Wild and Tame CFA Guild Collection

Wild and Tame

  Curated By: SleepyCatDesi...

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Unique Gifts

Great Gifts by Active Crafting for Animals Guild Members

Great Gifts by Active Crafting for Anima...

  Curated By: SleepyCatDesi...

ArtFire.com

Indie Design

HOLIDAY HAZARDS AND HOW TO KEEP YOUR PETS SAFE ....................................Michelle of Creative Critters

Holidays can be a fun and festive time for humans, but can also present many dangers for our pets.  Here are some holiday-related hazards that could harm your pets and how to keep them safe.  With a few extra precautions it can be a happy time for the entire family, the furry four legged members included!

HALLOWEEN:

This can be an especially dangerous time for cats, especially black cats.  Sadly, there are some very sick individuals out there who would torture black cats (or any other poor animals they can get their hands on).  Keep your cats indoors at this time of year, even those that may normally be indoor/ outdoor cats.  Since you'll probably be repeatedly opening the door for trick or treaters, it's a good idea to keep your pets in a secure area of the house so they can't slip out the door. 

Candles are often lit for Halloween and can also pose a danger to curious pets. There's a good reason for the saying "curiosity killed the cat".  Dogs or cats may burn themselves when they get too curious about the flickering flame, or knock the candles over and start a fire.  If you're going to have lit candles, be sure they are placed where your pets can't get at them, and never leave a candle burning unattended.  It only takes a second for a fire to start.

There will be plenty of candy and gum being given out, but neither is a good treat for your pets.  Candy and gum may be sweetened with Xylitol, which is toxic to pets.  And all forms of chocolate can be harmful to pets.  Even a small amount can result in poisoning or even pancreatic inflammation from the high fat content.  If you want to give your pet something special, give them treats made for dogs or cats.

 THANKSGIVING:

Thanksgiving is all about food, and plenty of it!  No matter how much your dog (or cat) begs, do not give him turkey or chicken bones.  These, and other small bones, can splinter easily, causing serious internal damage if swallowed.  If you want to give your dog bones, stick with the large bones from the pet store.

And then there are all those hot containers filled with delicious-smelling food.  Your pet may be tempted to jump up on the counter or stove to investigate more closely, risking getting burned.  Supervise your pets closely to keep them safe.  And don't load them up with table scraps.  They may look adorable as they sit there begging for ham, chicken, turkey, and all the fixings, but all that "people food" can lead to upset stomachs and vomiting.  Not only will your poor pet be miserable with an upset tummy, but you'll have to clean up the mess they leave behind!

CHRISTMAS:

Christmas time can be full of hidden dangers for pets.  Many holiday plants, including Christmas rose, Holly, Lilies, and Mistletoe are toxic to cats and dogs.  Make sure to keep these plants away from your pets.  Ribbons, pretty as they may be, can also pose serious risks to your pets.  Cats especially seem to love chewing on them, and if they swallow them they can become wrapped around the intestines and cause a blockage.  Putting ribbons around your pet's neck is also a bad idea.  They could easily choke.

Old fashion bubble lights are very festive, but they may contain methylene chloride, a highly toxic chemical.

Fire salts (the stuff that makes your fire turn pretty colors) contain chemicals that can be harmful to pets.

Even something as seemingly harmless as the water in your Christmas tree reservoir can be a threat to your pets.  Stagnant tree water, or water containing preservatives, could make your pet sick if they drink it.  And you know if they can get at it, they'll probably drink it.

Christmas ornament hooks are dangerous as well.  If swallowed they can cause blockage or trauma to the gastrointestinal track.  The same goes for tinsel, Styrofoam, and ornaments.  Tinsel is especially attractive to cats.  Personally, I simply won't use it any more.  No matter what, my cats always seem to find a way to get at it.  It's pretty and sparkly, but not worth the risk to my furry friends.

This is also a time when you may have a lot of company, which can upset and confuse some pets.  If possible, give them a quiet place away from the festivities where they can feel safe.  And never force your pet to "visit with" company.  Dragging your cat out so everyone can see her is very stressful for her, and someone may end up getting scratched.  Some dogs can be fearful around a lot of people as well, so take this into consideration.  They're part of the family and deserve to be treated as such.  Sometimes it's a better idea to just share all the pictures of your pets (that way people can see their true personality anyway, rather than a scared animal that just wants to hide).

These tips apply to all other holidays as well.  Noisy holidays, like New Year's and the 4th of July, are very scary for pets.  Keep them indoors and away from the noise and fireworks.  And never give your pet alcohol at any time - it's toxic.  Some people may think it's funny to get their dog drunk, but it's just cruel and could end up killing him.

