Cats and Coupons

Every year my family takes a camping vacation in upstate New York. We go up for the Nascar race in Watkins Glen. For more then twelve years we’ve been going there and I just found out today that the country’s largest farm animal rescue is located right in Watkins Glen. The rescue is called Farm Sanctuary. The 175 acre farm offers tours, a sleepover retreat and a bed and breakfast. besides rescuing animals, Farm Sanctuary promotes education, advocacy and leadership. What a terrific organization. I can’t believe it’s been right under our noses all this time!

As I’ve mentioned previously, the homeless pet situation is a big problem. I was having a discussion recently with TJ, my twelve year old, and mentioned to him that the nearby shelter had just expanded so it could hold all of the animals it was receiving. The number of shelter animals is on the rise. Before you go get yourself an expensive purebred, consider checking the nearby shelters. The animals there are in desperate need of a home and you’re one of the many mortgage lenders out there. Think of the upside too. Shelter animals are grateful, because they’re happy to have been chosen and they know what it’s like to be homeless or to live in a cage. You’ll spend less money adopting an animal from a shelter rather than buying from a breeder. You might not have to housetrain a shelter animal if they’re older. And guess what, Even purebreds end up in shelters and need homes too, so you might find exactly what you’re looking for. If you’re looking for an animal, think shelter. And spread the word.

Don’t you love going to a good zoo? If you’ve never been to one I encourage you to take a day and do so. It doesn’t matter if you have children or not, you’ll have a blast. It’s amazing to see animals that you otherwise might not see live. The National Zoo in Washington DC is one of the well known zoos here in the US. They’ve put many live animal cams up, which means that no matter where you are you can get a glimpse of some of the National Zoo animals. Currently the cams they have up and running include an Amazon River Fish Cam, an Asian Small-clawed Otter Cam, a Black-footed Ferret Cam, Cheetah Cams, a Clouded Leopard Cam, a Fishing Cat Cam, a Flamingo Cam, a Gharial Cam, a Golden Lion Tamarin Cam, a Gorilla Cam, a Kiwi Cam, a Lion Cam, Micronesian Kingfisher Cam, a MicroTheatre Cam, a Naked Mole-Rat Cam, an Octopus Cam, an Orangutan Cam, Panda Cams, a Sloth Bear Cam and a Tiger Cam. Go check them out, they’re really neat. Happy viewing!

I need to lose weight. My friend sent me a link to a $10 coupon for an over the counter weight loss product, Before I was willing to try it I spoke with my doctor and asked him what reliable, safe products might be available over the counter. Some people would say they’d sooner try the product than waste their month going to a doctor first. But I think it’s good to check with a doctor for a couple of reasons. A doctor can tell you how products will interact with any prescription meds you’re taking, what side effects the products might have and how the products might effect existing health conditions. A doctor writing a prescription is different than a company marketing something you can buy over the counter.  I mean, how do you know who to believe? Take a product like Alli. Their site offers testimonials and a $10 coupon. That sounds tempting, until you read a review of Alli (click to read) that makes you not want to take it. I don’t know aobut you but I’ll believe my doctor every time.

I am a great believer in adopting animals. There are so many unwanted animals out there that need homes and would make terrific pets. Adopting has numerous advantages over buying from a breeder. Petfinder is a website that offers a searchable database of animals that need homes and shelters, rescues and adoption groups within the United States, Canada and Mexico. The database is updated daily. If you’re looking for a pet, Petfinder should be the first place you look. Petfinder is free to use. I’ve added their search widget to one of my sidebars.

I found another social network just for pets and pet owners, it’s called Zootoo. Zootoo content comes from regular people like you and I. Zootoo is free to join. Members can share photos of their pets. Users can find and submit reviews of services in your area such as vets, groomers, shelters and pet stores, amongst many others. Users can search for other pet lovers, events, groups and services by zip code or description. There’s even a section of nothing but free sample offers. One thing about Zootoo that you might not know is that it’s primary goal is to help pets. Zootoo runs different programs and promotions designed to help shelters and rescues. They just wrapped up a nationwide contest where the winning shelter received a makeover and the first and second runner up shelters received generous cash prizes. If you like animals, be sure to check out Zootoo.

I was explaining to my son today that it’s important to keep your hair clean and to not touch your face as part of an acne prevention routine. He’s got hair from my side of the family, which tends to be oily. Somehow we got onto the topic of our cats and we both wondered if dogs and cats ever get pimples. I’ve seen a lot of things in the pet store, but never acne treatment. So, does anyone know if cats and dogs can get pimples?

Sort of. There’s a new reality show that premiered tonight called Greatest American Dog. The show will feature a dozen dog and owner teams living together and competing against each other for a prize of $250,000. Each week one team will be eliminated by the judges, who are Wendy Diamond, Allan Reznik and Victoria Stilwell. The host of the show is Jarod Miller. Greatest American Dog will be airing on Thursdays at 8pm on CBS.

For anyone becoming eligible for Medicare, you’ll be faced with some decisions. One of the first things you’ll need to do is decide what coverage you want. Options include straight Medicare, hmos and medicare advantage plans. When evaluating options be sure to read the details, benefits, copayments and coinsurance information very carefully before choosing. Choose what fits your personal situation the best. If you’re not sure what to choose, ask someone for help. Choosing the wrong plan could end up costing you more money than you realize.

The Fourth of July is Independence Day here in the US. It’s the anniversary of the day that the United States declared her independence from England. The US declared her independence with the Declaration of Independence. Continental Congress passed the final text of the document on July 4,1776.

Petcentric is a social community by Purina especially for pet lovers. It offers listings of events, news, products, reviews and promotions. Members can share pictures of their own pets while making friends. Users can search for other users by dog, cat or person. Search parameters include zip code, state, breed, gender and age. My favorite part is the pet activities and interests. I bet this grows into a really fun site.

Why is it that most of the ads I see for Las Vegas vacations so inexpensive? I’ve never been to Las Vegas. They have casinos and attractions, and it’s apparently one of the most popular places in the US to vacation. So why doesn’t it cost more? And another thing. I always hear what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. What exactly does that mean anyway? Will those of you that have been to Vegas tell me, is it as affordable as it looks? Is it a fun place to go?

The big news in our area this week is the 12-20 bottlenose dolphins in the Shrewsbury River about 20 minutes or so north of me. At least two are thought to be less than one year old. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has placed a 50-yard exclusion zone around them, which means that boaters and swimmers can’t feed them, swim with them, bother them or directly interact with them in any way.  Breaking the rule would be a violation of the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act. State police and Coast Guard boats are on the water enforcing the boundaries. The dolphins have been there several days now. After observation, it was determined that these are probably coastal dolphins and that they’re most likely in no hurry to leave because of the abundance of good food. Apparently there is a lot of menhaden and other small fish which are dolphin favorites. With Independence Day a week away there is a concern that the increased boat traffic will endanger the dolphins. There has been discussion of a coordinated plan to escort the dolphins back out to see before the holiday.

Today I was surfing the web, mainly looking at funny cat pictures a la icanhascheezburger. In my travels I came across several really odd pet products. Cat owners, would you buy a talking stuffed gefilte fish? How silly. I’d sooner buy a box of new pocket watches. Dog owners, would you buy a screaming or howling stuffed musical ghost? Do you need a dog stroller? A dog umbrella? What about a product to freeze dog poop? What about a pet cellphone collar? What about a backpack that attaches to your dog and catches his poop? There is some crazy stuff out there. Have you seen any other weird pet products? I haven’t seen anything stranger than the ones I just listed.