Olympics 2012 and Pet Agility

We watched the opening ceremony for the 2012 Olympics on television yesterday. We look forward to watching the competitions as well.

Many people do not know that there are similar competitions for dogs and cats. They are called agility competitions/trials. The American Kennel Club has been involved in canine agility trials for many years. More recently, the Cat Fanciers Association began having feline agility competitions. These competitions are fun to watch and reminds us how smart, agile and athletic pets can be. If you have not attended an agility event for dogs or cats, these are family friendly events you may consider. They are held in different locations so you may be able to find one relatively close to you. This link to AKC can provide more information on canine agility http://www.akc.org/events/agility/ and this link provides more information on CFA feline agility http://agility.cfa.org/spectator.shtml. If you attend any events, let us know.

Aurora, Colorado Tragedy

Yesterday - A terrible tragedy occurred in Aurora, Colorado when a gunman burst into a movie theatre and shot in excess of 70 people. At the time of this writing,12 people have been confirmed dead. We send our sincere condolences to the families, friends and community of Aurora, CO who have been affected by this tragedy.

Today - It is likely that many of the victims had a pet at home that they loved. In this instance, the vicitims families or members of the community will make sure they have homes. What about you? If you have a pet and something happened and you could not come home, what will happen to your pet(s)? If you have not already made arrangements for your pet, we encourge you to do so today because as this tragedy reminds us, tomorrow is not promised to anyone.

Oprah's David Copperfield Interview

Last night we watched Oprah's interview with David Copperfield. He shared portions of his childhood, his passion for his work, his personal museum, the fact that he owns eleven (that's right - 11) islands and his outlook on life.

The interview took place on one of David's islands. He took Oprah for a ride to tour part of it. He stopped so Oprah could get out and get a closer look at a peacock that was in full feather display. It was so gorgeous Oprah took a picture of it with her cell phone. In a different scene, David showed Oprah two small toucan birds as they were being hand-fed. We have found a positive connection between pets (whether the pets are domestic or not) and the well-being of people throughout time.

Of course Oprah did one of the the things she does so well; she asked questions that many David Copperfield fans wanted to know the answers to. He did not skirt them. He gave answers to what was asked.

We really enjoyed this interview. If you did not see it last night, check your local TV listings to see when it airs on OWN in your area and watch it. Let us know what you think.

Most Popular Cat Breeds

The number of pedigreed registered cats is huge. Two of the major cat registries who maintain statistics on the breeds they register are the Cat Fanciers' Association, Inc. (CFA) and The International Cat Association (TICA). Each registry determines which breeds they accept. There is some duplication of accepted breeds but there are differences. For example, CFA does not register Bengals but TICA does.

CFA's top five most popular cat breeds for 2011 are:
1. Persian
2. Exotic
3. Maine Coon
4. Ragdoll
5. Sphynx

TICA's top five most popular cat breeds for 2010 are:
1. Bengal
2. Ragdoll
3. Maine Coon
4. Savannah
5. Sphynx

Let us know if they got the order right in your opinion. If your favorite breed of cat is not there, tell us what it is and why.

Most Popular Registered Dogs

There are many different pedigreed registered dogs. The American Kennel Club (AKC) maintains a huge registry of the different breeds. They posted an article on 2/23/12 that lists the 10 most popular dogs in the United States in 2011. According to the AKC, they are:

1. Labrador Retriever
2. German Shepherd Dog
3. Beagle
4. Golden Retriever
5. Yorkshire Terrier
6. Bulldog
7. Boxer
8. Poodle
9. Dachshund
10. Rottweiler
You can read the entire article at this link: http://www.akc.org/news/index.cfm?article_id=4592

Let us know what you think the ranking should be and if any others should have been included.

Brown Spotted Bengal Kitten for Sale

These are photos of a gorgeous brown spotted, pedigreed Bengal kitten we have for sale who was born on 2/24/12. He was initially referred to as Kitten G-E but we have temporarily named him Gabe. His father is a Triple Grand Championship Show cat and his mother is from Championship bloodlines as well. He has lots of glitter on his coat so the shine you see in these unretouched photos is real. He has a very huggable stature and loves to be the center of attention. He is up-to-date with vaccinations and is already neutered. If you would like to make this Bengal kitten your family member, call us at (586) 291-1799 M-F from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST for more information.

Marble Bengal Kitten for Sale

These are photos of a beautiful marble patterned, pedigreed, male bengal kitten that is for sale. These photos are not retouched - his coat really does shine as the pictures show. He was born 3/22/12. He was referred to as Kitten F-A, but we have temporarily named him Lightening because of his pattern. His dad is a Triple Grand Championship Show cat and his mother is from Championship bloodlines too. He is a very affectionate kitten, is up to date with immunizations and will be neutered before he leaves us. Call us at (586) 291-1799 M-F between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. EST if you are interested in making this kitten part of your family.

Independence Day

Happy Independence Day to you and yours.

Microchip Your Pets

Summertime - Warm weather is great and many of us take advantage of outside activities. This could mean we open and close our doors more often than usual as we go out of and into our homes more frequently. For pet owners, this could mean more opportunity for our pets to dart out of the door while it is open or slip through an open window if the screen is not well secured. State of Denial - Many pet owners are in a state of denial when it comes to being cautious about opening doors when pets are loose in the house and near enough to an open door to run out. We often hear pet owners say "My pet hates going outside and would never go out the door so I don't have to worry about him/her running outside." For many pets, they would normally stay indoors if the door was open. However, it only takes a split second for a pet's normal behavior to change. Maybe on this one instance the door was open and there was a squirrel the pet saw or a bird was near that seemed enticing to your pet. All of a sudden, their normal behavior changed - before your could react. Suddenly, the pet you love is out the door or window and is gone! What to Do Next - There are a number of things you could do next. You could run out and try to catch your pet. If that does not work, you could leave his/her favorite treats out near your door in case your pet comes back. You could alert your neighbors and the local veterinarians and shelters to be on the look out for our pet and leave them photos. You could put up flyers and run an ad in the newspaper. You could do all these things and perhaps others not mentioned to try to get your pet back. It is possible none of these will work. All of the things mentioned are things you could do after your pet is lost but what could you do before your pet is lost that may help you get him/her back later? Microchipping - We recommend when you first acquire a new pet that you take it in to see your veterinarian for a wellness check up. During this initial check up, ask your veterinarian to place a microchip in your pet. Microchips are very small and contain identifying information on them, usually a microchip number. It is placed just under your pet's skin between the shoulder blades. Once placed, your pet adjusts to it being there quickly and it does not hurt. The vet. will give you a copy of the microchip number and some paperwork to fill out with your name, address, phone number, pet's name, identifying markings, etc., to send to the microchip company along with their registration fee. Once your pet is registered with the microchip company, should your pet get lost and someone takes your pet to a shelter or the veterinarian, the shelter staff or veterinarian can use a scanner to see if the pet has a microchip in place. If the microchip is there, the scanner can read the number on the microchip and the shelter staff or veterinarian can contact the microchip registration company. The microchip registration company will be able to help contact you so you can retrieve your pet. This way, if you get a case of pet owner denial later and just know "My pet hates going outside and would never go out the door so I don't have to worry about him/her running outside." this early precaution can make the difference between never seeing your pet again and a very happy reunion.