Yes, I have received my book. I am very pleased with it. You did a super job on it. We laugh every time we look at it. I have shared it with More »
Hello Tails Untold, I got the book today. Thank you so much, it is amazing! You did a lovely job, thank you, again. Larissa from Australia. More »
When it comes to adopting a new cat or kitten, the question often arises is it better to adopt two so they can have companionship when we are not home? There are More »
A new baby is on the way and your pets will need to adjust. After all, they were the new babies first. It is a lot like preparing a sibling for a More »
Tails Untold is very proud to announce that Sebastian, who recently was the Star of a Tails Untold New York City Adventure Book was just featured in an article in the New More »
What is it about catnip that energizes your cat? Catnip is a perennial herb of the mint family that comes from the napata plant. It can be purchased in pet stores or grown in your garden. The active ingredient is nepetalactone, a minty smelling oil that is released when the leaves are torn into small shreds. The fresh catnip retains the most oils. You will only need a small sprig of a leaf to get the full effect. If you use the dried variety, sprinkle a dose the size of a quarter in the palm of your hand. It is also available in cat toys.
Catnip’s effect lasts for about 30 minutes. The majority of cats get aroused by the scent of catnip. About one third do not. The nepatalactone has a scent similar to the sex pheromones of a cat. Even spayed or neutered cats can react to the scent. The effect of exposure to the catnip will be that your cat has more energy than usual and will act a little crazy. It should be used as a treat about twice a week. More than that can cause a cat to become tolerant or even immune to the catnip.
Even humans have found uses for catnip! It can be brewed in tea to help digestion, heartburn, as a sleeping aid and to lessen the pain of menstruation. However it should not be used by pregnant women for whom it can be harmful. Another great characteristic of catnip is that it is a strong insect repellent. You simply rub it on your skin to keep mosquitoes and other bugs away. Just be careful that you don’t become a “cat-magnet”!
There is historical evidence that sleeping with your pets is not a bad thing to do. In pre-Aztec Mexico and with the aborigines of Australia, dogs were used as bed warmers. In fact, the singing group “Three Dog Night” may have gotten their name from the number of dogs needed to keep warm on a very cold night! There is a myth that allowing the dog to sleep in your bed will make him feel dominant over you. It has not been proven.
According to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, 62% of American dog and cat owners keep their animals in the house at night and 1/2 of cats and 1/3 of dogs sleep in their master’s bed. Dr. Nicholas Dodman, director of Animal Behavior Clinic at Tufts celebrates the warm and fuzzy feeling of all species resting in your bed. The one caveat to this is that if one partner goes to bed earlier with their dog and it growls at the second partner who attempts to get in bed, the best thing to do is to retrain them. You would start with crate training at night and eventually allow the dog to sleep in the room on a pet bed. Then you can reintroduce sleeping on the bed.
For cats, Dr. Lynne Seibert, a behaviorist at the Veterinary Sleep Center in Lynnwood Washington cautions that cats can be more active at night and will try pouncing and playing with it’s owner who is trying to sleep. This is because cats tend to sleep during the day and see the opportunity to play with you at night. She advises giving the cat more playtime during the day as well as right before bed. Dr. John Shepard of the Mayo Clinic Sleep Disorders Center found that many of his sleep deprived patients slept with animals that woke them during the night.
On the negative side, veterinary scientists have shown that sleeping with your pets increases the chances of contracting everything from parasites to the plague. Although the plague is rare, Dr. Bruno Chomel, a professor at the University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and Dr. Ben Sun, chief vet for the California Department of Health, the risk of exposure to disease is real. Disease can be transmitted through bed sharing, scratching, kisses and licks from your pet. Children are especially susceptible because of their young immune systems.
There is no scientific evidence that allowing pets on the bed will make them believe they are in charge, or cause aggression and dominance. However, if your dog snaps at you when you try to share the bed with them or your cat is depriving you of much needed sleep, it is best to give them their own sleeping area.
What a fun-tastic time! It was Storytime at New York Dog Nanny with Susan Lyman, author from Tails Untold Personalized Pet Books who read Scrappy’s personalized adventure story of her journey through Manhattan. She had a very warm and captivated audience for the reading. Many were so excited they tried to turn the pages before she could finish!
