Woman’s Day / cc

As if the H1N1 flu (aka “swine flu”) weren’t evil enough, it now turns out that if you get sick with the flu, you could pass it along to your animal companions. A cat in Iowa recently made the news after testing positive for H1N1—the first time a cat has been diagnosed with the virus. Two of the cat’s three human companions had been sick with the flu before the kitty started showing symptoms.

So what can you do to avoid infecting Max and Mittens if you’re feeling ill? Basically, use the same precautions you would take to prevent spreading your germs to any family member. In case you need a refresher, here are some tips:

• Don’t cough or sneeze on your animals—cover your mouth with a tissue or the crook of your arm.

• Wash your hands frequently.

• Don’t share eating utensils with your animals (e.g., no letting Lulu lap up the rest of your veggie soup until you’re healthy again).

• Limit contact with your animal companions (e.g., hold off on the doggy kisses), but be sure not to ignore or neglect them. Enlist a healthy friend or family member, if necessary, to play with, walk, and cuddle your animals for a few days until you’re no longer contagious.

• Closely monitor your animal companions’ health. If they show any signs of the flu—such as lethargy, loss of appetite, fever, runny nose and/or eyes, sneezing, coughing, or changes in breathing—get them to the vet, pronto.

• For more tips on protecting your animal companions from H1N1, visit the American Veterinary Medical Association’s site.

Of course, the most effective way to protect your loved ones from H1N1 is to avoid getting the virus in the first place. My advice? Fight back against the cruel factory farming industry, which breeds H1N1 and other diseases, by going vegan!

The following post was originally published by Karen on KP’s Dog Blog, October 29, 2007.

I’m not really that into Halloween. Although I enjoyed it as a child, these days trying to facilitate the interface between my six resident dogs and a steady stream of unknown, excited, costumed children is just plain difficult. I could make all my dogs stay behind closed doors in a bedroom, but that just doesn’t seem fair to them, so I usually end up placing a big basket of Peanut Chews on my porch with a sign that says, “Help yourself!” and making myself scarce during trick-or-treat hours.

By the way, if you have dogs, please be extra vigilant that they don’t get their paws on any Halloween candy, especially chocolate. Candy in general is full of sugar (horrible for the immune system, joints, teeth, etc.), but chocolate in particular contains a substance called theobromine, which can be fatal to dogs if they ingest enough of it. (This applies to cocoa mulch as well, so gardeners and dog people, beware.) Other food substances poisonous to dogs include raisins, grapes, macadamia nuts, mushrooms, alcohol, coffee, uncooked yeast dough, onions, and onion powder. Garlic and avocado are debatable—there is some evidence that they can be toxic to some dogs, so it might be best to avoid those too. Xylitol, which has become a common additive in foods and toothpaste, is also quite toxic.

If you suspect that your dog has eaten something poisonous, please call the ASPCA’s animal poison hotline at 1-888-426-4435. (Why not post this number next to your phone, just in case?) It’s open 24 hours a day, every day, but you will be charged $60 on your credit card in exchange for advice on how to proceed. Obviously, this service is worth every penny—you’re dealing with the life or death of your beloved canine companion!

Do have a safe and happy Halloween!

Wow. USA Today recently ran an awesome article exposing pet stores for what they are: corrupt, cold-hearted, unregulated, predatory businesses that sell sick animals from despicable puppy mills and unscrupulous breeders (as if there’s any other kind of breeder!).

And the author knows what she’s talking about—she’s a vet. She’s seen her fair share of pet store “widgets” with severe congenital defects and other ailments.

In other words, if you have the time, patience, money, and space necessary to care for an animal, high-tail it away from the pet store and head to a reputable animal shelter. Have your new pal spayed or neutered immediately if he or she hasn’t already been sterilized, and do everything you can to be the best guardian you can be.

When you’ve mastered that, go out and help other animals in your community too.

