A few weeks ago, I watched a few of the undersea episodes of the amazing Planet Earth series, including the one where they happen upon a vampire squid. So there's a crappy YouTube video of it, but the proper footage from the DVD is far more impactful.
Anyway, it truly blew my mind, changed my perspective on the world just like the idea of black holes or the idea of gravity affecting time.
How does this relate to farm sanctuaries? Well, the fact is that animals are amazing - even the less exotic ones. They make the world more interesting. And it's worth taking the time to notice, even better if you can help them out in the process.
-Jenifer Morgan...off to take a gander at a goose...
Around the Biter offices, the whole "my cat's cuter than yours" conversation was getting old, and our cat food tip was coming up, so I decided it was time to put the argument to rest. The Biters shall decide, once and for all, which is the most precious kitten. Meet the contestants:
Max (aka Fattie); Owner: Molly
Pierrot; Owner: Sara
Hendrix; Owner: Elisa
Ella; Owner: Kinsey
Tigger; Owner: Jen
Snack; Owner: Heather (note: Snack's a couple years old now, yet Heather submitted this photo. The rest of us aren't going to speculate on whether this is an attempt to drum up a few more votes - but let's just say we don't think it's out of the question.)
Let us know your pick in the comments.
-Toshio...off to exercise my petting arm...
There are a lot of
real animals who need people out there, and a lot of people who need animals. Sometimes it just takes an introduction. For some time, I worked as a docent at the
Lindsay Wildlife Museum - an organization that treats injured wildlife and re-releases them. In cases where the animals will never be fit for release, the museum employs them as wildlife ambassadors through educational programs, visitor interaction, and natural history exhibits - all with a mind to keeping the animals stimulated and comfortable (raptors, for example, sit on perches high above visitors and get several months time away from the museum each year). Now and then, I'd get to jess up the resident barn owl and share his unique life story with visitors. And although I grew up surrounded by pets, it was always a miraculous thing to earn the trust of such a grand and beautiful creature and to see how he made the faces of others light up.
Walk with the animals. Talk with the animals. Volunteer. Connect.
-Jenifer Morgan...off to chat to a chimp in chimpanzee...
Q: What takes the place of a dog toy and a gym membership?
A: A towel.
While you can spend your entire paycheck on pet accoutrements (I'm thinking of one Biter in particular), some of the best pet playthings in life are free.
Just look at my dog back home, Junior. He's a big guy, so you can get a workout just trying to get stuff away from him. Grab an old towel to wrestle him with and it's on.
-Toshio...off to work it out...
Yep. That is what I feed Snack these days. Chicken byproduct. Byproduct - just the word is repugnant.
Makes me wanna hurl.
Fact is, though, Snack is a special little guy (and I mean special in a politically correct, feline kinda way). He's got issues. He's not so coordinated. He slams into the window if raindrops are falling down it. Watching him run is sort of like viewing a toddler just getting in stride - you cringe slightly, waiting for the inevitable crash. In short, he's not the brightest bulb on the kitty tree. And alongside that, he's got severe digestive issues, so he's on prescription cat food - for the rest of his awesome little life, according to the vet. No organics for him unless they come up with a version that will keep him as healthy as the prescript stuff...
Such a catch-22... I want to keep the little guy healthy so I can have him forever, because he's the best cat ever. But really? Chicken byproduct??? That's what's gonna do it? Nasty.
-Heather... off to feed my cat...
This is hardly the tip that's going to save the world. In fact, some would say dressing up your pet is tantamount to animal cruelty.
My friend's mom used to dress up her shih tzu for every occasion. He was Saint Nick on Xmas Day, Cupid for Valentine's, and greeted all the trick-or-treaters on Halloween as a pumpkin. It made me a little sick, but Fitzy loved the attention. Just don't try to dress up my lab-collie mix (we think) back home, or he'll give you the bad kind of bite.
-Toshio...off to vomit from the cuteness of some of the outfits in today's Wanna Trys...
