Saturday, November 14, 2009

Draw a Pig Personality Test

The way you draw a pig says a lot about your personality.  At least according to the developers of the "Draw a Pig Personality Test" it does.  Jester and I both took the test.  I had a bit of trouble holding the mouse without opposable thumbs.  And Jester hasn't been declawed, so he scratched up his mouse pad pretty badly.  But we learned quite a bit about ourselves.

We're not sure if the "Draw a Pig Personality Test" reveals as much as the MMPI or a Rorschach test, but it is more fun.  (And less stressful.)  We're going to spend some time trying to put this newly found knowledge to good use. 

If you'd like to take the "Draw a Pig Personality Test" or gain some insight into our personalities, follow the links below.
To share your results with us, send us the link to your drawing.

Sincerely,
Baron, Director of Dog Stuff
Whisker Gifters

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Tuesday Treat Haiku - Whole Life Liver Treats

Tuesday Treat Haiku
(Oops…today is Wednesday.  But, from now on we’ll post our Tuesday Treat Haiku on Tuesdays.)

Cats and dogs can’t trick
Or treat but will wear costumes
For Whole Life Liver

If you'd like to write a Tuesday Treat Haiku, email it to jester@whiskergifters.com or baron@whiskergifters.com.

Hugs,
Baron, Director of Dog Stuff
Jester, Director of Cat Stuff

Monday, November 9, 2009

What to Expect as Your Cat Ages

Humans are often anxious about what to expect as their cats age.  It really should come as no surprise that cats age in very similar ways to humans, albeit faster.  From wanting the kids to turn down the music to an inability to handle a change in eating habits, your cat may also spend a lot of time wondering if he’s lived up to his true potential and has experienced all that life has to offer.

Below I’ve listed five other things you can expect your cat to experience as he ages.
    1) Expect he’ll receive more mailings from AARP
    There’s no better organization than AARP at tracking down those of us who are getting a little long in the tooth.  Depending on how close he is to 50, your cat may begin to receive regular mailings detailing the benefits of membership.  If he drives, it may behoove him to join AARP to take advantage of lower car insurance rates.

    2) Expect him to put a larger percentage of his salary into his 401K
    It’s no secret that cats are living longer.  Better nutrition, advances in medical care and increased public awareness about the dangers of black market catnip have all contributed to healthier lives for many of us.  If your cat wants to continue living the lifestyle he had before retirement, he’ll probably start socking more money away each month.

    3) Expect him to get a little thicker around the middle
    It happens to the best of us.  We get a little achy and tired and don’t exercise as much as we should.  If we don’t reduce our caloric intake, it won’t be long before we put on a few pounds in the wrong places.  While a tiny little bit of extra weight may not be so bad, don’t let it get out of paw.

    4) Expect he’ll be more concerned about the future viability of Social Security
    The asset-challenged agency has been in the news frequently over the past several years.  Your cat might be concerned that his piece of the Social Security pie may not be available as he nears retirement.  Afterall, if he’s been paying into the system all these years, he’s going to feel he deserves to get his money back.

    5) Expect him to discuss his bowel habits with anyone who will listen
    This might be the most disturbing sign that your cat is aging.  But, if you’ve spent time with elderly people in Florida, you’ll be used to it.

    As your cat ages, you can expect him to experience new challenges just as you will.  But, if you help him meet those challenges head-on, maybe the two of you can age gracefully together.

    Would you like to become a Whisker Gifters Blog Guest Columnist?  We'd love to hear from you.

    Sincerely,
    Jester, Director of Cat Stuff

    Sunday, November 8, 2009

    Guest Columnist Dr. Susan Wright - Alcohol and Drugs in Dogs

    Today's guest columnist is Dr. Susan Wright.  Her article, "Alcohol and Drugs in Dogs" provides some helpful tips and advice for your humans if you get into things you shouldn't.  If you happen to get caught with alcohol or drugs, I can tell you from experience that using the excuse, "I was just holding it for a friend" doesn't really work.
    It's not uncommon for dogs to be presented to their veterinarian with vague symptoms including drowsiness, staggering and sometimes vomiting. After examining the dog, and questioning the owner, some of these dogs are diagnosed as being drunk or stoned!

