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Usually our Happy Beginnings stories come to us straight from the adopters who’ve given a homeless pet their new happy beginning. If you have a happy adoption story and photo that you’d like to share and inspire others to adopt a pet, we’d love to hear from you. Please send an email with the photo attached  to info@cms.adoptapet.com. This time though, we have a Happy Beginnings story from a shelter that lists their pets for adoption on Adopt-a-Pet.com! The Forget Me Not Animal Shelter sent us this story as part of their application for an Adopt-a-Pet.com Happy Beginnings Fund grant, which help create more “Happy Beginnings” with funding for adoptions programs at shelters and rescues. Forget Me Not writes, “Jasper arrived at the shelter as an 11-year-old Labrador/Boxer mix boy, who was impounded by the county after his owners moved away and left him at their former rental home. They had told the landlord they would be back for their dogs (Jasper came in with a 5-year-old Boxer and an elderly Chihuahua), but after a month had gone by, the landlord had no choice but to ask the sheriff to remove the abandoned dogs.

The owners were located and came to Forget Me Not Animal Shelter, where they paid the impound fee for the Chihuahua and took him away… but said “you can have the other two,” leaving Jasper and his Boxer friend homeless.

Some dogs might become depressed, but Jasper seemed to really enjoy his time at the shelter; we believe he was mainly left outside all the time with his former family, so the one-on-one indoor attention and play time he received from our wonderful volunteers seemed like a grand improvement to Jasper. We did worry that it would be difficult to find a home for a dog nearing the end of his life, but optimistically listed him and hoped for the best, while continuing to make him happy and comfortable for what could be the rest of his life at the shelter.

We are the only animal shelter in an extremely rural and impoverished county (Ferry County) in Washington State. Ferry County has an area approximately the size of Delaware, including large portions of Colville Tribal lands, and large swatches of state and national forest. We seem to be a magnetic dumping ground for unwanted pets, many of whom are lucky to be found by hikers or hunters, often several miles from the nearest home.

The number of abandoned, abused, and neglected cats and dogs in our county far exceeds the number of available qualified adoptive homes; as a result, we have built a thriving (though costly) distance adoption program. Our distance adoption program relies heavily on the advertising provided by Adopt-a-Pet.com. Potential adopters find our wonderful available pets online, where every listing lets them know we have monthly deliveries to the Seattle (about 6 hours each way from us) and Spokane (about 3 hours) areas. [Read more about their Distance Adoption program here.]

Thankfully, our distance adoption program did the trick for Jasper, and he was adopted to a wonderful, loving woman in the Seattle area who needed Jasper just as much as he needed her. While no one can say how many years Jasper has left, we are all thrilled that he will spend his last years happy and loved.

Really, you know what the internet was made for… silly cat videos! N2 the Talking Cat is one awesome example of this phenomena, with millions of videos of his videos on YouTube. We love N2 not just for the way he makes us smile, like in his latest N2 the Talking Cat S3 Ep5 Defender Cat video, but he’s a huge supporter of pet adoption. You know we LOVE that! N2’s creator even says, “Black cats and shelter cats carry a stigma.  Many feel that they bring bad luck or that they do not make good companions in comparison to those you could purchase from a breeder.  With your support N2’s show will continue to raise awareness that adopted pets (especially the shunned black ones) are some of the most loving, affectionate pets you could ever own.  N2 is proof that a black shelter pet can make a difference in our society.” Do you not love N2 even more now? Well wait till you see what comes up at 1:38 in  his Defender Cat video – and then if you haven’t seen his most popular video yet Burrito Cat with almost 2 million views, check out the link to Adopt-a-Pet.com in the About section below the video. Thanks N2, we love you!

 As the end of June looms, I start to make my checklist and gather my Fourth of July supplies… if you’re thinking that includes a picnic blanket, some bug spray, and paper plates, you haven’t lived with a pet who starts anxiety drooling and pacing as the sun goes down in the days leading up to Independence Day, even before the fireworks start! It will be my 11th year of living through July 4th with my 80-pound quivering fireworks-phobic dog, and in that time I’ve figured out a few tricks that have helped reduce his full-on trying-to-escape-the-house panic attacks to mild, manageable distress. In all my research, I’ve discovered some tips that might help other pet owners keep their pets safe during one of the most dangerous times of year for dogs and cats. Many animal shelters experience the highest single day intake rates of stray cats and dogs on the 4th of July evening. Read on for my Fourth of July Fireworks Pet Safety tips!

