I’m Not a Cat Person or a Dog Person, I'm an Animal Person! What about you?

For as long as I can remember, I have been drawn to animals.  If asked when that love began, I would be hard-pressed to come up with an answer.

 

Could it have begun with my childhood Boxer named Brandy, on whose jowls I would tug mercilessly while giggling like a Hyena as she patiently watched me with her saucer-like eyes in adoration?

Or was it the hours I spent in front of the TV watching Lassie save any number of animals from the perils of “the well”, only to come leaping through Timmy’s window at the end of the day, her “work” complete?

I can’t tell you where it began, but what I can tell you is that I LOVE ANIMALS. I swoon over animals the way many people coo and fuss over a rosy-cheeked, talcum scented human bundle being wheeled in a baby carriage. But what kind of animal person am I? 

When asked if I am a cat person or a dog person, I would have to reply that I have qualities of both. I possess qualities of other animals that make me an ANIMAL person, not specific to one kind of animal!

I remember a Teddy Bear Hamster that I had in college named “Cooch.” I loved that hamster with the same kind of love that I have for my cat and my dog. It was no different.  Cooch was a living, breathing creature that gave me hours of pleasure just watching him go about his daily hamster routine. The pain I felt when he left for the vast Hamster Heaven in the sky hurt the same as it would if any of my other pets were to leave me.

The stereotype of “cat person” and “dog person” has grown to reference personality traits as well as animal preference. When asked if my personality is more cat-like or dog-like, I would say neither!  I have traits that are “animal-like”, and if you think long and hard enough, I am sure that you do too.

I have the:

·       Appetite of a horse

·       Ability to swim like a dolphin

·       The stubbornness of a mule

·       The industriousness of a squirrel

·       The exuberance of a dog with a new bone

·       The grin of a Cheshire Cat

·       The clumsiness of a bear

·       The talkativeness of a parrot

·       The humor and laugh of a chimpanzee!

There is nothing more that I love than:

·       Being greeted by my dog as if I have been gone for a year, (when in fact, I was only gone for five minutes)

·       The velvety feel of my cat’s fur beneath my fingertips

·       The love and sense of acceptance I feel when I have them both in my arms

·       Feeling my cat’s feather-light whiskers brush my cheek

·       Wiping dog slobber from my face after an exuberant licking fest

This week is PET APPRECIATION WEEK, it saddens me to think that we devote just one week to this important event. To me, PET APPRECIATION WEEK should be EVERY WEEK! Our pets ask for so little and give us so much.

All they want is:

·       Love

·       Security

·       Someone to play with

·       Food to eat

·       Comfy places to sleep

·       A safe home

·       Someone to care about their mental and physical health

What they give us in return is unconditional love.

Let’s not define ourselves as cat people or dog people. Let’s all be ANIMAL PEOPLE! I don’t care if you have a ferret, a python, a turtle or a rabbit; a creature has wiggled, galloped, flew, hopped or swam its way into your heart. You are loved and needed by those beautiful creatures that are in your care. They ask for so little, but they give so much.  Let’s lose the “Cat People” and “Dog People” labels and be ANIMAL PEOPLE!

We are pleased to have Caren Gittleman as a guest writer for If They Could Talk. Caren is a Professional Pet Blogger/Freelance Writer. She and her cat, Cody, write Cat Chat With Caren & Cody http://opcatchat.blogspot.com She also writes Dakota’s Den with her Shetland Sheepdog, Dakota http://www.dakotasden.wordpress.com.

Banish the Bites - Tick and Cicada Pet Safety

People and pets alike are all through the roof about the nice weather, but with warmth comes many tiny bugs that can lead to not-so-tiny problems. According to the Montefiore Medical Center in New York, more than 90 percent of Lyme disease cases from tick bites are reported in just ten northeastern states. New Jersey falls in the top half of this list, and tick numbers are expected to hit extreme highs this summer in our state. For a month or more this summer, we can also expect cicadas, allegedly harmless bugs that can actually pose a threat to our pets. What can you do to help protect your pooch?