Years ago, I babysat our family cat Thumper-an outdoor, mountain cat-in my little San Francisco apartment. With the help of two annoying Norweigian houseguests, Thumper escaped from the apartment, and only after several days of tears and searching did I find him. Two days after his return, the apartment was thick with tiny little jumping, biting bugs. Ugh! Desperate, and with itchy red calves and a sense of general repulsion, I resorted to a no-doubt very unnatural fumigating solution...and despite carpet cleanings, and scrubbings, and vacuuming galore, it never really got back to feeling like home sweet home.
But least Thumper got a non-toxic bath and flea-comb treatment. Not. Fun. For. Either. Of. Us. But in the end, his soft furry bod was a lot more cuddle-up-able than the fumigated carpet.
-Jenifer Morgan...off to admire Nora's talent...Cats are amazing... I have two. And as many of you know, I am not just a "cat person" - I have The Cricket, the Ideal Bite Mascot (mainly because Heather doesn't like dogs, but she like The Crick, and The Crick just LOVES being the product tester for all our all natural dog treats, beds, collars, etc.).
However, I wish I had taught them how to be potty trained... cleaning the litter box kind of just sucks. And with two cats, if you don't stay on it, it definitely emits a yuck odor.
However, life got better around the litter for two reasons:
1) I found ONE PLANET at the co-op... totally affordable, and works better than the other 3 eco varieties I have tried for multiple cats.
2) Spring is starting to show her pretty face, and so my cats are going outside a bit now. Now if only they'd stop digging up earthworms and placing them in the kitchen as little gifts.
-Jen... off to do my weekly changing out of the entire box... well, those snuggly funny little things are worth the 15 min a week dealing with the dirty aspects...
Ha! I would LOVE to see The Cricket carting around the cat or the whole herd of my six new baby chickens. And although I do think I am slightly crazy, I am not officially crazy and so therefore will not pursue this wild little notion.
And in general, I bet this tip won't be adopted as readily as say changing out your lights and replacing with CFLs. Just a hunch.
OKAY officially conducting a poll: are ANY BITERS going to do this tip? Maybe it is good to get people thinking about alt transportation, though, right?
Off to think about The Cricket mushing... aww... that WOULD be cute. JB
Let's just call a spade a spade here. Eco cat toys are GREAT. But let's be honest... the best toy you can get your cat?
A paper bag. (Or a single packing peanut.) Maybe 2 of the most un-eco things on the planet, but honestly? Have you ever seen a cat who wasn't in love with crawling into paper bags? Cut a hole in one end and stick your finger through, and you have a friend for life.
-Heather... off to tousle with Snackalicious...
The following was posted by Lucy Postins, Co-founder of The Honest Kitchen
Recently my mother was forced to take the back seat of my car, because Mosi wanted the front, up next to me. She was planning to do a little shopping and he was on his daily commute to the office with me and his sister, Willow. They’re in charge of product development at my company. He’s a lean & muscular, 110 lb Rhodesian Ridgeback and so there’s not a great deal of arguing to be done. Not because my mother’s slight and in her 60’s, but because he’s my big, special boy, with melting brown eyes. He was here before my daughters, he’s my number one son and Mother knows it. Sure, he would move if he had to, but he’s an important chap with a lot on his mind and he simply doesn’t think of it.
We all spoil our pets, or at least we think we do. We’d love to know how you spoil yours, and just what she does to deserve it. Whether it’s home made treats, spa pedicures, joining you on vacations at pet-friendly resorts, or a specially made-up plate at Thanksgiving - the animals in our lives surely have some intriguing stories to tell about what the deal is, being a part of the family they’ve ended up with.
If your kitty or hound has a particularly discerning palate, sign up for our newsletter and become a part of our extended product development family. We have an exciting new recipe in the works and will soon be ready for nationwide, Round One taste-tests. Want to join us?
Visit our blog.
This post might be short because it is very hard to type with 4 inch arms with stubby paws at the end, but who knows, I could get into it, as this is my first blog. (Yes, Mommy is taking pictures as I write.)
I like being the dog "tester" of products. I do have huge ears so it is easy to keep them open for the best things on the market. And even though the job seems posh, sometimes it's hard. Like the time I had to test some all natural teeth cleaning product for dogs. They said the toothpaste tasted like meat, but it sooooo did not.
