About 53 percent of the nation’s cats and 55 percent of dogs are overweight. And more than one in five of those fat animals is clinically obese, meaning at least 30 percent above normal weight.

That’s the, um, skinny from a recent study by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP).

While you’re getting your head around the fact that this country boasts an organization dedicated to chunky pets, consider this: All that flab on Fluffy and Fido can cost you plenty.

That’s because fat cats and dogs are much more likely to end up with expensive health problems, according to Dr. Ernie Ward, a North Carolina veterinarian and founder of APOP.

“The number of obese pets is growing,” Ward said.

“This is troubling because it means more pets will be affected by weight-related diseases such as arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure and kidney disease, costing pet owners millions in avoidable medical costs.”

The trouble, Ward and other vets say, is us. Our pets aren’t skipping the gym and raiding the fridge. We owners are overfeeding them. And we aren’t getting off our duffs to give our pals enough walks and play time.

Then there’s denial. About two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese, according to the Center for Disease Control. That has distorted our perception of what’s a normal weight, even for our pets.

To help owners grasp the situation, Ward’s organization has created a “pet weight translator” that puts the weight of cats and dogs into human terms.

Think love handles on your Pomeranian are cute? Every excess pound on a dog that small would equate to a 5-foot, 4-inch woman gaining 21 pounds, or a 5-foot-9 man putting 25 pounds of extra junk in his trunk, according to APOP.

The answer is not to buy a bigger doghouse or Sansabelt collar, vets say.

Instead, feed your furry friends less and exercise them more.

Bottom line: Your pets will be healthier and probably live longer. That’s priceless.

L.A. Times

That means Fido can no longer be checked as luggage, which generally costs $250 when pets fly from the U.S. to most foreign destinations. Now, some military families say they’ve been told it could cost up to $1,400 to fly pets home as cargo, and they’ve launched online petitions to get the policy change reversed.

• MORE: How hard is it to travel with your dog?

“Everyone is talking about it and stressing out over the impending changes,” says Jessica Simmons, a Marine pilot’s wife based in Okinawa, Japan, in an e-mail.

Simmons says she was able to check the family’s cocker spaniel, Zeke, for $130 when they moved to Japan in 2008. She’s now told it will cost “a minimum of $1,400″ to send him home as cargo. “I am fearful that those who cannot afford these new prices will leave their pets behind,” she says. “If I’d known it wasn’t going to cost the same … to get Zeke back to Texas, I would have left him with family.”

United says the cost of shipping pets as cargo isn’t significantly greater than for checking them. For instance, the cargo rate for an animal that weighs between 10 and 50 pounds coming to the U.S. from Micronesia would be $309. A smaller animal would cost $259, United spokeswoman Mary Ryan says.

The significant costs are for animals coming from Japan, where a law requires an extra fee be paid to a third-party handler, Ryan says. “There’s some confusion,” she says. “That’s not a United-Continental cost. That’s a government-mandated cost. Our pricing remains competitive.”

Most big U.S. airlines will ferry pets, but their policies vary.

US Airways allows some pets in the cabin, but they can’t be sent via cargo. Starting March 1, they can’t be checked like bags. American allows some dogs and cats in the cabin on some flights, as well as their checking and shipping. Southwest will carry dogs and cats only in the passenger cabin.

United says it’s making the switch to PetSafe because of the program’s many resources for handling those in its care. The program has been lauded by pet-transport professionals.

“They’re fantastic with their animals,” says Gay O’Brien, former president of the International Pet and Animal Transportation Association. “We’re all so pleased that United is picking that up.”

Austin, Texas (PRWEB) February 22, 2012

A new report from Planet Amazing says that organic pesticides have many benefits that make them better than past chemical pesticides. Prior to 1995, the report says, most pest control treatments used various poison chemicals to fight pest infestations, and to kill insects. These chemicals had some serious problems because they were toxic to children, pets and plants. There was also a phenomenon called “resistance” that developed in insects where the insects could withstand the poisons after many generations. “Resistance” means, according to scientific studies, that the insects can survive now after being treated with the same chemicals that – 20 years ago – would have killed them.

Justin Douglas of Planet Amazing says that the problems with insects have gotten worse in some ways because of the phenomenon of “resistance.” “These insects have started surviving when the exterminator comes out, because many groups of insects have developed a resistance to chemicals that have been used for the last 50+ years,” he says.