Oh, and while you’re checking out the USA Today article, consider posting a comment telling the author how much she ROCKS!

Jeremy Burgin / cc

Along with all the lovely things that our canine companions give us—including unconditional love, laughter, friendship, doggie kisses, joy, comfort, and an exercise partner who never bails out at the last minute—our dogs also give us a lot of, well, crap. You know what I’m talking about, dog guardians … the stuff you scoop up in plastic bags when you take Woofie for a walk.

Cleaning up after our pals is a tiny price to pay for their friendship. But what to do with all this “doo”? Sure, you can toss it out with the trash, but then it’s just going to sit in a landfill—and that’s not so nice for our beautiful planet.

There may be a better way. According to a recent post on The New York Times’ Green Inc. blog, a dog park in Ithaca, New York, is going green with the brown stuff. Patrons pick up after their pups with special corn-based bags and place the waste in bins near the park’s entrances. Once a week, a composting company takes the dog waste to a facility, where it’s piled with yard and wood waste in the hope of turning it into usable compost. Pretty cool! Let’s hope this trend catches on across the country.

Do you have a “green” way to deal with your dogs’ “doo”? Tell us in the comments!

The following post was originally posted on PETA Prime by Paula Moore.

I recently read a heartbreaking story about a cat named Hadley who had been deliberately set on fire. Hadley suffered painful third-degree burns on his face, ears, neck, back and legs. A photo in a Michigan newspaper shows Hadley’s blackened ears, which vets say will probably fall off because they are so badly burned. The orange-and-white tabby is also missing half his whiskers, and much of his fur will likely never grow back. After the attack, Hadley’s distraught guardians found him crouched in fear outside their home.

Bad things happen to cats who are left to wander outside on their own. While many people mistakenly believe that their cats “need” to go outside to be happy, if you want your feline friend to live a long, healthy life, the best thing you can do is keep her safely inside with you.

What happened to Hadley is far from an isolated incident. Random acts of cruelty are common, and the more than 300 new cruelty cases that PETA hears about every week mostly involve animals who were victimized after they were left outside unattended. In June, cat guardians in two suburban Florida neighborhoods were shocked when their beloved companions began turning up dead and mutilated. Many of the cats had been gutted and skinned. Some were missing limbs. At least 19 cats were killed before police charged a local teen with the crimes.

Outside cats have been beaten, kicked, hanged and shot with arrows. Some are stolen and sold for use in hideous animal experiments. Others are used as bait in dogfighting.
Even if your kitty never encounters a person with cruel intentions, there are plenty of other outdoor dangers. Cats left outside may be hit by cars, poisoned by antifreeze or pesticides from neighbors’ lawns or attacked by a dog or wild animal. Last year, I adopted a 5-year-old former stray from a local Siamese cat rescue group. When Mochi was first picked up by local animal control officers, he had a nasty wound on one of his back legs that had most likely come from a dog attack. To this day, Mochi’s leg gives him trouble, and he sometimes stumbles when he tries to run or jump.

Cats allowed to roam outdoors are also much more likely to contract devastating diseases such as feline leukemia, feline AIDS (FIV) and feline infectious peritonitis (FIP). Or they become infected with tapeworms, Giardia and other parasites. Mochi had roundworms when I adopted him - which I discovered when he unceremoniously deposited one on my bedroom rug. Trust me, you don’t want to see your cat hacking up a still-wiggling, 3-inch-long worm.

I do understand why some cat guardians are tempted to let their cats go outside. Mochi has lived with me for more than a year now, and he still occasionally sits in front of the door and howls - in that special way that only Siamese cats can - hoping to be let out. But I simply remind him that there is no dinner bowl outside (when animal control found him, he was little more than skin and bones) and distract him with the Cat Charmer or a toy mouse. He soon forgets all about going out. By setting aside daily “kitty quality time” to play with your cat and providing lots of diversions - including access to windows, perches, catnip gardens, scratching posts and tons of toys - you can keep your cat purrfectly content in your home.