Don't get me wrong, when Mommy passes out on the couch with a half-finished Amy's organic pizza, I am the first to wake her up with sounds of my scarfing it down the other half.
I now have two furry brothers, Froggy the cat and Tigger the kitten. I use them as play toys, and they love it. The kitten can be a little annoying though when I am trying to sleep, jumping on me and such. I once showed my teeth at him for that, but quickly got a spanking. Whatever dude.
Oh, and Lou the horse. Going to the barn is my favorite thing in the world (okay fine, not more than trying out organic dog treats, but a close second). In fact, Mommy thought me how to ride the other day as we walked down the snowy road for exercise. It was hard to find my balance so I ended up turning sideways (not to be confused with side-saddle) .. I had to do something with my long bod to stay on!
Anyway, it's time for bed. I do love mine from West Paw. Mommy told me that it was expensive and that it was my Christmas and Birthday present. Whatever. I know I will get spoiled here in a few days when Santa comes to town. I haven't been too naughty, except that time I jumped up on a small child and was caught nibbling from the compost.
Off to dream of more bison treats... The Cricks
PS: Jen here. Just wanted to pipe in about the fly spray we mentioned in today's tip. I have always hated that toxic stuff but never knew what else to use, especially because sometimes it seems cruel to not equip your horse with repellent with deer flies and the likes. However, this one works as well if not better than conventional kind. Seriously. It will not disappoint. So if you have any horse lovers on your list, this will be their favorite gift come spring.
Okay, so as humans, I don't think we need meat like less evolved animals need meat. That is just my evolutionary hunch.
And
Cricket confirms it. When I feed her vegetarian treats, she seems a
bit bummed. She likes the IDEA of "crunch, crunch, yum, yum, isn't this
fun" but she really doesn't go crazy for vegi treats. I do feed her
the vegi treats from Raw Dog just so she doesn't get spoiled on the
Bison Jerky. But if you want to see her go berserk for bison (doing
spins), check out this video collage.
And Froggy. Dude he eats mice. That's pretty meaty.
Okay - off to go see my little beautiful meat-eating mongrels now.. yay! Jen
I think I am becoming one of those annoying pet mothers... you know, where they think their dog / cat / bird / horse / ferret is the cutest thing in the "whole wide world! aren't you shnookems?! yesss you are!!"
But dude I can't help it... Cricket makes EVERYONE smile, and I just moved into a new house and if it weren't for her I wouldn't know the neighbors, or just have met that cute guy at the dog park. And Froggy... it blows me away that he ever ended up at the SPCA... who would get rid of him (the owners "turned him in" - that is all they knew)??? And BELIEVE-YOU-ME I would volunteer at the SPCA if I weren't allowed to take any animals home.. but I would end up 4 dogs and 9 cats, and that probably ain't so great for my dating life. Unless of course I dated a vet and he just totally got that I loved animals more than most. A LOT more. Hmmm.
Not only do animals help you live longer due to their amazing presence and pure energy, but dogs specifically demand you get off your butt. And walking is something we all need to do more of (just read the recent Ode article... talks about how walking is truly good for the soul because that is what we were designed to do... hence the two leg thing... super effecient walkers we are! yoda I am!)
Off to see if there is a dating service out there that specializes in hot male vets in MT-- lol - Jen B
Honestly, I feel so incredibly fortunate to have found the best business partner and friend in Heather. (Yes, we met at a bar so don't think you always have to meet romantic conquests there.. open your mind to meeting business partners and Biters... I digress...).
But dude, today starts my first vacation in 2 years, and I am writing a blog on dog poop bags, and it was the lovely (poopy) Mizz Stephenson that assigns who does what blog which day.
I will tell you though that in Bozeman - which is a very doggy town - there are dog poop bags in every park that are the bio-degradable kind. I have trained the Cricket to go off the trails in the woods though so we don't have to mess with it. However one day she made a little mistake and so I used the "stick - n - flick" method. I got lots of laughs from dog owners and scowls from non-dog owners.
Off to walk the Crick... I am just taking her for swims more these days as it has been so hot - Jen
So, you are either an animal lover or you're not. Feel
free to stop reading now if you are not, or read on to understand what
makes animal lovers so goo-goo-gaa-gaa when it comes to our fine furry
friends.
