Purrfect Pets

Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine will be hosting their first bike-a-thon, “Pedal for Pets,” on May 2. The bike-a-thon was organized by the Student Chapter of the American Veterinary Medical Association, and the benefits will go to the Cornell University Hospital for Animals.

The bike-a-thon will have two courses for adults to choose from: a 33 mile course with few hills and a longer 53 mile course, which is more challenging. Pedal for Pets will also have a junior bike-a-thon for younger family members. The junior bike-a-thon will include relay races, obstacle courses, bike safety and pet information, and interactive games.

Registration will be held in the B parking lot on the Cornell University campus, and will begin at 9am on May 2.

If you decide to go to Pedal for Pets, I hope you have a great time!

Source:

CatChannel: Bike-a-Thon for Cornell’s Animal Hospital

Easter is this Sunday, and as with all holidays, Easter brings its own set of risks and dangers to your cat.

Chocolate: Chocolate is toxic to your cat. Keep all chocolate away from your cat at all times. Put your Easter baskets up high or in another safe place where your cat cannot access it. If you start a piece of chocolate candy, be sure to wrap it up again if you want to save the rest for later.

Symptoms that can occur as a result of chocolate poisoning in cats include: hyperactivity, muscle tremors, coma, restelessness, diarrhea, frequent urination, seizures, vomiting, and death. If you suspect or know your cat has ingested chocolate, call your veterinarian or a local veterinary hospital for assistance.

Easter Grass: Easter grass poses a danger to your cat as well. Cats seem to love to play with plastic Easter grass. If your cat eats Easter grass, it could cause intestinal blockage or other problems. If you see your cat eating Easter grass and it is already halfway down his or her throat, DO NOT try to pull it out. Pulling on the Easter grass could cut the intestines. Instead, call your veterinarian for assistance.

Small Candy: Small candy, such as jellybeans can also be dangerous to your cat. If your cat attempts to swallow small pieces of candy, the candy could get lodged in your cat’s throat causing him or her to choke. Keep all candies up high or in another place your cat cannot easily access.

Lillies: Lillies are flowers that are toxic to cats. Lillies can begin to cause kidney failure 24-72 hours after ingestion. Symptoms of kidney failure may include increased thirst, lethargy, loss of appetite/not eating, increased urination, dehydration, and vomiting. If you like flowers at Easter time, get flowers that are not poisonous to cats.

I hope you and your furry friend enjoy a safe and happy Easter.

Source:

Cat’s Meow: Top 5 Easter Dangers

The BDVM Mac Lean Clinic, a low-cost spay/neuter clinic in Chicago, Illinois, is set to open its doors for service in late May. The clinic will aim to provide 5,000 spay and neuter surgeries to cats and dogs in its first year of service and wants to gradually increase that number annually as its facility will allow. The clinic will also provide vaccinations and parasite treatments to cats and dogs. The clinic will offer a sliding-fee scale, based on a pet owner’s income and subsidized rates for practitioners of trap-neuter-return programs and low-income individuals.

The clinic was named after long-time donors Sabrina Mac Lean and William Wheeldon.

The clinic held an open house for the public to preview the facility on April 4; however, you can still schedule a time to view the facility before it opens its doors. To schedule a time to see the clinic, please contact Jenny Schlueter at 773-784-5488 ext. 231 or e-mail her at jenny@treehouseanimals.org.

Sources:

CatChannel: Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Clinic to Open in Chicago: http://www.catchannel.com/news/2009/04/03/low-cost-spay-neuter-clinic-to-open-in-chicago.aspx

Tree House Humane Society: Presenting the Tree House BDVM Mac Lean Clinic: http://www.treehouseanimals.org/Appeals/Bucktown08/Bucktown.htm

Can your cat do a trick? If so, upload a video of your cat doing his or her trick to CatChannel.com and you could win the Cat Tricks Video Contest.

When you upload a video of your cat doing a trick to CatChannel.com, you will receive 1,000 Club Cat points. You can upload as many videos of your cat doing different tricks as you like, but you will only be rewarded 1,000 Cat Club point total for uploading videos.

The editors of CatChannel.com will reviews all of the video submissions and choose a winner. The winner of the contest will receive 5,000 additional Cat Club points as well as a year-long subscription or a renewal subscription to CAT FANCY magazine.

You can upload your cat videos here. Be sure to fill out all of the required information on the form. The deadline for submission is April 11, 2009.