http://www.petconnection.com/blog The Web blog of the Pet Connection, a pet-care feature syndicated internationally by Universal Press. Tue, 13 May 2008 21:29:39 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en                             Here's wishing for relief for the people dealing with an earthquake that has killed thousands in China. I mentioned Doctors Without Borders earlier this week; how about helping Oxfam now? http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2008/05/13/gratuitous-drew-blogging-help-help-help/ Eddie is a black-headed caique, a species of parrot known for their playful, outgoing behavior. He's all that and a handful of change, holding his own in a multispecies household where even the rabbit is bigger than he is. We've had our issues. When he reached sexual maturity, he decided I ... http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2008/05/13/news-flash-my-parrot-hates-me/ Yes, yes, yes, The Center for Consumer Freedom is front group with a fancy name supported by a lot of industries with some practices I don't agree with, especially with regards to factory-farming. But that doesn't change the information they got from the state of Virginia: Last year, PETA’s “Animal Record” report for ... http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2008/05/12/this-just-in-petas-2007-kill-numbers/ Tomorrow, Tuesday, May 13, 2008, in Gaithersburg, Maryland, the FDA will hold a public meeting intended to improve -- excuse me, "discuss" -- pet food safety standards. As we wrote earlier this year, FDA is looking for pet food owner input on this matter prior to the meeting, and will also ... http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2008/05/12/fda-meeting-may-13/ Ever since no-kill flame-thrower Nathan Winograd knocked our collective socks off here with his book, "Redemption: The Myth of Pet Overpopulation and the No Kill Revolution in America," we've watched poorly run, old-school shelters and even well-run, old-school shelters do nothing but bad mouth the possibility that there could be ... http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2008/05/11/the-pit-bulls-of-berkeley-and-maybe-elsewhere-too/ I love getting foreign translations! Happy Mother's Day, everyone! http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2008/05/11/gratuitous-pet-book-blogging-spanish-edition/ Marie Blasen of Colorado was our prize-winner for April. The same prize package -- $500 in grooming supplies plus a $500 Petsmart gift card -- is up for May, courtesy of Oster. The next drawing is June 1. All you have to do to be eligible is be a subscriber to ... http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2008/05/10/would-you-like-1000-in-pet-supplies/ No big blog post from me today: I gotta write for deadlines, big-time. The fall books are due to the publisher ... May 25. OMG OMG OMG. Actually, we're in good shape, but still ... May 25. Maybe Christie or Kim will jump in today with some good reading. I'm not even going ... http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2008/05/10/gratuitous-kitten-blogging-caturday-deadline-edition/ Few people are able to single-handedly change the way we look at something, but Marinell Harriman is one of those people. She wondered if a rabbit could be a loved, well-cared-for and happy indoor pet instead of a miserable, neglected animal living on a wire floor in a tiny backyard ... http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2008/05/09/hop-hop-hooray-for-the-house-rabbit-society/ Nearly every morning Heather and I go get coffee. Or groceries. Or breakfast. She's the queen here, and rank has its privileges. She trots to whatever car we're test-driving that week for DogCars.com, I hold the door open for her and she jumps into the shotgun seat. It's my only ... http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2008/05/09/nanny-state-ninnies-and-a-little-common-sense/