It’s been a question on the minds of many humans during the past few years - how will global warming affect our every day lives? Well, here at PetKnows we are starting to ask ourselves - how could global warming affect our four, two and slippery-legged friends?

It seems that the Department of Interior this week has answered part of the question by putting Polar Bears on the list of Endangered Species. Other endangered species include: manatees, whooping cranes, piping plovers, the Houston Toad and many others.

Polar Bears are now the first species to be granted protection under the Endangered Species Act due to the effects of global warming. Polar Bears will now gain protection from being targeted for sport - yes, as hard as it is for us pet lovers to believe - some people do hunt polar bears commercially and sell them as living room trophies.

The only unfortunate thing is that while global warming is well, a global problem, just putting Polar Bears on the ESA in the United States does not guarantee that they willl be completely safe. The ESA will stop the sport hunting of polar bears in Alaska, but often trophy hunters skirt the United States conservation law by killing polar bears abroad.

According to Animals and Politics Blog, hunting groups like the Safari Club International make it hard to protect beautiful species like the Polar Bear due to their competitive “Bears of the World” hunting achievement award, given to individuals who shoot four of the eight species of bears in the world (gasp!). This awards program drives competitive killing of Polar Bears. The Safari Club lobby has also thwarted previous government action on the issue, and according to Michael Markarian, the president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund, “most of the trophy hunters who chase these animals in the Arctic in a head-hunting exercise are Americans.”

As Congress continues to work on restoring the longstanding ban on polar bear imports, we should celebrate the decision this week to put the Polar Bear on the ESA, and hope that Congress also passes the Polar Bear Protection Act:

Bill Number: S. 1406 & H.R. 2327
Bill Status: Pending
HSUS Position: Support
Bill Sponsor(s): Sens. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) and Jack Reed (D-RI)
Reps. Jay Inslee (D-Wash.) and Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ)
Legislature Status: In Session

Every three weeks or so I head over to PetSmart and pick up a 35 pound bag of Purina Beneful Healthy Weight Formula for my dog. We’ve tried a few other formulas over the years, but he likes this stuff. At 32 dollars for a 35 pound bag - it runs about 91 cents per pound. With the rising cost of just about everything these days, I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised when a co-worker forwarded me this article: Inflation Gnaws at Pet Food Companies

An excerpt from the article:

“I’m more interested in the quality than price,” says Cathy Tuite, the Staten Island (N.Y.) owner of a miniature pinscher named Gracie. Tuite recently switched to grain-free, high-protein, oven-baked Wellness brand chow to address an issue with Gracie’s pancreas. “They’re not around long enough as it is,” she says. “We have to take care of them.”

Having recently dropped some cash replenishing the Nature’s Miracle (lots of eating grass = puke on carpet) and other necessities at PetSmart, I haven’t noticed a drop in pet spending as the article indicates. However, the cost of food is not insignificant. Wellness Rice & Venison clocks in at $47 for a 26-pound bag - or 1.80 per pound - nearly double the cost of my preferred Beneful formula.

Now I realize the holistic ingredients in Wellness are arguably superior to my Purina Beneful Healthy Weight Formula - but double the price? Further investigation yields that Wellness is not the only grain-free superstar out there as Taste of the Wild offers a similar formula with roasted bison and roasted venison in the High Prairie Canine Formula, but for only $1.40 per pound.

Cost Recap:
Purina Beneful Healthy Weight Formula $0.91per pound
Wellness Simple Food Solutions Rice & Venison Formula $1.80 per pound
Taste of the Wild High Prairie Canine Formula $1.40 per pound

I’ll try to keep an eye out on food prices over the upcoming months as the rising cost of fuel and other commodities has made nearly everything more expensive. I’ll also hopefully be posting an update about Taste of the Wild too as I’ve been wanting to switch to a grain-free formula for some time and I like that price. Stay tuned!