Organic and non-toxic solutions solve those problems, says Douglas, because they are not harmful to children, pets or plants and many of the non-toxic approaches are not chemical at all. “In fact, one of the great discoveries in organic pest control has been the use of microcrystals, which are so small they have no effect on people, pets or plants, but which are fatal to insects and have no chemical in them at all. So microcrystals can be sprinkled like a powder on plants and indoors, in the garden, in carpet, and they will eliminate bedbugs, fleas, ants, roaches, and most other crawling insects.”

According to CNN, some insects like bedbugs have had a 10,000% increase in the last five years, due to spreading through hotels in the United States. People get the bedbugs in their clothing and hair and then carry them to the next hotel. Recently, college dorms in the Midwest have had serious bedbug infestations, according to Google News. This type of increase suggests that past treatments are no longer working, Mr. Douglas says. “At Planet Amazing we have organic and non-toxic pest control solutions that can help solve many of these insect problems. In the south there are fire ant outbreaks in Texas and across the Gulf coast, flea outbreaks are going to be more serious in 2012 because the winter was mild in most places in the United States and a mild winter means that fleas do not hibernate and start multiplying sooner and in greater numbers. So unfortunately these are problems which affect most homeowners and some commercial property owners. We recommend Planet Amazing products because the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has rated our products safe and because our products are all non-toxic for children, pets and plants. At the very least, Planet Amazing products should be on the homeowner’s shelf so that you have an option that is safe and not poisonous like pest control of the past. Planet Amazing is a great option because we have worked hard to find the best organic and non-toxic solutions that have been tested and developed by science and which have already been proven in the field by industry and real people using our solutions effectively.”

One example is the BitterLicks horse cribbing solution, Mr. Douglas says. “BitterLicks was developed from the most bitter tasting substance on the earth, but it is a safe substance, it will not hurt the horse or a person,” he explains. “BitterLicks cannot harm your horse, and your horse no longer needs a grazing muzzle. Denatonium benzoate is one of the awful tasting and yet safe substances that was originally developed from studying all-natural plant tastes that were extremely bitter. A premier horse farm paid for the research so that they could find a way to keep their horses from cribbing. That was how BitterLicks was born.”

Another example from Planet Amazing products is the discovery of microcrystals in organic pest control. According to Mr. Douglas, “Our microcrystal ingredient is one part of the process for most of our environmentally safe pesticide solutions. It is literally on the cutting edge of the pest control industry, because the Planet Amazing microcrystals kill the tiny insects and yet the microcrystals are completely safe for humans and pets, since the crystals are so extremely small. In fact, the substance is usually in powder form and can be sprinkled on carpet or any surface or even the outside ground. Then the microcrystals stick to the insects skin, and force the wax coating of the insect to become cut away from the body of the insect, thus killing the insect.” Mr. Douglas says the insects often find their way back to their eggs and the microcrystals then cut up the larvae and eggs, rendering them unable to grow. The microcrystals organic pest control solution answers the question how to kill bedbugs or other insects, Mr. Douglas says, and no poisonous chemicals are used in the process: “These micro crystals attach to the legs and bodies of bugs. When they groom it off, the crystals are like ground glass in the bugs intestines, shredding them from the inside out. Because of the microscopic size of the crystals, carpet dust is harmless to your family and pets.”

For more information, visit the Amazon.com Planet Amazing store.

About Planet Amazing

PlanetAmazing.com is the premier manufacturer and distributor of a wide range of organic and inorganic “GRAS” solutions that anyone…no matter their experience…can use to eliminate real everyday problems.

###

Justin Douglas
Planet Amazing
512.410.0161
Email Information

Although it makes for great drama, Brown left out two important
facts to the story, the first being that the story emphasizes that
watching the cats destroy each other was “enjoyable” for the
audience. I don’t know about most Americans, but I have watched
most of these debates, and it is not enjoyable to watch, and an
embarrassment to explain our political process to my Irish
relatives living on the old sod.

Secondly, a minor historical clarification is in order when
discussing the Kilkenny cats. It actually uses the two cats as
representative of two towns in Ireland, one English and one Irish,
who were involved in a land boundary dispute. No mention of
politicians.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, everyone.

