Tips to Help Prepare Your Pet for Disasters

The recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan reminds us that its more than just people and buildings impacted by natural disasters. Pets and wildlife too, are affected in many ways. It always breaks my heart to see animals scared, lost, injured- or worse after any disaster. They don't understand what happened, and can't communicate with people. In the case of Japan, the added problem of nuclear exposure to people and pets is another complication. I was happy to see that the rescue teams in Japan were even scanning pets; this Shiba Inu is held as they scanned him for possible exposure to radiation. Hopefully this poor Shiba is OK. (I had a Shiba Inu a few years ago and still miss little Koshimi.)

All this got me thinking about the need to remind folks of basic things you can do to prepare your pet to help them survive should a disaster strike your area. Check out these simple steps:

• Be sure your pet always wears identification tags, even if it is an indoor pet. 
• Keep recent photos of your pet online where you can access them if your home were destroyed and your pet is lost. 
• Keep a supply of pet food & treats stored safely at all times. 
• Have a pet carrier and pet first aid kit available.
• If your pet is prone to stress (while away from home, etc) buy some stress-relief supplements and have them stored.
•  Keep a "to-go" bag somewhere in the house with non-perishable supplies (brushes, chew toys, bottled water, canned food, etc) that you can grab in a hurry if needed.

I remember a few years ago when the fires in Southern California forced thousands of people to evacuate their homes. Many went to a shelter or hotel but didn't have a pet carrier. They sat with their pets for days on end with nothing to help the pet remain calm- some didn't even have a leash. The Petco Foundation distributed chew toys, beds, food, and all sorts of supplies to help people keep care for their pets.


The current situation in Japan is of course, much more tragic than the San Diego fires a few years ago, but it still underscores the need to be prepared. Having a pet is a big responsibility even when times are good. Being a good pet parent also means being responsible to consider the pets needs as well as your own in the event a disaster strikes. Aside from the peace of mind that you helped save your pet, they can also provide enormous comfort if you still have each other when everything else is lost.

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Book Review: Barkonomics, tips for frugal fidos

Working in the pet industry for the past 14 years, I've had direct experience with just about every category of pet supplies and pet foods on the market today. I've worked closely with manufacturers, nutritionists, vets and experts who develop, formulate and bring some amazing pet products to consumers. I know first hand the development costs of such endeavors, and I can tell you it can be very expensive to bring a product to market. That's just one reason why the cost of pet supplies can be surprisingly high when you have your first experience shopping for a new pet. 

Shelters and animal rescue groups do great job explaining the potential costs to care for a healthy pet annually. Depending on the size of the pet, it can range anywhere from $400 to $800 per year, at a minimum. For some pet parents that can be a burden. Shelters disclose that so newly adopted pets are not abandoned when the consumer realizes how much the basics can cost.

There are a number of great books available about caring for your pet. One relatively new title is 'Barkonomics: tips for frugal fidos' written by Paris Permenter and John Bigley, the team from DogTipper.com


When I attended BarkWorld Expo last year I saw first hand how well revered DogTipper.com is among pet bloggers and passionate pet parents. I've been following Dog Tipper on Twitter for some time, when they announced their new book it caught my interest. I wrote to one of the authors and invited her to be a guest on The Palm Springs Savant & Co radio show. (In full disclosure, they provided a complimentary copy of 'Barkonomics' to read before the show.) My radio show tends to attract a number of pet people, so I knew that the topic of finding ways to save money to better afford pet care would be a popular segment.

Barkonomics is a handy reference book, boasting more than 300 ways to save money in pet care and supplies. It includes everything from Do It Yourself ideas, finding coupons in e-newsletters form your favorite pet retailers, to stretching your pet shampoo. 