]]> http://petknows.com/2008/05/14/less-bang-for-the-buck-pet-food-prices-increase/feed/ http://petknows.com/2008/05/12/pet-charities-morris-animal-research-foundation/ http://petknows.com/2008/05/12/pet-charities-morris-animal-research-foundation/#comments Mon, 12 May 2008 20:04:24 +0000 J-Coll http://petknows.com/?p=28 In researching my latest post, I came across an organization that I just had to share, pre-empting my post on Cat Behavior, but that can wait.

The Morris Animal Foundation is a research organization that is funding numerous studies and research projects for all domesticated animals.  I learned about this foundation from a post on a favorite blog of mine, Totally Free Stuff, which was promoting a Dog Cancer free poster.  A bit unusual, but intriguing enough that I checked it out.  Their Canine Cancer Campaign is helping to raise awareness for dog cancers as well as to fund research that can be put into use quickly.  I encourage you to donate - you can even do it in a beloved pet’s name - as 1 in 4 dogs die of cancer - and so many more suffer from this awful disease.  They also are doing some great studies on feline kidney disease - which Lilly has and we deal with daily in my household.  And, in light of the recent tragedy of Eight Belles, check out the work they are doing in genetic diseases for horses.  If you are inclined to donate, the Morris Animal Foundation has several creative ways to contribute, including the I Do Foundation which allows you to set up on your wedding gift registry a charitable donation options - what a good idea!!

And don’t miss out on their fantastic printable newsletter, Animal News, which features in-depth and informative articles on a variety of topics from diagnosing various animal diseases to the winner of the ‘Thank Your Vet’ contest to the plight of the maned wolf.  All good stuff!

Thanks to MetBlogs for introducing me to the new NPR Channel on YouTube, I was able to get some much needed Friday fun by watching these adorable baby panda’s roll around and feed themselves.

And while Panda’s are never considered pets, they do hold a special place in the hearts of Washington, DC residents ever since the birth of Tai Shan at the National Zoo. According to Paula Bratner over at Pandopoly, Tai Shan’s entrance into the nation’s capitol “provided a new obsession for local residents who had gone through the heartbreak of losing Ling Ling and Hsing Hsing’s five cubs, who lived no more than a few days. And with the Panda Cam, the rest of the world could also watch Mei Xiang’s and Tian Tian’s first cub grow up.”

If you are a Panda-lover and want to get in on some of this black on white action, make sure to attend Paula’s session tomorrow titled, “Everything You Wanted To Know About Giant Pandas.”

10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
The Potters House
1658 Columbia Rd NW 20009

You can learn more information about the workshop here:

http://learnapaloozadc.com/workshops/view/158

]]> http://petknows.com/2008/05/09/pandawww-wonderful/feed/ http://petknows.com/2008/05/06/cat-speak-youre-listening-but-are-you-hearing/ http://petknows.com/2008/05/06/cat-speak-youre-listening-but-are-you-hearing/#comments Tue, 06 May 2008 16:57:13 +0000 J-Coll http://petknows.com/?p=26

Today’s post is the first in a series about Animal Behavior. I have been thinking covering this topic for some time now and when I saw the March 2008 issue of National Geographic with the lead story on “Inside Animal Minds” I was spurred into action. My first foray into this series will be to break down some of the key cat behaviors and language that I have observed in my thirty+ years of cat ownership. I believe that when you live 24/7 with any being you come to learn to speak with them through a complex language of behavior and body signals – even if you don’t speak the same native tongue. Its much like caring for an infant, you learn what their various sounds and cries mean even if they can’t tell you in a language you can understand yet. The most common for of cat language is obviously the greeting meow and the hissing meow. These are self-explanatory and thus, I won’t bore you. Some of the more interesting feline communication forms that I witness daily from Darby & Lilly are:

