WebWire | News by Industry : Animals / Pets

Easy Ways to Know if Your Cat is Happy

Wed, 1 Feb 2012 00:16:57 EST

Cats are very intelligent animals that express various emotions including fear, grief, jealousy, anger and love according to animal rights advocate Igor Purlantov.� For those that are lucky enough to have a cat in their home, it is important to know if your feline companion is happy.�

Finding out if your cat is happy can sometimes be a difficult task since cats are very good at hiding their true feelings says Igor Purlantov.� Here are several ways to help you know if you have a happy cat:

Playful Behavior
Cats enjoy playing with others that they like and trust.� Any amount of playful activity, from running back and forth and playing catch to simply patting your leg or face for attention is a good indication of happiness.� Cats can learn how to play catch and when they do it is a great sign they are happy.

Body Language
Cats that keep their whiskers slightly forward and their fur smooth with a relaxed tail are generally happy and curious.� When a cat has their tail straight up in the air, they are greeting others around them that they consider friends.� A relaxed happy cat will rest with their front paws tucked under, their ears forward, and their eyes half open.� A cat that shows a sudden dilation of the eyes is having a sudden boost of happiness and excitement.

Eating Habits
Cats that are happy have a nice healthy appetite.� Each time a cat tries to get you to give them more food and treats, they are simply playing with you and thus being happy.�

Shiny Coat
Having a shiny coat of fur is a very good indication that your cat is in good health and thus happy.� A shiny coat is also a good sign that your cat is getting the necessary nutrition and enjoying regular grooming which they enjoy.

Confident Behavior
A happy cat will show interest in their environment and will be responsive when approached.� Some cats enjoy taking a proactive approach and touching everything new around the home while others may simply watch from a distance.� In either case, a happy cat will react to a stranger with caution rather than fear and a confident cat will generally have the highest amount of happiness.�

Vocal Cats
Cats are very good at giving vocal cues to indicate what they are thinking or feeling.� Some cats are more vocal than others and like to engage in long conversation to show they are happy.� Quiet cats on the other hand may express happiness with silence, and vocalize to express unhappiness. Higher pitched sounds are generally happy while lower pitched sounds can mean they are frustrated or being demanding.�

Grooming Behavior
Cats that are happy enjoy grooming themselves so that they look their best.� Cats that enjoy grooming other cats and even their human companions are also happy and are showing that they trust you.� Although not all cats enjoy grooming others, cats that groom one another are happy with each other and enjoy each other's company.�

Bathroom Behavior
When a cat starts missing the litter box and going elsewhere, this is a good sign that something is wrong and they are not happy.� A happy cat that is adjusted and content with their environment will always use their litter box.�

Sleep Patterns
Although some cats may sleep more when they are depressed, the location of where they sleep can be a good indication of happiness. Cats that enjoy sleeping close to other cats and seek them out are happy and showing that they enjoy being around others.� If your cat sleeps next to you then be happy to know that your cat trusts you and enjoys being around you as much as possible.� And if your cat is sleeping on its back, this is the ultimate sign that they feel safe and secure in their environment and are very happy.

Igor Purlantov is an animal rights advocate that follows and writes about animal news and trends to help raise awareness of animal rights and protection. You can read and learn about his work on www.igor-purlantov.net or follow him on twitter @igorpurlantov

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St. Claude Vet Clinic offers a wide range of products and treatments for all animals, large or small

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:49:41 EST

If you are looking for a professional and reliable veterinarian near Winnipeg, then look no further! St. Claude Veterinary Clinic and their wonderful team of licensed and experienced vets are your answer. This Winnipeg vet office is open Monday - Saturday, but also has an after-hours emergency call in line so that help is always available to you and your four legged friends.

The staff at this clinic is committed to providing outstanding veterinary care to all of their clientele. They strive to provide top quality veterinary medicine and surgery at this Winnipeg animal hospital. They offer medical and surgical services not only in the clinic, but also on the farm.�

St. Claude Vet Clinic offers a wide range of products for all animals, large or small. They specialize in cats, dogs, beef cattle, dairy cattle, horses, sheep & goats. They also have experience with pigs, poultry, deer, elk, bison, budgies, cockatiels, cockatoos, rabbits, iguanas, bearded dragons and others.

Euthanasia is never an easy time, but the staff at St. Claude Veterinary Clinic try to make the process as easy as possible. They offer burial bags as well as cremation services.�

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Change a life with click2cause.com

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:06:28 EST

Ontario, CA, Jan. 23, 2012 -- It is now possible for people to change someone's life with just the simple click of a computer mouse.� That one little relationship between the finger on a hand and the palm-sized piece of computer hardware that people spend countless hours clicking and ticking the day away with that makes a computer, well… do 'something' …can make a difference and change someone else's world - from five miles away to thousands of miles away.� People everywhere can now try online fund-raising to change a life.

How can a computer click can really do that – change a life?� Today's society clicks all the time on Facebook, Twitter, emails, the latest and greatest 'laughing baby' video uploaded to YouTube.� Think about it though… do any of these clicks really help someone in the true sense of the word?

By clicking on click2cause, it is now possible to support AnimEscape, a shelter in Canada for animals that need care while their owners escape domestic violence, or help to alleviate poverty in Kenya with Poverty Alleviation.� If someone loves to ice skate and wants to see other kids who can't afford skates get a pair so that they can reach for their dreams, they can just click…click…click and donate to change a life with Skates for Kids.� Imagine helping to finance the dreams of a future Olympic Skater. �A click can change lives when one clicks on click2cause.

