Kennel Cough. Elephants. Help Whales. Wolves Keep Balance. Free Clicks Feed Animals. Greyhounds. Adopt A Senior Pet. Lonely Cats. Ernie Kovacs And Corvair.

 

For "Mammal Monday":

Why This Vaccine is WORTHLESS and Won't Stop Your Dog Getting Kennel Cough…

"If your dog seems to be coughing a lot or making choking sounds, he may have a case of canine infectious tracheobronchitis, more commonly known as kennel cough.

Believe it or not, as awful as the choking, hacking noises sound, most episodes of kennel cough are not serious and resolve without treatment.

About Vaccines for Kennel Cough

Many veterinarians recommend bordetella vaccines – either by injection or nasal mist delivery.  I’m not one of them, however.

Many boarding kennels, doggie daycare facilities, groomers and other similar businesses require dogs be vaccinated for kennel cough. Please understand the reason behind this requirement – it is to remove liability from those establishments.

The truth is, these vaccines are ineffective and will not prevent your dog from getting kennel cough. The infection is caused by a wide variety of bacterial and viral agents, and no single vaccine can provide protection from them all. Nor will the vaccines treat an active infection."  More at: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2010/09/09/9-natural-remedies-for-kennel-cough.aspx

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From me:  The same applies to flu vaccines for people.

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Elephants in Mourning

"A herd of elephants stumble on some elephant bones and mourn the loss of fallen relatives."

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Tell Japan It's Time To Stop Slaughtering Whales

"Stop Japan from ignoring the International Whaling Commission's moratorium on commercial whaling.

The International Court of Justice in The Hague has finished hearing a case brought by Australia that may end Japan's annual slaughter of hundreds of whales. Show your support for conservation and Australia's effort to end Japanese whaling while we wait for the ruling. Please, Sign today!"

http://therainforestsite.greatergood.com/clickToGive/trs/petition/JapanWhaling?&utm_source=ctg&utm_medium=home-feature&utm_term=20130102&utm_campaign=trs-petition

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A Wolf's Role in the Ecosystem - The Trophic Cascade

"A young forest service employee named Aldo Leopold, charged with killing wolves in New Mexico in the early 1900's started to notice that as the wolves died off, the deer population boomed and ate all the plants to nothing. In his groundbreaking work, "Thinking Like a Mountain", (Please read that article) Leopold put forth an idea 50 years ahead of his time: predators control ecosystems.

Since wild wolves have returned to Yellowstone, the elk and deer are stronger, the aspens and willows are healthier and the grasses taller.  For example, when wolves chase elk during the hunt, the elk are forced to run faster and farther.  As the elk run, their hooves aerate the soil, allowing more grasses to grow.  Since the elk cannot remain stationary for too long, aspens and willows in one area are not heavily grazed, and therefore can fully recover between migrations. 

As with the rest of the country, coyote populations were nearly out of control in Yellowstone before the wolves returned.  Now, the coyotes have been out-competed and essentially reduced by 80 percent in areas occupied by wolves.  The coyotes that do remain are more skittish and wary.  With fewer coyotes hunting small rodents, raptors like the eagle and osprey have more prey and are making a comeback. 

The endangered grizzly bears successfully steal wolf kills more often than not, thus having more food to feed their cubs.   In essence, we have learned that by starting recovery at the top with predators like wolves, the whole system benefits.  A wild wolf population actually makes for a stronger, healthier and more balanced ecosystem.  From plant, to insect, to people... we all stand to benefit from wolves."  More at: http://www.missionwolf.org/page/trophic-cascade/

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The Animal Rescue Site.

Free clicks feed animals in shelters and rescues while they wait for their forever homes. The food is funded by the advertisers.

http://theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/clickToGive/ars/home

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Adopt a Greyhound:

"The story of how my ex-racer found her true calling..."

 http://www.adopt-a-greyhound.org/

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7 Great Reasons to Adopt a Senior Cat

"Why might you want to consider adopting a senior cat? There are lots of good reasons. Here are seven of the best.

1.   When you adopt a kitten, its personality is still developing. As a result, you won't know whether your new friend is going to be a lap cat or an independent spirit. With a senior, that's not true. Its personality is already fully developed, so what you see is what you get. You'll know right away whether your new feline companion is going to be a cuddlebug or an independent thinker. But keep in mind that in a shelter environment, your new cat's personality might not shine through quite as strongly because of the stress and fear associated with being in a strange place.

