Pet Health

In this time of quarantining and distancing, some people are finding a minute to tackle ideas long on the mind, but not done because time was always short. The practices and projects folks have taken up cover so many fields, from improving cooking to learning a new language, or taking up exercise to slowing down to meditate. Truly, it’s a great time to discover so many new things or explore old ideas. And one cat lover used her time to build a long dreamt about catio. Holli Tracy Bennett/ Facebook A Cat Oasis Waiting For the past couple of years, Holli Bennett had thoughts of building her indoor cats an outdoor oasis. But with running a business and raising kids, the time just never hit right. Suddenly, like many of us, Holli found herself with oodles of time thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. “I’ve always wanted to do a cat patio since I started keeping cats two years ago,” said Holli. “I would love it if they could go and roam the streets, but they could get stolen or hit b...

With the revelation that house cats and big cats can contract the novel coronavirus and become sickened by COVID-19, cat parents are concerned. But try not to worry, just stay the course and include your cats in the COVID-19 safety precautions you’re already practicing. Also know, the infection rates of COVID-19 in cats is very small. And, the two most important things to remember when it comes to cats and COVID-19: If your cat exhibits symptoms of illness, contact your veterinarian. Never abandon or give up your cats. The Bronx Zoo Tigers and Lions Nadia, a four-year-old Malayan tiger at the Bronx Zoo in New York City, NY, tested positive for COVID-19 in early April, making her the first animal in the U.S. to test positive. The tiger started showing symptoms of COVID-19 on March 27th, displaying a dry cough and loss of appetite. When the symptoms developed, the Wildlife Conservation Society, the group operating the Bronx Zoo, decided to test Nadia out of precaution. The resul...

Yes, dogs can eat blueberries! Blueberries, which are available year round either fresh, frozen or freeze dried, are a great treat for your dog. The deep blue color comes from anthocyanidins, which are potent antioxidants, and the berries also supply Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin E, phytochemicals, manganese and fiber.  Phytochemicals are chemical compounds produced by plants including both fruits and vegetables. Some phytochemicals are thought to help protect against some cancers . Tags:  mealtime extras food & nutrition blog from The Bark https://ift.tt/3aPhdEP

Terrible situations occur too often and cats find themselves in distress. But thanks to caring hearts, these cats in need find help and go onto to live happy and healthy lives. But they couldn’t do it without you… And for that, every shelter cat with a bowl of food thanks you! When you purchase the adorable merchandise found in the iHeartCats.com store , you’re saving lives. Thanks to a partnership between iHeartCats.com and GreaterGood.org , a portion of the funds collected by iHC are distributed to animal rescues and shelters striving to give cats forever homes. And by simply purchasing adorable merchandise, you’re making sure The Rescue Bank has the resources to keep feeding cats in need. The Rescue Bank Delivers Full Tummies A pet food distribution initiative in the GreaterGood family, The Rescue Bank has delivered over a quarter of a billion meals to animals in need since its national expansion in 2014. With the monies raised, The Rescue Bank fulfills their mission of ser...

Kittens are cute. A simple statement, but it covers such a deep field because kittens can be cute in so many ways. There are the daring older kittens who love to pounce and play, making cat lovers silly over their cute antics. At just a few weeks old, kittens are taking wobbly steps and beginning to explore. Their little tumbles and first encounters with the big world are adorable. And a kitten with the first taste of wet food all over their mouths makes us chuckle at the sweetness of a messy face. When the food flicks into their eyebrow whiskers, just forget it! Cat lovers are reduced to mush. But, some of the cutest of the cute comes at the paws of newborn kittens. Everything a kitten so tiny does is pure, precious, and utterly heart-melting. Just like this sweet baby sucking his tiny thumb… screenshot, Animal Viral Studio/ YouTube This extreme cuteness was captured when the orange kitten fell asleep in his human mom’s lap. When the kitten started sucking his little toe like a ...

