Amanda's Holiday Gift Guide!

The holidays are quickly approaching (along with those holiday birthdays that require extra gift ideas), so I did some online shopping to help you with some animal-friendly gift ideas that also help the animals! These are some of my favorite gift ideas, split into who you’re looking to buy for.

Amanda’s Animal Holiday Gift Guide

For Babies/Kids

For Her

For Him

For Anyone

For Pets

Online Stores

Toys Aren't Just for Playing!

I’ll admit it: I’m guilty of spoiling my cats. They have a basket full of toys that I rotate out every so often, and it’s sometimes hard to walk through my home without nearly stepping on a cat toy. But on the other hand, I’ve been to people’s homes where their pets have no toys at all. Though everyone doesn’t have to spoil their pets (which there’s nothing wrong with!...), providing them with toys will actually make them happier and healthier!

Playtime reduces stress and anxiety. Our furry friends are susceptible to stresses just like we are, they’re just a little bit different: seeing animals outside that they can’t chase away from their territory, being home alone, having house guests, adding a new pet to the family, taking a trip to the vet, and more. These stresses can cause anxiety, which can exasperate chronic health programs as well. Stress isn’t good for pets, just like it isn’t good for us!

Pets need exercise, too. How many overweight dogs and cats have you seen (or have)? Providing games and playing with your pets will give them exercise while having fun, and it will help them keep off those extra unwanted pounds.

Dogs and cats get bored, which again can lead to anxiety. Just like we get bored when we do the same thing every single day. Playtime will stimulate their hunting or working instincts and will give them something different to do.

It’s important to rotate your pets’ toys, because pets get tired of playing with the same toys all the time and may lose interest. I can personally vouch for this point—my cats perk up when I rotate out their toys. I just keep the rest in a convenient basket, which I see them rummaging through every now and then.

Playing with your pets gives you some much-needed bonding time. We love when our pets sit by our side, but interacting with them through games will deepen your bond and make you both happier!

Some behavior issues can actually be solved by adding or increasing playtime. If pets are playing too hard, acting more aggressive toward other pets, or keeping you up during the night, they may be telling you that they’re not getting enough playtime during the day.

Pacelle Speaks at UGA for Book Tour

"Cruelty cannot be confined; kindness cannot be confined either. They radiate out. That's why it is incredibly important to always try and take the route of kindness." -Wayne Pacelle

I had the pleasure this past week to see Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, speak at the University of Georgia during his book tour. His speech touched on topics he probes in his new book, The Bond: OurKinship with Animals, Our Call to Defend Them.

Pacelle began by talking about the situation in Ohio where 48 exotic species, including lions, tigers, bears and wolves, were let out into the community by their owner who then took his own life. The animals had to be tracked down and killed by law enforcement. This is just one horrific example of why HSUS is working hard to push legislators to take the protection of all animals more seriously. This man, who had a criminal record, should never have been allowed to have these animals as “pets” in the first place (nor should anyone else). However, with the illegal pet trade and Ohio’s lack of laws prohibiting it, he was able to keep a personal collection of dangerous animals in his home. This man not only put himself in danger (and gave these poor animals no life for wild animals), but he put his entire community in danger.

People think that animal welfare is a confined to a small bubble of “cat people” or “dog people,” but in reality, it’s a cause that radiates into so many facets of everyone’s lives around the world. It flows over into our daily meals, violent crimes, environmental protection, public health, and our own health. Think about these points that demonstrate just a few of the connections to other aspects of our lives:

A-Little-Less-Guilt-Free Shopping!: Help Animals While You Shop

I can't believe it myself, but the holidays are approaching quickly! Halloween is almost here, Thanksgiving isn't far behind, and then it's a mad rush to get your Hanukkah and Christmas shopping done! Whether you're an early shopper or just want to get yourself an early present, there are some great options for a-little-less-guilty purchases that will benefit our furry little friends!

Starting from the more expensive and working my way down...

If you're looking to splurge on a new purse or wallet, Samantha Thavasa is donating 25% of purchases to the American Humane Association's Second Change Fund from October 13 through October 20, 2011. This AHA fund helps animal welfare organizations pay for veterinary services of animals rescued from abusive and negligent situations.

Some of my favorite/animal-related purses for purchase:

 

Local Neighborhood Meeting about Animal Welfare

I’ve been on a bit of a hiatus from my blog, so this article is a coming a little later than I originally planned (my apologies). However, the information is still timely and interesting.

I attended the Athens-Clarke County Federation of Neighborhoods meeting earlier this month, where members of the community learn about a different topic relevant to the area each month. The August meeting focused on animal welfare in our community. Though it was location-specific, I believe much of the information can be related to other areas as well. I’ve touched on the main topics discussed among the panel of animal organization staff and the attending community members below.

