Animalix - Magazine

A cat or a dog? This is one question that has been debated for years. Here’s one more fact about dogs that may change your mind about which pet to get. You trust your dog, but does it trust you? A recent study shows that dogs can analyze how reliable a person is and we want to share this information with our readers! Dogs, as real detectives, can explain to us whether or not to trust another person. The study was conducted by Akiko Takaoka of Kyoto University in Japan. The scientist and his colleagues wanted to know if a dog would trust a person who lied to it. The researchers divided the experiment into 3 parts. They wanted to know if the dog could understand whether or not the person was untrustworthy. The group of scientists claims that the research has a potential implication in dogs’ behavioral studies. The study tells us that dogs prefer this world to be certain, according to John Bradshaw with the University of Bristol. In the experiment, dog owners would first point to a con...

The wide range of pet toys on the market offer something for every pet and every budget. All choices are not equally appealing or safe for every pet though. The age, size/breed, and personality of each pet are important factors when choosing toys for a pet, whether as a gift for your own pets or for other pets in your life. Dogs and Bones I have heard "my dog does just fine with bones" too many times to count. And, some dogs are fine with bones. Many dogs are not. Most of the bones in pet supply stores are hard and brittle, some are filled with a "marrow" treat. The size of the dog, the bone, and how enthusiastic the dog is about chewing and playing with the bone all come into play. Dogs that like to play catch or fetch do better with soft, sturdy toys -- with less damage to teeth and gums. The Dangers of Bones - The top worries about bones are: -Broken teeth -Bone stuck on lower jaw or lodged in upper jaw. -Bone swallowed or stuck in pharynx or throat. -Bone...

Let's examine the claims pet shops make: 1) The "breeders" are actually millers and other large-scale dog producers whose main concerns are merely to pump out as many dogs of different breeds in as short a period of time as possible. Responsible breeders would never wholesale their dogs to petshops. Responsible breeders cannot meet the demand of pet shops, who sell many different dogs and breeds and constantly need to replenish their stock. The dog producers that DO meet the pet shop's stock demands are the millers who pump out hundreds of puppies of many different breeds annually. The pet shop is also able to enjoy the convenience of purchasing all their animals from one source. 2) As already discussed, USDA licensing does not guarentee humane treatment of the dogs in mills. (Please see the Links section above to view the grounds of some USDA licensed establishments). Also, remember that the USDA licenses and oversees factory farming. What the US...

A puppymill is generally considered to be a large-scale dog breeding operation that wholesales dogs to retail establishments, or to middlemen who then sell to retail establishments. Puppymills keep animals in small cages (similar to large chicken crates) for most of their natural lives. The bitches are bred on their first heat (which usually occurs around 6 months), and on every heat thereafter, until they die naturally (or are diposed of). Conditions at puppymills vary, although even in the best of circumstances, these establishments are abusive to dogs. Puppymills are dirty, smelly, and house dogs in cramped quarters. Because of the conditions, the dogs may fight each other, develop neurotic behavior (such as obsessive licking, jumping, spinning, cage pacing, etc), and become susceptible to illness and injury. Oftentimes, dogs with wounds aquired during kennel fights or under other circumstances, will be left untreated. The cages in which the dogs are kept have wire bottoms. The dog...

Most people don’t want to support animal cruelty; that's a given. In the United States, people have particularly strong feelings about cruelty towards companion animals who many consider to be integral parts of their family. Yet, despite the desire to protect our animals, many people still unwittingly support puppy mills. What is a puppy mill? A puppy mill is a dog-breeding facility with the primary goal of making money. To maximize profits, some breeders make dogs suffer in deplorable conditions. The puppies bred at these facilities are then either shipped to pet stores around the country, or sold directly through newspaper and online ads to the public. Once the puppies leave the mills, they are cleaned up and put up for sale at pet stores for anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars. The breeding dogs aren’t nearly as lucky. They are kept at the puppy mill to have litter after litter, often living in small cages and lacking clean water, regular veterinary care and...

