Saturday, January 31, 2009

What will you be doing Sunday?

I know, I know, Sunday is the Big Day.

Thank goodness I'm off that day, because I know I won't be the only one in front of the TV machine, snacks at the ready, watching ...


Woo-hoo!

The Animal Planet special kicks off at 3 p.m. ET, and will be repeated every two hours, with the final showing beginning at 3 a.m. Feb. 2!

Again ... woo-hoo!

Besides the adorable puppies (is piddling the puppy football equivalent of basketball's dribbling?) all of whom are shelter dogs, there is once again the Kitty Halftime Show (secretly my favorite, I don't know why) and Pepper the Parrot, opening the program with the Star Spangled Banner.

Believe it or not, there are those who are more interested in the Super Bowl than in the Puppy Bowl.

John Hart, the sportscaster for WJBF TV in Augusta, Ga., has a cat who knows how to pick Super Bowl winners. Watch his video here.

And finally, it needs to be said that puppy madness does carry over into the Big Game itself.

A California-based pet insurance company has found that Pittsburgh Steelers fans love of their football team also translates to their family pets. Though not so much for Arizona Cardinals fans, according to a survey by Veterinary Pet Insurance.

See the full story here.

Friday, January 30, 2009

Winter woes


In my extremely humble opinion, Wednesday's winter storm was one of the worst I've experienced since moving up here.

There have been snow storms that dumped feet of white stuff on the ground, and there were ice events that created more short-term havoc but melted quickly.

Early Wednesday morning, the snow started falling. By mid-morning in the City of Poughkeepsie, freezing rain and sleet came down. Mid-afternoon, rain, but temperatures never rose too much above freezing.

After sundown, falling precipitation was again of the frozen variety.

All that ... uh ... mess created a glassy environment on which it was impossible for any creature with legs to maneuver.

Now I realize that as I write this many people throughout the eastern United States still do not have power. Yes, things could have been worse. But I play the cards I'm dealt.

I had to work the early morning shift at the paper Wednesday, arriving at the office at 6:30 a.m. Morning walkies were OK; it was only snow and not too much of it.

I made a conscious decision not to come home mid-shift to take care of Kate figuring I'd be home by 3-ish.

I really, really, really, did not want to have to clean the car off, drive home, walk Kate, clean the car off, drive back to work, work, clean the car off and drive home.


By late-afternoon, while it was raining, Kate managed to pee. My sidewalk had not been touched; indeed the snow guys had started shoveling but then stopped and left. (They decided to come back much later and use a snow blower.)

Long, tedious story, short, since I'd been up since 4 a.m. I crashed and woke at 11 p.m., realizing Kate hadn't been out since around 4 p.m.

By that time, the temps had dropped, freezing the top layer perfectly. The sidewalks up the street had been cleared much earlier in the day, so any subsequent precip was ice.

Kate couldn't find any traction nor could I. She would either break through the ice and her paws would plunge down a couple of inches or her legs would simply splay until they stopped on some tiny imperfection in the ice.

She was, needless to say, unsettled by this. And so was I. She managed, awkwardly, but amusingly, to poop. But a pee wasn't in the cards. After about 20 minutes I gave up.

Thursday morning we managed to get down the sidewalk to the street which had slush on it.

Kate doesn't like to go on the street. I guess she has gotten so used to grass that she no longer considers it a viable venue.

We walked up and down the block for 25 minutes ...

I was praying that the passing cars would slow down enough to not spray me with slush; all but one — the b****** — did, but I managed to get out of the way

... before Kate finally found a pile of snow/slush on which she peed.

And she really had to go!


Since then she has gotten better and more accepting of having to go no matter what. Conditions aren't much improved. Yesterday midday we couldn't get off the sidewalk onto the street because of melted ice turning into lakes at the curb cuts.

All the dog people in the office had tales of woe because of the storm, though my editor Maria Burnham said she was going to start calling Kate "Her Highness."