Enjoy your holidays and keep your pets safe, happy, and healthy by following these simple guidelines.

Submitted by Michelle of Creative Critters where her love of all sorts of animals can be seen in the variety of media she uses to create many kinds of unique and beautiful items for people and pets. Michelle is a very active member of the Crafting for Animals Guild on ArtFire and works hard in many ways to help homeless and abused pets of all kinds. 

Fostering Homeless Pets - A Beautiful Thing........by Laura of Funky Luke

A few years ago I was a foster mom for an animal shelter in New Jersey. On a cold winter day, the shelter called me for help. Without asking any questions, I said yes.

When I  got there, I had two cages to pick up…a mother cat and her babies in each cage. Two cats and fourteen kittens...lol…and I have four boys!

When kittens are under 6 weeks old, the shelter staff do not like to leave them there due to kennel cough. So, off we go home to a warm house with cages of kittens and cats.

At the time they were not on solid food yet or litter box trained. This was a job for Super Woman! On with the cape, and off I went, feeding every two hours.

The cages were in the study and the food in the kitchen. When the doors were opened, fourteen of the cutest kittens came a-running like wind-up toys…lol! It was the highlight of the kids’ day to see them all run towards the food. 

Having four boys who love animals made this easy. The kittens were held and played with all the time. As weeks went by and people came to visit, the kittens found homes. We ended up keeping the mommy cats. The boys named each kitten…ahhhh the names!

The shelter did call each person who took home a kitten and then called me to tell me everyone was so surprised how playful the kittens were, and she asked me what did we do different. Lots of love, and each of my boys had three or four kittens sleeping in their bed every night. It was so rewarding that I did it again!  We still have the cats and frogs and fish and other furry little pets. I would so tell everyone to give it a try...it's a beautiful thing!

Some of our gang:

Fero

Rosie

Mars

Submitted by Laura of Funky Luke on ArtFire where you can find a wonderful collection of eclectic and colorful handcrafted original items that show Laura's love of animals and our environment as expressed through her many creative talents. Laura has been involved with animal rescue, fostering, and adoption for many years and has a houseful of finned and furry friends and is a new member of the Crafting for Animals Guild on ArtFire which is raising funds in October for the Close to Home Animal Rescue group as part of our support of National Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog month; get all the info by clicking on the box below.

Sophie - Who Rescued Who?...........................by Mona of 3 Peeps Designs

I used to be one of those people that believed the negative press about pit bulls. That changed about 4 years ago when I helped convince my mom to rescue and keep a pit bull. This beautiful dog showed up at the empty lot across the street from my parents’ house about a week after they had to put their beloved Phantom (a beautiful Akita) to sleep. She's now called Sophie, and she is an amazing brindle pit bull with the deep, soulful eyes of a survivor and the playful temperament of a kid.

Having heard all of the negative stereotypes in the media about pit bulls, we were all a bit scared of her, well, everyone except for my dad (he’s never met a dog he didn’t like.) Anyway, we had no problem feeding her, but the thought of bringing her into our homes was a little scary. For me, it was because I had 2 kids, 3 cats, and a dog and I didn't want anything happening to them. My mother was against it because of the media’s negative hype about this breed and because of the recent loss of her dog. Well, after 2 days of feeding this little girl I started doing my research into the breed because I wanted to save her. I passed along every scrap of information to my mother in order to convince her to accept this girl into her home.

I wondered how this pitiful dog, who was so thin and hungry could be the mean, man-killing dog that the press portrayed. She was too shy and too scared. She didn't give off “bad or scary” vibes. Watching her sit and cry while she waited for me to put the food down and walk away, I just never got the impression that she would jump me and try to have me for dinner.  I've encountered some dogs that were like that and I've learned to trust my instincts. So, I did my best to convince my mom that Sophie wasn't a killer dog, in fact, she had more love and affection to share than most dogs that we have ever known.

(Miss Sophie Nov. 2007 about a month before giving birth)

I think it took about a week to get Sophie to cross the street and come to my parents fenced-in yard. During that time, we spent fed her several times a day, put water out for her, and spent extra time in the front yard so that she could get used to seeing us and get used to our voices and the noise we made. Anyway, my parents really didn’t have much choice in bringing her over because the owners of the empty lot were set to start building and my mom didn’t want anything happening to this dog (she was already getting attached to this homeless pup :-) during construction. My dad welcomed her with open arms, but I knew it was my mom that we had to convince to accept her because she was the one who was home all day.