7.   Senior cats are often among the hardest pets for shelters and rescues to place in a new home. Especially black ones.  By adopting a senior cat, in most cases, you'll literally be saving the cat's life. Your senior citizen will repay you for your kindness with friendship and appreciation. You'll also be allowing your new cat to live out her senior years in the comfort and dignity that an older cat deserves."     Rest of the reasons at: http://www.petmd.com/blogs/thedailyvet/lhuston/2013/nov/seven-great-reasons-to-adopt-senior-cats-31020#.UtNHqyu2VSg

This applies to dogs, too.

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From me:  My 'new' 12-year old cat, Ava, is a very sweet, loving, black cat.  She was surrendered to a pound by her previous people as she had lost most of her hair and she was as skinny as a rail.  They didn't want to address her medical issues, and she didn't fare much better at her foster home.

Now that I have got her health and terrible dandruff straightened out, and she no longer makes me wheeze, I wouldn't part with her for anything.  She just needed to be on a better diet and some vitamins.  She appreciates that, and tells me every day.  It is so rewarding that I can give her a better life in her old age.

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Should You Leave Your Cat Home Alone While You’re Away?

"Over half of U.S. cat owners feel it’s fine to leave their feline companions alone at home while they’re away. And while it’s true most kitties don’t require the same level of attention dogs do, leaving a cat home for days with no one to check on her can backfire.

What if your cat, home alone, gets sick? Who will tend to him? And what if the problem is very serious, like a urinary blockage? Will you get home in time to save him?

Another consideration is your cat’s diet. The only food that can be safely left in kitty’s bowl during your absence is kibble. However, kibble is far from ideal nutrition for cats. The species-appropriate nutrition that is healthiest for your cat can’t be left in a bowl on the floor for days, as it will spoil.

And what about that litter box? Cats don’t like dirty litter, and if her box isn’t being scooped at least once daily, your kitty may acquire a habit of eliminating in inappropriate locations.

Our recommendation is to have someone visit at least once a day while you’re away to feed your cat, scoop the litter box, and insure your pet is eating and appears healthy." Complete article at: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2014/01/06/home-alone-pet-cat.aspx

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On This Day:

Ernie Kovacs killed in Corvair crash, Jan 13, 1962:

"On this day in 1962, Ernie Kovacs, a comedian who hosted his own television shows during the 1950s and is said to have influenced such TV hosts as Johnny Carson and David Letterman, dies at the age of 42 after crashing his Chevrolet Corvair into a telephone pole in Los Angeles, California, while driving in a rainstorm. Kovacs, who often appeared on camera with his trademark cigar, was found by police with an unlit cigar, leading to speculation that he had been reaching for the cigar and lost control of his vehicle.

The Corvair was later made infamous by Ralph Nader's groundbreaking 1965 book "Unsafe at Any Speed: The Designed-In Dangers of the American Automobile," about unsafe practices in the auto industry.

It was the only American designed, mass-produced passenger car to feature a rear-mounted air-cooled engine.

The Corvair, which suffered from slumping sales due in part to the negative publicity from Nader's book as well as to consumer lawsuits (the car's suspension system was blamed for rollovers), was discontinued by GM in 1969.

In a bitter coincidence, one of Kovac's three children was later killed in an auto accident."

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Yesterday:

Another mild day, so the cats could go out on the screen porch for a while.  They still ignore each other and give each other a wide berth, so I did the 'sock trick'. 

I got a pair of socks and rubbed each one on each cat, especially on the scent glands around their mouths, and then put the sock in the other's bed.  This is supposed to familiarize them with each other's scent, without actually being up close and personal.  This has stopped a lot of the hissing at each other.  I know that Nala wants Ava to play with her.  It is always more difficult to get cats of the same sex to be friends.

My time was eaten up by catching up on emails, blogs, paying bills, making Kale Chips, steaming veggies, trying to find the right Heat/Air, and the usual chores.  While I had the steamer out, I steamed some soft-boiled eggs.  If you put several eggs in boiling water, it lowers the temperature and they can't be timed right.  If you steam them they are all the same.

I had already juiced the stems of the kale, so the leaves were all ready for: http://pickyeaterblog.com/garlic-parmesan-kale-chips/ 

Another quiet day.