Today's blog post is a collection of a few cute horse videos I found on youtube. Keep in mind that there are many horse rescues out there and they have many horses that are looking for forever homes. Adopting a horse could be more affordable than you think, but the upkeep of a horse can easily run about $300 a month still. The perfect horse just might be out there for you, just waiting for you to find him or her. It isn't just about finding the right horse for you. It's of course also about are you and the horse right for each other? Just something to think about!
Gunilla Wachtel - Kanweienea Kreations
Gunilla Wachtel is a professional artist currently residing in Pennsylvania. She loves animals. She currently has some listings on ebay for which part of proceeds go to different charities, including Hog Heaven Rescue Farm, Inc and some other rescues.
Crafting For Animals Guild is a group of artists and crafters on Artfire.com who are dedicated to catering to the needs of animals by either creating and designing items for animals or by supporting and/or raising funds for charitable animal organizations.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Friday, September 23, 2011
Dogs Remember the Good and the Bad……..by Pam Todd
I went to visit Ozzie again today. You may remember that Ozzie is my sister’s dog…..the one that had been returned to the pet store three times before he found his forever home with my sister.
We were doing some work at her computer, and Ozzie was all snuggled up on his soft, fluffy blanket. He never likes to be far away from her or from her husband. My sister was telling me how Ozzie wouldn’t go for a walk on the leash when they first got him. Last week, he wouldn’t even go for a walk on the leash with his big sister when she went to walk her Lucy. And, a few days ago, my sister had to go to the pet shop where she had found him, sitting on a chair, waiting to be rescued. Of course, she had to put the leash on him before going inside.
Ozzie just shook. Each time he had been returned to the pet store, someone had put a leash on him. He associates the leash with being abandoned. Anytime he has to wear the leash now, he remembers that, and is very scared that he is going to be left again. I don’t think dogs ever forget their bad memories.
Ozzie doesn’t have to worry anymore. He has his forever family now. Maybe someday the fear associated with the leash will be replaced with the good memories of how much he is loved in his new home, and he will have the confidence that no one will ever leave him again.
But, there are hundreds and thousands of dogs and cats across the country who have been abandoned. Many have been lucky enough to be waiting in animal shelters for a forever family to come and adopt them. Others are euthanized before that happens. As we approach October, National Adopt a Shelter Dog month, please consider helping those animals who are waiting for homes. They need food and medical treatments. That costs money. The Crafting for Animals Guild has chosen the Close to Home Animal Rescue as a place to give support. Beginning October 23, and for one week, participating CFA Guild shop owners will donate 10% of your purchase price to the Close to Home Animal Rescue. Be certain to use the coupon code provided.
LiveJournal Tags: dogs,pets,abandoned dogs,animal shelters,dog fears,cfa guild,crafting4animals,charities,adopt a dog month
Pam, www.bagsandmorebypam.artfire.com, hand crochets items for people, pets, and homes. She is a member of the crafting for animals guild, a supporter of www.elephant.com, the elephant sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee, and loves learning about animals of all kinds.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
The Great Hamster Adventure.......by Debra of Sleepy Cat Designs
A hamster? Me? Yep, I got my first hamster at age 34!! My niece, who was 11, had gotten 2 hamsters and they did not get along. As a result, she was having trouble dealing with them and their stressful shenanigans, so she and her mother (my sister) talked me into taking Goldie who was a cute little thing, but not very friendly.
My cat, Chelsea, was mesmerized by this little creature, though, and so she proved to be good entertainment for my kitty. Of course, I had Goldie in a cat-proof cage, but that didn’t keep Chelsea from climbing up on whatever cabinet or table I had Goldie sitting on and watching her for hours. I found Goldie very entertaining as well!
Goldie lived a very happy existence in her little habitat, running in her exercise wheel and tearing up everything I put in her container, keeping those tiny sharp teeth as sharp as possible.
When I tried to gently hold and pet her, she would have none of it, freezing up into a stiff little ball. She did try to bite me a few times but didn’t really hurt me. And she did get away from me a couple times and had a grand time running all over my apartment. That was quite interesting as Chelsea followed her everywhere and yet never tried to harm her! I am not sure she knew what she would do with her if she did catch her! Chelsea had never seen a mouse and so this “thing” running around everywhere was more like a wind-up toy to chase! I caught her without too much difficulty, mostly because I lived in a small space and there were not too many places to hide.
As far as daily life, Goldie stayed very busy. You see, Goldie was on a mission…she had one aim in life and that was to get out of that cage. She did everything she could think of to escape.
This photo was taken of her sneaking out while I was cleaning her cage one day and had my back turned for a split second!
My cat, Chelsea, was mesmerized by this little creature, though, and so she proved to be good entertainment for my kitty. Of course, I had Goldie in a cat-proof cage, but that didn’t keep Chelsea from climbing up on whatever cabinet or table I had Goldie sitting on and watching her for hours. I found Goldie very entertaining as well!
