Blogger Jessica Shyba created a viral phenomena with her amazing photos documenting her son and their newly adopted puppy snuggling during their naps together. Our friends over at Petcentric write, “Jessica’s eye for coo-worthy moments between her son, Beau, and sleeping dog, Theo, (and the rest of the family) have spawned an Instagram account that has exploded in popularity through the hashtag #theoandbeau.” Through Jessica’s artful photography, you and her 454,583 other followers can keep up with the puppy and baby as they grow up together. She’s also publishing her favorite photos as a book, available for pre-order now, and a portion of the proceeds will go to the Santa Cruz SPCA, where they rescued Theo. We think that makes these photos even cuter!
Author: Jennifer
The Healing Power of Pets Dr. Marty Becker
Bonding with a pet may be more beneficial than you think. Here are just some of the amazing ways pets make our lives better! Have you ever noticed that you feel better when you spend time with pets? At Purina’s Better with Pets Summit in New York City, Dr. Marty Becker, who you may know from Good Morning America and The Dr. Oz Show, spoke about the ways in which companion dogs and cats can have a positive impact on our health — both physically and emotionally.”From our hearts to our heads, from cradle to grave, pets are helping us live happier, healthier, and fuller lives,” said Becker. Here are just some of the ways that our companion dogs and cats help us each day.
Pets Encourage Physical Activity
It’s a given that having a pet can take you out of a sedentary lifestyle and encourage you to get out of the house. Dogs need to go outside for walks. Cats need exercise and playtime.
Friends can provide support when starting up an exercise routine, but nothing compares to the encouragement of a pet. “If you ever try to weasel out of exercising with your dog, there is going to be heck to pay,” said Becker.
Pets Encourage Social Interaction
Pets are social magnets. According to Becker, pets are the “cure for the common cold shoulder.”
Imagine taking a walk on crowded city streets. No one talks to you or even seems to notice your presence. Now imagine taking an adorable puppy down those same streets. You’ll get more people making comments, asking you questions, or stopping to talk to you than you ever would if you were walking alone.
Pets Reduce Stress
According to Becker, just by touching our pets we feel a surge of prolactin and oxytocin, hormones that can help us feel better. These same hormones can lower blood pressure and reduce stress. Having a pet can elevate serotonin and dopamine — hormones that lift depression — as well.
Our animals often know when we need them, too. Pets tend to draw near when you’re feeling blue to provide emotional support. And pets get the same benefits from petting. Becker calls this the “love loop.”
Pets Improve Health
Additionally, Becker notes that if you have a dog, you’re five times more likely to be alive a year after a heart attack. If you have a cat, you’re 40 percent less likely to suffer from a heart attack or stroke in the first place. Pets lower cholesterol, they mitigate migraines, and they act as health monitors for Parkinson’s disease and diabetic seizures. Research has even begun on some dogs who have the amazing ability to detect cancer.
Becker also notes that children who have a pet growing up are less likely to develop allergies, asthma, and eczema.
Simply put, our companion dogs and cats help us live healthier, happier lives. They provide unconditional love and ask for relatively little in return.
How amazing is that?
The Friskies 2013 video contest!
The Friskies video contest is back! You can upload your awesome cat video (before noon ET July 15, 2013) at www.TheFriskies.com for a chance at $25,000 in case prizes! And while it’s true that “The Friskies” 2013 is a video contest, it also benefits rescue and shelter cats across the country. Friskies is helping 20 rescue organizations that dedicate their energies to finding loving, happy homes for cats across the nation – with lots of cat food! Specifically, Friskies is donating more than 250,000 cans of cat food to 20 partner animal rescue organizations. Each organization will receive a minimum of 7,500 cans and will have the opportunity to increase this donation (up to an additional 10,000 cans per charity) based on their overall participation. We think that is can-tastic!
Friskies says: “But that’s not all, we also need your help! Look for special Friskies® messages on the Friskies Facebook and Twitter that will offer opportunities for our fans to TRIGGER an additional donation of 500 cans per charity (up to 50,000 cans total). Your support makes a real, living, purring difference. Thank you. Every cat counts.”
The Future of Doggie Advertising?
This is a fun idea: how about a dog food commercial that is specially designed with images and sounds for you rdog to enjoy too! Our dogs are such avid TV watchers that we often leave the TV on for them when we go out, and we’ve had them go into the other room if we’re watching a suspensful action movie, so it makes sense that advertisers would tap into this interest to make a commercial more compelling. This particular commercial is for Beneful dog food from Purina, our amazing sponsor. You can watch a two and a half minute behind-the-scenes video here with the vet who developed the toy squeaks and high-pitched dog-only sounds, and then click the link under that to watch the TV commercial yourself — and with your dog too of course! Does it get your dog’s attention? Let us know by posting your comment on our Facebook wall!