Four Reasons Animals Rock:
- Animals are pure. (Think about it.) The exception to that is usually when a human interferes. Just look at what we have done to the pit bull.
- Animals connect us. They are not human, they are not earth. But they are this living breathing entity that exist, somewhere between humans and earth.
- Animals don't hold grudges. (Okay, unless we are talking about cats, skunks, or donkeys. Those three animals are known to hold grudges. I
think it makes them more intelligent, but some would disagree -
especially when they come home from vacation and their feline friend
immediately urinates on the luggage.)
- Animals can make you laugh. And laughing is oh-so-good. For example, it is pretty hot here now, and so Cricket takes any opportunity to swim in lakes or creeks. When
she swims, half her face is above water, these two big ears acting as
sails, and this nub of a rudder that wiggles as she cruises along. Her name is The Crickadile. It is a site to be seen! (We have a photo in the Cricket album, on the right.)
Off to get the Cricket out of the flowerbeds...oh never mind, she looks too cute there -
Jen
Indeed. His name was Frankie. Frankie the fish. It was his first fish, his first pet since he left home. Here is the story:
Frankie was a fighter fish (aka: Beta fish) and he was so cool... you could go up to the bowl and do a little jig, and he would do a jig with you - bopping back and forth and kind of smiling I think.
I was taking care of him while the ex was away on business one winter. And his apartment building was awful... it wouldn't let you regulate the heat, and it was always too hot so everyone kept the windows open. Well, I had to go on my own business trip, and so gave Frankie an extra helping of fish food to hold him over for two days until the ex got back.
Just my luck: the apartment building's heat broke during a record cold snap... and well, Frankie become a fish popsicle.
It scarred me; I don't do fish anymore (although they are good for calming the nerves, so I just have them on my screensaver). But if I did I would definitely NOT get a clown fish as snorkeling and scuba diving are two of my favorite things in the world, and the places to do that are disappearing so fast. So sad. Almost as sad as me killing Frankie.
Off to visit Frankie the dancing fish's grave... kidding, we flushed him. - Jen
I had this dog GG, featured stage left. She was a battered adoptee that needed massive training, so I haphazardly got these Beggin' Strips from the g-store. Okay, first off, the ingredient list has the word "meat" in it. Beef is meat. Pork is meat. Horses, monkeys, and allegedly Arby's roast beef are meat. Second, they were bright red and smelled like twice baked meat vomit.
But I was desperate. So I fed them to her. And apparently she was very hungry because she would go nuts trying to please me to get a treat. A la Puppy Crack - makes you spin around in circles for a serious chemical high. I tasted it too (I was jonesing I guess. Kidding.) Let me tell you: it tastes nothing like bacon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Sorry G-money girl!)
Now with the Crick, I wanted to keep her off crack, and was soooooooo pleased to find the Pet Promise brand. (We tried the holistic food at Pet Smart but it costs an arm and a leg, smells kind of like a vitamin bottle, and the Crick wouldn't eat it.) Pet Promise also offers all-natural bison jerky as treats (that my ex used to actually eat... says a lot, hu?). And great food selections. Both Cricket and Froggy both dig the food. And I LOVE that it supports the sustainable ranching micro-industry, and that Dr. Weil is behind the brand.
Off to ponder whythings like SPAM (with subscript, A Food Product) and Dog Food need to specify "FOOD" - like it could be a question.
- Jen
PS: here is an interesting blog posting from Snopes about the content of conventional dog food: Most commercial pet foods contain bone meal and protein concentrates which are produced at rendering plants throughout the world. Rendering plants produce these meat products from the carcasses of animals collected from many sources, including pet shelters and road kill. Whether the food is nutritious or over-processed, cancer causing poison is a matter for debate, but it is true that unless you are feeding your dog "human grade" food, they are eating the rendered carcasses of dogs, cats, possums, skunks, raccoons, and anything else that happens to get flattened on the highway. Don't believe it? Check this out: http://www.organicconsumers.org/madcow/mad6301.cfm
Who wants to talk about Pet Grass? Not me? I am with a friend right now who would rather talk about natural drugs vs. synthetic. Ie: catnip vs kitty crack. So we did a comparison. We smoked both….
