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Oscar the cat predicts nursing home deaths 2007-07-25 17:47:04
I just posted this over at PetHobbyist.com but thought it was such a touching story I want to post here too. It’s about a cat named Oscar
who lives in a Rhode Island nursing home, and for whatever reason, he is able to predict the death of nursing home residents.
Oscar the cat seems to have an uncanny knack for predicting when nursing home patients are going to die, by curling up next to them during their final hours.
His accuracy, observed in 25 cases, has led the staff to call family members once he has chosen someone. It usually means the patient has less than four hours to live.
“He doesn’t make too many mistakes. He seems to understand when patients are about to die,” Dr. David Dosa said in an interview. He describes the phenomenon in a poignant essay in Thursday’s issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
“Many family members take some solace from it. They appreciate the companionship that the cat provides for their dying loved one,” Read more:deaths
Advertiser Spotlight: Guardian Petsitters 2007-07-25 17:05:14 As a new feature, I’ll be highlighting one of our advertisers each week. Because of the nature of our website, the majority of our advertisers are pet sitters, dog walkers, dog daycares, dog runners, etc. but we have other pet-related advertisers as well. Some of the other companies that advertise with us offer products and services such as pet insurance, pet first aid training, cat toys, and more. So stay tuned, and visit us each Wednesday to learn about one of our advertisers.
I’d like to start out with one of our long-term advertisers, Guardian
Petsitting Service, in San Jose, California. Robin Hollis, the owner of the company has been in business since 2000 and has 11 years experience in the veterinary field. She and her team of pet sitters care for a wide range of pets and offer the following services:
cat sitting
dog sitting
dog walking
caring for special needs pets
Guardian Petsitters is bonded and insured, and all pet care providers go through a background check Read more:Advertiser
, Spotlight
FDA tells USA Today number of pet deaths to remain unknown 2007-07-22 22:35:37 From today’s USA Today
…
The number of dogs and cats killed by contaminated pet food recalled this year will probably never be known, the Food and Drug Administration says.
The FDA received a record 18,000 consumer calls after the largest pet-food recall ever started in mid-March. Officials said in May about half alleged a pet death.
But tying a pet death to the food requires information such as test results from pets’ tissue and blood samples, which the FDA doesn’t have in most cases, it says.
“The sad truth is that we will probably never know with any confidence the number of animals that fell victim to the pet-food poisoning,” says FDA spokeswoman Julie Zawisza.
Read the rest here.Technorati Tags: pet food recall, pets, health, cats, dogs Read more:deaths
, tells
, USA Today
Pet food recall: Natural Balance, due to botulism 2007-07-21 22:15:04 FDA Expands Its Warning about the Risk of Botulism Poisoning From Certain Castleberry Food Products and Dog Food.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expanding its July 18 warning to consumers. This expansion is for consumers and pet owners regarding canned food products and dog food produced by Castleberry Food Company of Augusta, Ga., due to the risk of botulinum toxin. Castleberry is expanding the recall
to include all of the following canned products with all “best by” and code dates, and FDA is warning consumers not to purchase or eat any of the canned products listed in the table below.
Pet food products being recalled are the NaturalBalance
Eatables dog food varieties:
Irish Stew with Beef Dog Food
size 15 OZ
UPC 23633-59860
Chinese Take Out with Sauce with Vegetables and Chicken Dog Food
size 15 OZ
UPC 23633-59861
Southern Style Dumplings with Gravy with Chicken and Vegetables Dog Food
size 15 OZ
UPC 23633-59862
Hobo Chili with Chicken Pasta Dog Food
size 15 O
China closes companies that exported tainted products 2007-07-20 10:28:44 China closes firms over tainted products…
China said Friday it had shut down a chemical plant implicated in the deaths of 94 people in Panama from medicine containing an antifreeze ingredient and also closed two companies whose products have been linked to the deaths of dozens of pets in North America.
China’s quality control agency also said police were investigating two of the companies — Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Co. Ltd. and Binzhou Futian Biology Technology Co. Ltd. It did not elaborate.