New York Dog Nanny provides personal pet services including Bed & Breakfast, Doggie Daycare, Grooming and Spa treatments and boarding. Visit http://newyorkdognanny.com. You can also follow along with story time clips on newtorkdognannys YouTube channel with your pup every week.
Here is a wonderful post by Bocker, who along with Lisa Alexander, shined on the runway at the Pre-Westminster Fashion Show.
“The Pre-Westminster Fashion Show was a huge success and from all reports nearly $20,000 was raised for ACC. Everyone had a great time and kudos to Ada Nieves for getting everyone and everything coordinated and getting everyone on stage at the right time. The fashions were incredible. So glad our friend Roberto Negrin was honored..well deserved! When he can afford the extra material, maybe he design something classy for me! Thank you to Ada for making me a vision in red and thanks to my Aunt Lisa for adding lots of class to the runway as we represented a terrific product, TailsUntold! Hope to get my very own Bocker Tails Untold book real soon! Congratulations to all who were honored. Lots of photos and videos were taken to document the evening and it was even given coverage on the telecast of The Westminster Dog Show on USA.
Here is the URL to the video segment. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zm2wfBgUSjI&feature=youtu.be
Thanks to Chloe’s Gift Photography for this great photo of me.”
In the United States, 10% of the population has pet allergies. The most common pet to cause an allergic reaction is the cat. Contrary to popular belief, it is not due to the cat’s hair or fur. There are proteins in a cat’s saliva, urine and dander (dried skin flakes) that trigger allergic reactions. We all know what meticulous self-groomers cats are. At any time, all three of the proteins can be on a cat’s tongue.
People who have allergies have overly sensitive immune systems. Their bodies think that harmless things like cat dander or pollen are invaders in their bodies. They attack these invaders as they might attack a bacteria or virus. The result is that symptoms, which are side-effects of this attack, begin to appear. These symptoms include such things as; coughing, sneezing, wheezing, rash, stuffy nose, itchy eyes, and runny nose, especially if a cat has licked or bitten the person. In addition, if your cat is an outside cat, it can bring in other allergens such as mold, pollen and other environmental triggers. These symptoms can occur within minutes or hours of exposure.
There is no way to prevent an allergic reaction. Some research has shown that exposure to pets at an early age may reduce the risk of developing pet allergies later on in life. You can reduce the amount of allergens on your cat through frequent bathing. Brushing your cat regularly will reduce the amount of loose fur (and attached saliva) in the air. Also, it may help to feed your cat a diet that is high in Omega 3 fatty acids. These acids help to keep the cat’s fur healthy and minimize dander.
Are there any cats that do not cause allergies? Some people feel that the “hairless” Sphinx will eliminate the possibility of allergies. However, since the allergy can be triggered by cat urine, saliva and dander, we know this may not be true. As cute as they are, if kitty is making you sneeze, think about getting a different pet.
This heartwarming and thought provoking novel about a woman’s crusade to rescue as many dogs as she can while barely subsisting herself, is a must read! I actually read it two times, the first time in one afternoon. The main character, Miss Pink inspires us to give of ourselves to those people and four legged pals who need our help and love. She is like a dog whisperer who can calm the most abused canine into accepting her trust at the New York City animal rescue center. There are some twists and turns as she befriends a not-so-popular woman and a broken-hearted young woman. The final chapters give us hope and made me wish for a sequel so I could read about Miss Pink’s plans coming to fruition. Sarah Cavallaro is a writer who pulls us in and does not let go with her insights into the human and canine psyches. I do hope she writes another book starring Miss Pink and her pals.
Bringing home a new puppy to be a companion to your older dog is often a challenge. Your older dog has established territory from your home to the yard and even routes used for walking. They need a lot of attention and reassurance from you that this new comer is not going to usurp their time with you.
To introduce the new puppy, pick a neutral area. You might try someone else’s yard or have a friend meet you walking down the street with the new puppy. The two dogs should always be on leashes and under control. You can also have a friend hold the puppy in their arms and let the older dog sniff it. Another technique for that first introduction is to put the puppy in it’s crate and allow the older dog to sniff it through the gate. If the older dog growls, you should give it a strong verbal correction. You are the “pack leader” and need to show the dog that you won’t tolerate aggression toward the new “pack” member.
