Does your dog ever make you laugh – on purpose? Does he know he’s being funny? An even stranger question – does your dog find things funny? There are countless stories of dog antics and behavior that are funny, but most of those you’d have to say are unintentional. Humorous behavior may be repeated because of the positive reaction received. In this case, you can’t say the dog has a sense of humor, but is acting on positive reinforcement. But dogs may be a little smarter than that. Just as some people enjoy making others laugh, it would seem, so do some dogs. Author Stanley Coren tells of his Cairn Terrier, Flint (click here to read the rest of the story), who frequently seemed to try to amuse his owners.
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It’s that time of year again! Fireworks are part of many celebrations, and are tons of fun for humans… but not so much for our furry family! July 4th especially can be a day of terror for our dogs and cats. At night the bangs and screeching of fireworks elevate your pets’ fight-or-flight drive. This can cause them to panic, wet the floor, tear up things, try to escape, run, or exhibit other distressed behavior. Be aware! This is the busiest time of year at shelters across the U.S.A. for a reason. Even if your dog or cat has never tried to escape or run, this may be the time. They may seem fine and then suddenly bolt out an open door or gate. Fireworks can start days in advance, so use our tips as soon as needed. There’s lots you can do to help your dogs and cats stay cool and safe this day of independence. Here’s how:
Cats love to climb, jump, leap, and perch high up! There are some amazing examples of houses that people have transformed into supreme cat habitats, but even just a few simple ideas can turn your normal apartment or home into an adventure zone to keep your indoor cat happy and entertained. Depending on the layout of your home, wall shelves, either freestanding or attached to walls, are one great way to do this. Cats also like different pathways to move around a room and across a space. If you have multiple cats, these cat highways become even more important, because traffic jams (even just one cat sitting in a doorway) can cause kitty road rage! The first thing you’ll want to do is look around your living space through the eyes of a cat. Then, watch your cat as they move through the space. Do they always go behind that arm chair, and jump up on the couch to walk along the back of it, then jump down? You can expand your kitty highways with scenic stop offs, sometimes by just clearing a shelf and rearranging your existing furniture. Cats need prefer a pathway or stopping point that is at least 7″ wide by 14″ long. Obviously, the bigger your cat, the bigger the space they will need! If you can clear that gap off of your current bookshelf, and move it next to the back of the couch, and put a cat-friendly mat in that space, point it out to your cat and see if they’ll explore their new lookout!
I’ve been lucky enough to work at pet-friendly jobs for many years, where “take your dog to work day” was an everyday occurrence. When I started, it was a rarity, but now more and more smart companies are realizing the benefits of encouraging their employees to bring dogs to work as they realize all the benefits having a furry friend in your cubical can bring, like higher employee retention, lower stress, and making the work place a lot more fun! But not all companies have the right environment for every-day dog coworker. That’s where Take Your Dog To Work Day comes in!
Why do cats and kittens love hiding, sleeping and playing in cuddly caves? We asked all our foster cats and kittens, and they asked us right back (we think), “For many of the same reasons your young humans like hiding out and playing in tents and forts – they’re fun!” Fun factor aside, cats do like to feel safe and snuggly especially when they are sleeping. Have you ever seen a pile of kittens or a row of adult cats lined up across the floor to catch the warm rays of a sun beam, or snoozing on the top of your old-fashioned-style TV or computer monitor? Cats like to be warm! Their average normal body temperature is 101.5 °F and they are domestic cats are descended from a desert dwelling feline – say that five times fast! (This is also why most cats are not good at drinking enough water to stay healthy, and need to “eat” their water in daily feedings of canned food.) These desert wild cats lived in… yes, caves! Most 
Giving away pets for free is a controversial issue in the animal sheltering world! Many animal welfare organizations advocate very strongly against anyone giving away pets for free, while others believe exactly the opposite, that zero adoption fees along with proper screening of potential homes can help even more pets find loving homes. You may have noticed in our website’s FAQ, in one part of our answer to an individual who’s trying to find a new home for their owned pet or a pet they’ve rescued, we give the following advice: “Do NOT give away a pet for free. Free pets are much more likely to be abandoned, and in some cases, someone might be seeking to obtain a pet for free to use for an illegal purpose such as dog fighting. You should charge an adoption fee that is equal to or greater than the adoption fee charged by your local animal shelter for that type of pet. Don’t be shy to charge money for your pet! Having someone pay money for a pet is one of the most important ways to be assured that the person who is taking the pet is serious about wanting them, and can afford to pay for the food and veterinary care the pet will need throughout his/her life. Consider posting your pet on 
Spring and Summer are kitten season. Yes, kittens have a season, even in parts of the USA that don’t have much change in seasons, like where I am in Southern California. Kitten season has an upside and a dark side. If you’ve been waiting to adopt a baby kitten or – for even more fun – a pair, during kitten season, there are bucketfuls to choose from. It’s still early in the season in many parts of the country, so the dark side hasn’t entirely taken over, and shelters and rescues aren’t overflowing with baby felines just yet. But by June, the tide turns, and as statistics show in so many communities, more and more unweaned kittens are pouring in each year. There are just not enough homes for them all.
The image you see at right of a pale blue plastic ball caught in a barbed wire fence might not make sense to you, unless you’ve seen the powerful video PSA created by Cesar Millan to promote the importance of spay and neuter. To me, it makes a lump rise in my throat. Somehow in 1 minute and 1 second video with it’s abstract imagery is stronger than almost any other video PSA I’ve seen about spay neuter, and I’ve seen a lot of them! Before you think “oh I can’t watch it” because sad images of sad dogs or cats make you cry, there is only one live dog in the first few seconds and she’s in a loving home. But wow with it putting your imagination to work, it really works! You can watch Cesar Millans PSA below, and below that you can use the icons to share this video with your friends, family, neighbors, on your Facebook, Twitter… everywhere!