When Sophie first came to live with them, she was scared of everything! She loved the kids and trusted us women, the guys had to work harder to win her trust. She would eat most of her food and then bury the rest in case she didn’t get more food. For quite a while my mom would find surprises in her garden that belonged to Sophie. When they were able to get her to go into the house, well, it didn’t last long. She ended up running through the sliding screen door (luckily the glass slider was open) when she heard the toilet flush! It was obvious she had never been inside of a house before. She really needed to get used to the normal sounds that go on inside of a house. We tried to get her to use a crate, but she seemed to be a bit claustrophobic and wouldn't use it. Eventually, though, she decided she liked the house and started spending more and more time inside.

She quickly put on weight and started looking healthy and then she kept gaining weight. Yup, you guessed it, she was pregnant! While she was getting used to all of us and living indoors, my husband and I put up signs to try to find her owners. I have to admit, we didn’t try too hard because of how scared and timid she was, combined with some suspicious old scarring on her body. Luckily for us, no one claimed her.

While preparing for the birth of the puppies we did a lot of research – what to expect when your dog is expecting! We'd only ever experienced the birth of kittens and judging by the size of Sophie, these were going to be considerably larger than the kittens. We stocked up on supplies: blankets (lots and lots of blankets,) toys, pee pads, and food. My mother introduced vitamins and other nutritious food into her diet to improve her health and get her ready for the impending birth of her puppies.

Our Christmas gift that year was ten beautiful puppies! Sophie had no problem accepting our help with the deliveries. Nine of the puppies were big and healthy and one was a lot smaller and in need of some extra help. My husband and I ended up at Walmart at 3am buying puppy formula and bottles. My parents wrote down the birth time of every puppy, printed up a plan for their development and learning, and my mother became a gourmet cook for the puppies once they were old enough to eat food. They even charted the weight of every puppy on a weekly basis!

(The perfect litter of 10)

The puppies took over the garage: my dad built a huge wooden playpen to keep them in when they weren’t in the house or outside playing. My kids and I were there everyday to help with playtime, feedings (including bottle feeding the runt until she was big enough to want to eat with the rest of the litter,) and cleanup. My sister visited and ended up staying for a few weeks to help out as well. It seemed we were constantly buying dog food, vegetables, baby rice, goat’s milk (to supplement the runt’s feedings) and pee pads. It was a great time, but a lot of work. And as it turns out, it was the best way to pick out a puppy!

We really hadn’t planned on getting another dog, but how could we not? I fell in love with Sophie and all of her puppies. Being there every day enabled me to learn all of their different personalities and pick out the perfect little boy for us - my Charlie! My parents kept the runt, Piper. My sister and her husband ended up adopting a head-strong little girl and named her Pebbles. And we found wonderful homes for the remaining 7 puppies, even keeping in touch with a couple of the adopters.  We were very lucky to have a relatively easy time in finding these pit bull mixes good homes (even though we cried every time one left the pack.)  I really believe it had a lot to do with my parents raising them like they were top of the line, pure bred puppies.

(Charlie, Pebbles, and Piper – Sophie's kids Nov. 2010)

A few weeks after the puppies went to their new homes, Sophie finally allowed my dad to put her into the car and took her first ride. Shortly after that, he took her to the vet and the vet checked for a micro-chip and didn’t find one. The vet gave her a full check-up, she received her vaccinations, and had blood work done. The blood work ended up showing that she had heartworms. That was really scary news, but thank goodness the treatment worked. She was also spayed.

I can’t believe it’s been almost 4 years since she came into our lives! Sophie has come a long way. She only has a few quirks now and we figure it’s from her life on the streets and the way people treated her. She now lives a safe and comfortably spoiled life with her daughter, Piper. How many dogs do you know that get their own tiny bowl of ice cream every night? 

(5 dogs taking over the living room)

Submitted by Mona of 3 Peeps Designs where her love of animals is clearly seen in the intricate and lovely beaded jewelry designs she makes by hand. Mona is one of many CFA Guild artisans participating in the promotion this week where 10% of each purchase using the coupon found here will be donated to the Close to Home Animal Rescue Group in Ohio/Pennsylvania. Read all about it by clicking on the box below as well.

LUCKY PENNY.......................by Donna of SewAmazin

I always wanted to have two Westies -- an "heir and a spare" -- after our first Westie girl, Wyndi, crossed over the rainbow bridge in early 2002.Later that year, we brought Keli home as an 8 week old puppy; we got her from a local breeder where we could see and meet her parents, grandparents and siblings and see that they had been raised in a happy family setting. In the back of my mind, I always knew that the next Westie would be a rescue... I just didn't know when that would happen.