So, please, if you care about your kitty, help him or her live to a ripe old age in the safety and security of the great indoors. And if you ever are tempted to let your cat go outside unsupervised, just think of poor Hadley and his burned ears. Today’s concrete jungles are simply no place for our feline friends.

Be an angel for animals.

Nearly every week, I write letters to the editors of newspapers across the country warning readers about the cruelty and dangers of keeping dogs chained. Often, my letters are in response to tragedies—after chained dogs maul or kill a child or when a dog dies at the end of a chain after being left without food or water with no escape from sweltering summer heat or subzero winter nights.

So I was beyond thrilled to read in USA Today—the country’s number one newspaper—a column by dog trainer Victoria Stilwell all about why no one should ever chain their “best friend.” Thousands of people will read Stilwell’s column and hopefully pass the information in it on to their friends, coworkers, and neighbors—which could cause some dog guardians to have a change of heart and let their dogs stay indoors instead of chaining them outside.

Stilwell, who is the host of Animal Planet’s It’s Me or the Dog, explains why dogs who are kept chained are more likely to bite: “A dog is a social animal, so lack of social interaction can seriously damage its psychological well-being, causing a buildup of frustration and anger that can explode at the slightest trigger.” Well said! She also points out that chained dogs are in danger of being teased or abused by passersby, attacked by other animals, and injured when they become tangled up in their chain.

Read the whole article here and leave a positive comment thanking Stilwell and letting USA Today know that you want to see more pro-animal columns like this one!

garyscottthompson / cc

In these last few weeks of summer—in case you’re planning to slap an “I Heart My Mutt” sticker on the family truckster and load up Rover for one last summer romp—the following are some tips to help keep life happy on the holiday road:

Plan ahead. Before pulling out of the driveway, make sure that you consider the trip from Rover’s perspective too. Does he get motion sick? Will he be in a hotel all day while you’re hanging out on the beach? If you decide that Rover would be more comfortable at home, be sure to find a reputable sitter who will keep him happy and safe until you are together again.

Go through our detailed checklist to help make sure that you’ve got everything covered, from bottled water to a first-aid kit for your pooch.

Find ‘pet-friendly’ lodging. Check out our guide to animal-friendly hotels before you go. Knowing which major hotel chains will accommodate your needs will make things run more smoothly than driving up to hotels in the middle of the night with your fingers crossed to ask about their companion animal policy.

Pack a picnic for Rover too with a little help from Mr. Pugsly and Mr. Barky.

Bring along a CD that will make Rover happy and potentially inspire a sing-a-long.

Read more of our tips before hitting the road, and have a safe and fun trip!

You don’t have to leave your principles behind when you go away this summer. Here are some tips to help you have a good time on vacation—but not at animals’ expense:

1. Enjoy Animal-Friendly Attractions: Marine parks, zoos, and other animal exhibits aren’t fun for captive animals. Avoid these deadly destination spots like you’d avoid poison ivy. Instead, visit a sanctuary for rescued farmed animals, go to an animal-free circus like Cirque du Soleil, book an eco-tour, or simply take a trip to the beach or botanical gardens.

2. Bring Your Appetite Along: A vacation is a great opportunity to savor new vegetarian cuisine. See VegCooking.com for information about vegetarian-friendly restaurants around the U.S. If you’re traveling abroad and are concerned about a language barrier, pack a Vegan Passport, a passport-size booklet explaining in 56 languages that you want a cruelty-free vegetarian meal.

3. Go Road-Tripping With Rover: Your dog likely gets left behind when you go to work or school. Spend some quality time together on the road. Just don’t fly Fido in an airplane cargo hold—it’s too dangerous. Click here for tips on what to bring on a road-trip and how to keep your best buddy safe and comfy. Check out more tips on traveling with Rover on DivineCaroline.