These New York winters — and we've been lucky for the past couple — are really starting to get to me.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Dear Mr. President


An open letter to President Barack Obama

Dear President Obama:

Congratulations on your new job. I hope you and your family are settling into your new digs.

Speaking of your family, I don't need to remind you that you made a promise to Sasha and Malia to get them a dog after the Inauguration.

The only problem was Malia has allergies and the dog of choice needs to be one that won't aggravate them.

Well, sir, the Dutchess County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Hyde Park, N.Y. — home, I hasten to add, of Franklin Delano Roosevelt — has the perfect dog for you.

DCSPCA Executive Director Joyce Garrity said Rosie, a 4-month-old cream-colored poodle with a long tail, fits the ticket.

Garrity said the undocked tail makes Rosie resemble a "doodle" more than a poodle.

She also said 25 percent of animals in shelters across the country are purebred.

"But, as I always remind the staff, we are the home of the original 'designer' dogs," Garrity said. "For over 137 years, the DCSPCA has been adopting mixed breed dogs to families, and they make outstanding companions."

Rosie is currently living with a foster family who will formally adopt her if you choose another dog.

So I urge you, Mr. President, to use that snazzy new BlackBerry and call Garrity at the DCSPCA administrative offices at 845-454-5345. The shelter is located at 636 Violet Ave.

Or if you would rather, I would be happy to broker a meeting between you or your representatives and Garrity.

I urge you to consider Rosie for your family.

Who's a good girl? Rosie is.

Sincerely,

Michael Woyton
Blogger, "Dogs, Cats, Etc."

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Can I have some more?

First there was the guy who wanted a way to feed his cat when he was away for the weekend.

Now a kid has invented a way to taunt, er, feed his dog over the Enterwebs.
Of course it uses the ioBridge IO-204 module to drive a continous [sic] rotating servos from a web page that also has a live camera feed of the dog's bowl.
Well ... of course. Duh.

All of this makes me think that dog is going to be huge pretty soon.

Just think what would happen if the pooch knew what a mouse was really for.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Jump to it

Here's a cute video of a boxer on a trampoline.

I'm not sure I would want to be their neighbor, though.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Peanut butter contamination affects PetSmart

PetSmart is recalling some products that contain peanut paste made by a company being investigated by the Food and Drug Administration for potential salmonella contamination.

Seven of PetSmart's Grreat Choice Dog Biscuit products are affected.

The peanut butter and paste is made by Peanut Corp. of America, a Virginia-based company. The products are made at its Blakely, Ga., facility.

Here's an article with more details from the Wall Street Journal.

PetSmart isn't aware of any pets becoming ill from the products but has removed them as a precautionary measure.

The recalled products include packages ranging in size from 32 ounces to 10 pounds, sold between Aug. 21, 2008, and Jan. 19, 2009.

UPDATE: Here's is PetSmart's press release about the voluntary recall. Products can be returned to the store for refund or exchange.

Scoot along

How does a dog-powered scooter sound?

Take a look at this article from the London Daily Mail.

I'm not sure if it's just the height of laziness on the part of anyone who might get and use one, or if it's incredibly stoopid.

Dogs are so eager to please that they'd run and run and run until exhausted. So just how smart is having a dog run along side you at great length while you expend practically no energy?

Says the inventor:
'The location and the way the dog is harnessed into the scooter was designed to be neutral to the units handling, and place no weight on the dog,' he said.
That really not the point, now is it?

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

DC, as in Washington, pets


In honor of the inauguration today, here are some videos about presidential pets.

From AARP.org, a video about the Presidential Pet Museum.

This CNN video talks about Obama's election night promise to his daughters and odd presidential pets.

And finally, this homage to Socks, the Clinton's White House cat who died earlier this month.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Fashion vs. function

I looked out the window this morning and saw that the nicely cleared sidewalks from Sunday were once again covered in a layer of snow.

Then I saw the snow guys my complex hired to get rid of the stuff liberally spreading salt over the walks.