Just kidding. Froggy the cat did the comparison. And he is 100% in love with all natural grass. He sniffs, he nibbles. Cricket thinks that must be up to something good so she just came over and walked on it and ate some.
Plus, it looks very feng shui.
Off to order enough to fill my big window sill – Jen
If you aren't an animal lover, wait! We all may seem OTT to you, but here are 4 reasons we are so enamored.
1. Animals are pure. (Think about it.) The exception to that is usually when a human interferes and make them bad through abuse or abandonment .
2. Animals connect us. They are not human, they are not earth. But they are this living breathing entity that exist, somewhere between humans and earth.
3. Animals don’t hold grudges. (Okay, unless we are talking about cats, skunks, or donkeys. Those three animals are known to hold grudges. I think it makes them more intelligent, but some would disagree - especially when they come home from vacation and their feline friend immediately urinates on the luggage.)
4. Animals can make you laugh. And laughing is oh-so-good. Like on my daily walks with Cricket and her bunny butt bouncing up and down in front of me on the trail . . . it could bring a smile to every the most downtrodden.
If you were a Biter back when this tip originally aired, thank you for voting on the picture to turn into a portrait. (See both the original and the portrait in Cricket's album, down on the right side here.) Maybe this it OTT, but it is better than being OTT with other things like picking at my face or binge drinking!
Off to give the Crick's nub a little a rub (her nub is her docked tail, you dirty birdies!),
Jen
I have great animal karma. I always have great animals come into my life. For example, one of my old cats, Cuma, found me one day while I was living in Atlanta in the mid 90s, and randomly working outside repotting plants. This thin, scraggly orange stripped kitten-cat just meowed and starred at me curiously. I of course lured him into my lair with some tuna, and this scaredy cat turned into the prince of the palace within days.\
He, among many other stray dog and cats that I have adopted, have been so absolutely amazing. (When I moved to Guatemala for a few months I gave Cuma to one of my best friends, and she fell in love and kept him. I just saw him last night actually, as I am down here in Atlanta visiting high school friends and getting my teeth cleaned by my brother.)
Maya, my other stray and absolute love, went to live with my parents when I moved to Ireland for a few months. They too fell in love, and they called and asked for an official adoption.
So recently, I went to the SPCA and fell in love with a HUGE big grey boy, called Froggy. I thought it was hilarious that I would have two animals named after other hopping animals. So I took him home and was of course holding my breath that they would get along. Long story short – they are two fuzzy peas of the same pod!!! Cricket and Froggy play all day together…. Froggy will hide and pounce on the Crick and then ride on her back, then Cricket flips Froggy and pins him down as his big fuzzy belly aims toward the sky. What is the most precious is that Froggy plays with Cricket with his nails IN. Sure, he whaps Crick across the face with a paw, but without using claws, Cricket gets to keep her eyes, which is nice.
So if you are looking for a great toy for your dog, I say, adopt a cat.
Off to call the kennel to make sure my fuzzy babies are okay.
- Jen
Why is it that some people spend more on their pets than they do on themselves? I am tempted, believe me. For example, when I need clothes, I might check out Buffalo Exchange first, looking for some hidden and slightly used treasures. But for Cricket, I go straight to Pet Smart, get her the very expensive holistic health food, any toy she picks out, more all natural chew bones, and somehow I end up leaving $50 - $100 in the hole.
However, Pet Smart does not carry hemp dog collars, and so researching this tip was so fun (and costly, as of course Cricket has a few new collars, toys, and treats). But animals are like these amazing bundles of positive energy… they keep you happy, active, and smiling at their shenanigans. (And if you are let them sleep with you, they also keep you warm at night.)
Maybe it will change when I have kids, but I have no problem spoiling the Crick for now, and now I feel that a touch less crazy-pet-owner-indulgent because we are fully outfitted with organic and natural pet supplies.
Off to change Cricket into her Holiday Hemp dog collar…
Jen
Note: the leather vs pleather debate is scheduled for later this year since we decided to do a tip about pleather.
So, you are either an animal lover or you�re not. Feel free to stop reading now if you are not, or read on to understand what makes animal lovers so goo-goo-gaa-gaa when it comes to our fine furry friends.
