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Glow in the dark cats

This is a story that I wish would have been out in time for Halloween.

The South Koreans have apparently successfully cloned a cat that glows in the dark. Well, momma cat didn’t glow in the dark, but her kittens did. The scientists did their normal cloning thing, take a skin cell from the mother cat, replace the genetic material from the ovum with that of the skin cell, then implant the egg into the donor cat. But what they differently was to do a little gene therapy on the genetic material from the skin cell. With the help of a virus, they were able to alter a gene so that the protein it produces fluoresces red under UV light.

Below is the image from the Korea Times that shows a glow-in-the-dark cat and a non-glow-in-the-dark cat under a UV light. The glow-in-the-dark cat fluoresces red while the non-glow-in-the-dark cat appears green.

[Picture taken from Korea Times]

I’m not sure of the medical research implications that this may have. But what I do know is that when a black cat crosses my path on Halloween or Friday the 13th I won’t be near as creeped-out as I would be with a red-glowing kitty staring me down. Congratulations black cats everywhere, you just moved up a notch!

Cats in Wigs?

Yes, folks! I had to see this one to believe it. I heard it this morning on CNN that someone had posted a site of kitties in wigs.

Apparently the owner of these furry felines, Julie Jackson, feels that her cats aren’t prissy enough … so why not dress them up in wigs? According to the report this morning, the owner and her cats enjoy dressing up and dancing around the house in wigs. Sounds like a fun place if I was a kitty drag queen.

In all seriousness, it’s a fun site to check out and chuckle. And why not dress up your kitty in a wig? You can check out her site at http://www.kittywigs.com/.

Puppy Mills in Beverly Hills – Does this have anything to do with the designer puppy trend?

I was just reading an article on how the Humane Society showed that Pets of Bel Air, an upscale pet boutique in Beverly Hills, has been selling puppies from puppy mills in several states. [Link to article] For those of you who don’t know, puppy mills are places with hundreds of puppies that exist for the sole purpose of breeding for profit. I’m sure they’re not all bad, but the negative publicity focuses on those puppy mills that simply provide basic necessities: food and water. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) also says puppy mills are “factory-like operations where the dogs are kept in barren cages and treated like production machines”.

It is of no surprise to me that something like this is happening in Beverly Hills (puggles, super-tiny chihuahuas, etc), but what did surprise me is that no matter where you find your puppy, up-scale pet stores, dog breeders, there is almost no way to determine the reputation of the breeder from where the puppy came. It’s big business! I, for one, have always acquired my dogs from shelters or rescues. I just can’t fathom paying hundred (or thousands) for a dog that I am going to love unconditionally.

Airplane Travel with a Small Dog, and Taking Him with You Onboard

This past weekend I was tasked with bringing a small boston terrier from Dayton, Ohio to Houston, Texas. I had never flown with a dog in-cabin before, but I fly often and consider myself among the most seasoned travelers. My sister and I did all the research and made the necessary preparations: checked on flight restrictions, sizes, types of carriers and fees. It sounded easy enough. Put the dog in a soft carrier that would neatly fit underneath the seat in front of me and fly.

Suggestion #1: Limit your carry-ons
Probably the worst part of this whole experience was getting through security. I normally travel with my laptop case, which many of you already know is a pain in itself. Not only do you have to remove your shoes and belt, but you must also place your laptop in a separate bin. Now try doing all of this while also having to remove your pet from its carrier to carry it through the metal detector. I’m sure with some practice this gets easier … the laptop in the separate bin did.

Beneful is out, Nutro Natural Choice is in

I have recently switched out my dogs’ dog food from Beneful to Nutro Natural Choice.

Murphy, my problem dog, has been having what appeared to be dandruff for quite a long time. Along her back she would have large flakes and she would always itch … incessantly. She would itch so much that she would be red and irritated all over her underside, and she would have scabs throughout her coat. What was my solution? It was the same solution for humans … I would bathe her more often … but that didn’t fix the problem.

My pet sitter suggested it could be a food allergy … I honestly never thought of that. She said that if I was feeding her something like Beneful, which is loaded with carbohydrates, she has seen several dogs have similar conditions like Murphy’s. It turns out that Beneful tastes really good (to dogs … seriously, don’t try it yourself … doesn’t taste as good) because it is loaded with carbohydrates.

Pet sitters are the way to go.

My two biggest concerns when I travel are my pets, and my home. This is why pet sitters are the way to go.

My cats are much more pleasant people when they stay at home, instead of in a kennel. After boarding, I get reports of Jupiter, my Siamese mix, being very vocal and threatening towards the kennel staff. Jaromir, my older kitty, only hides for his entire boarding experience. At home, they are much more pleasant and loving with my sitter. And they don’t have to go through the stress of living in a cage for days and being taken care of by strangers that don’t understand them.

When boarding my dogs, all four, they end up being separated “for their own safety” at a kennel. At home, they all run and play together, like a pack. Their favorite times of the day include being in their three-quarters of an acre yard, and family love time. Family love time is when all the dogs and I get on the floor, and we wrestle and snuggle together. These things are not provided for them in a boarding situation, and that concerns me. I want them to be as happy as they can be without me there. That is where my pet sitter comes in. She can provide them with the most important parts of their day.

Pet-Sitting Rocks!

My wife and I try to travel as much as our finances will allow. Unfortunately, we have two large dogs that we can’t take with us on our adventures. Normally, my parents will check in on the dogs when we’re away; they’ll come by in the mornings and evenings, and once after work. Sometimes, however, my parents will also be on travel, or they will travel with us. In those situations, we have always boarded the dogs with our veterinarian.

Although I love my vet, I can’t deny that my dogs appear in much better health (less stressed) when we come back from a trip and my parents have been watching them than when they have been left at the kennel. And I swear Murphy, my brittany spaniel, would always come back a little thinner and balder when she stayed at the kennel.