The two companies, along with Taixing Glycerin Factory, are at the heart of the food and drug safety scares that in recent months have damaged China’s reputation as a reliable exporter. While the government has announced the detention of an unspecified number of managers from Xuzhou Anying and Binzhou Futian, Friday’s actions are the most severe and definitive taken against the companies.
The measures appear to be aimed at reassuring global customers Read more:China
Plastic found in cat food 2007-07-20 10:13:25 Does it never end???
Pakuranga resident Rose Fraser was shocked to find her beloved Tabtab vomiting up bits of blue plastic after she had fed her Jimbo’s cat food.
Last Thursday Mrs Fraser, 70, fed her five cats from a 1kg container of Jimbo’s veal cat food, which she had gone to three supermarkets to find because it had sold out. About half an hour later she heard Tabtab dry-retching outside. She went to see what was wrong with her and she started vomiting up bits of blue plastic.
“I thought, ‘Silly cat, what have you been eating plastic for?’ I had to reach into her mouth and pull a long piece out. I got a shock - it was about an inch long.”
But the next day when Mrs Fraser went to dish up more Jimbo’s to the cats, she noticed bits of plastic strewn throughout it.
“I hadn’t seen them before. I was in a hurry and all the cats were hanging around me.”
After Tabtab’s bad meal, she was sleepy for the next two days, Mrs Fra Read more:Plastic
Man saves cats and bird from house fire 2007-07-19 17:55:25
A Canadian man is a hero! On Tuesday Al Tweedie was in the home of his employer when a fire broke out and he managed to get the family’s two cats and a bird to safety.
Al Tweedie had been napping in the house when fire started. He said he works for the home’s owner, Gary McNeil, doing maintenance work on several properties.
He was at the Whonnock property to finish a job on a shed, but felt ill. He said another employee, who lives in the house and does indoor maintenance as well as cares for several farm animals on the property, suggested he lie down for a while.
Tweedie took an Advil and had a rest inside the house. He awoke to what he thought was an alarm clock, then realized it was a smoke alarm.
“All I could see was smoke billowing around me,” he said.
He figured it was around 10:30 a.m.
Remembering that his boss had pets, Tweedie ran to a nearby bathroom, wet a towel, then collected the two cats and bird and took them out of home onto a balcony.
“If
Does your pet need a PDA? 2007-07-19 16:19:40
Technology is going to the dogs! As if there weren’t enough cell phones, Blackberries, iPods, and PDAs for humans to keep track of, now there’s one for pets!
If Fido’s appointments are clogging up your calender then get him his own PDA.
This electronic device not only gives you info on all kinds of cats and dogs but has a diary and address book function - for your pet.
A built-in alarm can be set to remind you of vet appointments, medication schedules and, er, dog walking dates, maybe?
The address book can store all your doggie contacts.
So, numbers for your pet’s vets, pet sitters, groomers, shops, etc, can be stored handily in one place.
Just want your woofer has always wanted - unless he’s holding out for an iPhone, of course…
I dunno…I think if my dogs ever get to the point that they need a PDA to keep track of their busy lives, they better learn how to use the doggone thing themselves!
Technorati Tags: pets, dogs, technology
Bringing children on pet sitting visits 2007-07-27 16:47:08 People who operate pet sitting businesses are a pretty diverse group. You’ll find former lawyers, stockbrokers, teachers, stay at home moms, business execs, and others who pet sit for a living. In fact, there is probably a pet sitter somewhere who used to work in just about any career you could imagine. Partly because of their backgrounds, personalities, and that a pet sitting business can be pretty much what we want it to be, there are many different ways to run that business. Some operate in a very business-like manner while others are a bit more laid back in their approach. And, out of this comes opportunities for pet sitters to debate a long list of topics and practices they feel are and are not acceptable in running a pet care business.
