We noticed earlier today that our 12-year-old cat, Tigra, is being very sensitive about her right front paw. She's not cleaning or licking it excessively such as she might if there were a sticker in the paw. And her leg and leg joints don't seem to be sore or tender to the touch.

She simply won't put any weight on her right front paw, although she is very gently using that paw to lick then use to groom her face.

So maybe nothing's wrong, and we'll keep an eye on her to see. We're wondering if she might be experiencing some soreness in the front joint of her leg -- arthritis or something, perhaps, due to her aging?

Tomorrow, if she's still favoring it and seems sensitive, could be a day to take her to the vet.

Technorati Tags: cat care, paw soreness, pet arthritis, pet care, for pets and pet lovers

Hello out there, all you happy pet lovers, did you miss me? No? I know, the old wisecrack: "Oh, were you gone??"

Well, no, I haven't exactly been gone. But I've had too many things going on and just haven't been able to get back here as soon or as often as I would like. After all, we all know that pet lovers are the best sort of folks around, right?

Anyway, I'm baaacck, so let's move on.

I was looking around the Internet today for pet news and saw references to several sites and products for disabled pets. Most specifically, I found a very detailed discussion of dog hip dysplasia, with explanations about how this disease develops (primarily it's related to multiple gene problems), what sort of treatment is available, and how you and your pet can live with it.

I was interested also to discover that there are many online stores which sell various mechanical supplies and support to help such dogs remain mobile. And those sites sell some useful looking products for other pets facing other disabilities.

Which brings me to my question for today: Do you have or have you ever had a pet with a disability? Dogs, cats, hamsters, birds, whatever, have you ever dealt with any disability issues related to your pets?

I would love to have you leave comments and share your experiences or thoughts about disabled pets.

Technorati Tags: pet disabilities, dog hip dysplasia, supplies for disabled pets, for pets and pet lovers

If you travel much and like to take local tours, if you're looking for family vacation ideas, here's a useful website for you -- Trusted Tours & Attractions, with fun things to do in America's major cities, whether you're looking for a personalized tour of the San Diego zoo, or a bus tour through the boroughs of New York City.

I plan soon to take advantage of all the things to do in New York which you can discover at their website. I can't think of New York without thinking about a crazy experience I had their a few years ago. Well, not really "crazy," just one of those bizarre things where life almost imitates the TV sit-com stereotypes. Yes, it was a New York City taxi ride. I was headed into mid-town Manhattan from La Guardia airport. It was my first time in the city and until then all I knew was what I learned through TV and movies. The cabbie, true to stereotype, spoke very poor English and drove wildly. On one occasion, he simply took to the right-hand shoulder of the road for about half a mile to get around a traffic jam on the expressway. Took my breath away. But the "punchline" to my story came two days later. I was walking up to an intersection in mid-town when a taxi came screeching around the corner, right-turning in front of me. I stopped short and was safe -- and when the taxi came to a stop there was a loud BANG as his front tire blew out. When the driver got out, yes, it was the same guy who had brought me in from the airport.

Moral to the story: When you travel to New York City, take advantage of the Trusted Tours & Attractions people whenever you can to get around town, of course.

Currently, Trusted Tours & Attractions is offering chances to win an iPod "Nano" if you sign up for their "eNewsletter." I subscribe to that eNewsletter myself and enjoy the travel information and news they send out. Please note -- the iPod "Nano" drawing offer ends Monday, March 31st, 2008, so get over there and sign up in time to get in on the drawing!

Technorati Tags: Trusted Tours & Attractions, iPod drawing, newsletter sign-up, for pets and pet lovers

Okay, I'm more than a little skeptical about any long-term value of this program, but here's a California rescue group that's found a way to put feral cats to work for local farmers and ranchers.