Pre-Fourth preparations can save a lot of heartache! No caring pet owner plans on their pet getting out and getting lost:

• Microchip. Haven’t gotten a microchip for your pet yet? Now is a great time! If you have one already, call the microchip company to make sure the chip is registered with your current information. 
  
• Collar and ID tag. Check to make sure pet collars are secure and tags are up-to-date and readable.
• Photos of your pet. If they get out, you’ll want photos to make lost pet flyers. Have a clear body shot and face shot somewhere you can access quickly.
• Pet GPS. Several companies now sell a GPS transmitter designed to attach to your pet’s collar. Some come in sizes suitable for dogs or cats (on a safety release collar of course) who are at least 10 pounds. Test the units out before the 4th so you’re familiar with how they function.

1. At dusk, bring your pets inside your home. Even if they are usually fine outdoors and have been fine in previous years, there is a reason so many pets end up in the shelters on the 4th of July. You never know when someone is going to set off a firework close enough to frighten your pet into bolting, even over or through a fence that contained them before.
2. Party time? Don’t take your pet to celebrations. Your pet is safest inside your own home. If you are having people over, even just a few, lock your pets in a bedroom or in a crate, and ask each guest not to let them out no matter what. 
3. Keep windows AND doors closed & locked. Startled pets have been known to push or jump through screens or even cracked windows. Keep doors to the outside closed during and after when fireworks are going off, to prevent pets from bolting and slipping past you as you exit or enter. Pets can stay stressed for hours after the fireworks stop – don’t discount they may bolt even after the fireworks have died down. If possible, keep pets locked out of rooms where a door to the outside might be opened.
4. Turn on the TV or music. Put the volume as loud enough to muffle any fireworks noises, but it doesn’t have to be blasting! If you have a CD player, definitely check out Through A Dog’s Ear — Adopt-a-Pet.com staff used this for their anxious dogs and found it helped.
5. Ignore their fear. Let them hide if they want, but don’t coax or pay attention to a pet exhibiting fearful behavior. You don’t want to unintentionally reward scared behavior. Also, if you are calm and relaxed, this can help your pet more.
6. Engage with special toy or chew. Give your pet a super-yummy food-stuffed toy or long-lasting chew treat. Some pets are too scared to eat, but for food-motivated ones, this can distract.
7. Exercise daily. Exercise helps relieve stress, so daily release is a huge help. Schedule dog walks for early mornings when fireworks are least likely to go off. Cats benefit from indoor playtime exercise too.
8. Anxiety remedies. Many pets respond to Rescue Remedy, sold at most pet supply or health food stores. If you know your pet gets dangerously distressed during fireworks, talk to your vet about short-term medication, but be sure to try it out before the 4th to make sure your pet responds well.
9. Thundershirt. This reportedly helps with fireworks too! Order online at thundershirt.com.

Have a safe Fourth of July! We hope these pet safety tips help.

Cats communicate with each other and with humans in many ways. Body language and meowing are an important part of their vocabulary, but so is purring! Purring is that wonderful low smooth rumble that cats can emit without opening their mouth or moving anything we can see, like a fancy sports car idling. Humans can’t purr, and neither can dogs – only non-roaring felines can make this remarkable harmonious sound. Every cat purring sounds a little different. They can even purr while they meow! How do they do it? And why do cats purr? Many people speculate how and why, and some even say it’s impossible to know for sure – the purring of cats is that mysterious! Read on to find out the meanings, theories, and science behind the purrrrrrrrrr.

How do cats make that wonderful purr sound? Wikipedia says, “One hypothesis, backed by electromyographic studies, is that cats produce the purring noise by using the vocal folds and/or the muscles of the larynx to alternately dilate and constrict the glottis rapidly, causing air vibrations during inhalation and exhalation.” (Listen to their audio clip of a cat purr.) The muscles work both during inhalation and exhalation, which creates the impression that cats can purr continuously.