• Tail gestures – specifically Darby’s tail is always up – indicating happiness – unless he is scared, in which case he’s usually hiding out under the bed. Lilly is very communicative with her tail – even if she is purring, you know what her mood is based on what she is doing with her tail. This type of body language is crucial to learn to read. Cats rarely act without having given fair warning – it’s just that most humans miss the signals. Darby got a reputation in my family for awhile as being a biter. Not true. But, when the nephews & niece were little aggressive petting would lead to a nip. Or in Darby’s case and nip and hold. A clear sign for “stop doing that!” That is not a bite – it’s a sign and only came long after he’d done his best to tell them to back off via his tail movement and they missed the signs.
• Eye blinking (slowly) – Darby is famous for this around my place. Lilly – not as much – but she will do it on occasion. A slow eye blink (w/ both eyes) is a cat’s way of saying “I love you!” and I typically blink back. Interestingly, if I blink first at Darby, he always responds back. For anyone who knows Darby – he is extremely devoted to me, so this is not surprisingly.
• Head-butting – Another one of Darby’s tricks. A head-butt is another sign of affection – but more of friendliness than love. It’s kind of like a high-five or a knuckle touch. I’ve seen some cats do a chin-butt – their head to your chin – but that is usually because the human didn’t offer their forehead for butting.
• Talking back – Lilly has perfected this to an art form. She is not allowed to have Darby’s food, as hers is medicated to control her kidney disease. I can only assume that it doesn’t taste all that great, because she is after Darby’s all the time. If I give her an “ah-ah” (our form of saying no) she’ll throw it right back at me with a nasty long meow. And, that doesn’t always stop her. She’ll finally walk away grumbling and head hung.
• Grooming – This much like the slow eye blink is a cat’s way of showing love. In fact, this is regarded by many as the ultimate form of affection given by a cat. Lilly is such a groomer! She would lick my entire face, if I’d let her. That little rough tongue hurts though! Not only does she do this to me, for years, she bathed Darby daily. I was beginning to think he’d never learn to clean himself. Luckily, he did. If your cat does this to you, be careful in pushing them away. It can be very hurtful – its total rejection. I usually get Lilly to stop by rubbing behind her ears and then she gets totally caught up in that and stops “grooming” me.
• Sniffing – Lilly is the only one in my household to display this type behavior in my household, and she is very consistent with it. As she has gotten older, she’s trained me that as soon as I come in the house to greet her, I bend over to her level and let her sniff my face. This is a sign of recognition and is usually accompanied by a hello! meow, a lick or a head-butt. If I am really lucky or she has been particularly missing me, I’ll get all three!

For more information on these basic feline communicative tools, there is a great wiki-how-to here. Next post will explore the more delicate aspects of communicating with you cat, and then on to dogs, birds, you name it. Stay tuned! And, I welcome any thoughts or examples you have of interactions with your pet!

Thanks to Kendall Giles for the fabulous photo!

]]> http://petknows.com/2008/05/06/cat-speak-youre-listening-but-are-you-hearing/feed/ http://petknows.com/2008/05/05/must-love-dogs/ http://petknows.com/2008/05/05/must-love-dogs/#comments Mon, 05 May 2008 21:46:47 +0000 Claudia http://petknows.com/?p=24

A couple of months ago, a co-worker noticed that I was having a not-so-great day and sent me what is now one of my favorite bookmarks. I can’t not laugh whenever I see it! So if you are having a case of the Mondays, like I am, open and let yourself smile for a minute

Here are some of the articles of the past few weeks giving animals a bad name:

• Grey’s Anatomy Episode, “Where The Wild Things Are” depicts bear mauling.
• An elephant in India takes on a spiritual rampage and kills three people in a temple.
• Tired of eating golf balls for lunch, an alligator attacks a golfer.
• A hamster kills a man, with deadly virus.

One of my favorite spots in the DC area is actually found in the northern Virginia town of Arlington. The Lost Dog Café is a quaint deli that serves gourmet sandwiches and pizzas with charm and a neighborhood feel. It wasn’t long after I moved to DC that I was told to try out the café. I heard over and over again from friends how tasty the food is, how reasonable the prices are and that the selection is unbeatable. It didn’t take much convincing for me to decide to check it out and I realized all the reviews I heard were correct. Lost Dog Café is awesome! And one of the best things about it is that it’s not only a deli with a clever name but it’s also a café with a mission.