The one chapter I diverge from is on making your own dog food. It is a popular topic among message boards and many blogs, so I fully understand why they included this section in their book. While dog food is not rocket science, in my opinion it can be risky to feed a dog a homemade food long-term. Regular readers of this blog know that I work for Natural Balance, so of course I am partial to recommending our brand of dog food. A home made meal snack here or there is fine, but in my opinion- for your dog's primary meal, feed an all-natural, complete and balanced, nutritionally complete pet food available in a pet specialty store. I believe it is the best way to know it has everything your dog will need to remain healthy. To their credit, the authors provide tips on how to find deals on pet food, so you can still save money if you are a smart shopper!

Barkonomics has a well organized Table of Contents and Appendix that make this a valuable book to have on hand. I especially liked the section on Training and Exercise.

I applaud the authors for taking a responsible stand offering the 'Five Dog Expenses to Never Cut', which are: 1. Spay & Neuter, 2. Quality Dog Food, 3. Core vaccines, 4. Heartworm Preventative, and 5. Annual Health Exam.

Barkonomics is available for purchase on Amazon.com, other online bookstores or through DogTipper.com or local independent bookstores.

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The Adventures of Duncan: At "PEOPLECO"

Check out this quick video...a cute twist on reality of pets running a company called PEOPLECO. The beginning a chocolate poodle you might recognize....

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A Radio Show with Purpose: Helping Non-Profit Charities Understand Social Media

On my radio show yesterday the entire show was planned to help non-profit organizations learn about using social media to drive donations. I approached the show drawing from my experience in the pet industry, but the content is relevant to any charitable organization. I was lucky to have two great guests from the pet community to provide examples and provide a model for a non-profit organization or individual seeking to maximize fund raising efforts. My guests were Kim Smith from The PETCO Foundation and Diane Silver, a popular pet blogger of To Dog With Love fame. Diane wrote about her appearance on her blog today. Diane is also the voice behind @CosmoHavanese on Twitter. Cosmo is Diane's totally awesome Havanese dog, who is a pro at agility, and Tweeting too, it would seem ;-)
 

The show turned out to be an in-depth discussion on the role of social media to help non-profit charitable organizations with raising money for causes and events. I was pretty psyched about it because organizations large or small, to individuals attempting to raise money for their favorite cause will benefit from listening to this show.

I'm hardly an expert on the subject matter, but I feel my experience working with some non-profit groups is there is often a disconnect from taking an idea to effectively activate their base to reach new potential donors. I tried to approach the show using my experience with fund-raising in the pet community over the past 14 years.

While doing research for the show, I decided to include tips from Mashable.com and ITTY.BIZ.com about social media fund-raising- both of which are good resources on the topic.

There were also some great fund-raising suggestions about offering donors premium incentives, working with retailers, planning TweetUps and using videos to activate the base of supporters. The show also includes tangible examples of how to motivate volunteers and activate your base with a robust social media campaign.
 

I felt both guests did a great job providing insights of how to integrate social media sites such as Twitter, FaceBook, YouTube, as well as websites and blogs into marketing efforts. In their own words, both Kim and Diane shared real examples of how they use social media for success in fund-raising. In short, the show is packed with examples and ideas that will be helpful for charitable organizations of any size. 

If you know someone involved in fund-raising for any kind of organization, tell them to check out the show online. Hopefully they will learn how to combine online and offline marketing, social media marketing, blogging, and websites to engage their users. 

This episode is available to be heard in archive on demand anytime at BlogTalkRadio- Palm Springs Savant  It is also available as a podcast on iTunes.

One of my guests:

Me with Diane (right) and Cosmo (front center). Natalie is (back center)

  

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Diane Silver is the author of the blog To Dog With Love and the voice behind @CosmoHavanese on Twitter. I met Diane at the Bark World Expo in Atlanta back in August (see photo above). She has spent the past 25 years working in public relations and corporate communications and held senior management positions at several major corporations. She is also a former sportswriter for Ann Arbor News and Ypsilanti Press. Today she is active with dog agility and supports numerous animal related charities. She is a regular contributor to The Anipal Times and is active with PawPawty fund-raising efforts online along with her trans-Atlantic friend @FrugalDougal, founder of PawPawty.com 

Kim Smith has over 13 years experience in web development and is Senior Web Manager for The PETCO Foundation. She is responsible for the organization’s website, social media and email newsletters and is a regular contributor to The PETCO Scoop blog. Ms Smith is a working board member for Pit Bull Rescue San Diego, responsible for branding and web based marketing including an online dog sponsorship program and social media interactions. She cites her passion for animals and a penchant for animal welfare as a driver for her web expertise.