Goldie lived a very happy existence in her little habitat, running in her exercise wheel and tearing up everything I put in her container, keeping those tiny sharp teeth as sharp as possible.
When I tried to gently hold and pet her, she would have none of it, freezing up into a stiff little ball. She did try to bite me a few times but didn’t really hurt me. And she did get away from me a couple times and had a grand time running all over my apartment. That was quite interesting as Chelsea followed her everywhere and yet never tried to harm her! I am not sure she knew what she would do with her if she did catch her! Chelsea had never seen a mouse and so this “thing” running around everywhere was more like a wind-up toy to chase! I caught her without too much difficulty, mostly because I lived in a small space and there were not too many places to hide.
As far as daily life, Goldie stayed very busy. You see, Goldie was on a mission…she had one aim in life and that was to get out of that cage. She did everything she could think of to escape.
This photo was taken of her sneaking out while I was cleaning her cage one day and had my back turned for a split second!
And this photo is of Chelsea sitting very still while watching this interesting little critter!
I had Goldie for about two years. She was a lot of fun to watch and not too hard to take care of as far as keeping her habitat clean.
Goldie never had any health problems that I knew of, until the day I found her lying in her cage, no longer breathing, but still very warm. In fact, just a few seconds before that she had seemed fine as I walked through the kitchen and passed her cage. I was sad to see her lying there, so still and lifeless, when just a minute before she had been so full of vim and vigor, running in her wheel the way she loved to do.
A few weeks after Goldie’s death, I talked to Chelsea’s vet about Goldie and how she died so suddenly, and she said that Goldie probably died of sudden cardiac arrest due to old age!! Seems hamsters have a normal life span of approximately 2 years. So, Goldie had indeed lived a long and full life as a hamster, and it was just that her little heart gave out due to advanced age. I felt sorry for her, but I was glad she lived about as long as most hamsters do.
Even though she was not very friendly, she seemed happy and always looked alert and healthy and ate very well; and she surely had a lot of fun trying to escape! So I think she had a good life! I know my Chelsea enjoyed watching her immensely and missed her very much for several days, going to the area where the cage usually sat, over and over, looking for her funny little friend.
I am not sure why I never had a hamster when I was my niece’s age, but maybe it was because we always had dogs and cats and plenty of them! As an adult, having a hamster was a unique experience, and it gave me and my niece something else to talk about and discuss at length. For that, I was very grateful. Goldie was a cute, furry, tiny creature which to me was another of God’s amazing creations, and I enjoyed having her as a pet.
It’s amazing to me how many small creatures there are that we can have as pets. For children, hamsters are often a good first pet…for me as an adult, it was quite an enjoyable experience.
Goldie never had any health problems that I knew of, until the day I found her lying in her cage, no longer breathing, but still very warm. In fact, just a few seconds before that she had seemed fine as I walked through the kitchen and passed her cage. I was sad to see her lying there, so still and lifeless, when just a minute before she had been so full of vim and vigor, running in her wheel the way she loved to do.
A few weeks after Goldie’s death, I talked to Chelsea’s vet about Goldie and how she died so suddenly, and she said that Goldie probably died of sudden cardiac arrest due to old age!! Seems hamsters have a normal life span of approximately 2 years. So, Goldie had indeed lived a long and full life as a hamster, and it was just that her little heart gave out due to advanced age. I felt sorry for her, but I was glad she lived about as long as most hamsters do.
Even though she was not very friendly, she seemed happy and always looked alert and healthy and ate very well; and she surely had a lot of fun trying to escape! So I think she had a good life! I know my Chelsea enjoyed watching her immensely and missed her very much for several days, going to the area where the cage usually sat, over and over, looking for her funny little friend.
I am not sure why I never had a hamster when I was my niece’s age, but maybe it was because we always had dogs and cats and plenty of them! As an adult, having a hamster was a unique experience, and it gave me and my niece something else to talk about and discuss at length. For that, I was very grateful. Goldie was a cute, furry, tiny creature which to me was another of God’s amazing creations, and I enjoyed having her as a pet.
It’s amazing to me how many small creatures there are that we can have as pets. For children, hamsters are often a good first pet…for me as an adult, it was quite an enjoyable experience.
By: Debra of Sleepy Cat Designs, an online shop full of cute things for people who love cats, as well as comfortable fabric safety collars for cats. Debra is participating in the CFA Guild promotion to highlight National Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog month in October, with a 10% gift donation for each purchase during the last week of October to be made to the Close-to-Home Animal Rescue organization in Ohio. Many guild members are participating; just click here for more info and to get the coupon code!
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Friday, September 9, 2011
Amazing Little Creatures………………………………………..by Pam Todd
I can’t make sweaters for them, or tiny collars with flowers to put around their necks, but they are amazing to watch! Who? The hummingbirds that frequent our feeders every summer from spring to around October. Not many stop by in the first couple of months of warm weather. But, as summer progresses, and the flowers bloom less and less (even more so this year with the lack of rain), the number we see outside our front door and through the window increases until there may be 15 to 20 birds competing for space at the feeders.