Part Four of Life with Dogs During the Covid-19 Pandemic Maintaining social connections is important for both our own and our dogs’ mental well-being. While we may not be able to give those who live outside our home a physical hug during this time, we can give them virtual hugs via apps such as FaceTime, Skype, Meet, or Zoom. Studies show that dogs can see what is on computers and television screens, and hearing familiar voices is also beneficial for them. • Schedule a virtual meet-up with multiple friends or family members and chat in real-time. Include your dog or other pets on visual calls. You could set up a group meet-up and share what you’ve been doing and ideas to combat loneliness or boredom. Tags:  covid-19 & dogs life with dogs blog technology from The Bark https://ift.tt/3f0I4RB

Human diseases and health conditions—including a variety of cancers, diabetes, UTIs, epilepsy and malaria—have odor signatures. Lucky for us, dogs are experts in identifying them, using their special superpower: their sense of smell. Their latest challenge? Covid-19. A lot of out-of-the-box thinking has been deployed in the race to find ways to identify and treat those infected with Covid-19. One of the ideas, which builds on what has long been known about the canine sense of smell, was recently announced by a team of researchers from the UK’s London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), Medical Detection Dogs (a registered charity) and Durham University . Tags:  dogs help us work of dogs blog news science covid-19 & dogs from The Bark https://ift.tt/2xZGgYA

A pet dog in North Carolina has tested positive for coronavirus, according to officials. The pug named Winston is believed to be the first canine case in the United States. The Backstory  It all started with Winston’s owners, the McLean family. Three members — a mother, father, and son — reportedly contracted COVID-19 last month. The father, Sam McLean, is an emergency room doctor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill  (who had treated COVID-19 patients) and was the first family member to get sick.   On April 1, the family joined a study conducted by Duke. The study — Molecular and Epidemiological Study of Suspected Infection (MESSI) — examines how the body responds to infection in order to develop treatments or vaccines. As part of the study, family members underwent nasal swabs and gave blood samples. The mother, Heather McLean, told reporters at their local news station, WRAL-TV , that officials also tested their two dogs and cat. Winston teste...

Let’s not be too fast to judge! News flash: Former Labradoodle breeder tapped to lead U.S. pandemic task force. WASHINGTON (Reuters). On January 21, the day the first U.S. case of coronavirus was reported, the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) appeared on Fox News to report the latest on the disease as it ravaged China. Alex Azar, a 52-year-old lawyer and former drug industry executive, assured Americans the U.S. government was prepared. Shortly after his televised comments, Azar tapped a trusted aide with minimal public health experience to lead the agency’s day-to-day response to Covid-19. The aide, Brian Harrison, had joined the department after running Dallas Labradoodles, a dog-breeding business, for six years. Sources say some White Houser officials derisively called him “the dog breeder.” Tags:  humor blog news from The Bark https://ift.tt/2W3mvXY

During the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual meetings have become the norm. Talking to each other online is the perfect way to practice social distancing, but oftentimes, it’s not as good as face-to-face interactions. Michigan Animal Rescue League (MARL) realized that there had to be a way to make these video calls more exciting. So, they decided to start a fundraiser to help their adoptable dogs and cats. The animal shelter is now allowing adoptable animals to join your virtual meetings. They might not provide any insightful business ideas, but they’ll definitely make the call more exciting! If you donate $50, you can get an adoptable animal on a call for 15 minutes. Also, $100 donations give you 30-minute sessions with the dog or cat. MARL thought this would be the perfect way to raise money during this difficult time while spreading the word about animals looking for a home. The shelter is only open for scheduled appointments, but they still have many dogs and cats available. Image: Scre...

Fresh bread spread with butter is a simple treat that hits comfort spots just right. And Japanese bread company Neko Neko Shokupan understands the love people have for bread. The super kawaii bread maker also knows folks love their cats and by crafting their popular bread into the shape of a cat head, they’ve made a cat lover’s breakfast a lot more fun! With loaves and single slices of the cat-shaped bread available in Neko Neko Shokupan’s small bakeries across Japan, the adorable bread usually sells out fast. It’s no wonder, check out these fluffy, thick slices. @nekoneko_shokupan/ Instagram But, what exactly is this cute cat bread and how does it taste? Sweet on Shokupan Shokupan is a pillowy, sweet bread in Japan and Neko Neko Shokupan bakes their version of the widely popular bread with fresh milk, flour, cream, honey, and butter. But, the best part of all is the adorable cat head shape. Instead of a round top on the loaf, the company has crafted their bread to be round w...