To listen to other episodes of The Palm Springs Savant & Co radio show in archives: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/palm-springs-savant 
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Meeting Some Cool Dogs at Barkworld

Last weekend while at the Barkworld Expo in Atlanta I met lots of fellow pet enthusiast social media people. Barkworld Expo featured seminars, sessions and stuff- all about using Twitter, Facebook, blogging and a myriad of other social media online trends involving pets. Yes, I was a speaker on Saturday; I co-presented with Natalie Malaszenko who is Director of Social Media & Commerce for petco.com, a company I know a thing or two about. I was there representing my company Natural Balance Pet Foods. Aside from participating in a variety of events, seminars and the public expo on pet stuff, I had the opportunity to meet and greet with a lot of cool pets...and people. Like Cosmo and Diane, as an example (see photo above left). Cosmo is a very cool Havanese and is quite athletic, especially with agility. Check out Cosmo doing tricks here for a Tillman's training treat. You can follow Cosmo on Twitter @CosmoHavanese or on his blog, To Dog With Love


above: here is Cosmo with his Mom, Diane who sure is swell. She does a great job with the blog and Tweeting on behalf of Cosmo.

above: I was lucky to get this nice photo with Natalie, Diane and Cosmo, of course!
above: And then, there is "James Bond the Dog" who I thought was way cool too. "JB" also has his own Twitter page, @JamesBondtheDog and I must admit I am a tad bit jealous of his nearly 3,600 followers! Whew, that is one popular dog. He also has his very own video channel which is worth checking out. So instead of fretting about serious stuff like the economy or the kids, lighten up and checkout these two amazing "Anipals", you'll be glad you did. I'm glad I've met some new online pet lover friends. Barkworld was so much more than just an Expo for learning and idea exchange, it was a great opportunity to meet some cool dogs...and their people pals too.
-Rick Rockhill

BarkWorld Expo in Atlanta, GA

Today I'm in Atlanta, Georgia attending the Bark World Expo. It is billed as "The World's Largest Pet Social Media and Conference & Exposition" Who am I to argue, it sure seems impressive to me! I'm psyched to be here attending and participating. I'm also honored to be presenting at a session on Saturday at the conference. I enjoy speaking at conferences; it comes easy to me and I enjoy the opportunity to meet other folks within the industry. My session today is co-presented by Natalie Malaszenko, Director of Social Media and Commerce at www.petco.com. Our topic is "Making Money in Social Media" one which we hope will be of interest to the attendees in session. Natalie and I worked together for a few years when I was still at petco. Together we executed several really awesome social media projects, including the launch of the Generation Natural Pet social site, and the huge PR effort round last year's Natural Balance Rose Parade Float with Tillman, the skateboarding bulldog. It was at that event when we learned how to really promote and sell pet products, such as Tillman's Training Treats. Natalie and I work well together, and although I now work for Natural Balance Pet Foods, she and I have plenty of opportunities to partner on more industry leading social media programs.

During our session Saturday at BarkWorld Expo, we'll dispel some of the common myths, understand how to break through the clutter of competition, understand trends driving pet social media, and share examples of how to make money with event marketing and social media. Perhaps after the conference is over I'll share a few tidbits here, but for now, it is all being reserved for those who are attending the conference. I'll have more from the Barkworld Expo tomorrow, or for now you can follow me on Twitter.
-Rick Rockhill