The Mean Kitty: Pet Psychic
Since it is 3/13 today we decided to write about something a little out-of-the ordinary: a pet psychic! Or as she calls herself more officially, and animal communicator. It is one of the Mean Kitty videos, a fun series of videos on Petcentric who’s purpose is, says feline stars Sparta and Loki, “To remind us all that pets aren’t just a piece of furniture in our homes… even though they can look that way sometimes. : ) We’ll show you new ways to love your pets by simply spending a little more time with them each day.” They are both adopted rescue cats and their person Pete has a great sense of kitty humor that makes them a lot of fun! Plus Sparta and Loki are absolutely riveting to watch of course. But let’s get back to the Pet Psychic video <– you can click the link to watch it on Petcentric. The famous pet psychic visits and communicates with Sparta and Loki. Laura Stinchfield. Even if you are a sceptic, it’s pretty amazing to watch the surprizing answers the cats have for some of Pete’s and Laura’s questions!
Have you ever had a pet psychic communicate with your pets? Tell us about it on the Adopt-a-Pet.com Facebook page!
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Watch all The Friskies Award Winners!
Sometimes we feel the internet was made for cat videos… after watching all the amazing videos that were The Friskies award finalists was definitely one of those moments! On November 14 in Los Angeles, an eager world received news of just which cats would receive the first-ever major industry award for Internet cat videos, “The Friskies.” And a blind cat named Oskar led the way… running away with their $15,000 Grand Prize! Watch all “The Friskies”-winning videos here. Of course we especially love that because of all your likes, votes, comments, and shares during “The Friskies” 2012 Internet cat video contest, Friskies® donated 250,000 cans of cat food to 25 cat rescue organizations across the United States. Friskies® says THANK YOU for helping us make a difference in the lives of rescue cats across America!
For more information about The Friskies donation program, visit: http://www.thefriskies.com/giving/
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We are thankful for…
What is your pet thankful for? We are thankful for so many things, including animal lovers and adopters like you… and Petcentric! For every new like of their Facebook page www.facebook.com/PetcentricbyPurina they’ll give thanks to rescues and shelters by donating $1 to Adopt-a-Pet.com – up to $50,000! Join the growing community of pet lovers and help share the giving spirit of the season!
Ways to help animals in need over the holidays
Our friends over at Petcentric.com have some great ideas of ways you can help animals in need over the holidays! The holiday season can be a wonderful time when we all come together with family and friends, and focus on fellowship and service to others including abandoned animals in our communities. Many people take vacation around the holidays leaving animal shelters and rescue facilities understaffed. This is a wonderful time to volunteer your labor and skills to help animals in need. While you might not have the time the rest of the year, you can ask your local shelter if they need help with feeding, exercising or cleaning kennels — especially on the holiday days. If you have a large vehicle like an SUV or van, you might even be able to assist in the transport of animals. If the shelter is closed to the public or requires you be a trained volunteer to help on-site, you can offer to launder bedding, make fundraising calls, or organize adoption events at local businesses.
Photos & Videos. Animal shelters are often in need of a lot of professional services that they cannot afford to pay for. If you have experience photographing animals or making family videos, you can offer your one-time (or more!) service to photograph their animals for listing on adoption websites and promotional materials. Off-site adoption events are a great place to do this, as the shelter will have arranged for staff and volunteers to handle the pets, and you can focus on photographing and videoing them.
You can register on Adopt-a-Pet.com as a volunteer to be contacted by your local rescue, or search Volunteer Opportunities posted by your local shelters and rescues here:
www.adoptapet.com/get-involved
Donate Items or Cash. Shelters and non-profit rescues are always in need of donations, both of money and essential items. Cash is always welcome and helpful! You can see if your local shelters and rescue have included a link to their donation page or Paypal by searching for them on Adopt-a-Pet.com here: www.adoptapet.com/animal-shelters –click on the shelter name, then look on the right for their “Donate to our Shelter” or “Donate to our Rescue Group” link, or their website link.
Donations of both new and used items are also often appreciated. Ask your shelter if they have a wish list. Shelters often can use donated food and treats, used kennels or crates that you no longer need, newspapers, old blankets, sheets, towels, and washable dog beds.
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What does meow mean?
