vet update, going offline
June 17, 2009 l 1 Comment
Good news: the vet visit went really well. I will admit that I let their annual exams slide for a few years – they’re indoor cats, so vaccinations weren’t really an issue. With the upcoming trip (see below) I wanted to make sure that they were established with a veterinarian who knew them. And since a new office opened up not five minutes from our house, with nothing but positive recommendations for the veterinarian there, I thought it would be the right place for us. And it is.
Dr. B is all about communication, wants to explain what’s going on during the exam, and really believes in being on the same page as the pet owner. There was no issue with declining all vaccines but rabies (I don’t like for them to get more than one shot at a time), and there was no concern with the fact that they’re on a raw diet.
Of course, their good health speaks for itself. PJ and Miko are both a healthy 12 pounds, Scully weighs in at almost 10 pounds, and Stephanie is a petite 9 pounds. Aside from Scully’s very mild heart murmur, which had been caught by a previous vet, they have absolutely no health issues. And hopefully we won’t have to see Dr. B until next year.
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This will be our last update until August. In another week I’m leaving for a month of volunteer work in Africa and will, of course, miss my babies terribly. It’s going to be an amazing trip and you can read more about it here. I won’t be updating the blog while we’re gone, but we’ll be back in August with new posts and pictures and stories.
Thanks for reading.
taking a break
November 12, 2008 l 3 Comments
I’m going offline until after the New Year, and I’m looking forward to an extended time of quiet and peace as the holidays approach. So, from the cats and myself: Happy Thanksgiving, Chanukkah, Christmas and New Year! We’ll see you in 2009.
I, the zookeeper, will be doing some traveling, leaving early tomorrow morning and back for good next Friday evening (the 12th). See you then!
oops! (and do forgive my general silliness)
August 18, 2008 l 1 Comment
It seems that WordPress had a glitch and ate the comments from the last several posts. So if you were wondering where your comments went, rest assured, I did not delete them!
In fact, I believe they’ve been transported to a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man’s fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area we call…
The Twilight Zone
in other news
March 31, 2008 l 4 Comments
So I was killing a little time this afternoon (read: procrastinating on my schoolwork) and I decided to check out Google Analytics’ stats for The Domestic Zoo.
In the past month, we’ve had almost 100 visitors. Most were from the United States, but we’ve also had visits from Canada, Australia, Ireland, Great Britain, India, Germany, Romania, Lithuania (Hi, Kayla!), Malta, the Bahamas, Israel and Sweden. Wow! And thanks for stopping by.
It’s also interesting to look at the keyword searches that led people to our internet abode:
“homemade mouse food”
Check out Suebee’s Rat Diet, which can be easily modified for mousey-sized portions.
animals slave
Well, welcome to the club…
bedding for disabled rabbits
I’ve posted about it here, and Zooh Corner Rabbit Rescue also has a nice article on their site.
raw food beginning tutorial
If you’re a feline owner, catnutrition.org and catinfo.org are really great resources for raw feeding; both provide recipes and tutorials with photos. I’m afraid I’m not familiar with resources for other raw-fed pets such as dogs or ferrets.
note: I’m hoping to build onto this site over the next few months, adding pages for both Raw Feeding and Peanut: Caring for Disabled Bunnies. Stay tuned!
burmese cat eating plastic
Yeah, we have a PICA-kitty too: When Cats Eat Weird Things
can fresh fruit and veggies harm my kitten or cat
That depends. Here’s a brief list of foods that are toxic to cats: Human Foods for Cats?
do cats need annual shots?
In short, no. The new Feline Vaccination Guidelines recommend boosters every three years for indoor cats, though outdoor cats may need more frequent boosters, and you’ll need to check with your state requirements to see how often the rabies vaccine is required.
head tilt disabled rabbit + safe enclosure
This is an excellent site for information, including directions and photos for making head tilt-safe enclosures: Housing & Care for Critically Ill Rabbits
~ ~ ~
And there were no less than a dozen inquiries about the dangers of pine and cedar bedding for small pets and/or pine litter for cats. We use Woody Pet as a litter for the cats and for Rex; it’s a soft-wood bedding without any additives and free from the aromatic hydrocarbons that can be so problematic for animals. It’s also a much better deal than any of the other non-clay litters and I couldn’t recommend it more highly!
Softwood bedding (pine and/or cedar) can be really dangerous for small animals, and should definitely be avoided: The Problem With Pine. I haven’t yet found any information that says pine litters are bad for cats, but if you find something, feel free to send it along.
my apologies
February 11, 2008 l 2 Comments
If I go incommunicado.
This is my last semester of undergraduate work, and I have become (obviously) quite preoccupied with my schoolwork. For the sake of my sanity and the time I have to devote to the animals, I think you’ll understand why I’ll be spending even less time online.
Graduation is only 2 months, 4 weeks, and 1 day away…
feedback
September 30, 2007 l 4 Comments
Welcome to the new internet home of the Domestic Zoo! This is my first attempt at hosting and modifying my own blog, and your thoughts are always welcome. What do you like? What don’t you like? What would you change? Improve? Add?
Still in the works…
- photo page
- raw feeding information, tutorial and links
- Care of the Disabled Bunny / Peanut’s Place