Simple Pleasures of Being Home

This morning I woke up with someone's paw sticking in my back. Sheldon had stretched out like a person during the night and made himself completely comfortable. His arms were out straight across, reaching toward my spine. Duncan, in the meantime had also extended his legs the length of the bed and had his head on the pillow. His face was turned toward me, ears spread out lavishly, with his eyes closed. Then there was Owen, curled up at my feet, snoozing away. A collection of their favorite plush toys were strewn haphazardly on the bed; they must have brought them to bed when I had fallen asleep earlier- so cute, I thought to myself. I was sort of stuck into a position in my own bed, but when I glanced at the three of the kids all happily resting together, I realized once again how good it was to be home. I gazed out the window watching the palm trees sway in the gentle morning breeze. The first light of sunrise was breaking on the beautiful San Jacinto mountains, spreading hues of pink and orange. I smiled broadly and counted my blessings for the wonderful life I have, grateful that I recognize the simple pleasures of home.
-Rick Rockhill

Dogs Make Work Better

From time to time I'm asked to represent my company to speak about pet nutrition. It ranges from being a guest on a radio or TV show, contribute to an article, or address a conference. The folks at work who manage these things wanted a few fresh photos to accompany the bio about me they provide to external groups. Apparently all my usual personal photos with a martini glass in hand are a bit over the top if I'm supposed to speak about pet nutrition (I guess I can understand that). Hence the new photo you see here. Its one of a series of photos with me and Sheldon. Duncan was being squirmy that day so he didn't make it in as many shots.

One of the benefits of working at our company is we can bring our pets to work with us. Let me tell you what a HUGE benefit that is, too. Having one of my dogs with me curled up at my feet all day brings such comfort and joy. It helps release stress if the day gets a little crazy too. Sometimes if I'm in meetings for an hour or two and return to my office, I'm greeted by my dog with such enthusiasm that it makes me smile and all the stress just drains away. So for me, having my dog at work makes me enjoy being at work even more. It's also not a problem when I need to work late, I just take Sheldon or Duncan out for a walk and go right back to work. Of course, the floor in my office has dog toys and chews scattered everywhere, but I don't mind a bit. So yes, it is true, dogs do make work better. Anyway so back to the new photos. Aside from the ones taken with Sheldon, a few were taken of just me, but I much prefer the ones with my canine co-workers.

above: This one was taken at my desk, and looks rather official, don't you think? The books make me look like a professor.

above: here is one with both Sheldon and Duncan. This was taken a few weeks ago, when Duncan was still a bit smaller. Today's he's nearly Sheldon's size. So the question is, which photo do you think is best to be used with my bio when I am representing my company? I'm looking for your honest opinion...so go ahead, leave a comment with the brutal truth.
-Rick Rockhill

Tracie Hotchner, Author and Talk Show Host

Many of you know I've been working in the pet industry for quite awhile. In fact over the past 13 years I've had the opportunity to work with a number of truly interesting people. For example, folks like Harrison Forbes, host of the syndicated radio show Pet Talk and author of pet book Dog Talk. Or Andi Brown, author of The Whole Pet Diet and founder of Halo, Purely for Pets. Or recently when I was a guest on Marc Marrone's show "Petkeeping" on the Martha Stewart Living channel, he was an interesting figure. Right now I have the opportunity to work with Tracie Hotchner, author of the Dog Bible and Cat Bible, who is also host of radio shows "Dog Talk" on NPR and "Cat Chat" on Martha Stewart Living Radio at Sirius/XM radio. Tracie is an interesting person with a terrific personality, and she also is very knowledgeable about dogs and cats. I've started listening to Tracie's radio program after having read her Dog Bible book. If you aren't familiar with Tracie, check out her website, or listen to her radio show on Sirius XM Radio. Maybe I can have one of these folks write a guest blog entry here one day with some pet advice for you. I enjoy reading these kinds of books and getting to know people within the pet industry like Tracie and others who help people learn about caring for animals. Do you have any favorite pet books or authors? I'd love to hear from you, maybe one day I'll write my own book about the pet industry or animal nutrition!
Here are the books by two of my other famous author friends:

If you are looking for a few good pet books, these are all some of my favorites. And if you ever want an personalized, autographed copy, just let me know.
-Rick Rockhill

Generation Natural Pet is up and running....

