Pet Health

Greetings, my pawsome cat cohorts. It’s your old friend Forrest here, and today, we’re leaving our parents out of the loop. Why? Because it’s April Fools’ Day, and I want to teach you some surefire pranks to get your parents back for every nap they’ve ever woken you from and every empty food bowl they’ve forgotten about. They may suspect we like to get mischievous and mess with them, but our humans can’t quite be sure if you’re just being feline or if you’re out to get them. So, use this to your advantage and pull some fast ones on your people on this day of tomfoolery. Here are some easy pranks you can pull on your parents this April Fools’ Day! @9liveswithlucyfurr/ Instagram Sleepy-time Shenanigans So, this prank will be funny and gets back at your parents for waking you from your slumber . Whether a nap or while they’re snoozing for the night, at some point, human toes always find their way out from beneath blankets or maybe a foot dangles off the end of the couch. All yo

There’s more to a dog’s smile than meets the eye. One of my favorite private consultations of all time involved a family who came to me, scared and sad, because they were worried about the way their beloved Golden Retriever was acting toward their two-month-old baby. Though the dog had been a total angel for more than four years, they were afraid they would have to rehome, or perhaps even euthanize, him: “He’s gotten aggressive and is showing his teeth to our daughter.” I braced myself for an emotional session. In the work I do, it’s critically important for me be honest with my clients, particularly when a child’s safety is involved. Sometimes management and training are enough, but with a newborn—or really, children of any age—in the house, there can be no mistakes or management failures. A gate that isn’t latched or a door that isn’t shut can easily happen to anyone (especially to sleep-deprived new parents), but such lapses can have serious consequences. Tags: 

Francisca Franken missed having a cat. Growing up, the Franken family always had cats and their current feline, Joker, was a big part of her life. But when she moved out, Joker stayed home. He was a cat used to some outdoor exploration in their rural German neighborhood. City living wouldn’t have suited him. Plus, the place Francisca moved into was small. It was better Joker stayed put to stay happy. A year went by where Francisca lived with no cat. Something was certainly missing from her life with no feline to call friend. So, she moved to a bigger place with an outdoor balcony and decided to take some time to find a cat. But Francisca soon found fate cares nothing for the bonds of time when she came across pictures of Bean, an exotic shorthair with a look all her own! @bebbybeansprout/ Instagram “I saw her photo and fell in love the second I saw her. Well, at first I laughed because the pictures were so funny and I’d never seen a cat like this before,” Francisca told Bored P

Oh, cats. Felines are the masters of pretending they’re in trouble so you’ll come running to their aid, only to have the cat jump safely away from the perceived peril. And there you stand, duped and shrugging. At least when we try to save our kitties from that too-high shelf, we don’t generally have to employ hardhats and heavy equipment. A stray cat in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, decided to pull the ‘I’m stuck’ routine over the 17th Street Causeway bridge. The wild tuxedo cat perched himself in a perilous spot atop a light fixture along the bridge. The extreme nature of where the cat sat drew some attention from drivers. And, after a call came into Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue around 3 p.m., concerns over the cat’s safety prompted a rescue attempt involving eight emergency vehicles and a specialized truck from the Florida Department of Transportation. @WillManso/ Twitter Net in gloved hand, rescue workers lifted up to the cat in the bucket of the truck. The cat watched their appr

If you’re reading this, then you’ve been captured by Huxley the kitten’s adorable face and inquisitive eyes. And how could you not? Those beautiful peepers are almost as big as her! The little torbie kitten with a stubbed tail has been described as a “spicy little spitfire” by Shannon Basner, head of Alaska’s KAAATs . It’s easy to see as Huxley’s purrsonality shines through in pictures. Just look at the delightful mischief in those bright eyes! @alaskaskaaats/ Instagram All her spunk and sass has served Huxley well, helping the tortoiseshell-tabby shoulder through the issues at work in her little body. As a young kitten, Huxley was taken into Anchorage Animal Control (AACC) along with a large group of cats. Little else is known of her history, but what cat rescuers did know, Huxley was a sick kitten and needed lots of care. After a few months of Huxley’s health waning and waxing, the AACC discovered she was having urinary troubles and unable to go without help. To get the best

While driving late at night, a person spotted a Tupperware bin on the side of the road; its lid sealed closed. Stopping to investigate, the unknown savior discovered a horrible sight inside the bin. A mother cat and four young kittens trapped inside and unconscious. With the container lid snapped in place, the cats were without air and overheated. The rescuer resuscitated the little family, and through a series of frantic phone calls, the cat and her kittens were delivered to the care of the Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter . Staff rushed the felines to Pieper Veterinary Emergency in Middletown, CT, where they were placed in critical care. Examination revealed the mom had gone blind due to lack of oxygen. All of the week-old kittens had puncture wounds in their necks, Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter Director Laura Burban reporting, “The mom was desperately trying to get the babies out of the container and probably trying to grab them frantically and claw her way out. So it looked as though

When you’ve got cats, you get used to them wanting to be part of pretty much everything you do. But to accommodate feline needs, cat parents have to get creative. After all, it’s not easy to get things done with a cat in your lap or acting as a shadow. And if they’re in a singing mood, the melody of meow certainly doesn’t help you concentrate on whatever task is at hand. There’s one particular thing most cats seem to enjoy, as evidenced by a 2020 TikTok trend, and that’s laying on the laptop while you’re trying to work. With 2020 closures and lockdowns, a good majority of the world started working and schooling from home, and the cats loved it ! The laptops now belonged to them, as well as the lion’s share of our attention. TikTok user @bestcoastbaby offered a reason behind the laptop stealing, “So, I read on the internet that cats get on your laptop because they’re mirroring you, and so if you get them their own laptop, they’ll leave you alone.” She then shows us a shot of her l