4. Be a Hero Everywhere You Go: Stray and abused animals don’t get to take a break from suffering, so please don’t take a vacation from helping them. Before you depart on your journey, visit WorldAnimalNet.org for a list of law enforcement agencies, veterinarians, and animal protection organizations near your destination. Pack a small rescue kit, including a pop-top can of cat food, dog treats, and a leash. Take stray animals to a reputable shelter or have them checked out by a local veterinarian and bring them home with you, if possible.

5. Save Animals While Saving Money: For the best rates on hotels, cruises, and tour packages, join the free PETA Member Advantage Program™. All purchases made through the program result in a donation to PETA.

Bon voyage!

The following is a post by PetMD, provided by DivineCaroline.

While we may not be able to roll back the global warming trend, there are easier, softer ways to treat parasites, and ways in which we can avoid some of the pests.

A lot of people are reluctant to use chemical flea treatments because of the possibility of a toxic reaction with the skin. “If it isn’t safe for my children, how can it be safe for my pet,” they ask. Unless it is a full blown flea infestation, you may have good results by using gentler and safer methods for flea eradication and control.

For dogs, a daily dose of brewer’s yeast mixed with a small amount of garlic in their kibble will help to repel fleas. You can also add brewer’s yeast to your cat’s food, but omit the garlic (onions and garlic are toxic for cats). Fleas are also known to be repelled by citrus. A freshly squeezed orange or lemon can be rubbed onto your pet’s fur, with no harm to your pet if it is licked off, and fresh smelling fur to boot.

Remember the old cartoons where dogs would jump into water to relieve themselves of fleas? Water really does work. Since fleas do not grasp onto the hair shafts, they fall off in the water and drown. A good dip in a tub of water will wash away most, if not all of the fleas on your pet. Using a gentle shampoo, or a little bit of dish liquid, perhaps one with a citrus base (fleas are repelled by lemon and orange), along with thorough and regular brushing, will go a long way toward ridding your pet’s body of fleas.

Around the house, vacuuming, laundering, and disinfecting the floors and your pet’s living spaces will help to control the population of fleas (just make sure you do not use products with volatile organic compounds). In the yard, you might consider adding a natural predator of fleas. Nematodes are small worms that feed off of flea larva, and are easy to find at garden stores or pet shops. Keep in mind that the type of nematode that is being recommended here is termed a “beneficial” nematode. It is not the type that is known for infecting animals as heartworm.

Ticks hang out in tall grass and use the opportunity to grab on to passersby when they feel body warmth. If you are going to be spending time in wooded or grassy areas with your dog, you might want to fashion some cover-up clothing for your dog to avoid ticks.
An old t-shirt can be altered to fit your dog’s body, and old socks can be cut to make “leg warmers.” This may not entirely prevent ticks from making their way onto your dog, but it keep most of them off since they have nothing to latch onto, and will slow the rest down so they do not spend as much time on your dog’s skin.

Because ticks carry dangerous bacteria, repelling them is a priority. One of the natural repellents that a lot of people have success with is rose geranium oil, which can be applied to your dog’s collar. Don’t use this on your cat, though, they are notorious for bad reactions with essential oils. With ticks, the best thing you might do it to check your pet a few times a day when you are in an area that has ticks, and remove them promptly. Proper technique is important for removing ticks and fleas, so make sure that you are acquainted before you do it yourself.

Now that you have a few alternate means of combating fleas and ticks, you can feel confident that your pets will remain bug-free throughout the year.

PETA recently became partners with the online information hub for women: Divine Caroline.

Divine Caroline is a lifestyle site for women, by women. It is fueled by stories, information, and the personal experiences of experts and everyday people.

We will be posting our articles there as well as continuing to post on PETA Living, but on our Divine Caroline page, you will also be able to check out our product reviews and other helpful ways to share animal-friendly tips and information.
Divine Caroline is free to join, read, write, start forums, and pass things along to your friends. Check out our profile, and if you have your own already, become our friend!