In my spare time, I've been contributing to a new site on Facebook called Generation Natural Pet. It's a site for people who want the best for their pets and want to hear and learn from other pet parents, share information etc. The site's mission is "to promote and celebrate optimal pet health and happiness through Natural, Organic and Holistic Products." I'm a member of The Generation Natural Pet Council along with others who are contributing information and ideas to help other pet parents learn how to help their pets live longer, happier and healthier lives with natural pet products. Don't worry, it is not a site selling anything- it's a fan site for fun and sharing. So if you have a pet and want to join it, please go to our new Generation Natural Pet site on facebook, become a fan and have some fun. Right now we're running a contest to find the pet with the shiniest coat. All you need to do is upload a photo of your pet and you are entered to win a $200 gift certificate. So what are you waiting for? Hope to see you over there soon.
-Rick Rockhill

Pet Parents Need More Information on Healthier Pet Food

Note: While this is a normally a personal blog, In my professional capacity, I am participating in the sharing of information to several print publications and providing media interviews on behalf of my company about the pet nutrition. I have chosen to also provide this information on my personal blog in support of any public statements I am providing. This is not a paid post, I am sharing this on my own accord.

For the past few months, I've been working closely with my company on a national education campaign around premium quality pet nutrition. In response to what we learned from our survey, we have added at least two nutrition certified associates in every PETCO store to help customers find a premium quality pet food that's best for their dog or cat. In my nearly thirteen years working in the pet industry I have gained a strong working knowledge of dog and cat foods. That's why I've been asked to help spread the news that feeding a better quality food to your pet will make a significant difference in their quality of life. In the coming weeks, you may be seeing or hearing me speak publicly about the benefits of a premium or natural pet food. Check out this news release that was issued yesterday:

Survey Shows 60 Percent of Pet Owners Need Better Information to Choose Healthy Food for Their Pets

PETCO launches national pet nutrition education campaign for consumers, provides in-depth training for pet nutrition experts in every store

SAN DIEGO (Oct. 6, 2009) — Nearly 80 percent of pet parents are confident their pet’s food is healthy and nutritious, but only four in 10 say they understand pet food labels, according to a recent survey commissioned by PETCO, a leading pet specialty retailer. Backing up its pledge that every pet deserves better nutrition and a long, healthy life, PETCO is launching a campaign to educate both consumers and the company’s own associates in an effort to narrow the gap between pet parents’ desire to feed their pets healthy food and their ability to understand and meet their pet’s nutritional needs.
Whether choosing food for themselves, their families or their pets, most Americans pay particular attention to nutritional value.  Eighty-three percent of American pet parents consider the nutritional value of their own food to be critical (31%) or important (52%).  As pets are increasingly treated as members of the family, pet parents show a similar level of interest in choosing the right food for their pets, with 79 percent putting the same critical or important emphasis on their pet’s nutrition.
But despite these good intentions, the survey highlighted a significant disconnect between pet parent confidence in the nutritional value of their pet’s food (78%) and their ability to evaluate pet food value by reading package labels. Only 43 percent of respondents understand how to evaluate the nutritional value of their pet’s food by looking at ingredients; only 41 percent report knowing which ingredients are the most nutritious or which ones to avoid; and only 39 percent know the nutritional difference between basic, premium, natural and organic pet food.
“The human food industry has done a great job educating consumers on how to read labels to select healthy ingredients and steer clear of unhealthy ones,” said Rick Rockhill, Vice President of Merchandise Innovation for PETCO. “We want to arm consumers with the same kind of knowledge to make the best choices for their pets. We’re confident that by providing pet parents with the tools and by staffing our stores with trained nutrition experts, we can increase the number of pets enjoying the health benefits of great nutrition, and living healthier, happier lives with their human companions.”
PETCO provides the largest selection of premium, natural and organic dog and cat foods of any national retailer.  The company is extending that leadership with a full nutrition education campaign that includes:
• In-depth training and certification for at least two staff nutrition experts at every PETCO store;
• Pet Nutrition Workshops for consumers, to be held in all PETCO stores at 2 p.m. on Nov. 14; and
• Providing educational materials and pet nutrition guidance, including a complete Food Finder, to consumers online at PETCO.com/nutritioncenter.
“Many people would be surprised to know that human nutritional needs can be very different from those of our pets,” Rockhill said. “For ourselves, we’ve been trained to look for low-fat, unprocessed foods that provide energy with the right balance of protein and carbohydrates.  But dogs and cats actually get most of their energy from fat and have an easier time digesting foods that have been correctly processed. So instead of looking for food that mirrors human nutrition, pet parents need to understand and reference a different set of guidelines for their pets.”
Pet parents also often mistakenly believe that premium or natural pet foods cost much more than less nutritious food. But while premium formulas sometimes cost more for the same size bag or can of basic food, they are made with higher-quality ingredients and are more nutrient-dense, which allows pets to absorb more of the nutrients they need with less food.
To help pet parents make informed decisions about pet nutrition, PETCO has created the following guidelines on how to choose the right food for your pet:
Recognize that humans, cats and dogs have very different nutritional needs