Is it your dream to quit your job and live on the road, traveling wherever the inspiration points you? If so, take a lesson from Rich East and his van cat, Willow . In 2014, Rich prepared for what he termed “the most well-prepared midlife crisis in history.” Tired of life in the rat race, he renovated a van to become his home on wheels, researched, sold his possessions, and finally put in his resignation at work. “I said goodbye to my amazing colleagues who had supported me for so long, to life as I knew it, and hello to the unknown,” Rich shared. But he encountered one problem while readying to set out from his Tasmanian home. Willow the cat. @vancatmeow/ Instagram A Van Cat Rich adopted Willow from a shelter well before his plans for departure, but he didn’t think she’d enjoy life on the road. He started looking for a home where she could be happy. But Rich had a feeling, one he couldn’t ignore. Something told him Willow was meant for adventure . “You can’t let this cat

In May 2007, Leigh Bateman let her cats into their new backyard for some fresh air. Staying at a friend’s house, Leigh and her felines had been there for about a month, so she felt they were ready to explore their Ryde, Isle of Wight, neighborhood in England. All the cats made it back, except one. Jess the black cat didn’t return from his jaunt. Though she didn’t see Jess again, Leigh explained, “About six weeks after he vanished a neighbour amazingly spotted him back where we used to live… but they hadn’t been able to catch him. We thought he was lost forever.” Though Jess was lost from his family, he wound up not alone. Not far from where the little house panther went missing, sat the grounds of the Ryde House Group assisted living home. There, Jess found companionship in the residents, who named him Tibby. A spokesperson for Ryde House Group said, “Tibby, as we called Jess, found his way to our doorstep around 13 years ago, and made such a regular appearance that he was dubbe

And what can I (or should I) do when my dog keeps sneezing? Dogs’ sense of smell is their superpower; using their noses , they decipher the world. So, no surprise that, like us, they occasionally sneeze, and often for the same reasons. Random sneezes aren’t necessarily something to be concerned about. Common irritants include pollen; household products (another reason to always use pet-safe versions ), perfume and second-hand smoke; or water inhaled while swimming or during a bath. Dogs will also sometimes sneeze when they’re excited, or during play. However, some sneezes should definitely be paid attention to and their causes treated or ruled out. Read on for more details. Common Causes for Dog Sneezing Note: If your sneezing dog has nasal swelling, a persistent runny nose or nose bleeds, or is pawing at her nose, there’s likely to be an underlying reason. Have your vet check her out without delay. Tags:  health care healthy living wellness from The Bark h

Filbert serves as a therapy dog for my foster dogs. He soothes and calms them and helps them recover. He has innate ability to ease troubled souls. Tags:  smiling dogs from The Bark https://ift.tt/2PvlQyR

Ginny is sleep hound. If her person lies down on the couch to nap, she’ll hop into the leg bowl and snooze with them. Tags:  smiling dogs from The Bark https://ift.tt/3ru3goe

English painter George Stubbs made his name with animal portraits that revealed the individual dignity of their subjects The love affair between the English and their dogs is one of the most well-worn of clichés, conjuring ideas of sentimentality, country living and —with reference to the issue of breeding and bloodlines—perhaps of a kind of class-consciousness and snobbishness which have traditionally been counted as national characteristics. Like all clichés, the relevance and truthfulness of these associations may be questionable, but the peculiar affection of the English upper classes for their animals was an assumption of many commentators in the 18th century and has a special relevance for the history of the visual arts. from The Bark https://ift.tt/39hNHJK

A family’s history is bookmarked by the dogs they’ve raised and loved. My husband, 25-year-old daughter and I recently added eight pounds of chaos to our family. Lily is our fifth Portuguese Water Dog (PWD), but the 15th puppy we have had in our home. Lily is tiny. She is black with a white chest and a white dot on her back. She is cute, sweet, smart and funny. She chases after her big sister, Mayzie, who is getting used to having a baby sister. Lily has adapted well to her new home and even likes her crate, which is a new one for us. She hasn’t mastered the concept of doing her business outside, but she is small and her bladder is little as well. Between bouts of running around in circles, chewing on toys or furniture, and trying to get six-year-old Mayzie to chase her, Lily sleeps in my office while I work on my classes. During one of those down times, as I admired how adorable she was and thought how glad I was to have her bring some joy into our pandemic gloominess, F

Mick Jagger has long been known for his iconic music career, but here’s something we’re just learning about the Rolling Stones frontman. He’s a cat lover! This makes his fellow cat groupies want to hit the music streaming scene and find a Stones playlist for a good rock out with their felines . But before you do, meet Jagger’s cat, Nero. A good portion of the world caught their first glimpse of the rock king’s cat in a recent Instagram post. The image reveals the 77-year-old cat dad perched on his floral couch with a guitar propped by his knee. The guitar makes sense, but the couch and its tapestry garden were a bit of a surprise. But not so much as the black cat trying to melt away into the upholstery. @mickjagger/ Instagram Jagger smiled proudly in the photo as he introduced the lens-weary black cat, the caption reading ,  “Say hi to Nero, he’s a little camera shy #catsofinstagram ” But the little midnight rambler didn’t seem too into his moment of fame. Ah, cats. They live

This new comic book series and its hero fight animal abuse Calico is a new indie comic-book character quite unlike anything that’s come before—not your conventional superhero but rather, an antihero. His crusade? Taking vengeance on those who abuse and kill animals. Hector Gil, a.k.a. Calico , is a former boxer and mixed martial artist from the streets of the Bronx. A man driven by his passion for animals, he’s willing to go further than most to protect them. Much further. Tags:  dog culture art from The Bark https://ift.tt/3sndPdS