Sophie's World

The vet blog on Catster had an interesting post that serves as a reminder for pet owners–just because you eat it doesn’t mean your pet can. Take a simple thing like grapes. As Dr. Eric Barchas states even up until 1999, grapes were being recommended as treats for dogs. The reality is that grapes and raisins in large quantities can be lethal. What other people foods shouldn’t pets get? Here’s a starting point:

• Onions
• Garlic
• Chocolate
• Anything containing the sweetener xylitol like breath mints no matter how bad your dog’s breath is
• Avocado

The list doesn’t stop there. No ibuprofen, acetaminophen, or alcohol no matter how much we beg. Pets are not little people, but animals with an entirely different physiology than people.

Plants can be toxic too. Consider this list of toxic plants:

• Baby’s breath
• Lilies
• Tulips
• Philodendron
• Daisies

When in doubt, consult your veterinarian or the Animal Poison Control Center.

Photograph by T. Keller

Technorati Tags: animal poison control,grapes and dogs,toxic plants for pets,xylitol,animal poisons

If there’s one thing I know well, it’s catnip.  I love catnip.  Chris doesn’t give it to me too often, so it’s always a treat.  My favorite brand of catnip is Cosmic Catnip.  When I hear that lid open, I know it’s time for fun.  Cosmic Catnip is fresher than many brands I’ve tried.  It also includes more flowers, the potent source of catnip.

So what is it about catnip?  Catnip is a perennial herb.  It actually grows everywhere.  It is native to North America but sometimes can be aggressive as far as plants go.  During the summer, Chris will pick catnip on the trail to bring home for me.  I can tell as soon as she walks in the door what she’s been up to.  Back to catnip.  The ingredient that adds the nip to the catnip is nepetalactone.  It is said to have a hallucinogenic effect on cats.  Not all cats are affected by it.  Cats under a year can’t appreciate it.  I know I didn’t react at all to it until I got older and more sophisticated in such matters.  Now I love it.

Catnip was used by people back in the day.  As with cats, ingesting it can have a sedative like effects.  Mothers would give catnip tea to their infants that couldn’t sleep or to restless children.  It is also said to have some insect repellent qualities.  All this from a plant that grows along trails.

Me on catnip

That’s me.  I’m a chartreux.  One of the world’s oldest breeds, it’s also one of the most distinctive, at least I think so.  To meet one is to experience one.  Let me tell you about chartreux.

We are a French breed.  We are known for our striking blue color and plush, soft fear.  Look at my face and you’ll see my Mona Lisa smile, my golden eyes.  Despite the appearance of my face, I’m not a petite cat, but more of a medium-sized.

What are we like, you ask?  Intelligent for one.  I’ve even taught one of my owners, Norm, to play fetch.  We’ll toss the C.E.T. cat treat around for awhile before I eat it.  Because I’m so smart, I’m always looking for new adventures.  I get bored easily.  Keeping me happy means keeping me amused with new things and new games.  My intelligence extends to my vocalizations.  I communicate with a number of sounds, some sounding like chirps.  Different sounds communicate different things too.

I’m a very passionate cat.  I’m most attached to Chris, but Norm’s OK too.  When Chris first came to the vet clinic that rescued me after seeing my photo on PetFinder, it was love at first sight.  I couldn’t take my eyes off of her.  Even the technician remarked on it.  We’ve been in love ever since.

Want to meet more chartreux?  Be sure and visit Catster.

Between naps, I did some surfing on the Internet to pass the day.  It was snowing, the birds weren’t out nor the squirrels and what’s a cat to do?  That’s when I stumbled upon another fun website for cats called, Catster.com. Here is my profile.  Too cute to be sure!  Invite other cats to be your friend.  Give each other treats.  Meet other cats of your same breed or circumstances.  If that isn’t enough to keep you busy, then make sure and visit the vet blog to get the answers to all of your burning pet questions.

Okay, so it isn’t just for cats.  There is a dog counterpart too called, aptly enough, Dogster.  Happy surfing!

Apparently a debate has been raging that I never heard of–whether or not to refer to the keepers of a pet as either an owner or a guardian.  The fine line of the terminology is apparently the degree of responsibility that one or another implies.

Now I don’t know about you, but the line is blurred for me.  I guess that’s because I couldn’t fathom Chris choosing not to provide the necessary care for me whatever the circumstance.  The use of either term doesn’t affect her moral obligation to me, for which I’m grateful.

There was an instance though when the term owner raised some questions.  That was during that horrible pet food recall.  I remember reading that when the lawsuits started, owners were going to be shocked to learn that pets, in the eyes of the law, are possessions and that owners could only hoped to be reimbursed for vet bills and replacement value of the pet.  Replacement value, my eye!  As if Chris could put a price on me, but there it is. 

My take then is rather than a debate over owner, guardian, master, a more appropriate question to ask is how do humans view and place a value on their pets.