Reasons Animals Rock:
- Animals are pure. (Think about it.) The exception to that is usually when a human interferes. Just look at what we have done to the pit bull.
- Animals connect us. They are not human, they are not earth. But they are this living breathing entity that exist, somewhere between humans and earth.
- Animals don�t hold grudges. (Okay, unless we are talking about cats, skunks, or donkeys. Those three animals are known to hold grudges. I think it makes them more intelligent, but some would disagree - especially when they come home from vacation and their feline friend immediately urinates on the luggage.)
- Animals can make you laugh. And laughing is oh-so-good. For example, it is pretty hot here now, and so Cricket likes to take an afternoon dip in the small pond out front. She does laps really, with half her face above water, these two big ears acting as sails, and this nub of a rudder that wiggles as she cruises along. Her new name is Crickadile. It is a site to be seen, and of course I will be taking pictures.
Speaking of pictures - w/ digital so prevalent, we hardly print out photos anymore, have you noticed that? That is why today�s tip is so cool - you can pick your favorite and have it done up as real art. Some proceeds go to shelters. I would LOVE your help in deciding what photo to get made into a Cricket Portrait. Pick from Cricket's photo album below (on the right, scroll down), or tell me I need some new picks and as a goo-goo-gaa-gaa animal lover, of course I would be happy to comply.
Off to get the Cricket out of the flowerbeds�oh never mind, she looks too cute there �
Jen
Recycle a cat (or a dog) by adopting from a shelter. I promise, promise it will make you feel better. And live longer. And hey, you might even start exercising.
Okay, I confess: I am a bleeding heart. I could not follow through with my volunteer job of helping out a local animal shelter because I was too upset by all the lost souls in there looking for a home outside of the cold cement floor and wire-gated, square homes. (However, I am not so tender- hearted that you would want to just puke over all the syrupy sweetness. For example, I take extreme pleasure in squashing an annoying house fly that has buzzed in my ear all day long and landed on every bit of kitchen equipment that I own. Oh, and this winter, I watched mice scale down my chimney in my country cabin, and I quickly got over thinking that mice were cute – and hence started a war that involved peanut butter, cream cheese, and snap traps. Let’s just say I won, and after throwing out tons of food and cleaning mouse droppings off my dishware, I would even say “score!” when I would see a now full and snapped trap. I know – “gross” – but you do what you can, and this was part of my survival and avoiding the hanta virus.)
Anyway, we all know that human overpopulation is a huge environmental problem, and that issue is just way too big to be discussed here. However, it is easy and fun to reduce animal overpopulation. The number of yearly euthanized animals is staggering. Here are some stats.
For every person born in the U.S 15 puppies and 45 kittens are also born.
Each year, 8 to 12 million animals are euthanized or 1 pet every 4 seconds.
By adopting a cat or dog from the shelter you will be helping to reduce the demand for the puppy and kitty mills (ie: those dreadful places that people like Cruella D’Ville run).
But alas! Since this blog is about fun things and feeling good, here are some reasons to adopt an animal (or to give them as gifts!):
- People who have animals live longer – it is a fact, Jack.
- In a study published by “Preventative Medicine” people who had a pet were 45% more likely to exercise than those who did not. (Find dog trails near you at www.thedogpark.com)
- When you hold a purring cat, all of your troubles melt away.
- Cats kill mice, au’naturally. (Yes, I would have gotten a cat for my mouse problems except I am house sitting and owners allergic to cats.)\
If you are thinking you want pick of the litter, so to speak, not a problem. An incredibly useful tool has been developed:“petfinder.com” – which has photos of shelter animals, searchable by breed, sex, age, etc… and zip code.
Still not convinced? Instead of adopting, then, consider donating your used car or cell phone to a shelter. This helps recycle what would end up in a landfill, gives you a tax write off, and provides some operating funds for the shelter. (There are different programs that exist for each area, so just Google it.)
Off to take an evening walk with Cricket. (Hey, maybe that study is right… I don’t think I would have made the time away from my computer to exercise today without those big beady eyes looking up at me.
OK, OK, Crick… just let me hit upload… ) - Jen