ACC Animal Control Euthanasia Rates

The director of the ACC Animal Control discussed the progress of the shelter over the past 15 years as well as some of the issues they currently see most often. I was surprised by the level of lowered euthanasia rates since 1996, with it lowering from 60 percent to now 9 percent. The ultimate goal of animal control and all animal welfare groups is to eliminate euthanasia rates altogether while lowering pet overpopulation in the area. However, the community must first be better informed to fully achieve these goals.

Responding to Neglect

The ACC Animal Control officers respond to all types of animal welfare issues, but the large majority of calls are due to animal neglect (approximately 90 percent). The responding officers usually try to work with pet owners to educate them about how to better care for their animals and teach them how to improve their quality of life. Most times, the owners genuinely don’t know enough about pet ownership and don’t realize that their actions are causing their pets to be neglected. Sometimes they respond multiple times to the same homes, but the officers seemed to feel confident that working with owners generally results in better care of their animals and thus a more informed community.

Lack of Pet Identification

One of the other major issues with animals coming into the ACC Animal Control is a lack of pet identification. It is surprising how many pets go without collars, tag, or microchips. And quite often, animals will have collars but no ID tag attached. Though some owners say that money is a factor in the lack of identification, the ACC Animal Control actually provides free tags to pet owners. Also, local animal organizations provide opportunities for owners to get discounted microchips, such as the Athens Area Humane Society’s monthly Pet Care Clinics on the first Saturday of each month. Pet owners also should remember to update their tag information if the address or phone numbers change and to keep microchip information updated and registered (most require a small yearly fee of $10 to $20).

Dogs and Bars Don't Mix

Living in a college town with plenty of bars in the downtown area, I’ve noticed lately that a lot of people are bringing their dogs to the bars with them. While I support pet owners making an effort to socialize their dogs, the bar really might not be the best place to do it. During happy hour when people stop into restaurant-bars, it’s one thing to bring your dog with you for a bit. But when you’re going out for the night, just leave your dog at home!

Some reasons why you should leave your dog at home when you want to go out:

1.      Your attention isn’t fully on the animal, and frankly, people can be stupid… and mixing alcohol in just makes it worse.

2.      There might be broken glass, alcohol, cigarette butts, and/or other dangerous things on the ground that your dog could step on or eat to get hurt.

3.      Your dog probably doesn’t want a bunch of drunk people in its face or petting it too roughly. It’s more of a scary experience than fun socializing.

4.      People can step on or trip over your dog, whether it be by accident or not.

5.      Bars are loud. Your dog’s ears are much more sensitive than ours, so the noise might be painful to their ears.

6.      There may not be many people in the bar when you get there, but you never know when it’s going to get crowded and the environment changes from quiet and calm to noisy and rambunctious.

7.      If you’re alone, you might not be able to watch your dog at all times, like when you take a bathroom break. Asking others to hold your dog might turn into a lost dog situation.

There are many more ways to socialize your dog during the day, so it’s just simply not necessary to bring it to a bar. I’m sure it'd rather be at home in its quite, cozy bed.

The Not-So-Fuzzy Topic of Spaying & Neutering

Most people know that spaying and neutering their pets is an important issue, but up to 35% of pet owners still don’t get their pets fixed for various reasons. It’s not a fun topic to talk about for most people—they’d much rather talk about the heartwarming, fuzzy stories about animals for obvious reasons. But we can’t ignore the high number of animals awaiting homes, or not making it, in shelters.

Recently I’ve had a few people tell me that they want to have their pets fixed and updated on vaccinations, but they just don’t have the hundreds of dollars to spend on it at the vet.  Absolutely understandable. Luckily, price isn’t as much of a concern these days with the rise of low-cost spay/neuter clinics across the country. You can now get your pet fixed and up-to-date on vaccinations for as little as $100 (or less), depending on the clinic and type of animal. Contact your local animal shelter to find out where the nearest low-cost clinic is to you, or visit the HSUS, Spay USA, Spot Society, or if you’re in Athens, GA, visit the Athens Area Humane Society.

Below are some enlightening statistics about spaying/neutering, as well as some reminders why getting your pet fixed in a timely manner is so important.

Did You Know….

Cats and dogs can be spayed as early as 2 months old and/or at 2 pounds. Young pets recover quickly from these surgeries, so vets no longer go by the one-year rule.

Cats and dogs can become pregnant as early as 4 months old.

The HSUS estimates that 3 to 4 million dogs and cats are euthanized each year in the United States—that’s around half of the animals entering shelters. To put this in more perspective on a local level, in metro Atlanta, approximately 166 animals are euthanized every day according to Spay Georgia.

Two cats and their offspring can produce 420,000 cats within 7 years, and two dogs and their offspring can produce 50,000 dogs in 7 years. Wow.

You can get your pet spayed while in heat or while pregnant, although it usually has an added cost.

But Why?....

If the pet reproduction stats didn’t faze you, here are a few more reasons to go through with your pet’s spay/neuter.