pet connection

I was researching Deerhounds today (hi, Christie!) for an article I’m editing and ran across this blog by a Deerhound in Scotland, goes by the name of Rogue. Seems appropriate for the breed. I have an interest in Deerhounds, not only because of my Scottish heritage, but also because I loved my Greyhound so much. She was a good condo dog, although the stairs got to be a bit much when she hit old age and lost her eyesight and a leg. Carrying Cavaliers up and down the stairs is a bit easier. But when I win the lottery and buy my estate in Northern California, the sighthounds will be back!

Another thing I found in my breed meanderings was this wonderful obituary for a Plott Hound, Old June. Here’s a taste of Jim Dykes’ tribute: “He was never wrong. Except maybe the time he pulled off a bear trail and treed a big house cat in front of everybody. Or perhaps the time he bayed the cottonmouth in Florida. When Junior erred, he did not do a halfway job. He did it royally, with flair and elan. He had style and soul.”

This editing project also gave me a great idea for my next trip to the British Isles. I think I need to organize it around the estates where various dog breeds were developed: Blenheim Palace, Clumber Park, Guisachan in Scotland, where Golden Retrievers were developed, and of course there’s the dog collar museum at Leeds Castle.

The ingenuity of pet product manufacturers never ceases to amaze me. Just when I thought I’d seen every kind of wipe–from baby wipes to stainless steel wipes–I ran across, yes, litter box wipes. I’ve been using baby wipes on the Cavaliers’ paws for years, but apparently there are dog paw wipes out there, too. I saw the litter box wipes at Target, but often I discover clever creations for dogs and cats on airplane flights. I usually bring two or three books and several magazines to ensure that I don’t run out of reading material and go into withdrawal, but every once in a while, usually the last 20 minutes of the flight, I’m reduced to reading the Skymall catalog. A recent issue featured Pavlov’s Cat Scratch Feeder. It’s got flaws–for one thing it’s way too short and for another it’s covered in carpet instead of sisal, which I think is a better choice–but the concept is genius. When the cat scratches on the post, food comes out at the bottom. Could save a lot of cats from declawing or worse.

I’ve also thought of a new product myself: a cat litter box with Michael Vicks’ picture on the bottom.

Twyla is barking threateningly, which I am interpreting to mean “Step away from the computer and take us for a walk and give us treats.” Gotta go now.

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