So what exactly is click2cause?� It's a website (http://www.click2cause.com) that was created to bring together organizations and individuals - ONLINE - so that everyone can just click to donate to causes that people feel are important.�

An example is the Children of Fallen Soldiers Relief Fund.� �Just by clicking, someone can donate to help a child of a U.S. soldier who has died in Afghanistan or Iraq to be able to go to college. The fund gives college grants to those in need.� One of these children could receive an education that might otherwise not happen without support…that's changing a life.� That's what makes click2cause so fantastic and rewarding.� A click made changes a life. �How often does clicking on a laughing baby on a YouTube video change a life?� Laughter is good for the soul, but why not change a life?

Teachers Helping Teachers is a fund created by a teacher who is planning a trip to Kenya with other educators to actually work with local teachers there on how to educate children so that impoverished village peoples can create a future for their children.� This teacher is paying for half the trip out of her own funds, and just needs clicks and donations to change probably more than one just one life.� People have the resources…the desire to help… the heart to help…they have the click.

Click2cause isn't just for donors either; if there is an organization or a worthy cause someone wants to start or represent, the click2cause online fund-raising community is there to take the fund-raiser through the steps to take their cause online.� Visit click2cause.com for more information about online fund-raising and start supporting today.� Click2cause is only one click away…for anyone to change a life.
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For more information, contact:
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Chris Des Roches, Founder,
info@click2cause.com
909.237.6134
Address:
Click2Cause
370 Stone Road West
Box 25085
Guelph ON N1G 4T4
Canada
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Advertising:
ads@click2cause.com
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Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund Announces Rwandan National as New Director Karisoke Research Center

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 22:16:22 EST

ATLANTA (GA) – For the first time, a Rwandan national has been named director of the Karisoke Research Center in Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park. Clare Richardson, president and CEO of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International (Fossey Fund), announced today that Felix Ndagijimana, who has served as deputy director for the last four years, will assume leadership of Karisoke. ��
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This historic appointment also comes on an historic date -- Jan. 16, 2012 -- which would have been the 80th birthday of Dr. Dian Fossey, who founded the Karisoke Research Center in 1967 and the Fossey Fund, originally the Digit Fund, which has operated the center since her death.
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'Ndagijimana is the first Rwandan to lead Karisoke as its director,' Richardson said. 'He is a prime example of the Fossey Fund's effort to conduct capacity building in Africa, through support for education and training so that local people can become stewards of conservation in their own lands.'
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As director, Ndagijimana will oversee all of Karisoke's research and protection programs for mountain gorillas and other species in Volcanoes National Park, as well as health and education programs in the communities surrounding the park, administering a staff of more than 100, including trackers, anti-poachers, research assistants, and administrative personnel. He succeeds Katie Fawcett, Ph.D., who held the position since 2002.
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Ndagijimana began working at Karisoke™ as a research assistant in 2004. Through a scholarship created by Fossey Fund supporter Mary Ann Parker in memory of her son John Eric Peckham, he earned a master's degree in primate conservation from Oxford Brookes University (UK). He was named deputy director in 2008 after completing�his master's, and has been responsible for overseeing field activities and for expansion of research programs. Ndagijimana also holds a bachelor of science degree�in microbiology from the University of Mysore, India. He has represented the Fossey Fund at numerous gatherings including International Primatological Society Congress meetings in Uganda and Scotland; the 2010 Poverty and Conservation Learning Group workshop; and at annual Kwita Izina gorilla-naming ceremonies in Kinigi, Rwanda. He also served as a field assistant for the production of the critically acclaimed PBS Nature program, 'The Gorilla King.'
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'I am greatly honored to be chosen for this important role,' says Ndagijimana. 'I look forward to leading the dedicated team of trackers, scientists, and administrative personnel at Karisoke in continuing the legacy of Dian Fossey and our leadership in gorilla conservation. And I am very excited to build on the achievements of the past directors of Karisoke and to continue working with the Fossey Fund's partners, both in Rwanda and elsewhere, to further our mission of conserving and protecting gorillas and their habitat.'
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At the same time, Tara Stoinski, Ph.D., has been promoted to vice president and chief scientist for the Fossey Fund. Dr. Stoinski is based at the Fossey Fund's U.S. headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.

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About the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International
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The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International is dedicated to the conservation and protection of gorillas and their habitats in Africa. Founded by Dr. Dian Fossey as the Digit Fund and renamed after her death, the Fossey Fund operates the Karisoke Research Center in Rwanda, and maintains a staff of scientists, trackers and anti-poaching patrols in Volcanoes National Park. The Fund also works with community-managed reserves and national parks in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and operates extensive education, health and other community outreach programs.� For more information, visit http://gorillafund.org.

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Veterinarians Tackle Tragedy of Animal Hoarding

Sun, 8 Jan 2012 09:18:47 EST

Maddie's Shelter Medicine Program has teamed up with experts from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for a groundbreaking conference on the increasing threat of animal hoarding.�
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When a case of animal hoarding is uncovered in a community, the animals rely on veterinarians, animal welfare workers, and law enforcement to be there; not only to intervene for the animals' health and well-being, but also to use sound science and medical expertise to document a solid legal case.
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Animal hoarding cases, often involving hundreds of starved and neglected animals, can quickly overcome the capacity of local animal sheltering and law enforcement agencies. Multi-agency cooperation over many months is frequently required for the initial response and for rehabilitation and adoption of the abused animals.
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At the conference, international experts will explore the ins and outs of hoarding: from the psychology of hoarders to large-scale responses, medical triage and common health and behavior issues found in hoarded animals, and community issues from media relations to hoarding prevention and response strategies. On the conference's second day, attendees will apply their training in a unique series of hands-on workshops, including a simulated animal hoarding crime scene.

The conference will be held in Gainesville, Florida on March 24–25, 2012. Participants will come away with the skills and confidence to respond effectively when a hoarding case comes their way. Attendance is limited to 150. For more information and conference registration: www.ufsheltermedicine.com

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