.002-05:00

It's Halloween time here in the US and many people love to decorate and dress in crazy costumes to celebrate. And just like people, lot sof pets get to dress up too! I decided that in the spirit of the season, I'd look for some fun costumed pets to share with you.

Here's celebrity dog owner, Phoebe Price with her pumpkin-attired dog. It's a cute outfit! What do you think?

[Photo by Ben Melvin/BuzzFoto.com]

Ethan Hawke and Family Walk Their Dog

2008-10-13T13:41:00.002-05:00

I find celebrities' dogs very interesting. You know, some choose those purse-sized dogs so they become more like a piece of jewelry than a pet. And some want big, tough dogs so they can feel more macho, or whatever.

But take a look at this photo of actor Ethan Hawke and his family walking their dog recently in New York City. The dog looks like a very kid-friendly, easy-going dog. I know, looks can be deceiving, but if this dog is as it looks, it means that Ethan Hawke is more than likely a pretty happy family man.

What do you think? In your opinion, do the pets people choose say something about them as a person? I'd love to hear what you think!

The Dog Whisperer Wins an Imagen Award

2008-10-13T13:28:00.001-05:00

I was thrilled to hear that Cesar Millan (The Dog Whisperer) won an Imagen Award for Best Reality Show recently. He certainly looks very happy in this photo!

His shows are so inspiring for dog owners and help us know that it's not our dog's fault, we just need to learn to be better pack leaders. I never miss an episode of The Dog Whisperer on the National Geographic Channel because Cesar is so amazing.

The series just celebrated it's 100th episode and I was also happily surprised to find out that Cesar's inspiration for moving from Mexico to America was to become the best dog trainer ever...I think he's achieved his goal! And he says that he was inspired by watching the old series Lassie. He originally wanted to work as a dog trainer for the show.

I personally loved Lassie myself, having had collies as a child and now owning Rufus, who is also a collie.

I'm also planning to buy a treadmill for Rufus for the cold and icy winter months. I've watched Cesar Millan train a number of dogs to walk on a treadmill and feel pretty confident that I can get Rufus to do it too. He absolutely LOVES to please! And he loves our walks! I'll keep you posted as I teach him, so be sure to stay tuned!

Congratulations, Cesar! In my book, you are the world's greatest dog trainer!

Welcome to Pet Mania!

2008-10-11T15:24:00.001-05:00

I love animals. I guess that's no surprise to anyone I know because I currently have three adorable, cuddly cats and a bouncy, loving rough collie puppy. The puppy, Rufus, is only 5 months old and has a ton of energy. and the cats are aged from 3 years to 9 years old, so they like to cuddle up and sleep as much as possible. So my pets cover the spectrum of activity and keep me happy.

I'm starting this blog so I can share things I learn about animals, what's happening with my own four-legged family members and hopefully, meet other animal lovers! So if you have comments on my writings about cats & dogs, please comment or even send me an email!

I know that most animal lovers are like me and love to know the latest animal news and really enjoy sharing their pet stories with each other. So I'm going to be hosting the monthly blog carnival of cats & dogs here on this site. So if you write an article about dogs or cats that you think others would enjoy reading, by all means, please submit it to the carnival and I'll post a link to it here on the first of the month!

And finally, if you have suggestions about how I can improve this blog, be sure to email them to me. I'm always open to your suggestions. I'd love this to become an active community of pet lovers.

Be sure to subscribe to my blog and come back often. I'm glad you're here!