Living with a Diabetic Pet

This beautiful feline is "Emmy". She is a senior citizen at 19 years of age and has been living with diabetes for over 7 years now. I am fortunate enough to be able to take care of Emmy when her mom goes out of town, and they have both taught me so much! Thanks to them, not only have I become quite the expert at administering insulin shots, but I have also been the lucky recipient of Emmy's loving, extremely patient spirit. Moreover, I am grateful to Cindy (Emmy's mom) for renewing my faith in humans with her unwaivering TLC and persistence in accepting the challenges of this role.

Cindy was kind enough to pass on the following tips she has learned over the years:

1. The good news is that a diabetic pet can live a long and happy life!
2. Find a vet that you can trust and who thoroughly understands your pet- you need to know what to expect when your pet gets too much or too litle insulin.
3. The level of insulin required does not remain constant. As an animal ages and loses weight, the dosage will decrease.
4. Make sure your pet has had a full meal before giving insulin - this alone could cause an overdose.
5. It is possible to either give too much insulin (overdose) or give too little (underdose). Over time, you will learn what type of behavior your pet exhibits in both situations. If an overdose has occurred, make sure you have Karo syrup on hand. Rubbing some on your pet's gums is the first response to an overdose. You should also do everything possible to keep your pet safe, like temporarily confining them to a small area, as their behavior will not be normal.

For more detailed information on animal diabetes, visit www.noah-health.org/en/healthy/pet/disease/diabetes.html.

If you live in Raleigh, check out our website: www.noplacelikehomepetsitting.org.

Feral Cats Are Special

I was NOT a "cat person" when I first met my husband and thought his hobby of caring for a feral cat colony extremely odd. Well, that was then - this is now! I am presently owned by several felines (couldn't imagine life without them!) and have also had the opportunity to observe and learn quite a bit about the cats who reside in my husband's colony. He has been caring for the same group of cats for over 10 years now, which is deemed quite a success in the world of ferals. You see, feral cats are the victims of our society and the carelessness of humans who, over time, have not spayed/neutered their pets. Their life span is not ususally very long, due to the harsh obstacles they must overcome on a daily basis to survive in this overpopulated world.

If caught young enough, these homeless creatures can easily be domesticated. Even if not caught quite so young, and someone is willing to put in the time, they can be domesticated, just not quite so easily. Moreover, some ferals will retain some of their unique traits when living with a human, like their non-trust of people in general, unusual eating habits born from days of not knowing from where or when their next meal will come, and their tendency to bond with just one person in the family. Despite these behavioral quirks, they are worthy of our attention as a responsible, conscientious society.

BTW, the cat at the top of this blog is "Moses", a former feral who was lucky enough to be snagged from my husband's colony when he was young. This beautiful feline now happily resides with our next-door neighbors! If you would like more information about ferals and hear more success stories, visit the following websites: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/marvelous-molly.html; www.alleycat.org; www.feralfriends.org.

If you live in Raleigh, check out our website: www.noplacelikehomepetsitting.org

A Vacation for Animal Lovers - Best Friends Animal Sanctuary

One of the best vacations my husband and I have had has been out west to the Grand Canyon, Bryce, and Mt. Zion Nat'l Parks. However, as wonderful as all of these places are, the main reason this vacation stands out is due to the day that we visited Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah. We actually stayed in Kanab the entire time, driving every day to different destinations (the logistics of these parks makes this a perfect set-up). When we found out that our hotel was just down the street from Best Friends, we couldn't resist stopping in one day for a tour.

The sanctuary is unlike anything we had ever seen. First of all, it is simply huge and located in the aptly named, Angel Canyon, which consists of beautiful red rock pinnacles and other rock formations. There is definitely a spiritual essence to the place, as all those who work and volunteer there will attest. And, speaking of volunteering, they always welcome people passing through on vacation who want to spend an afternoon helping out with some of the animals. You have a wide variety of species to choose from - I don't think there is anything they won't rescue! Please visit their website to learn more about what this wonderful sanctuary does for homeless animals: http://www.bestfriends.org/.

If you live in Raleigh, check out our website: www.noplacelikehomepetsitting.org

Small Dogs and Preventing Pet Injuries

Meet "Ace" - the canine love of my life. He's not "technically" mine, but his mom lets me pet sit for him when she is out of town. While I think Ace is very special and the most adorable dog ever, he is certainly your typical Jack Russell in that he has boundless energy - he is constantly in motion, running, jumping, and seldom seen without a ball in his mouth or by his side. The "jumping" part is the subject of my blog today. One day I noticed that Ace's mom had a small, child's step ladder at the foot of her bed, and that Ace used this instead of jumping directly from the floor. She told me that Ace has had joint and other related problems that were exacerbated by jumping onto high elevations, as a lot of small dogs are prone to do. I then came across an article about the impact that jumping can have over time. If you have a small dog in your family, please take the time to check out the info in the link below - it could save you vet costs in the future, but more important, wear and tear on your fur pal! http://www.care2.com/greenliving/prevent-pet-injuries-in-the-home.html

If you live in Raleigh, check out our website: http://www.noplacelikehomepetsitting.org/

Pet Sitting in Raleigh, NC and Animals That Have Changed Our Lives

One of the commonalities that bonded my husband and I when we first met was our love of animals. We have had many opportunities to rescue and find homes for special critters since we have been married, and in fact, the only children we currently have are the 4-legged variety!

One rescue experience in particular occurred a couple of years after we were married and was a turning point in my journey towards working with animals and being an advocate for animal rights. I was working for the Wake County School System in Raleigh and someone had dumped a pregnant pit bull underneath a school bus. I was "volunteered" to take this poor creature to my vet to have her checked out and to see if anyone there could help. She had obviously been fought, as her ears were severely cropped and she had scars. However, even after having endured such abuse, she was one of the sweetest, most trusting and gentle dogs I had ever met. I couldn't find anyone to foster her, so my wonderful husband allowed me to bring her home. We kept her through her pregnancy and she had 7 puppies in our garage! As soon as the puppies were old enough, we found homes for all of them, including "Honey Girl", the momma. Up to that time, I had no experience with pit bulls and believed all the bad press about them. Honey Girl not only changed my views about the breed, she also reinforced how much we can learn from animals and how they can bring out the best in us if we let them.

I would love to hear from anyone who has had a similar life changing experience with an animal. Also, if you live in Raleigh, check out our website: www.noplacelikehomepetsitting.org.