The 2008 Presidential Candidates--And Their Pets

Filed Under: Dogs, Cats, Pocket Pets, Reptiles, Cows, Birds, Fish

What does a person’s pets say about them? If you can figure anything out about someone by the pets they keep, you may want to take a look at the pets of all the presidential candidates. It may help you decide on your way to the ballot box!

Antifreeze Poisoning or Ethylene Glycol Toxicosis in Dogs and Cats

Filed Under: Dogs, Cats, Poisoning


Holiday Hazards for Your Pets

Filed Under: Dogs, Cats, Pocket Pets, Reptiles, General Care, Poisoning, Birds

The holidays are a joyous time for friends and socializing. We decorate our households, fix elaborate meals, bring trees and special plants into our households, and yet we pay little attention to what effect these new habits will have on those furred and feathered around us.

Are Pets Appropriate Gifts?

Filed Under: Dogs, Cats, Pocket Pets, General Care, Birds, Fish

Are pets appropriate gifts for the holidays? The answer to this should always be yes, but unfortunately this question is often tragically answered, no! Pets make wonderful companions. They enrich our lives and are always there for us. Where else are you going to find an individual that is always in a good mood and glad to see you? These wonderful critters are devoted and loyal. Yet they are dependent on us for everything, thereby creating an awesome responsibility.

Chocolate Toxicosis

Filed Under: Dogs, Cats, Poisoning


Mistletoe Poisoning

Filed Under: Dogs, Cats, Diet & Nutrition, Poisoning

As much as we may like to kiss under mistletoe, we humans don’t usually eat it. But our pets may have other ideas.

Poinsettias: Pretty or Poisonous?

Filed Under: Dogs, Cats, Poisoning

Thinking of throwing out that poinsettia the florist just delivered since you have pets in the house? That is probably not necessary. Although poinsettia poisoning has gained a lot of press, they are not all that toxic.

Poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) are also known as the "Christmas flower" or "star". They are a popular plant used as decoration around the holidays from November through December. The plant is actually a shrub and has brightly colored red, white or pink terminal leaves while the lower leaves remain green in color.

Protect Your Cat From Toxic Black Mold

Filed Under: Cats, Poisoning

Hurricane and flood damage have recently brought exposure to black mold (Stachybotrys chartarum) to the forefront. Today most insurance companies try to exclude mold damage from coverage. Mitigation of mold is commonly the most costly consequence of water damage. Water staining to wood and sheetrock may appear unsightly, but it is the often hidden damage incurred from mold lurking underneath that is of greater concern.

Feline Leukemia Virus

Filed Under: Cats, Diseases

Feline Leukemia is a retrovirus. As a member of the retrovirus family, the feline leukemia virus’s genetic material is transmitted as RNA. Once the virus infects the cell, DNA copies of the virus are transcribed and these copies are inserted randomly into the host’s genetic material. Once the DNA is integrated within the genome, any cell division that occurs will cause both of the new cells to contain the virus.

Catnip and other Cat Attractants

Filed Under: Cats, Behavioral & Training, General Care

Natural cat attractants include more than 100 plant species that produce terpenoid-based organic chemicals that elicit responses from domestic cats. Of these plant species, a herb known as catnip is the most appealing attractant to most cats. Catnip or catmint (Nepeta cataria) is a perennial herb in the mint family Labiateae. Approximately 70 to 90% of all cats possess the genetic ability to respond to the active ingredients in catnip. The scent is the primary attractant.

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