John Conlan, Stevensville

February 22, 2012 2:20PM

• Reprints

Write to anniesmailbox [at] comcast [dot] net

CCHS has assessed its capacity and determined 21 cats can be appropriately housed, evaluated and cared for until they can eventually be placed in permanent homes. The first step in processing the cats into CCHS is to perform complete evaluations and then develop individual care plans that meet each cat’s specific needs. Each cat will be made available for adoption on a case-by-case basis.

CCHS anticipates future promotional efforts to expedite the process and help make room for more cats in need in an efficient manner.

Every effort will be made to preserve or improve current cat/kitten intake wait times/rates for county residents. There is an ongoing need for more foster homes in order to shorten wait times and expand efforts.

Those interested in providing foster care should call Sue Bloom, CCHS shelter manager, at 665-2209 ext 205. Current open shelter hours for inquiries in person are Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. and Tuesday and Friday from 2 to 6 p.m.

According to the in-depth, official site, the network focuses on three themes for its shows: relaxation, stimulation and exposure.

“Many dogs suffer from lack of stimulation, which becomes acute when their owner is away,” the FAQ reads. “The stimulating content will provide the dog with invigorating images, animation and exciting real world sounds to keep the dog up and running.”

DOGTV is available for free on Cox (Channel 2635) and Time Warner (Channel 148) in San Diego. After a trial period, it will cost $4.99/mo. The network hopes to go nationwide soon.

Mother Nature Network

Police say the dogs attacked an adult female outside of Brownlee’s Market in the 600 block of Oxford Street, just before 3 pm. They say the dogs then began to attack a 12-year-old.

A Good Samaritan was passing by and tried to help the child. Police say the dogs then began to attack the man.

Police say they shot the dogs to stop the attack. They say they hit one of the dogs, killing it, and the other ran off. Two officers chased the fleeing dog and were able to chase it down and shoot and kill it as well.

It is unclear at this time if there was a fourth victim. Animal Care and Control is also investigating the incident. The extent of the injuries to the victims is not clear at this time.

Way I remember it, albatross was a ship’s good luck, ’til some idiot killed it.

Mitt Romney took his dog along on a family vacation. They took a 12 hour trip, with the dog strapped to the roof of the car in a dog carrier.  Mitt Romney doesn’t deny this, in fact he claims it was great fun for the dog–the the dog loved it.

Whether the dog loved it or not can never be proven, since the dog is long gone. What does remain is the image of a man driving cross country with a dog strapped to the roof of his car.

Voter’s opinions of candidates often turn on the small, rather than than big issues.  It has rightly been pointed out that women have a negative view of Newt, because of his divorce history.  But, what will most voters view be of Mitt Romney after they learn of his dog history?

Americans don’t just like dogs, it’s fairer to say Americans have a love affair with dogs.   They certainly dislike people that abuse dogs. Erick Erickson at Red State continually points out that voters tend to vote for the candidate they like they most.  Where does this leave Mitt Romney?

Dogs Against Romney is growing into a respectable grass root presence. It may seem easy to dismiss. After all, with all the problems our nation faces, how could someone’s treatment of a dog really be important? Well, people vote for president not only based on issues, they also take a measure of the man. When voters measure Mitt Romney, what will they conclude?

Mitt Romney’s dog may be his albatross.

The father of our country is also, according to legend, the father of the American Foxhound. George Washington bred his own hounds; knowing this, the Marquis de Lafayette — American ally during the Revolutionary War, and Washington’s close friend — sent Washington several hounds. … Washington also bred mules, sometimes using donkey stock sent to him by King Charles III of Spain.

Thomas Jefferson received a pair of grizzly bears from the delightfully named Captain Zebulon Pike (Pike, having strayed into Spanish territory by accident on an expedition, bought the bears from a local while being escorted back to U.S. soil). Jefferson didn’t keep the bears for long, though, sending them to his artist and naturalist friend Charles Willson Peale — but until transport could be arranged, the cubs lived in a cage on the lawn of the president’s house. Jefferson also owned more conventional pets like Briard dogs, and a mockingbird named Dick.

Andrew Jackson taught his pet parrot, Pol, to swear. Pol outlived Jackson, and in fact had to be removed from Jackson’s funeral service because it wouldn’t stop cursing. Jackson also kept fighting roosters, which may have seen service at the reception for Jackson’s first inauguration; this party apparently devolved into a donnybrook rather rapidly, with Jackson departing via a window shortly after arriving.