Of course, my first thought was, "Great, now Kate and I will have to do that wintertime ballet where I try to get her to avoid the salt." It usually doesn't go well, and Kate ends up limping until I can get her back inside and her paws cleaned off.

Which makes me wonder if it's time for this:


That is Roxy, my friend Kathianne's pooch. When she sent me this picture I had a couple of questions: How long did it take to get her dressed, and how long did she stay that way?

She replied:
At first, they very much did not stay on. Getting them on the first time was a bit of a, I don't want to say hassle, b/c it wasn't quite that and it was funny, but it was awkward (especially b/c I'm not good with the back paws, and i was sitting on the floor and she was kind of rolling around in my lap). And I don't think I did them tight enough the first time, b/c when we went out she lost two pretty quick. But now I feel like I've gotten the hang of it - you kind of hold her "elbow" and shimmy her foot into it (it's like a sock or a bootie, with a suede/nylon bottom and a leathery top, and a velcro strap). I make sure her pads are actually as far down as they can go, and then do the strap as tight as i can with out hurting her. The most hysterical thing ever (and I have to get this on video) is that in the house, when she's got all four on, she walks so exaggeratedly that she looks like she's trying to swim!! But she walks normal outside and the places we haven't been able to walk in the last week or so b/c of salt, she sailed right through. no limping! and with the snow this morning dylan said she was a big hit, a bunch of people were like "look at the dog with the shoes!"
You go, girl!

And Roxy, too!

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Ready for adoption


Here is the Dutchess County SPCA Pet of the Week — Ready for adoption. What are you waiting for?

This week's featured pet:
Destiny — Rottie mix
"Destiny is calling you. This 6-year-old spayed female Rottie mix came to us when her owner moved out of the area, leaving her somewhat confused and a bit withdrawn."

The Dutchess County SPCA is located at 636 Violet Avenue, Hyde Park, NY 12538. The shelter is open Sunday, Monday, Friday and Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Closed Wednesdays. Call 845-452-SPCA (7722). Browse our adoptable animals today!

Shelter pets rule.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Sleeping

Burp

A St. Louis-area bulldog should obviously not be left alone when there are tasty, or not-so-tasty, things around that can be swallowed.

Lulu had to have surgery recently to remove 15 baby pacifiers, along with a bottle cap and a piece of a basketball.

Here's a link to the story.

She had been eating them for about six months and, remarkably, showed no ill effects.

Kate ate a whole store-bought pound cake once. I'd left it on the kitchen counter and forgot about it. Then the next day I found the plastic wrap on the floor. She eventually came down from the sugar high.

So what is the strangest thing your dog has eaten?

Monday, January 12, 2009

Good question

An article on the KidsPost page of the Washington Post caught my eye.

Sure, it's aimed at kids, but it contained information that was interesting.

The question was asked, "Why are there more kinds of dogs than cats?"

Here's the whole answer.

Here's part of the answer:
One big reason is that dogs have been bred to do different things, such as hunting, guarding and herding. Cats have not.
Cats herding? How about herding cats?

Remember this commercial from EDS?

Pick one

I'm sure President-elect Obama will get around to naming another candidate for commerce secretary, but at least the field has been narrowed for the really important choice: what kind of dog will the Obamas get for the White House.

Here's a link to a blog entry of The Oval, USA Today's new offering that looks at the Obama presidency, which, by the way, hasn't yet started.

Obama told George Stephanopoulos on This Week with George Stephanopoulos that he's gotten the selection process down to a Labradoodle or "Portuguese water hound," though he meant Portuguese Water Dog.

And the new first family is still looking to adopt a shelter dog. Good for them.

Friday, January 9, 2009

Anderson Cooper vs. cuteness

To heck with the economy, the war in Iraq, the conflict in the Gaza Strip.

What's important still is what kind of dog will the Obamas select for the White House.

Watch this video from CNN and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart about a debate between potential "first dogs" moderated by Anderson Cooper.

I think you won't be surprised who really won the debate and the hearts and minds of the viewers.

Another odd couple

We've seen videos where a lion acts like a pussycat around people it grew up with. Just the other day I provided a link to a video about a cat and rat who are BFFs.