So now that you know how purring works, when do cats purr and what does it mean?

• Happiness. Happiness is the most well-known purr cause. A happy cat will purr when they are being loved on, being loving, snuggling, eating, be brushed, and pretty much any time they are content.
• Self-soothing. I think of this as like when a nervous human smiles. Cats in shelters, or during a visit to the vet, seem to be purring to make themselves feel better. There’s also a theory that they are trying to communicate that they are not a threat, so actually trying to sooth the humans around them!
• Soothing humans. Many cat caretakers, myself included, have experienced a “nurse” cat who lies next to us or on us when we’re feeling poorly, and makes us feel better with the intensity of their healing purr frequency.
• During labor. Yes, many mom cats purr as they are giving birth! This may be because purring may cause the cat’s brain to release a chemical or hormone that reduces pain and stress.
• Self-healing. Again, to quote Wikipedia: “Scientists at the University of California, Davis hypothesised that a cat’s purr can be used as a healing mechanism to offset long periods of rest and sleep that would otherwise contribute to a loss of bone density. The vibrations and contractions of a purr work during both inhalation and exhalation show a consistent pattern and frequency around 25 Hz; these frequencies have been shown to improve bone density and promote healing in animal models and humans.”

Now you know how and why cats purr! Did you like this article? Click an icon below to share it on Facebook, Twitter, and more!

Today’s Happy Beginnings story with it’s pool pre-jump photo will make you smile and ready for summer! Nothing warms us like a sunny day than a story of how Adopt-a-Pet.com helped a homeless pet find a new loving home. (We’d love to hear yours too, and would be happy to consider it for a future blog post too! Send your Happy Beginnings story to info@cms.adoptapet.com with a photo or two.)  This week’s story is from Sandy in St. Petersburg, Florida. She writes, “In February, I adopted a black lab mix that you had named Tyson ( I renamed him Tank).  I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart . He is the most amazing dog. The day I brought him home, it took him about an hour to learn to use the doggie door, and that night, since he was house trained, I tried not crating him. I wasn’t in bed 20 minutes, and he jumped up on my bed and slept with me.  The only problem with him (and it’s not a problem) is that he thinks he weighs 5 pounds, and decided he is a “lap dog”. I have attached 2 pictures of Tank. One of him getting ready to jump in the pool, and one of him relaxing on the couch. If you would prefer others, let me know. I can take one of him with my 2 year old great grandson who he loves to play with. Again, thank you for having a picture of this wonderful dog on your website so that I could find him and have him make my family complete.”

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Summer is here, and with it, summertime thunderstorms! Do your pets start trembling the moment they hear the low rumbling of thunder in the distance? I’ve seen dogs who will hide under beds or even in bathtubs trying to escape from the “attack” of thunder and lightning. Some pets will go into a total panic attack trying to run away from the terrifying noise, even to the point of hurting themselves. Dogs and cats can sense a storm’s approach by the rapidly falling barometric pressure, and so can begin to show signs of anxiety even before the storm can be heard. But good news! While thunderstorms can instill fear in dogs and cats, they can be trained to manage their reactions and feel calmer through all the noise and bright flashes. 

Our friends over at BarkBusters offer these ten thunderstorm tips to help your dog get safely through any passing thunderstorm – they are helpful to cats too! We’ve also heard great success stories about pets and Thundershirts, worth considering in addition to these 10 tips:

1. Always keep proper identification securely fastened to your dog’s collar in case he gets out. Consider talking to your veterinarian about implanting a microchip in your pet for life-long identification. Remember to update your veterinary clinic and animal shelter with your correct contact information.
2. Give your dog a safe place to stay during storms. Inside your home, create a quiet den-like area where your dog can feel secure. A properly introduced crate or kennel can be a calming refuge for him. When a storm is brewing, lead your dog to his special place to help him feel calm and protected.
3. If your dog lives outside, bring him inside until the storm passes. Outside dogs can get lost or even injured if they escape their fenced yards in fear during storms.
   
