pet connection

Over the course of my career, a lot of the things “everyone knows” about pets have been shown to be pure unadulterated nonsense:

• Like the idea giving a pet one unvaried commercial diet for life and never adding “people food.” Um, there’s no such thing as “pet food” and “people food.” Food is … food. And variety is good.
• Like the idea that one nibble on a poinsettia means instant death for a pet. Um, not at all. Nor is a little milk chocolate lethal (although dark or baker’s chocolate, high doses, small dog … problem).  Now the Easter lilly and those Xilitol-sweetened candies, gums, breath mints and medicines? Deadly!
• Like the idea that one cat, unspayed, will be responsible for bringing 420,000 kittens into this world, a “fact” I saw in a shelter’s media release just last week. Um, no. How about 100 to 5,000, tops?

One thing that IS true is that free-roaming cats will gravitate to warm places in cold weather, even if those places are not safe. Like the engine block of a car. Here’s a story (and it’s not graphic, so go ahead and click) of a cat whose face was nearly ripped off by a fan belt.

She survived, but many won’t. So thump your car hood on these cold mornings. If a cat flies out from under your car, smile: You may have just saved a life.  And if that cat is yours … make him an indoor cat. Next time, he may not be so lucky.

Share & Enjoy

Facebook	Twitter	Google Buzz	Digg
Technorati	StumbleUpon	Delicious	Email