Each Spring I searched for Westies on Petfinder.com -- usually a few months after Christmas there are dozens of listings for young dogs of all breeds. Every now and then there would be a Westie in our area, but I was always too late with my inquiries.

Until January 2008, when a little Westie puppy named Wendy was listed by a local rescue group. There wasn't even a photo on her page, but her name was so close to Wyndi (my first Westie) I took it as a sign that she was meant to be our puppy, so we sent in an application and waited.

Within a couple of days, Keli and I were in our local PetSmart meeting this new puppy. She was almost 5 months old, had been in the county shelter for about a month and had just been spayed and microchipped earlier in the week. Keli seemed to like her well enough so before we knew it, "Wendy" was riding home with us!

We don't know much about her first owners or where she came from; we were told that they gave her up because she barked too much. We do know that they probably had her from the age of 8 to 16 weeks. Incredibly, around the end of December 2007, they decided to take her to the shelter.

This puppy was so skinny we could see the bones in her hips and neck; her fur was thin and so full of knots and tangles, it looked as if she hadn't been brushed for weeks, if ever. And she was very mouthy -- every time we touched her she tried to grab our hands with her mouth -- typical puppy behavior. "Wendy" didn't know that it was bad manners to nip. She was full of energy, eager to please us and craved our constant attention.

"Wendy" happily chewed on Keli's rejected toys and Nylabones that first weekend. Later we found 8 puppy teeth scattered on the carpet. It must have been such a relief to get those out of her mouth!

By the 3rd day with us she had already decided she was going to nap in my sewing room while I worked on my projects. Except for some typical terrier barking and a total lack of house manners, she was the sweetest little thing and we couldn't understand why anybody would ever give her up!

After we decided this puppy was staying with us for good, we decided to change her name from Wendy to something else; even though that is one of things that drew us to her, it was just too similar to Wyndi. We tried out a bunch of names, but none of them seemed to suit her. Finally, one of us said Penny and that seemed to suit her.

The first few days were a little chaotic. We were prepared for typical "puppy" behavior from Penny, but we weren't completely prepared for living with two Westies at the same time, especially when the older one is used to being the only pampered pooch in the house and the younger one doesn't understand that there are rules that need to be followed. There were a few skirmishes and growlish arguments when Penny ventured too close to Keli. In time, Keli adjusted and accepted the new living arrangement. She even learned to share her space, as long as Penny didn't actually touch her.

Penny's education on how to behave nicely began right away, and she was a quick learner. We had play sessions several times a day to burn off that puppy energy, tossing balls for her to chase and bring back over and over and over again. After a few tosses, we used the ball as a reward to teach her to Sit and Lay Down. She was supposed to sit calmly before I would toss the ball for her; the sitting part was easy, but the calm part was (and is) still a challenge. She sits, but wiggles and wags her tail excitedly in anticipation before settling.


Housetraining was a bigger challenge for Penny, and at first she had lots of accidents in the house. She seemed to understand that it was GOOD to 'go' outside and when she had an accident, she appeared to feel guilty about it - but she did it anyway.

After a few months she was getting sneaky about it, too. We'd take her out and she'd take care of business, then sneak downstairs and leave us another little present. We decided to say nothing when we found her accidents, just clean up and focus instead on praising and rewarding the good outside behavior. I must add that a few lamb jerky treats after a successful trip outside worked wonders in reinforcing the good behavior. But it took about a year until I could say she was reliably housetrained.

Whenever we took the two dogs out together, we were constantly asked about Penny - why are her ears different than Keli's? Why are her legs longer? Why does her tail curl like that? Why does she jump so high? Why does she bark so much?

At first we thought she was just a little bit different ... but by her first birthday, we were fairly certain she must be a mixed breed of some sort. Besides the physical differences there were other clues. They vocalize very differently - Keli howls at the mailman, but Penny yodels. Keli trots like a terrier, but Penny gallops and can jump up onto a tall bed. She literally
bounces sometimes!

Eventually, we bought a doggie DNA test and the results supported our theory - we learned that Penny is a Wauzer! (Westie/Schnauzer mix). We don't know if the mix was intentional or accidental. But all of those personality and physical characteristics that didn't quite fit a Westie make perfect sense for a Schnauzer! And understanding more about that breed's traits has helped us adapt and work with Penny's personality to deal more effectively with her behavior issues.