   
4. Dogs can pick up fear or discomfort with storms from their people, so it is important that you develop a calm, matter-of-fact attitude. Let your dog stay close and try to distract him with activities like play or brushing. Do not try to reassure him in a sympathetic voice—this will sound like praise and may increase his nervousness and confusion.
   
   
5. Some dogs become destructive when frightened. A crate is always the best way to keep your dog safe and your belongings intact. If you don’t use a crate, remove any items in the room that your dog could destroy or which could hurt him if he chewed them.
6. During a storm, keep windows and curtains closed to reduce noise and bright flashes. Turn on a TV or radio playing soft music at normal volume to distract your dog and help him to relax.
7. Keep your dog away from doors that lead outside. Your dog may be under significant stress, which could result in unnecessary injury to others entering your home or cause him to dart outside and get lost or injured.
8. Your dog may become incontinent due to his extreme fear and the rush of adrenaline he experiences during a storm. Be prepared, and understanding.
9. Dogs that continue to panic in thunderstorms may have to be reconditioned by creating an artificial storm with environmental recordings. While reconditioning can be a time-consuming procedure, it can have a high success rate. A qualified Bark Busters dog behavioral therapist can help you teach your dog to be calmer during storms.
10. In the most extreme cases, medication in conjunction with training may be the best solution to help your dog cope with his fear of storms. Consult with your veterinarian about possible treatments.

Your dog’s phobia about thunderstorms won’t get better on its own. Help him learn that “it’s just noise” and is nothing for him to worry about. When he learns to relax and remain calm, you can relax and not worry about your dog during future storms.

(Dog photo credit: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1413127. Thunder graphic: http://openclipart.org/detail/10525/orage-by-yves_guillou-10525)

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Are you looking for help with a cat that is peeing outside the box? This article may be your instant easy fix! Maybe it’s not verifiably The World’s Biggest Litterbox, but the enormous litter box that my vertical urinating foster cat inspired me to create is the biggest I’ve ever seen! (Yes, that’s a photo of the actual litter box and the actual foster cat, at right.) Most litter boxes are designed primarily with their human purchasers in mind, not so much the cats who use them. If a cat had to design their perfect litter box, I imagine it would look like a child’s sand box or a freshly turned-over vegetable garden! But since we’ve domesticated cats to be our pets, and desire to keep them safe from harm by keeping them indoors, most homes aren’t large enough to have an indoor sand box or garden just for our cat’s bathroom use. Enter the plastic “tupperware” type of litter box. Cats are quite adaptable, and their bathroom habits usually including a preference for digging and covering in a soft sand- or dirt-like substance. That makes them typically easy to litter box train, i.e. providing them with their preferred surface in a small-ish plastic box. Then, there are the rare cats like Simba. Due to past trauma or other undetermined behavioral sources, he’s a cat who was thinking outside the box, and not in a good way! He was with a rescue, but who would adopt a cat who peed outside the box? What could be done so he could find a home?

What could be done was to litter box rehab Simba! Going outside the box is one of the top five reasons cats are abandoned at animal shelters, but it is a problem that can often be fixed, and often quite easily too. Simba is a gorgeous big orange tabby tom cat, recently rescued from the streets, and then the shelter. Also, recently neutered. Fortunately, I have a fairly cat-pee-proof foster area – anything that can’t be waterproofed or washed in the machine can be replaced or repainted! I’ve been successful before with litter box-challenged cats. I attribute that to my low-stress setup, proliferation of litter box styles, locations, and OCD litter box cleaning habits. I  knew from my informal litter box testing that cats think bigger is better when it comes to litter boxes, and I had a few other steps to use to solve litter box problems that had worked like a charm in the past. The rescue felt I was Simba’s best chance, so I volunteered to foster Simba.

Simba had a full vet checkup and all his tests were negative. He’d been neutered a few weeks prior. He was ready for behavioral detective work! Simba made it super easy for me — on the second day, I watched him hop into one litterbox, turn around, and still standing up, shake his tail and pee right over the edge! A few more days and it was clear (with some black light verification) he was only “using” the litter box and not going elsewhere, but it simply wasn’t working for his style of use. Since I had no idea how I’d train a cat to squat, I decided to make a litter box that would work with him standing. I measured his rump height, and realized even my storage container taller-than-normal litter boxes were too short for Simba. Commercially available litter boxes don’t work for “elevator” urinators like Simba because:

• Normal litter box sides are too short to contain urine sprayed by a standing cat.
• Covered boxes have middle seam, which traps urine sprayed above the seam. Plus, many cats dislike the confined space and smells inside a covered litter box.
• Simba was a very tall cat!