• Don’t select your pet’s food based on your nutrition needs. Dogs, cats and humans have very different body processes, which create different nutritional needs. For instance, while we’re trained to eat a low-fat diet, dogs and cats get most of their energy from fat, which should account for at least 20 percent of their overall diet.
• Don’t share food among species. Even with the best of intentions, many people make the mistake of feeding their pets food from their own dinner table, making their own pet food, or allowing multiple household pets to share the same food. Make sure your pet’s food is specially formulated to provide the right balance of nutrients for each species’ unique needs.

Understand Your Pet’s Unique Needs 

• Start with your pet’s age, breed, activity level and any special needs. There is always more than one food that may be right for your pet.  To narrow your options, understand the basic needs of your pet’s breed (size, species), life stage (puppy, adult or senior), activity level and any special health needs (overweight, food allergies, joint issues, etc.). 
• Different food categories are designed for specific lifestyles and nutritional needs. Premium foods typically exceed minimum standards to provide complete nutrition and are based on extensive research into the unique nutritional needs of dogs and cats.  You know a food is premium when it contains a balanced mix of easy-to-identify, high-quality proteins, fats and carbohydrates without any added sugars or artificial colors. 

Learn How to Evaluate a Pet Food Label

• Don’t judge a food’s quality by how the package looks. Just because a package is covered with wholesome-looking ingredients doesn’t mean the food inside is nutritious. Read the small print on the ingredient list and nutrition label, instead of depending on illustrations or advertising on the package.
• Look for high-quality proteins. Read the full ingredient list to evaluate all the proteins provided, and don’t assume a meal or by-product meal is less nutritious.  As long as the origin is specifically named (for instance, chicken meal or salmon by-product, rather than meat meal or poultry by-product) the ingredient is a high-quality protein source.
• Use the Guaranteed Analysis. Similar to human food nutrition facts, the guaranteed analysis, a panel included on every pet food package label, will tell you the food’s overall protein, carbohydrate, fat, fiber and moisture content. 
• Determine the primary ingredients and protein sources. Ingredients on pet food labels are listed by weight.  Look at the first five to eight ingredients and ensure there is a healthy combination of correctly processed, high-quality, specific protein sources.
• The combination of ingredients is more important than any single ingredient. Food can contain more than one form of the same ingredient, so read the whole label for a healthy balance of protein, fat and carbohydrate sources with natural names you recognize. 

For more information about the PETCO nutrition pledge, to find the best premium food for your pet, or for other details on pet nutrition, visit PETCO.com, or ask a nutrition expert at a PETCO near you.