Meow? Mrrrrrrow? Mrow? Meeeeeeoew? Do you speak cat? Do you sometimes with you did? Did you know that cats meow to people, but very rarely to other cats? Adult cats, living apart from humans, have very clear communication with one another. Cat language is spoken mostly through scent, then through facial expression, complex body language, and touch. Cat sounds for vocal communication involve caterwauls for mating, chattering upon spotting prey, hissing to ward off an intruder, or shrieking when hurt or terrified. Meowing is not part of natural cat language. Meow-ese, it would seem, is a language developed exclusively for humans, outside of a mom cat taking to her kittens. Our friends at Petcentric have delved into all the reasons cats meow to communicate, and we’re happy to share it with you right here!
The only meowing in cat language is done between mom cat and her young kittens. A kitten’s tiny “mew” is a cute, endearing sound, used to solicit attention and care from mom cat. Once the kittens are grown the mews and meows stop.
So why do cats meow to people? Because meowing is what works. Your cat is dependent on you, and quickly learns that you are clearly not picking up the scent messages she leaves on your things, and you are not completely fluent in cat body language.
The disarming “meow” or adorable “mew,” is what gets you to do what she wants. So the meowing develops into a second language to communicate to you. Some scientists would go so far as to say that cats have refined their meows specifically to manipulate people. We have to admit it works.
Cats Vary Their Meows for Different Meanings
There are dozens of meow sounds in cat language that vary in pitch, length and volume. Most cat owners learn the language easily. A short, high-pitched meow is a standard “Hello!” Several of those strung together mean “You’re home! Yea!!!”
Cats use pleasant meow sounds to solicit requests for food, to go outside or to simply get attention. Your cat learns which meow is going to get the results he wants. You may find that the meows that tug at your heartstrings the most are the ones your cat is using for pleas such as, “pet me.”
Cats use unpleasant, harsher, louder meows for demands, reprimands or to express annoyance. These meows have a lower pitch and are not all that cute. Cats know not to use ugly meows to seek a favor–because you’re unlikely to comply with such rudeness.
Cat people understand cat language better than others
Meow-ese seems to be generally understood by “cat people.” Dr. Nicholas Nicastro, Ph.D., who did his thesis on humans’ ability to understand meows, found that people who own cats were far better at understanding the meaning of meows than people that don’t. Dr. Nicastro recorded hundreds of meows cats used in real settings with their owners. He had people listen to the meows, then asked what they thought the cats were communicating.
Part of the experiment asked general interpretations (Does the cat sound angry or pleasant?) and part were more specific translations (Is this cat asking for food or does he want you to go away?).
Not surprising, the more experience the people had with cats, the better they were at understanding meows – those who had no cat experience scored very low. People who owned cats could correctly translate 40% of the meows. That’s pretty remarkable considering the respondents did not have the benefit of seeing the cat. Normally, when a cat meows, we get more clues to its meaning from the context in which the cat is speaking (by the door, near a dirty litter box, time of day, etc.) and from body language.
It’s kind of nice to think your kitty has gone to the effort to learn a second language to communicate with you. Sure, she did it mostly out of necessity, but also out of affection. She wouldn’t meow just for your attention if she didn’t enjoy a relationship with you.
The Meaning Behind the Meows and Mews
Your cat uses the basic meow or mew in several variations in many situations. Even though there is a distinct “demand meow” for example, your cat may have separate variations for each of his regular demands. If you watch what your cat is doing when he meows, and listen carefully, you may learn to distinguish the demand meows, and eventually know the difference between his “let me out” demand and his “give me food” demand by sound alone.
- Short meow or mew: Standard greeting. “Hello!”
- Multiple meows or mews: Excited greeting. “Great to see you!”
- Mid-pitch meow: Plea for something. “I’d like to eat.”
- Drawn-out mrrroooow: Demand for something. “Open the door NOW.”
- Low pitch MRRRooooowww: Complaint of a wrong you have done. “Hey – my bowl is still empty!”
- High-pitch RRRROWW!: Anger or pain. “That’s my TAIL you just stepped on!”
More stories about communicating with your cat from our friends at Petcentric:
Who’s The #1 Internet Cat Celebrity?
We all know that the internet was made for cat videos, so it makes total sense that as a result, we have a new category of celebrities – the Cat Celebrity! Have you heard of Grumpy Cat, Nala Cat or Oskar The Blind Cat? What about Tara Hero Cat? Our friends over at Friskies put together the definitive guide to the most influential kitty celebrities on the web so you can keep track of who’s who and which cat will be the next big thing! The Friskies 50 is an index of the most influential cats on the Internet, based on each cat’s social reach and engagement across an array of social accounts. See the full list at www.Friskies50.com where you can see the arrows displayed beside each cat’s position which indicate upward or downward movement from the previous month and a gold star indicates a first time appearance on the Friskies 50. Also, if you know a cat that should be in the Friskies 50, you can nominate them by typing in their name! Check out the fun at www.Friskies50.com