One of the topics that gets a lot of attention is bringing children along on pet sitting jobs. Some feel it is a completely acceptable practice, and are confident in the fact that they can give the pets in their charge the same level of care
Leaving dogs in hot cars - DON’T DO IT!! 2007-07-27 12:10:21 If you’ve read my blog in the past, you’ve likely seen me write rant about people leaving dogs in cars only to find them dead when they come back. Well, here ya go…here’s another one about two geniuses in Maine who left not one, but two dogs in a car while they went shopping at Home Depot. Sure, they feel bad about it now, but why didn’t they think about what they were doing before they left their dogs in an oven to die a grueling death?
Authorities are investigating the deaths of two dogs left inside a car during this week’s hot spell.
According to Ellsworth Police Lt. Harold Page, a mother and her adult daughter parked their car at a Home Depot on Wednesday afternoon and left their dogs inside the car while they shopped. When the women emerged from the store about 45 minutes later, the dogs had died from heat exhaustion, police said.
[…]
According to the Bangor Daily News, the dog owners said they left their dogs inside the car but kept the Read more:Leaving
Vick co-defendant please guilty 2007-07-30 16:17:52 CNN is reporting that one of Michael Vick’s cohorts has changed his plea from not guilty to guilty in dog fighting charges.
One of the co-defendant
s in the Michael Vick federal dogfighting case pleaded guilty on Monday and pledged to fully cooperate with prosecutors.
Tony Taylor, 34, of Hampton, Virginia, entered the guilty plea in U.S. District Court in Richmond. He will be sentenced December 14.
Taylor, along with Vick and two other co-defendants, had pleaded not guilty Thursday before U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson.
In changing his plea to guilty, Taylor waived his right to appeal. He told the judge that he understands he is now a convicted felon.
[…]
It is widely believed that Taylor’s plea, which had been expected, and his future cooperation could hurt Vick and help the government prove its case against the Atlanta Falcons’ star quarterback.
[…]
The indictment says Taylor discovered the site that became the Bad Newz Kennels — the staging
Healthy dogs at Mason Co., WV Animal Shelter to be euthanized 2007-07-29 12:16:35 Dogster.com has a post they’re asking people to pass along. It’s about Mason
County AnimalShelter
in Point Pleasant, WV, which is in danger of having most of their dogs being euthanized.
Noted author Jim Willis barked in this urgent alert regarding the Mason County Animal Shelter which is facing a massive euthanasia of unwanted yet healthy dogs. According to another message, the County Commissioners are not giving the shelter staff any more time. The Commissioners will be taking over the shelter very soon and putting down all but 50 dogs.
The shelter has days to find homes for 200 dogs, before the commissioners step in and euthanize most of them.
Read the rest of the post,and how you can help, over at Dogster.com.
Technorati Tags: pets, dogs, shelter
74 year old celebrates birthday by giving to pets 2007-07-29 11:55:17 Rudy Connor’s 74th birthday was yesterday, but instead of people bringing him gifts, he threw a party and asked people to bring pet food. The Lakeland, Florida resident has been dedicating his birthday to the Lakeland SPCA for the past four years.
The sprightly Korean War veteran celebrated with more than 100 friends, relatives and a couple dozen perfect strangers who called the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2297 in Lakeland asking for directions after hearing what Connor wanted as gifts. “All I ask is for people to bring some (pet) food,” he said.
The lifelong dog lover, who once owned five poodles, has been dedicating his birthday to the South Lakeland chapter of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for the past four years, though his current housing complex doesn’t allow pets. But that didn’t keep Connor from throwing his own party Saturday, paying for the (people) food and karaoke equipment to watch the kibble pile up in the VFW dining
Rent a dog: part time pets for busy people 2007-07-28 15:47:55 The Albuquerque Tribune has an article about a company that offers a dog sharing program. It’s geared toward people
who don’t have time for a dog full-time in their life but still want to spend time with a dog.
Marlena Cervantes, founder of FlexPetz, bristles when people refer to her five-month-old business as a rent-a-pet service. She prefers the term “shared pet ownership,” explaining the concept is more akin to a vacation time share or a gym membership than a trip to the video store.