Well, there's an elephant sanctuary in Tennessee (and that's not the odd part) where CBS News found the story of Tarra, an 8,700-pound Asian elephant, and Bella, a dog.

Watch the video on the link above and tell me what you think.

I kept thinking how terrified the dogs on the reality show "Greatest American Dog" were when they were confronted with a 9,000-pound African elephant. I guess the bigger they are ...

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Ready for adoption


Here is the Dutchess County SPCA Pet of the Week — Ready for adoption. What are you waiting for?

This week's featured pet:
Crackle — Tabby
"Looking to add a little snap to your morning routine? Let Crackle take a pop at it. Very handsome male orange tabby can get even the coldest of engines purring with just one look, warmed by his stunning orange eyes. A big boy, he came in as a stray, but we believe he will leave as a pet very soon. Playful, attentive and gets along well with other cats."

The Dutchess County SPCA is located at 636 Violet Avenue, Hyde Park, NY 12538. The shelter is open Sunday, Monday, Friday and Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Closed Wednesdays. Call 845-452-SPCA (7722). Browse our adoptable animals today!

Shelter pets rule.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Coupla videos

How about a Video Wednesday? Before I have to go out and chip the ice off my car.

Here's a little video from the Muppets — what could be bad?

Rizzo the Rat decided Rowlf the Dog should trade his piano playing skills for skateboarding. Watch what happens.

And it looks like it takes place in sunny California. Remind me again why I live in New York.

This second video is another one of those odd animal pairings.

This time we have a cat and a rat palling around. Some say it's a sign of the Apocalypse.

Come to think of it, both videos have rats in them.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Update on Sally, the abandoned dog


I got an e-mail from Paula Clausi-Van Steenburgh, the Highland woman who adopted Sally.

Sally, as you will recall, is the terrier mix who was abandoned, starved, in a clothing donation bin in Hyde Park.

Clausi-Van Steenburgh thought we might like an update on the dog's progress, as well as wish everyone a Happy New Year (Can't you tell from the picture she sent of the cutie, left, and her new brother, Pluto?).

According to her, Sally has been attending obedience classes on Monday nights and has learned sit, down, wait/stay and come and is starting to heel.

Clausi-Van Steenburgh's daughter wants to work Sally in agility and K-9 freestyle dance. I'd pay good money to watch that.

The other dog in Clausi-Van Steenburgh's family is Pluto, and he and Sally are getting along well, with the exception of an occasional squabble. She said that is typical of a brother/sister relationship. "Although he is very patient with her, she does get on his nerves sometimes," she said.

And here's the part of Clausi-Van Steenburgh's e-mail that gave me pause.
"Sally now LOVES to play Frisbee. She will even bring it back and drop it at your feet! It took us several weekends outside with her watching Pluto play. It was very sad that she didn’t have a concept of what play was all about. Seriously – no exaggeration. Kind of an insight into her past life, considering we had to teach her what it is to play…"
Sally, you go girl!

Monday, January 5, 2009

A project for over-achievers

OK, there are people in this world who like to invent things.

To make things better for mankind.

And then there are people like this guy who, I'm assuming, have a lot of time on their hands and can come up with a way to feed their cats while they are away for the weekend.

Of course, he is using a VCR and sprockets and pulleys and other geeky things that you only find if you read Popular Mechanics.

I don't know, maybe you could put down enough food or maybe get someone to come in and feed your cat for you.

To me, the video is fascinating but really, really strange. I love it.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Bubba eats a burrito

Title sez it all.

View it here.

Happy new year & happy birthday, Kate


I got Kate from the SPCA on the upper East Side of Manhattan. They said she was about 7 months old, maybe younger.


Her birth date is totally made up, but — and it's incredibly hard to believe — that she is 14 years old today.

We've been together 13-1/2 years, through ups and down. Four different homes. Work; no work. Grief; loss. Happiness.


She still wags her tail when I come home.

Thanks, Kate.