Pet owners around the globe, if not all then most of them, have daily conversations with their pets, how they’d talk to normal human beings. They wish their pets good morning, ask them if they’re hungry and if they wish to go for a walk, almost as if their pets are understanding them and will talk back any second now. Do you talk to your pets like you talk to your friends? Be it a dog, cat, parrot or a guinea pig. If so, we’re sure you’ve heard things like “Are you nuts?”, “You’ve gone cuckoo” and seen people get weirded out by your behavior. Maybe you, too, sometimes wonder why you are the way you are. Why you prefer the company of your pets more than humans. Have you really gone cuckoo? But, what if we tell you that your habit of talking to your pets, plants or any inanimate object, for that matter, is a sign of intelligence, rather than stupidity? You’re not a crazy cat lady, you’re just smart. The act is called anthropomorphizing, which is, the attribution of human traits, emoti...

SOURCE : PETA When Henry’s guardian dropped him off at a California PetSmart grooming salon, he thought that his dog would be getting a simple, routine nail trim. But just three minutes later, a groomer reportedly emerged from the back room carrying the 1-year-old dachshund, who was limp, bleeding from the mouth, and struggling to breathe. An on-site veterinarian tried to save Henry, but within minutes, the tiny dog was dead. His guardian may never know exactly what happened in the back room of that PetSmart store, but a necropsy revealed that Henry had sustained two broken ribs and a punctured lung and died of strangulation. Henry’s horrific ordeal is anything but an isolated incident. Big-box pet store chains like PetSmart, Petco, and others have a long laundry list of incidents involving animals who have been traumatized, allowed to escape, severely injured, and even killed in their grooming salons. Beaten, Bloodied, and Baked Alive in the ‘Back Room’ These giant corporati...

There is more to becoming a good #dog breeder than getting a male and female dog together and letting them "hook-up"! Anyone ever tell you that all you need to do is get a #male and #female dog and let them breed and you can sell the puppies and make money? Well that may be true somewhat. Then you will be known as a " backyard breeder ". Backyard breeders do not get the respect of other breeders or the buying public. They are usually not the expert on the breed. There are some basic rules or guidelines that people look for when buying a puppy. The breeder knows and loves the breed they are selling. The breeder is an expert on the breed they raise and sell, or at the very least, a very dedicated student. He/she will be able to answer any question you might have about the breed, or be able to find the answer for you. They will know the history of the breed and for what purpose they were bred. They know about any particular health problem that might be common wi...

What is a cat muzzle? A cat muzzle is a device that goes around a cat's face used to prevent them from biting. It is primarily used in veterinary hospitals to prevent cats from biting when they are in pain or when they acting aggressive. For people at home, muzzling a cat can be a very difficult thing to do. Cats typically do not like things on their face and will try to paw it off as soon as the muzzle was placed on. There are commercially available muzzles that prevent the cat from biting. The best type of muzzle is one that covers the eyes as well as the mouth. This can sometimes calm the cat if he/she cannot see. Muzzles are only for temporary use and you must watch your cat closely and be ready to remove the muzzle immediately if the cat starts to vomit or has difficulty breathing. Muzzle can be a part of a first aid kit for cats or something to carry in your trunk along with a towel and a cat carrier . A muzzle can come in very handy if you happen upon an injured ...

Boasting head adornments that could have easily been fashioned by a legendary hat designer, along with their opulent plumed tails reminiscent of a luxurious ostrich-feather boa, the American Curl has audiences in awe worldwide. Distinguished by truly unique ears that curl back in a graceful arc, offering an alert, perky, happily surprised expression, they cause people to break out into a big smile when viewing their first Curl. Designed exclusively by Mother Nature, the ears can be likened to those of a Lynx with long tufts fanning outward, accentuating the swept-back look while complementing the Curl’s overall sophistication, stylish elegance, and dynamic presence. Wake-up call! The alarm rings, and emerging out from under the covers, eager to start the day, is your Curl buddy. Eyelid pats, nose kisses, and hair licking prompt a gentle awakening. Then your eyes focus on that exuberant little Curl face, and another day begins. The Curl personality is truly unique. If not sleepin...

"If there is no heaven for dogs, then I want to go where they go when I die."      - Anonymous "The greatest pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself too."      - Samuel Butler "If dogs could talk, perhaps we would find it as hard to get along with them as we do with people."      -Capek "A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself."      - Billings "The dog who meets with a good master is the happier of the two."      -Maeterlinck "There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face."      -Ben Williams "Whoever said you canÂ’t buy happiness forgot about little puppies."      -Gene Hill "No one appreciates the very special genius of ...