“Our members are responsible in that they realize full-time ownership is not an option for them and would be unfair to the dog,” said Cervantes, 32, a behavioral therapist who got the idea while working with pets and autistic children. “It prevents dogs from being adopted and then returned to the shelter by people who realize it wasn’t a good fit.”
[…]
Charter member Shari Gonzalez said she was thinking about getting a dog when a dog trainer s
Products for people allergic to pet dander 2007-07-28 14:12:33 A few weeks ago I got a pillow cover in the mail from Achoo Allergy, along with information about the products they sell for people
with allergies. Their catalog includes bedding, air purifiers, vacuum cleaners, and more. The pillow cover they sent me is made of fabric with very small pores that keep dust mites and dander from getting through.
Unfortunately I’m allergic to cat & dog dander so I thought I’d sleep on it for a while…literally…before I wrote anything about the pillow covers. Like I said, I’ve been using it for a few weeks and I have seen a difference. Since my cat and one of my dogs usually sleep on my bed, there’s no way to block out all the allergens, but the cover certainly seems to cut down on some of them. I haven’t been as congested as usual, and as an added bonus, since I use feather pillows, I haven’t had any feathers poking through the fabric. I may just have to get a couple more.Technorati Tags: pets, cats, Read more:Products
Advertiser Spotlight: Embrace Pet Insurance 2007-08-01 20:59:04
Since I wrote about pet insurance last night, I thought it would make sense to feature Embrace Pet Insurance in our AdvertiserSpotlight
this week. Embrace Pet Insurance launched in late 2006 after three years in the planning stages, and offers customizable insurance plans for cats and dogs.
From their website…
Embrace Pet Insurance offers a customizable policy unlike any other on the market. This means that as a pet parent you decide how much and what type of coverage you want. The days of small, medium, and large are over!
Embrace’s policies cover accidents, illnesses, genetic conditions, even alternative and complementary therapies. And we do not cap claims payments per condition.
We also offer valuable extensions to our coverage. Our Continuing Care coverage guarantees that if your pet develops an ongoing illness or a long-term injury that the condition won’t become excluded just because the policy renews.
And our Prescription Drug Coverage bundled with our Den
Companies offer pet health insurance 2007-07-31 21:54:27 Health insurance
for pets is gaining in popularity, and with good reason. These days pet owners have more options in dealing our pets’ medical issues than in the past. Tests, procedures, and treatments that used to be available only for people have worked their way into the pet world. And, since there are more of us who don’t have 2-legged kids, many of us think of our pets as family members (not just pets). As a result, we’re willing to do what we can to keep our family members healthy. So, health insurance for our pets seems to be a smart way to head off some of those medical bills.
The next time you’re waiting for your burrito at Chipotle, deciding whether you’re in the mood for corn salsa or tomatillo, consider for a moment the breadth and flexibility of your health insurance. OK, too boring? Well, then at least consider that if you’re self-employed - like many young freelancers and contract workers in the city - you may have less health insuranc Read more:Companies
Tequila, the jungle cat (sort of) 2007-07-31 21:10:13
That’s Tequila
, my cat. She doesn’t get outside too often, and only when she’s on a tether and I’m outside with her. When she does go out though, she makes the most of it…until she hears a big truck or noisy motorcycle go by. Then she heads for the door! Here she is in one of her jungle-cat poses.
Technorati Tags: cats, pets
Hearing on Austin’s TLAC on August 8 2007-08-04 07:49:46 Whether you’re in agreement or are opposed to the city’s plan to move the Town Lake Animal Center to an east Austin
location, here’s your chance to get involved…
On Wednesday, August
8th at 10am, the City Council will hear public testimony on the City’s controversial plan to relocate Austin’s animal shelter from its current location in the heart of downtown to an out-of-sight, out-of-mind location on the eastern edge of the city. This meeting will be the first (and quite possibly only) opportunity for the citizens of Austin to express their opposition to this highly controversial and dangerous move directly to the City Council at a public meeting. The meeting will take place at City Hall in City Council Chambers (Room 1001). City Hall is located on 301 W. 2nd. St. in downtown Austin.