Recently we celebrated Penny's 4th birthday. She has come a long way and we continue to work on her behavior and anxiety issues. She still barks too much; but she's also a generous kisser. At home, she's a source of comic relief and is so silly and entertaining, we are very thankful that we decided to take a chance on her. Even Keli occasionally enjoys her company.

Every now and then I remind Penny how lucky she is that she ended up with us, but in reality, we are lucky to have added her to our pack. Her perpetual enthusiasm and constant search for fun and adventure keep us laughing every day!

Submitted by Donna of SewAmazin on ArtFire. Donna enjoys sewing and other needlearts and many of her creations have been inspired by or made for her Westies. In her ArtFire studio, you can find a variety of unique gifts, bags and accessories for people and pets. Penny and Keli act as models, muses and occasionally as quality control inspectors.

Donna is participating in the special coupon promotion this month from 10/23 to 10/29 to help raise funds for CFA's spotlight charity, Close to Home Animal Rescue. When shoppers use the coupon code, the artisans will donate 10% of the purchase to CTHAR.org. Read all about it HERE or click on the box below.

Heartland Humane Society: Work Behind Increasing Successful Canine Adoptions…..by Lindsey of Cardstock Equine

A few years ago, Heartland Humane Society of Corvallis, Oregon, took on a new approach to getting to know the dogs they had available for adoption.  They did this through a couple of major steps, and these steps are measures being taken by an increasing number of shelters and rescues alike to improve adoption success.

Like many shelters, they have numerous volunteers that help care for animals by walking and playing with the dogs, socializing them, and generally caring for them.  Short blurbs were written about the dogs on their kennel cards based on what volunteers or technicians noticed about them, but were frequently leaving many questions unanswered by potential adopters.

Tigo at Shelter Prior to Adoption, January 2006

When I met my dog, Tigo, who I adopted from Heartland Humane Society, the technician was able to give me a lot of information about how he had responded under a slew of potentially new experiences. I was curious about how they had come up with so much information when he had only been within their possession a few weeks.  The technician explained the idea of behavioral evaluation to me, but I was still not sure how it was so accurate.

One of several reasons ours was nearly not a success!

Destroyed textbook, March 2006.

While volunteering with them, I was lucky enough to get to experience the process of behavioral evaluation, and also saw just how much information could be gained. Dogs were introduced to other dogs, either from the shelter or staff members’ own dogs, and their behavior was monitored while on leash and in the play-yard.  Within a controlled environment, cats were introduced as a way to judge small animal prey drive. Food, toys, and treats were given and taken away to assess possessiveness and aggression. Loud noises were another tactic used. 

This battery of situations was very carefully documented so that more information about a suitable home could be presented.  It also helped show areas where the dog may need more work to be a well behaved dog, and training tips to either try or avoid based on an individual basis.  This behavioral evaluation is done on every single dog that may be adopted out before they are available for adoption.

Heartland Humane Society is also participating in a training program for volunteers that allow them to work their way up to doing different chores around the shelter. This gives the volunteers more constructive criticism, as well as training so that they can in turn help provide some basic training for dogs so that it is consistent and can be used by new owners. This program encourages good behaviors while also teaching some basic obedience. Owners can continue training with this method once the dog goes home, and also makes the transition go smoother as new people come into the dog’s life.

The third major step in helping improve adoption success was to become an Open Paws shelter.  This is a way of running the shelter so that dogs are encouraged to greet people while in their kennels. Buckets with food and treats are hung on each and every door of available dogs. The public is encouraged to provide treats, by hand, to approved animals through the doors of their runs.  This has helped reduce shelter anxiety, increase confidence in greeting people, and made many dogs seem more approachable to the public.  Open Paws encourages a lot of good behavior with positive reinforcement so that dogs are friendlier, and comfortable with people, which in turn, makes them more adoptable.

All of these steps have been implemented over the course of several years at this shelter.  It is providing better behaved dogs to better informed owners.  These matches are resulting in fewer dogs being returned to the shelter, or being re-homed.

Measures like these are helping shelters across the nation get dogs into forever homes.  Contact your local shelter to find out what they are doing to improve adoption success rates.

Tigo, September 2006 - Still Happily Together!

Submitted by: Lindsey of Cardstock Equine on ArtFire where Lindsey combines her love of all animals, especially horses, with her creative abilities to produce wonderful photo greeting cards and prints. Lindsey is an active member of the Crafting for Animals Guild and is participating in a special promotion this month to raise funds for the Close to Home Animal Rescue group in Ohio/Pennsylvania. The guild is spotlighting this charity during the National Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog Month by donating 10% of all sales when a special coupon code is used which can be found here, along with all other info or click on the box below.