Apparently the group captures feral cats, spays and neuters them, then releases them in locations where farmers, ranchers, and others who own large tracts of land are troubled by gophers and other rodent infestations. It's an interesting story and an interesting idea. Locations where the cats are released include warehouses and orchards, as well as ranches and farms. The released feral cats are referred to in the article as "working cats," which sort of makes me smile -- given the spoiled, "non-working" nature of our old pet cat Tigra!

My son happens to be visiting right now, and he and my wife got into a discussion of this. Son, whose girlfriend is a small animal veterinarian, seems more cynical about this story than I and his mother are. His reaction was, "Ah, well. In the end, the cats will probably die or run off. They won't be fed or cared for in any way by the farmers or ranchers, but the rescue people will at least feel good about what they've done."

Well I mean, after all, these are FERAL cats we're talking about, not pets. If they never become part of this program, their lives certainly would have been worse than in this program. If a good cat wants to work and needs a job, put 'em on the payroll, I say. (Ah, well. Yes, that last sentence really is my idea of a lame joke.)

Technorati Tags: feral cats, working cats, cat rodent control, for pets and pet lovers

I'll bet you've heard a lot of jokes based on the habits many dogs have of lifting their legs at statues, figurines, light poles, etc.? And, of course, we all know what pigeons and other birds often do to public statues, right?

All such pet and animal jokes aside, if you have a nice yard and/or garden, here's a "Useful Website" for beautiful imported marble statues to turn your property into the talk of the neighborhood. (By "talk," I mean good things, of course.) The website itself is beautiful and decorative. It belongs to "Marble Unique," and it gives you quick access to everything from statues to figurines to marble mantles and marble or stone fireplaces. They even offer some gorgeous outdoor fountains to grace and add value to your property.

Take a look around this beautiful website if you're looking for display pieces which will add value and beauty to your home.

Technorati Tags: Marble Unique, marble statues, marble and stone fountains, for pets and pet lovers

I know, I know, that's an odd title for this post. It came to me as I was remembering a conversation I had with my son yesterday.

He and I were discussing the future and I mentioned that at some point (hundreds of years from now, of course) his mother and I would be more comfortable in a smaller, single-story house, instead of the 104+ year old family home. (We've only owned it since 1980, but our two kids grew up here and remember very little about any other homes.) I joking said by that time we wouldn't have Tigra, our present pet, and simply wouldn't get another cat after she's gone.

He joking suggested we would have "automatic" pet cats that require no maintenance, because he has two or three neighborhood cats which live more or less permanently in his large backyard and the crawl space under his house. No cost, no upkeep -- what wonderful pet cats those would be.

Which, of course, started me thinking about the frustrating issue faced by almost all towns and cities in our country: feral cats. Those are cats who have "gone wild" for one reason or another. Some were born to "owner-less," feral cats and are very uncomfortable and frightened to be around people. Some are former pets who were abandoned by their families or strayed away and got separated from their families.

Some communities have a very tough "no-holds-barred" approach to this issue: Feral cats are shot on sight. Others have taken that down a notch and seek to capture feral cats, hold them in case an owner shows up to claim them -- then euthanizes them.

But a few communities have adopted a process suggested by the Human Society of the United States (HSUS), known as "Trap-Neuter-Return," or TNR. The TNR policy means feral cats are captured, vaccinated, and neutered. Their left ear is "tipped" for identification purposes. Then they are returned to "the wild," and monitored by dedicated caretakers -- who also watch for new feral members who show up and repeat the TNR with them.

Do you have any feral cats on your property or in your community? I should modify that to ask if you know of such cats -- because you can be assured they are in almost EVERY community.

Tell us your thoughts and post your comments about feral cats, pet neutering, and the other issues related to this post, please.

Technorati Tags: feral cats, pet neutering, Human Society of the United States, for pets and pet lovers

Traveling with pets and trying to book San Francisco hotels? How about a bed and breakfast in the Boston area? Or perhaps something in London, Paris, or Rome?

If you travel much, or if you're simply making plans for a vacation trip, here's a "Useful Website" you need to take a look at -- TravelHero.com. It could make you a hero with your family, AND your pets.