Your attendance is needed to show the City Council that Austin cares about the future of our homeless pets. As the nation’s preeminent shelter expert recen Read more:Hearing
False pet food recall claims filed in Africa 2007-08-03 23:00:03
A few slimeballs in Africa
have proven that it’s not just some Chinese businessmen and pet food companies that can be downright immoral. According to allAfrica.com, a handful of consumers have been caught filing false claims
against pet food companies after the pet food crisis.
UNSCRUPULOUS consumers are trying to milk local pet food producers after the recent contaminated dog food scare.
Foodcorp CEO Justin Williamson said the company’s Nola brand had received five claims of a suspicious nature between the end of March and May 25. The claims were all later found to be spurious .
Nola said that in each case there was either no dog food to test or no body on which to perform tests. In cases where tests on products were done, it was found to be negative.
[…]
Brian Durham, a consultant with Feedit, said that while fake claims of dead dogs were not widespread, the company had investigated claims on the Nola product that were suspicious.
The rest of the article is here.
Read more:filed
, recall
Dog shoots owner in back 2007-08-02 22:39:21
They say it was an accident that King George knocked a gun off a table that ended up putting a bullet in his owner’s back. But was it really an accident…or was there more to it than that? Did this dog have a bone to pick with his owner? A comment by Miesha Lucas, who is engaged to George’s owner makes me wonder…
“I knew he was smart, I didn’t think he was that smart.”
Read more about King George here
Technorati Tags: dog, King George Read more:shoots
Study shows diabetes on the rise in UK cats 2007-08-06 22:43:52 A scientific study has found that increasing numbers of pet cats are being diagnosed with diabetes, with those that are overweight being three times more likely to suffer from the condition…
The research, based on 14,000 cats, found that one cat in 230 in the UK is now diabetic. Being male, neutered, overweight and not taking enough exercise - at least three of which apply to a large percentage of the human population - are the main risk factors.
The study by the University of Edinburgh is the first attempt to quantify diabetes in cats and suggests that the growth of the condition in pets is mirroring the increase in diabetes in people.
The research on feline health was released as it emerged that the NHS is spending nearly £1 million a week on slimming pills in a bid to control Britain’s obesity epidemic, which is linked to an increase in human diabetes.
Diabetes is also on the increase in dogs, with figures suggesting that 40 per cent of dogs in the UK are overweight, a Read more:Study
Could this be the Vick jury? 2007-08-10 12:20:28
I love it! Gary Varvel is the artist. You’ll find more of his work at IndyStar.com.
(thanks, Evy!)
Technorati Tags: Vick trial, dogs
Menu Foods reports quarterly loss 2007-08-10 00:37:55 From Bloomberg.com…
Menu Foods
Income Fund, the Canadian owner of a company that recalled more than 60 million cans of pet food, reported a second-quarter net loss as sales plunged 44 percent after customers canceled orders.
The net loss was C$3.6 million ($3.4 million), or 19 cents a unit, compared with profit of C$1.97 million, or 11 cents, a year earlier, the company said today in a statement. Sales fell to C$47.2 million. Since the March 16 recall, customers accounting for at least 16 percent of revenue stopped using Menu Foods Ltd.
[…]
Menu Foods, based in Streetsville, Ontario, also said it agreed to sell a production facility in South Dakota to Mars Inc. for $26.3 million. The proceeds will go to pay down debt, the company said.
Read the rest here.
And, a California law firm is suing, Binzhou Futian Biological Technology, Co., Ltd., supplier of melamine tainted ingredients that killed thousands of dogs and cats. Read more about that here and here.
Technorati Tags:
Slidell, LA to get money donated to Noah’s Wish 2007-08-10 00:11:50 I just saw this over at Pet Connection, about Noah’s Wish. If you recall, they were accepting donations to help pet victims of hurricane Katrina in 2005…
Under fire for how it spent millions of dollars in donations earmarked for rescuing and caring for animals in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, a California animal rescue organization has agreed to relinquish the $4 million that remains to help the storm’s animal victims, particularly those in hard-hit Slidell.
