Kristen King » meowbarkblog

Pet Humor: Great Dog Costumes — Pitbull Lion

Kristen King — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 22:39:04 +0000

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Pet News: Bird Strike Causes US Airways Plane to Land in the Hudson River

Kristen King — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 22:12:48 +0000

(www.meowbarkblog.com) — Earlier this afternoon, US Airways flight 1549 was forced to land in the Hudson River allegedly because of a bird strike that debilitated the aircraft. As of this writing, all 150 passengers and 5 crew members had been safely recovered from the aircraft and transported to New York hospitals to be treated for various minor injuries and hypothermia.

A “bird strike” occurs when an aircraft or other vehicle collides with an airborne animal, and is common during takeoffs and landings. According to MSNBC live reports this afternoon, airports typically report regularly on bird activity near runways to cut down on the likelihood of accidents and injuries resulting from bird strikes.

For more on bird strikes, visit Bird Strike Committee USA and read the Wikipedia entry on bird strikes.

Dog Disasters — Today’s Episode of “Things the Dogs Destroyed or Ate”: 10 lbs. of Flour

Kristen King — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 21:10:15 +0000

(www.meowbarkblog.com) — We came home from visiting family last night to find a white explosion all over the kitchen and living room. We should have known better than to leave the flour on the counter in preparation for tonight’s fried chicken dinner. But honestly, what is appealing about 10 lbs of flour? The world may never know. And my rug will never be the same.

My bedspread will never be the same, either, because about an hour after we got home, Pickles projectile-vomited a disgusting green half-liquid, half-paste mixture all over it. Oh, and have you ever used a regular vacuum to suck up 10 lbs of flour? I don’t recommend it. And neither does the manufacturer, I’m sure.

These dogs are VERY lucky we love them so much. Otherwise, we would be selling them to the circus, I swear. Oh, and did I mention how fun it is to clean flour from every surface in your home two days after getting in a car accident and having limited to no mobility due to back injury? It’s a blast.

Previous episodes:

Pets Stress About Money, Too

Kristen King — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 20:14:28 +0000

(www.meowbarkblog.com) — Your pet knows when you need a hug and when you need to play, so it’s no surprise that Fluffy and Fido can tell when you’re stressed about the economy. They may not know exactly what it is that’s filling your heart with angst, but your pets definitely feel your agida, and they experience it themselves, too.

Mastiff Mayhem: Shelf-Climbing Bullmastiff (or, “I just gotta have one of those toys!”)

Kristen King — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 18:29:12 +0000

(www.meowbarkblog.com) — If there’s one thing Ty loves, it’s stuffed animals. And he’s going to get them, no matter what it takes! See what I mean?

We call him Mr. Barky Buns Big Head. I’m sure you can figure out why.

Learning About…Cerebellar Hypoplasia

Kristen King — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 21:52:49 +0000

(www.meowbarkblog.com) — Today, I found a YouTube video featuring Charley, a cat suffering from cerebellar hypoplasia. But the thing is, Charley isn’t suffering at all! He may fall down a lot, but otherwise he’s a perfectly normal cat with some balance and motor control issues.

Cerebellar hypoplasia is a disorder found in cats and dogs in which the cerebellum is not completely mature at birth.

Usually symptoms of cerebellar hypoplasia can be seen immediately at birth in cats, but sometimes can take two months or so to become apparent in dogs. Cerebellar hypoplasia causes jerky movements, tremors and generally uncoordinated motion. The animal often falls down and has trouble walking. Tremors increase when the animal is excited and subside when at ease. (source)

The neat thing about cerebellar hypoplasia is that the animal typically isn’t in any pain and doesn’t require any special care (though if you have a large dog with the disorder, for instance, it might make sense to pad pointy objects just to be safe).

Meet Charley, and learn more about cerebellar hypoplasia:

Pet Humor: When Your Reindeer Is Just Too Wide to Fit in the Back Seat

Kristen King — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 19:46:54 +0000

(www.meowbarkblog.com) — My husband snapped this picture on the highway today. You have to give these people points for creativity!

The Catharsis of Mourning Another’s Loss

Kristen King — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 03:19:08 +0000

(www.meowbarkblog.com) — After putting it off for more than a year, I finally read the last three chapters of Marley & Me, in anticipation of the film release later this month. I don’t mean to be giving any spoilers here, but the dog dies at the end, as dogs are wont to do. And it’s not a particularly horrible death except for the horribleness that is death.

I bawled. I’m still sniffling, tears sneaking out despite my best efforts to remember that (a) it’s not MY dog and (b) it happened years ago and (c) he had a good long life for a dog anyway, with people who clearly loved him, so it’s not that sad. Those things mean NOTHING. Marley’s death is possibly the saddest thing I’ve ever read, and I’ve read a lot of sad stuff.

I think what did it for me was thinking about Murphy and what a bad dog he is even though he tries to be good. Murphy is Marley in mastiff form. And as much as he drives us crazy with his insane behavior and his eating everything that’s not nailed down (and some things that are, come to think of it: case in point, the patio steps), when he goes it will be gut-wrenching.

What is it about bad dogs that make them the most lovable?

We had been reading Marley & Me together, my husband and I, because we had both wanted to read it and he didn’t want me to do it without him. So every night before bed, I’d read a chapter aloud. But toward the end there, I was crying too hard to speak and I could barely see the words on the page. That’s why we ultimately set it aside.

“You should finish Marley,” my husband told me tonight as after he answered my cries to rescue Pickles from the soaking tub in the master bath. (She had chased a cat in and gotten stuck). I was lying in bed, sick, and it seemed like a good idea. But it was NOT a good idea. Bawling and heaving big shuddering sobs while you already feel like your sinuses are about to explode is not something I recommend.

But now that I’m mostly calmed down, I feel a kind of lightness that I needed to feel. Maybe just the physical act of crying did it, but I think it probably had something more to do with knowing that I’m not alone in loving a terrible dog who no one else could ever love, a good dog trapped in a bad dog’s body.

Pet Humor: Cat Getting Fat? Here’s Your Solution

Kristen King — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 16:37:13 +0000

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Treadmill Felines
Uploaded by dkslam

Meow/Bark/Q&A: Reverse Housebreaking?

Kristen King — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 21:49:35 +0000

(www.meowbarkblog.com) — Reader John asked:

any good ideas about how to “reverse” hosebreak an 8 yrar old dog? that is, have moved to apartment and want dog to use garden/patio area, but he seems to think it is part of the living area and thus he won’t go. what to do?

John, your vet will probably have some good ideas, but here’s what I’d do in the meantime, based on general housebreaking rules. Because let’s face it, housebreaking is housebreaking, regardless of where you’re retraining your dog to do his business.

Next time you take Sparky out for a walk, pick up his poop and bring it home with you. Put it in the area where you want him to go potty. When he sniffs it, tell him, “Good potty! Good dog! Good potty!” Give him a treat if you like. Then pick it up and dispose of it as you usually would. Then, next time he needs to go out, take him to that same spot and encourage him to poop or pee.

Also, head to your local PetSmart and pick up a Simple Solution Pee Post. If you prefer Drs. Foster & Smith, you can get the Pee Post from them, too (but it’s a little more expensive). Put it where you want him to pee (ideally right where you put the poop) and repeat the above. With persistence and patience, it will pay off.

I recommend taking him out every 2 hours for the first few days whether he has to go or not, just like you would if you were housebreaking a new puppy. Put him on the leash like a real walk and everything so he gets the picture.

Hope that helps!