The site name, "TravelHero," is a clue -- this website offers links to help you with hotel reservations, car reservations, and they even offer special travel and vacation deals. I tested their search function and discovered that, if you click on the link for advanced searches, you separate out lodging, for example, with such details as "non-smoking," and "pets allowed."

So if you're traveling, and your pets are coming with you, go to TravelHero.com and check out all the resources they have to offer. Your pets may thank you for it later.

Technorati Tags: TravelHero.com, traveling with pets, travel planning, useful website, for pets and pet lovers

We've had them in our community and you probably have them in your community, too -- people who have been protesting against a famous national chain of pet stores because they sell puppies. The protesters generally claim the pet store chain buys their puppies from "puppy mills," those unethical breeders who over-breed their dogs and keep them in filthy conditions.

In the process of researching all that on Google, I ran onto this article, "10 Reasons Not to Buy a Puppy from a Pet Store," by a writer named Catherine M. Sheeter. The article itself is well written, with some excellent comments and factual information. The author even foot-noted it with cited references to online sources. Although the article appears to have been written several years ago, it's filled with good information.

The only problem is, I see no information whatsoever about the author and I haven't had much luck finding the author's "bio" information anywhere online.

But I have found the same article quoted in full and/or referenced on a TON of websites.

So -- anyone out there able to tell me who Catherine M. Sheeter is or what her "credentials" might be for speaking about buying puppies in pet stores?

Thanks in advance for any information you may be able to give us. Just leave a "Comment" on this post with whatever information you have.

Technorati Tags: pet store puppies, article on pet store puppies, author information, for pets and pet lovers

I'm not sure yet whether these guys with this evening's "Useful Website" have a dealership near us, but they may have one near you -- B-DrySystem, Incorporated. That's the name of the company, the website is The B-Dry® System.

This system provides guaranteed basement waterproofing, with a network of more than 60 trained dealers nationwide. Their waterproofing system has been seen on national TV news features. According to the website, the B-Dry® System rests on more than 50 years experience and has waterproofed more than 200,000 homes nationwide.

I see from their website that the whole process covers draining and drying, repairing, and sealing everything from wall leaks to floor leaks. They even work on homes as they are being built to assure sealed and secure basement and foundation areas from start to finish.

If you have basement water or flooding issues, you need to take a close look at this website. If you have no such issues -- take it from those of us who are dealing with soggy homes and possessions right now, you can count yourself fortunate!

Technorati Tags: B-Dry® System, basement flooding, sealing basements, useful website, for pets and pet lovers

I think I posted sometime back about our old cat Tigra's love for lapping water out of the shower hose hooked up to our bathtub. It's become her favorite method for regular drinking. Oh, she has the necessary water dish which we strive to change regularly, and we have visual evidence that she does drink from it. But the bathtub drink is what she prefers -- well, it's her second choice anyway, we recently discovered. Lapping from puddles in flooded basements appears to be her favorite watering hole.

Yeah, well, of course we don't allow that -- but we just discovered yesterday what a problem it could be. We, as with several million other people between Texas and the mid-Atlantic coast, suffered from that huge nearly-nationwide rainstorm that swept through here on Monday and Tuesday. Our damages were very minimal, thanks to the good old sump pump in our basement. (If you don't know what a sump pump is, look it up. I don't have time to explain.).

But we did get some small rivulets of rainwater and seeping groundwater in the old basement. What we didn't realize until Tigra followed my wife, Shirley, downstairs was that Tigra is intrigued by these tiny rivers of slowly flowing and standing water. She loves to lap from them.

Fortunately, Shirley caught her in the act and we're now keeping her out of the basement until everything gets dried up and cleaned up.

Darn cat, why can't she just be cooperative and drink from that water dish I labor to keep fresh and full?? Or at least just the dish and the bathtub drinks -- but nasty old basement flood water??

Technorati Tags: Tigra tales, cat drinking from flooded basement, for pets and pet lovers