Lost Dog Café works to rescue and save abandoned and unwanted animals. Over the years they have found homes for hundreds of animals and in the process opened their own rescue foundation, Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation. The décor of the café is filled with pictures of dogs they have saved over the years as well as colorful dog-themed murals. But I don’t frequent the restaurant just for its cause; the food is delicious! They have over 75 specialty sandwiches, salads and pizzas so there is something for everyone and each features a clever name like The Hound Dog, Kennel Club Salad and my favorite, The Fat Molly.

With such success and a wait on almost every night of the week they opened a sister restaurant, The Stray Cat. Together they are saving animals and raising awareness. And when it’s time to leave you can grab a malt milkshake for the road or even a specialty dog treat to take home for your pup!

]]> http://petknows.com/2008/05/02/a-restaurant-with-a-mission/feed/ http://petknows.com/2008/05/01/paris-hilton-should-be-very-afraid/ http://petknows.com/2008/05/01/paris-hilton-should-be-very-afraid/#comments Thu, 01 May 2008 21:36:04 +0000 James http://petknows.com/?p=21 I’ve never been a huge fan of Chihuahuas, but this video is hilarious!

Viva Chihuahuas!

If you’re just starting to think about taking a parrot into your home, here are five things to consider:

1. All Birds Bite

Even tame birds bite. Unlike dogs and cats, parrots are prey animals, which means they are hardwired to be suspicious of many things us humans take for granted. Parrots will bite if they are scared or threatened, if they are trying to communicate something and, counter-intuitively, even when they are trying to protect you from something. There are many things you can do to avoid getting bitten and to discourage aggression in your bird, but understanding that there is no such thing as a bird that doesn’t bite will help you deal with the inevitable.

2. Birds Are Messy

Sure, parrots don’t need to be taken for walks in the rain, but that doesn’t mean you don’t need to clean up after their poop. Besides bird droppings, parrot owners also have to contend with food all over their floors and walls. Rarely does a cage or play stand contain the mess of seeds and other food that gets dropped and flung during meal time. One of my bird’s favorite games is to stick his beak in his bowl and make a scooping motion in order to toss his food as far as he can (right after I’m done vacuuming).

3. Parrots Need Fresh and Healthy Foods

Aviculture has come a long way in the past few decades when most people thought a bag of seed mix was sufficient to meet the nutrition needs of parrots. We now know that an all-seed mix contains too much fat and not enough other nutrients to keep our feathered friends healthy. Avian experts now recommend daily offerings of fresh veggies, organic fruits, whole grain pasta and all the best that your local Whole Foods has to offer, as well as specially formulated parrot pellets. Thanks to my bird, I now cook a lot healthier than I used to.

4. Parrots Are Noisy!

Are you ready for some noise? One of the first things a new large bird owner realizes once their new fid (feathered kid) settles in is that birds like to vocalize. Birds like canaries and budgies (parakeets) have voices that could be considered quite pleasant, but there’s nothing musical about the screaming of a cockatoo or even a conure. While attention screaming can be discouraged, it’s quite natural for parrots to yell loudly, especially in the mornings and evenings. If you don’t like a lot of noise, or your neighbors are looking for an excuse to have you evicted, your best bet is a small bird that is relatively quieter like a parakeet or cockatiel.

5. Birds Can Live a Long Time

Smaller birds tend to live as long as an average dog, while larger parrots can have the lifespan of a human. That means there’s a chance that the baby bird you get today could very well outlive you. And unlike a human child, your feathered kid won’t grow up and move out of the house – for better or worse, you’re making a lifetime commitment. If you’re still expecting your life to change due to moving, relationship changes, extensive travel, etc., think hard about whether you can make that level of commitment.

Parrots, unlike dogs and housecats, are not domesticated animals and aren’t going to fit neatly into your model for an ideal “pet.” They require a lot of attention, mental stimulation and out-of-cage time. Parrots are also extremely smart, and a happy parrot will delight you with its antics and tricks for many happy years to come. Before getting a bird, do plenty of research about what type of bird suits your lifestyle and what it will take to keep your parrot healthy and happy.

The Bird Lady is owned by a sun conure named Stewie. She blogs about the joys of parrot ownership and clicker training at http://bestinflock.wordpress.com/.