I needed a bigger box… The World’s Biggest Litterbox! I had a 33-gallon plastic storage bin in my garage that was tall enough to contain even the spatter spread height, but I wasn’t confident he’d jump down into it. A quick online search revealed that a soldering gun could cut through the plastic like butter, leaving relatively smooth edges behind. And that’s just what I did. I used the hot tool to melt through the plastic, cutting a U-shaped opening out of one end. Just wide enough to allow him to easily hop in, but minimizing the open space that he might urinate out of. Since he liked to jump in and turn around, I thought that might do the trick… and it did!

Before you think “no way will I have a litter box that big in my house” — the footprint is about the same as two medium litter boxes side by side, which I’ve seen in a lot of people’s homes.

I immediately went and bought three more storage bins (only $12 each at Target), slightly different styles just to see if he had a preference. One I cut the U in the longer side, because of where I wanted to put it, and that has turned out to be his favorite one, right next to the door out to the catio. Litter box problem solved!

Happily a few weeks later Simba was adopted, along with one of The World’s Biggest Litter Boxes!

Here at Adopt-a-Pet.com, our staffs’ home offices are full of furry & friendly four-footed examples of the wonderful family pets you can find for adoption on Adopt-a-Pet.com! This helps explain why you may have noticed the excellent paw-menship in our email and newsletters, and the melodic barking in the background when you speak to us on the phone! We thought you might like to match a few of their happy faces (and happy adoption stories) to the woofs and meows you’ve known for so long. The Adopt-a-Pet.com staff pooches and felines are hard at work making sure the site runs smoothly for their friends who are still waiting to be adopted in local animal shelters and rescue organizations across North America. You can find your own furry coworker by running a search at Adopt-a-Pet.com too!

Our regal President, Peach, is pictured above. She is a 15-year-old Chow Chow mix, rescued when she was 2 years old.  She had been dumped in the mountains outside Los Angeles, and is the sweetest dog ever. She loves cats and is a gentle soul.

Tully is a 15-year-old terrier mix who was adopted from a rescue by staff member Laurie.  Tully maintains office morale and is featured in several of Adopt-a-Pet.com’s donation e-cards!

Major is a three-year-old Labrador Retriever who was rescued from an abusive situation and re-trained to be a diabetic alert dog.  He now takes care of Laurie’s 10-year-old daughter Stella who is a type 1 diabetic.

Max is an 11-year-old American Mutt adopted from an animal shelter. He makes sure all deliveries are announced immediately! He starred in a video promoting pet adoption for Adopt-a-Pet.com,  and occasionally models for photographs like the one above for the Adopt-a-Pet.com blog. He’s also available for freelance work involving lots of treats!

Skitty and Bella are 12-year-old twin sister cats adopted from an animal shelter, left there when their owner passed away. They excel at multi-tasking naps with other important tasks such as typing support (see photo above).

Busby & Beauty

Trio & Barnaby

Busby & his piano

 Estelle

 Sebastian

Norm!

We love veggie hot dogs, but real hot dogs – as in overheated canines – are no fun! Neither are hot cats, hot rabbits, or any other hotter-than-comfortable pets. As temperatures soar and humans take shelter inside air conditioned and fan cooled homes, it’s important to remember that pets can experience heatstroke and other dangerous conditions more quickly than humans. Since they can tell us how sick or painful they are, it’s up to us humans to be on the lookout for certain symptoms, and keep our pets’ summer heat safety in mind. Pools and summertime parties can present special seasonal challenges as well. To help you and your pets keep your cool this summer, we’ve assembled some of our hottest tips for beating the heat below!