In the past few weeks, we have been making more than a gallon of nectar each day and filling the three feeders several times a day. Two hang on hooks under the overhang on our front porch, and a third one on a shepherd’s crook in the yard, all visible from where we sit inside the house.
You would think that with so many places to perch and sip that there wouldn’t be any fighting over the space. But, that isn’t the case. One hummingbird may be perched, and soon another dives straight at it to frighten it away. Other times, we may see three or four sitting at each feeder with two or three more hovering nearby to take their turn. They are so accustomed to my husband replenishing the nectar that they fly around his head while he is serving up their next meal.
The wing speed of these little birds is amazing! According to the website: http://howtoenjoyhummingbirds.com/ (where you can see many videos about hummingbirds, including a momma feeding her babies) their wings may beat up to 80 times a second. Because their wings rotate in a circular motion, they can fly forward, backward, and even upside down! And, of course, they can hover in mid-air just like a helicopter.
Hummingbirds seem to like red, and their favorite feeder is the one that hangs by the hanging flower pot filled with red petunias.
Hummingbirds are very particular about their nectar and like it best when it is made with one part sugar to four parts water says the information on the website above. We usually make 6 cups of sugar to 24 cups of water (about what our biggest pot will hold), bring it to a boil to dissolve the sugar, add red coloring, and let it cool. They eagerly sip it up faster than you can imagine. They also poke their long, slender beaks into the center of flowers, but they will not drink the nectar unless it is at least 12% sugar. Now that’s what one might call being a finicky eater!
Hummingbirds need this high energy drink, particularly at this time of the year. It is almost as if they are stocking up for their long flight back to warmer climates. I learned that hormonal changes in the birds tell them when it is time to head south. The ruby-throated hummingbird, which is the only one that breeds east of the Mississippi River, may make a 2000-mile flight from South American to Canada in one season. Many fly non-stop across the Gulf of Mexico, a flight of over 500 miles.
Right now, we are enjoying immensely watching them come and eat and well worth the sugar it takes to keep them stopping by. And, if you should spill red food coloring on your clothes while making nectar, just send a message to me, and I’ll ask my husband to tell you his laundry secrets for getting half a bottle of red coloring out of my favorite blouse!! (http://www.bagsandmorebypam.artfire.com)/
In the past few weeks, we have been making more than a gallon of nectar each day and filling the three feeders several times a day. Two hang on hooks under the overhang on our front porch, and a third one on a shepherd’s crook in the yard, all visible from where we sit inside the house.
You would think that with so many places to perch and sip that there wouldn’t be any fighting over the space. But, that isn’t the case. One hummingbird may be perched, and soon another dives straight at it to frighten it away. Other times, we may see three or four sitting at each feeder with two or three more hovering nearby to take their turn. They are so accustomed to my husband replenishing the nectar that they fly around his head while he is serving up their next meal.
The wing speed of these little birds is amazing! According to the website: http://howtoenjoyhummingbirds.com/ (where you can see many videos about hummingbirds, including a momma feeding her babies) their wings may beat up to 80 times a second. Because their wings rotate in a circular motion, they can fly forward, backward, and even upside down! And, of course, they can hover in mid-air just like a helicopter.
Hummingbirds seem to like red, and their favorite feeder is the one that hangs by the hanging flower pot filled with red petunias.
Hummingbirds are very particular about their nectar and like it best when it is made with one part sugar to four parts water says the information on the website above. We usually make 6 cups of sugar to 24 cups of water (about what our biggest pot will hold), bring it to a boil to dissolve the sugar, add red coloring, and let it cool. They eagerly sip it up faster than you can imagine. They also poke their long, slender beaks into the center of flowers, but they will not drink the nectar unless it is at least 12% sugar. Now that’s what one might call being a finicky eater!
Right now, we are enjoying immensely watching them come and eat and well worth the sugar it takes to keep them stopping by. And, if you should spill red food coloring on your clothes while making nectar, just send a message to me, and I’ll ask my husband to tell you his laundry secrets for getting half a bottle of red coloring out of my favorite blouse!! (http://www.bagsandmorebypam.artfire.com)/ LiveJournal Tags: hummingbirds,animals,cfaguild,crafting4animals guild,birds,feeding birds,animal lovers
Resource for hummingbird facts: http://howtoenjoyhummingbirds.com/
This post written by Pam Todd, a member of the Artfire Crafting for Animals Guild, and owner of http://www.bagsandmorebypam.artfire.com/, featuring hand-crocheted items for people, pets, and homes. Pam loves animals and learning about them, and supports the Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee (http://www.elephants.com/). The Crafting for Animals Guild will participate in the national Adopt a Shelter Dog month in October, with a special coupon. Many CFA shops will donate 10% of their sales during the third week in October to Close to Home, a shelter in Ohio and Pennsylvania that rescues dogs and cats that are about to be euthanized and works to find homes for them. Watch for the coupon, and use it when you shop so we can help support this shelter.
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