    Who would knowingly give their dogs illicit drugs? No doubt there are some who would do that, but in many cases, these dogs accidentally get intoxicated.

    You may be surprised to learn that dogs can become inebriated from eating bread dough. The yeast in the bread dough ferments in your dog's stomach, and produces alcohol. This has the same effect as drinking a glass of beer. Dogs will certainly drink an alcoholic drink if it's left on the floor - liqueurs in particular are very sweet and dogs enjoy the taste.

    Alcohol poisoning occurs if a dog drinks between 5 and 8 ml of alcohol per kilo body weight. That’s not ml of whiskey or wine, it’s ml of alcohol. We’ll need to do some mathematics here. Whiskey may contain up to 70% alcohol, which means that in a 30ml “nip”, there’s 21 ml of actual alcohol. That’s more than enough to cause severe poisoning in a 3-4 kg Chihuahua.

    Symptoms of alcohol poisoning in dogs are similar to those in people. His breath will smell of alcohol, and he'll be unsteady on his feet. He may become very excitable, or he may fall asleep and be difficult to wake. Drinking alcohol can lead to coma and cardiac arrest so you do need to get in touch with your vet.

    Your dog will usually make a full recovery providing he hasn't drunk the bar dry, and treatment is started early. Treatment is activated charcoal to stop any more alcohol being absorbed by your dog's system, and an intravenous drip to speed up excretion of the alcohol in his bloodstream.

    Marijuana is also something your dog shouldn't include in his daily diet. Most dogs become intoxicated when they steal some cookies containing the drug. The good news is that marijuana intoxication isn't usually fatal, and most dogs recover within 24 hours.

    Symptoms in dogs are again similar to those in humans. Your dog will be wobbly on his feet, and behave as if he is drunk. He may have dilated pupils and a slow heart rate. About 30% of dogs will vomit after eating marijuana, which will stop them absorbing any more drug.

    If your dog has eaten your cookies within the last half hour, you can make him vomit them up. Call your vet for instructions on how to do this. Again, activated charcoal will reduce further absorption. If he's getting agitated, your vet may prescribe some valium to calm him down.

    If your dog gets hold of your alcohol or marijuana, it's not only expensive, but it's not good for his health. Keep them well out of his reach, and you'll both be better off.
    This article was written by Dr. Susan Wright for Dog Fence DIY.  Dog Fence DIY shows pet owners how to create a pet containment system for their home and train their pet on how to use it.  They stock a wide variety of systems from leading manufacturers like Innotek, PetSafe, and SportDog including the acclaimed Innotek IUC 5100.

    Thank you, Dr. Wright, for reminding us to be a bit more careful when sneaking drinks out of the glasses of our human significant others.  I for one, will also lay off the brownies from now on.  I was wondering why the heck I was getting the munchies after eating those brownies.

    Would you like to become a Whisker Gifters Blog Guest Columnist?  We'd love to hear from you.

    Sincerely,
    Baron, Director of Dog Stuff

    Wednesday, November 4, 2009

    Cash for Clunkers Trade In

    As evidenced by the recent uptick in GDP, the Whisker Gifters Cash for Clunkers program has been an incredible success.

    The most recent trade in request was sent to us from Sirius Black and White of Port Washington, NY.  His story and a photo of the clunker he's trading in are below.

    Hi Jester,
    I don't want to brag but they don't make toys strong enough for me.  When I play tug it's the toy that loses.  I got this toy about 3 months ago and it was fun until all the stuffing came out.  Eww, it didn't feel good on my tongue.

    My name is Sirius Black and White, but everyone calls me Sirius.



    Thank you, Sirius Black and White, for sharing your story with us.  We can put a man on the moon but we can't come up with an edible dog toy stuffing.

    We'll send Sirius a coupon good for 10% off his next purchase at WhiskerGifters.com.

    If you have a dog toy, cat toy or dog chew you'd like to trade in, visit the Whisker Gifters Cash for Clunkers page at WhiskerGifters.com.

    Jester, Director of Cat Stuff
    Baron, Director of Dog Stuff