A Tribute to Frosty

I rescued Frosty from a shelter twelve years ago. The vet told me he thought she was five or six years of age at that time. At one point, an animal control officer that met Frosty in my yard (we live on fenced acreage) commented that, from her experience, she didn’t think Frosty had ever had an owner prior to my adopting her. Three weeks ago, we finally had to say goodbye as she slept the long sleep. She lived an incredible seventeen years.

People often think it’s ‘cool’ to have a wolf or wolf-hybrid for a pet. She was NOT a dog and did not act like a dog.
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Did you know that according to the American Humane Association, June is Adopt-A-Cat month?

Did you know that every minute approximately four cats are euthanized in “shelters” all across the U.S.?

Did you know that according to dog owners, cats are unworthy to be called “pets”? People who consider themselves “dog people” believe their pups think of them as “family” – and the feeling is mutual. But there is a long standing joke describing cats as believing themselves to be superior to mere humans, therefore relegating cat-parents to the position of “servant”. Just be careful you don’t tell that joke to a cat-person. (more…)

This is a story about Delbert and Candy. I call Delbert the “Surfer Dog” because his brown coat has become bleached while laying in the sun.

It looks like he has been to a Malibu stylist to highlight his locks. Candy, by default, is his “Little Beach Girl”. She is a new adoptee to the family but is fitting in quite nicely. Their dad is John. (more…)

Dr. Jane wrote a nice article about how to handle cats that like to misbehave. I have found in very informative and would like to share it with all of you.

As a holistic vet, I’m frequently asked, “How can I deal with my cat’s bad attitude?” The problem area dubbed “feline aggression” can be complicated, upsetting and potentially hazardous for pet parents. Not only can cat bites and scratches really hurt, they can transmit diseases, too, such as cat scratch fever (yes, it is real). While most cat moms and dads prefer a purring lap-warmer, especially on cold winter nights, some felines need extra help learning how to sheathe their claws.

Unfortunately, feline aggression is not well understood or handled appropriately. An important first step in dealing with this frustrating issue is to understand the behavior. Learning why a cat lashes out can help pet parents deal with the issue patiently and properly.

In this post I’ll be covering the five basic types of aggression in cats.

Read the article in full >>>

The Furry Godmother is very pleased to have played a part in the touching story posted on FaceBook called, “My Mom is Being Deployed and I Will Be Homeless.” After reading the story, Judy, The Furry Godmother, forwarded it to a family that already has a house full of Springers.

Their response was, “What’s one more? We want to do our part to help support our service people.” Genie and David contacted Heather, Penny’s “mom”, and the rest of the story is still in the making.

The family that will be taking in Penny, is the same family that sent the photos posted on the Furry Godmother FaceBook page called “Why dogs bite people at Christmas”. The Furry Godmother has been petsitting for this family for over a year, spending the night with the four dogs when their parents are out of town. David and Genie have a true heart for dogs and especially for the Springer Spaniel breed. I love happy endings.

UPDATE:
“Heather brought Penny over last Sunday. Everything went well. No growls and lots of playing in the back yard. Freddie is such a goof ball and really only interested in napping. Charlie and Rosie are so into the ball as is Penny. For those three, it was all bout the ball. Ginger was polite, but she may get a little possessive of David. I don’t expect any real trouble. Heather will be bringing Penny today with all of her toys and bedding. She wanted a week to say goodby. I’ll let you know what life is like with 5 dogs.” – Genie

Earlier in the month, I posted a group of pictures that had been emailed to me. The title of these photos were “Why Dogs Bite People.” Each of these 16 pictures depicted dogs dressed and posed in various costumes. They were very funny so I shared them with my Facebook friends on my Furry Godmother account. (If you are a member of Facebook, you can see it here)

As well as posting them on Facebook, I also shared them with some of my petsitting customers by email. One of my clients responded with a message they titled “Why Dogs Bite People at Christmas.” In the message, they sent pictures of their four Springer Spaniels whom I have sat with many times in the last year. When their parents are out of town (the people parents to the dogs) I spend the night with this family of four. They have become very dear to me. This is why I MUST share their photos with all of you. Enjoy.

(Click on images to enlarge)