Noah’s Wish, which spent several weeks in Slidell after the storm and received more than $8 million in donations from around the country, reached the settlement last month after the California attorney general’s office investigated spending practices by the organization that included a mammoth pay raise and the purchase of new vehicles for the organization’s executive director.
The agreement stipulates that Slidell will receive $1 million to build a new animal shelter, though city officials sai Read more:donated
PetsitUSA.com Business Listing Special - $19 2007-08-08 10:44:59 Are you looking for more clients for your
pet sitting, dog walking, dog running, or dog daycare business?!
If the answer is yes, you need to add your business listingto PetsitUSA.com!
At PetsitUSA.com pet parents are able to do a quick search by city or zip code to locate professional pet sitters, dog walkers, dog runners, and dog daycares in their area. Pet parents will also find information to assist in interviewing and preparing to hire the right person to tend to their pets’ needs.
And, for professional pet care providers, in addition offering a great way to advertise your business, we have business forms, industry related articles, links to industry websites, and more.
BUSINESS LISTING SPECIALUntil August 15, 2007, new business listingsare only $19.00 for the first year!
(That’s nearly half off the regular rate of $36!)
Business
listings at PetsitUSA.com include the following:
Your business name
A description of the services you offer
One or two phone numbers
A link Read more:Special
Man’s insurance canceled due to “dangerous dog” 2007-08-13 17:20:06 A Florida man’s home owner’s insurance
because he has a dog the insurance company considers dangerous
.
A man who took in a stray dog eight years ago found the hard way that the insurance industry considers it a dangerous breed — when his insurance company canceled his home owner’s policy.
United Insurance sent Tim Hardy a letter stating that since there is an unknown and/or aggressive breed of dog on premises, it was cancelling Hardy’s homeowner’s policy.
Hardy said he found the dog he would later name Max on the side of the road.
&ldquo
;He was literally on death’s door, dying,&rdquo
; Hardy said of the dog.
He nursed Max back to health and kept him as a family pet.
Hardy said that when the insurance company asked him what kind of dog Max is, he answered, truthfully, that he isn’t sure. But he speculated that Max might be a Sheppard/collie mix — not knowing that was the wrong thing to say.
[…]
United Insurance, based in St. Pe
Natural Balance announce routine testing protocols 2007-08-13 16:41:01 Natural Balance
has announced that they’re now testing their products for melamine and cyanuric acid, and they’re making the results available online.
We have now added screening for Melamine and Cyanuric Acid to our standard testing protocol which already includes testing for Aflatoxin and DON (Vomitoxin). We have taken samples from each date code of Natural Balance product and subjected them to our testing protocol. With the new “Buy With Confidence” service, you are now able to view these test results. When you see your “Best By” code in the results section, you will know that the samples we tested from that date code met the FDA guidelines for the tests listed.
You’ll find more information on the Natural Balance website, along with the lookup feature to see if your food has been tested. They haven’t entered all of the info yet though, so if your food isn’t listed, they have a phone number for you to give them a call.
I’m g Read more:Natural
Fun with laser pointers 2007-08-16 18:26:21
My cat Tequila is on mission…a search and destroy mission. At any time, day or night, she’s is on the ready to attack the mysterious red dot that appears suddenly, and out of nowhere. It struts across the floor, teasing her then vanishes instantly as she flies through the air on her final attack. After her landing, she looks around, confused. Her prey is gone! She sees the red dot taunting her from the wall in front of her. Again, she stalks slowly, and just as she reaches out to slam it with her paw it slithers up the wall slightly out of her reach. Tequila stretches in an attempt to reach it then sits back patiently, watching, biding her time for the next attack. Although the red dot is silent, the way it flutters on the wall makes one think it’s laughing at her. But…it’s not actually the dot that’s laughing…it’s the person who’s controlling the red dot!
Tequila will never give up though…and it’s my guess the red
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