Abraham Lincoln had a passel of pets living with him at the White House — pet goats Nanny and Nanko, favorites of his son Tad, who slept with them in his bed and harnessed them to chairs; a dog, Jip; kittens given to Lincoln by Secretary of State William Seward; and a turkey named Jack for whom Tad obtained a presidential pardon from Christmas dinner in 1863.

Theodore Roosevelt could have opened a zoo; he probably had more pets than Cabinet members, including a Bull Terrier, a Manchester Terrier, a Peke, a Cheseapeake Bay Retriever, and a Saint Bernard — and that’s just the dogs. The White House animal brood also included a fleet of guinea pigs with awesome names like Dr. Johnson, Fighting Bob Evans, and Admiral Dewey; a macaw named Eli Yale; a one-legged rooster; Emily Spinach the garter snake; Maude the pig; Bill the lizard; Josiah the badger; and various cats, mutts, rabbits, owls, ponies, and even a hyena.

You spend as much time in the White House as FDR did, you’re going to acquire a fair number of pets — but Roosevelt didn’t have an outlandish number. He seemed to favor Scotties like Fala and Meggie, but he also had bigger dogs like Majora (German Shepherd), Tiny (Old English Sheepdog), President (Great Dane), and Blaze (Bull Mastiff). Fala, his constant companion in Roosevelt’s later years, was named for one of Roosevelt’s own Scottish ancestors, “Murray the Outlaw of Falahill.” Fala went everywhere with his president — including ships, trains, and planes — and his need to be walked during long trips often tipped civilians to the president’s presence, which led the Secret Service to code-name Fala “the Informer.”

The kids running around John F. Kennedy’s White House may have built a larger collection of pets than some presidents, including ponies (Macaroni, Tex, and Leprechaun), parakeets (Bluebelle and Marybelle), hamsters, cats, dogs, and a rabbit named Zsa Zsa. Kennedy’s most controversial pet, though, is probably Pushinka, a mutt given to Caroline Kennedy by Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev. Pushinka, an offspring of Soviet space dog Strelka, got along well enough with Caroline’s other dog, Charlie (a Welsh Terrier), to “collaborate” on four puppies together. (Kennedy called them “the pupniks.”)

Ronald Reagan’s Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Rex, made an early appearance lighting the national Christmas tree in 1985. Rex was a gift from conservative thinker Bill Buckley, who owned Rex’s mother, and brother Fred. Rex, named for chief White House usher Rex Scouten, had a doghouse that made news for its lavishness. The previous canine occupant, a Bouvier Des Flandres named Lucky, had gotten too big and rambunctious for the White House, so the Reagans sent her to their Rancho del Cielo estate. The Reagans also had a Golden named Victory, a Siberian Husky named Taca, and a Belgian Sheepdog named Fuzzy, among other dogs.

George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush’s Springer Spaniel, Millie, was possibly the most popular occupant of the first President Bush’s White House. She had puppies while she lived in the White House — including Ranger, whom the Bushes kept — and she “wrote” a book that described a day in White House life, which included morning briefings … and breaks to chase squirrels. Her dog bed is a part of the Bush Presidential Library in College Station, Texas.

Bill Clinton’s daughter, Chelsea, brought her cat, Socks, with her to the White House when the Clintons moved in in 1993, and he assumed office as First Cat. In 1997, he was joined by a chocolate Lab named Buddy (not that Socks was happy about it, mind you), whom the president named after his late great-uncle. Buddy and Socks had plenty of room to avoid each other in the White House, but when the Clintons moved to New York, separate quarters weren’t practical and Socks was left with secretary Betty Currie.

Buddy’s untimely demise came on a road outside the Clintons’ home in Chappaqua, N.Y., when he was struck by a car.

The more recent George Bush favors dogs as well; his Springer Spaniel Spotty Fletcher, named after baseball player Scott Fletcher, was Millie’s puppy. The Bushes also kept Scottish Terriers Barney and Miss Beazley Weazley (Miss B was a 2005 birthday gift from the president to Laura Bush). Other pets included Willie, who lived to the ripe old age of 19, and Ofelia, a cow who bunks at Bush’s Crawford, Texas, ranch.

And of course you all know Bo Obama, the Portuguese Water Dog and current First Dog.