Pets in Cars

Confinement in a car or any other poorly ventilated enclosure can be fatal to your dog or other pet. One study reports that when the outside temperature is just 78°F, a closed car will reach 90°F in five minutes, and 110°F in 25 minutes. Shade and even 4 cracked open windows don’t hardly make a difference! Check out  MyDogIsCool.com for the full results of the temperature testing with cars closed, 2 and 4 windows cracked. Don’t take your dog if you have to leave him/her in the car without you, even just for a minute.

Exercise

Avoid exercising of your dog during hot days or warm, humid nights. The best time to exercise is either early in the morning before sunrise or late in the evening after the sun goes down. One vet tells us to know your dog’s fitness level, and let them set the pace. Avoid exercising in hot or humid weather. If they start panting excessively or suddenly seem drained, it’s time for a break. Cool down in the shade, offer them water to drink, pour tepid (not cold) water on their paws or if possibly hose their body. Watch out for signs of heatstroke (click link & see paragraph below): death occurs within minutes of the dog’s core temperature reaching 110°F. If you see signs of heatstroke, get them to a vet immediately to increase their chances of survival.

Heatstroke

Heatstroke develops rapidly and is often associated with exposure to high temperatures, humidity and poor ventilation. Symptoms include panting, a staring or anxious expression, failure to respond to commands, warm, dry skin, extremely high temperature, dehydration, rapid heartbeat and collapse. Very young and older pets tend to be more susceptible. Pets more susceptible to heat stress include those who recently moved from cool to warmer climates, those with cardiovascular or respiratory conditions, or with a history of heat stress. Rabbits are often smart enough to lie next to a frozen water bottle to stay cool, but other pets such as cats and dogs should be kept in as cool an area as possible. With any form of heat stress, prompt veterinary attention is important to deal with potential complications, including death.

Sunburn

Pets who have recently received short haircuts may become sunburn victims and are as susceptible to heat stress as dogs who haven’t had their fur trimmed. In fact, your pet’s hair has insulating characteristics to help protect him from the heat — that summer trim should be long, not short! Also, white coated pets can get sunburned if they have naturally short or thinner coats. Pink nosed pets including dogs, cats, and rabbits, can get badly sunburned on noses and ears, which can make them more prone to skin cancer. Dogs can get sunburned on their bellies and inside of their hind legs when sunlight reflects off of sand or water like the pool or ocean. Check with your vet for a pet-safe sunscreen, or keep at-risk pets indoors when the sun is high.

Hot Pavement

Asphalt maybe should be called asp-hot! Did you know when the air temperature is outside is measured at 77 degrees, asphalt in the sun has been measured at 125 degrees, and jump up to 86 or 87 degrees outside, and asphalt can sizzle your skin (or your pet’s paws) at 135 to 143 degrees… and egg can fry in 5 minutes at 131 degrees! Our friend Dr. Pia Salk brought these mind-scorching numbers to our attention in a recent article on her Blog at MarthaStewart.com. Pia points out that while most of us have witnessed or experienced the driveway dance of a human in bare feet, we don’t often think of the effect that burning hot surface has on the bare four paws of our companion animals out for a stroll. She offers up some good advice for judging how safe the ground temperature is for Fido’s feet, which isn’t as simple as it may seem… Read more about paws & hot pavement here.

Pool safety

Learn more about Jennifer, our blog author at Google+

Dogs, cats, and heck all pets can make great co-workers! They generally prefer supervisor roles, befitting their skills, but they can also make great break-time activity leaders, and all around stress relievers. This year, Pet Sitters International’s Take Your Dog To Work Day® is Friday, June 21, 2013. This annual event asks pet lovers to celebrate the humane-canine bond and promote pet adoption (whoo hoo!) by encouraging their employers to support TYDTWDay. Employers are encouraged to open their workplace to employees’ four-legged friends on this one special day too! In case Friday isn’t a good fit for your furry friend (that’s your dog, but could be your boss if she forgot her pet-hair roller), the entire week, June 17-21, has been designated Take Your Pet To Work Week™. Adding to the fun, TYDTWDay is having a photo contest, so be sure to get your camera loaded with fresh batteries to caputre a photo of your four-legged best friend with you at work. Check out their website www.takeyourdog.com for how to Get Involved with their Action Pack and be prepared with their 7 Steps to Success to help you and your dog plan for a good day at work – together!

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