Dogs are extremely susceptible to tick bites and the resulting illnesses, including Lyme disease. If tick bites are hard to spot on humans, finding out if your dog has been bitten is even more difficult. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that signs of tick-borne illness may not manifest for 7-21 days or more after your dog is bitten. Even then these signs, which include change in behavior or appetite, can be very subtle. The best thing you can do for your dog is to take preventive measures to avoid ticks and tick bites.

The CDC suggests that in order to reduce the chances that your pet will be exposed to ticks and tick-borne diseases, you should:

• Check your pet daily for ticks, especially after spending time outdoors.

• If you do find a tick on your dog, remove it immediately. For tips on how to properly remove a tick that may already be attached to the skin, you can read step by step instructions at the Lyme Research Alliance website or treatthebite.com. 

• Reduce tick habitat in your yard by trimming tall grasses and brush, mowing your lawn regularly and treating with pesticides.

• Have your groomer do a thorough tick check during routine grooming appointments. To schedule your pet for a full groom, call us at Morris Animal Inn at 973-539-0377.

• Most importantly: talk with your veterinarian. Have your vet conduct a tick check every time your pet has an exam, ask about common tick diseases in your area, and talk about tick preventatives for your pet.

The best method of preventing Lyme and other tick related diseases is to prevent the ticks themselves. A pesticide product that will kill ticks that attach to your dog is an important step towards giving your pet the proper protection. Protecting your dog will help keep you and your family safe as well; though you cannot catch Lyme disease from your dog, ticks that attach to your pet and are then carried into your home can put you at risk. Speak with your vet about finding the right product.

But what about those pesky cicadas? These underground nymphs emerge sometimes as infrequently as once every 17 years, and though they will not bite or sting your pet, they may prove dangerous if your pet decides to do the biting. Cicadas will shed their shells, an exoskeleton that can look like a crunchy treat to dogs, but these shells are not digestible.

The Humane Society warns that though cicadas and their shells may be appealing to pets, ingesting too many can cause vomiting, choking or even an allergic reaction. It’s best to watch your dog while outdoors for signs of interest in these bugs, and prevent your pet from munching on them whenever possible. If your dog shows adverse reactions after eating cicadas, consult your vet for proper treatment.

National Dog Bite Prevention Week: Understanding Your Dog's Signals

It’s National Dog Bite Prevention Week, and you can help the cause by learning to understand your dog’s warning signs. This week was established by Doggone Safe, an organization devoted to promoting education that can help prevent dog bites and providing support for dog bite victims. The ultimate goal of this week is to help us, the humans, properly understand and communicate with our dogs in ways that can help prevent biting. 

As Doggone Safe acknowledges, we often misunderstand our pups. When a dog bites, we interpret this behavior in negative human terms, when to a dog, biting is a relatively normal and primal behavior. By learning to understand why dogs are motivated to bite in the first place, we can help reduce the risk that our pet will respond to situations with a bite or other threatening behavior.

Basic knowledge of your dog’s physical behavior can take you a long way towards preventing biting. Our sister organization, Morris K9 Campus, published a blog post in honor of Dog Bite Prevention Week about canine body language and how to read the signs that may lead to aggression.

Watch out for:

• Tail between the legs
• Whites of eyes showing
• Ears back, head down, or teeth bared
• Excessive yawning or licking
• Furrowed or tense brow

You can also help prevent biting or lashing out by avoiding situations that often make dogs uncomfortable. Avoid surprising your dog, especially while they are asleep, as they may react instinctively and bite. Do not approach a tethered dog or a dog that is chewing on a bone; even if you know the dog well, they may become defensive. Also avoid forcing your dog into a submissive position.

By keeping your dog comfortable and watching for these warning signs, you can help prevent your dog and others' pets from biting. Though they may be subtle, these signs are a dog’s way of telling us how they are feeling. If you watch for them, you can become more in tune with your dog’s likes, dislikes and overall well-being.