Once you feel the dogs are ready to try being together, having given them lots of praise for accepting kinds of behaviors, you can take them to a mutual play area. Remember to remove all toys from the play area to prevent altercations over the toys. Limit the first play times to a 5 minute session and gradually build up from there. It can take a month or more of supervised playtime to get the puppy and older dog to coexist. If there are any signs of aggression, take a break and try again later. Young puppies may not recognize signs of an older dog’s aggressive moves or postures. So watch for signs that your older dog is tiring or attempting to avoid the new puppy.
Your first walks together should be away from home and take a new route. Older dogs may consider the old route their personal territory which can trigger aggression. Mutual walks on leashes are a good way to give positive reinforcement to the dogs that being together can be fun. It takes time but the two of them will be much more likely to accept each other when you follow these tips.
Be wary of what you give your dog for a treat! According to Dr. Patty Khuly of PET MD, grapes and raisins are poisonous to dogs. Although the toxic element has yet to be identified, dogs who eat grapes or raisins may die of acute kidney failure if they ingest too many.
It does not always happen. However, that does not mean grapes are okay for some dogs. It is not worth risking your dog’s health to watching him chase one across the floor and gulp it down!
There are many other food items that are known to be toxic to both dogs and cats. Onions and garlic contain sulfoxides and disulfides which can damage red blood cells and cause anemia. Cats are more susceptible than dogs. Even baby foods, which one might consider as innocuous, may contain onion powder.
We all know that chocolate is toxic to dogs, especially the darker chocolates. If your dog should ingest these, call your vet immediately. He may prescribe a quick remedy of peroxide and water to induce vomiting. Dogs are very attracted to the scent of chocolate, so be careful where you put that Valentine’s box of candy!
We love our pets and don’t want to see them come to any harm! You heard it through the Tales Untold grapevine!
Here is a blog that Jorge Bendersky,Dog Groomer, wrote about the wonderful and healthy benefits of dog ownership! I thought I would share it with you. Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone!
“This year, as Valentine’s Day nears, I have been thinking a lot about relationships, well, the relationship between a dog and his person that is. (What can I say, I’m not a romantic and my life has literally gone to the dogs!) My own Pomeranian, Tito, for example, is not just my dog, he lets me watch trashy tv, and wakes up to get coffee with me in the morning. Tito listens when I just feel like talking – we all know texting can be exhausting! – and he is always happy to see me after a long day of work.
It’s not just me though. In my line of work, grooming the dogs of New York’s elite, I see that whether you live uptown or downtown, everybody gets stressed. But when a little pup comes in the room, even a fashion diva or a big shot lawyer can’t help but smile. What if you don’t have a career in high fashion and carry your dog around in Gucci? Well, my experience says the positive effects of a dog are universal.
This is not just my opinion. Many studies, by doctors and psychologists, prove that owning a dog can actually help make you a happier and healthier person. Petting your dog calms you down and reduces your anxiety, which helps lower blood pressure and reduces heart related diseases. Having a dog to come home to, play with, and take walks with can help fight off depression or loneliness and will lead to a more active lifestyle. Being out with your dog could even help you get a date!
When it comes down to it, having Tito around might actually be making me a better person. Don’t tell Tito though, we don’t need his ego getting any bigger!” By Jorge Bendersky Visit his website at http://www.planetjorge.com/
Cats always seem to land on their feet after a fall which leads one to believe that a cat has more than 1 life. Cats are intrepid explorers and fearless risk takers. The myth, however, is actually based on their natural suppleness and swiftness to escape a life threatening fall.
How does this happen? In 1894, the French physiologist, Etienne-Jules Marey held a cat upside down by it’s legs and dropped it. He filmed the action with a camera that took 60 images per second. As the cat fell, an automatic twisting reaction began. The cat maneuvered it’s head, back, legs and tail to lessen the impact.
A word of caution though! Cats aren’t all that tough; they don’t always land the right way up. A badly timed fall can result in bruised ot fractured limbs. The distance is crucial. Too high and the cat may splat just like a human. Too low and the cat may not have time to correct itself.
So, do not try the French physiologist’s experiment at home! Just be reassured to know that your curious cat has a built-in righting reflex that helps him escape those unexpected falls!
| Name: | Weezie |
| Nickname(s): | The Boss |
| Gender: | female |
| Characteristics: | One eye, white face, very large pointy ears |
| Personality: | stealthy, determined, quiet, funny |