About PETCO
PETCO is a privately held specialty retailer that provides products, services and advice that make it easier for our customers to be great pet parents. We operate more than 950 stores in 50 states and the District of Columbia, as well as a leading pet products and information destination at PETCO.com. Our nonprofit organization, The PETCO Foundation, has raised more than $50 million since its inception in 1999 to help promote and improve the welfare of companion animals. In conjunction with the foundation, we work with and support more than 6,200 local animal welfare groups across the country to help find homes for more than 200,000 adoptable animals every year.   
Survey Methodology
The survey was conducted on PETCO’s behalf, from Sept. 10-13, 2009, by Opinion Research Corporation (ORC). Telephone interviews were conducted with 1,010 adults in a random sample of U.S. households (one interview per household). ORC weighted the survey results by four demographic characteristics: age, sex, geographic region and race to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the total U.S. population 18 years of age or older. This report is based on a weighted total sample of 527 respondents who have at least one cat or dog in their household. The sampling error associated with a sample size of 527 is no more than plus/minus 4.3 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level. This means that if this survey were repeated 100 times with separate samples, the results for individual questions would be within plus/minus 4.3 percentage points in 95 surveys out of 100.

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Furry Friends are Fun

This morning I was watching the two poodles and cat run around the house like complete maniacs, chasing each other, playing and having an all-around great time together. It made me smile seeing them so happy together.At times it was like a high speed train, just blur of fur whiring past, with the occasional squeal, elongated me-ows and gentle barks as the three of them ran back and forth. Whenever I thought it was getting a bit too rowdy, I’d shout out their names and tell them to calm down. They would slam on the brakes and stare at me as if I were crazy. I could almost hear them say “Aww dad, we’re just playing!”. Just a short while later, the three of them were curled up together asleep, resting in total bliss, content with the companionship of each other. It reminded me how important companionship really is throughout the animal kingdom. Most people, dogs, cats, birds, baboons, whatever- all seek companionship. I can’t imagine our lives without a pet. When things get stressful, there is nothing like a kitty asleep in your lap to calm you down. Or being greeted by a wagging tail by a grateful dog to see you again. The stress just drains right out and makes you feel grounded again.



If you don't have the companionship of a pet today get one. You'll be amazed how much they enrich your life. The shelters have so many dogs and cats that need a good home right now, there are plenty from which to choose to meet your lifestyle and home. So don't be lonely or bored- do what the rest of the animal kingdom does, find a furry friend and snuggle!
-Rick Rockhill

Of Cats and Dogs

I am one of those people who sincerely believe that pets make our lives better. In fact I can't imagine not sharing my space with a pet. As many of you recall, we presently have two pets, Owen, our Persian kitty (pictured here at left) and Sheldon, our Standard Poodle. It amazes me how social they both can be. Sheldon usually goes to work with one of us every day, and Owen works at home as guard-kitty. He likes to hide under the glass top table, in the middle of the base pillars that support the glass. I suppose with the chairs around the table base, it protects him from any wildebeests who could come charging in without a moments notice. Owen sure is smart about things like that. When we come home from work, Owen runs to the door to greet us. I swear that cat can tell time. Sometimes, if we are running late he will be waiting by the door, and immediately begins talking at us when we cross the threshold. Of course, Sheldon is so excited to be home again to see his brother that they soon run around and play together for awhile.

above: Sheldon loves to be outside on the patio, relaxing by the pool.

above: ...while Owen waits patiently by the door, inside wishing he could get outside to play. Aside from the heat, I don't want the cat outside, too many hungry hawks with sharp eyes.

above: Sheldon is such a social creature. He follows me around wherever I go in the house, and listens to everything I say. Sometimes I think he actually understands me.

above: Owen has a few other favorite spots in the house. This end table is handy for its proximity to the wild jungle-like plant.

above: Sheldon loves to sprawl out and relax, content with watching me blog away on my laptop.

above: When comfort comes first, Owen heads for his favorite side chair. This one has an especially comfortable spot on top, ideal for meditating and practicing mind control over humans. Funny thing is I think he is pretty good at it. I find myself mumbling "must open can of organic cat food for Owen...must open can or organic cat food for Owen...."

Well that's all for today. Hope you enjoyed this little post of Cats and Dogs.

-Rick Rockhill