DOG FACTS

Dogs are pack animals by nature and enjoy companionship.

A dog can hear sounds from 250 yards away.

Dogs are direct descendants of wolves.

The Basenji is the only barkless dog in the world.

There are 701 dog breeds.

HORSE FACTS

a stallion is a male horse
a mare is a female horse
a foal is a baby horse
a filly is a young female horse
a colt is a young male horse
a yearling is a foal after its first birthday
a sire is the word used for the father of a horse
a dam is the word used for the mother of a horse
a pony is not a baby horse. It is a fully grown small horse
a horse’s height is measured in hands. One hand = 4″

DOLPHIN FACTS

Unlike any other mammal, dolphin babies are born tail first.

A dolphin’s dorsal fin is as distinctive as a person’s face.

Some dolphin species can swim up to 25 miles an hour for long periods, more than three times faster than the best human swimmers.

Some dolphins can hold their breath for as long as 30 minutes, while others have to breathe every 20 seconds.

The largest member of the dolphin family is the Orca, which can grow to 30 feet long.

SEA TURTLE FACTS

There are 7 species of sea turtles:
Green
Loggerhead
Kemp’s Ridley
Olive Ridley
Hawksvill
Flatback
Leatherback

A sea turtle cannot retract its limbs, head or neck under its shell like a land turtle. The shell adaptations necessary for retractile limbs would impede rapid swimming.

Sea turtles can live up to 80 years.

During the first year after hatching, many species of sea turtles are rarely seen. This first year is known as the “lost year”.

Green sea turtles can stay under water for as long as five hours.

WHALE FACTS

There are 2 types of whales: baleen and toothed. “Toothed” whales include dolphins and porpoises.

There are 11 species of baleen whales:
Blue Whale
Gray Whale
Bowhead Whale
Fin Whale
Humpback Whale
Minke Whale
Narwhal Whale
Pilot Whale
Right Whale
Sperm Whale
Beluga Whale

Some whales have a lifespan similar to humans. The blue and the fin whales can reach up to 85 years old.

Blue whales are the largest creatures on earth and can be as long a 2 buses. They can produce sounds louder than a jet engine and communicate with other whales up to 1000 miles away.

GIRAFFE FACTS

For a long time people called the giraffe a “camel-leopard,” because they believed that it was a combination of a camel and a leopard.

Giraffes only sleep for a few minutes at a time, usually no more than 20 minutes.

A giraffe is able to clean its ears with its own tongue.

Giraffes can go without water longer than camels can.

Newborn giraffe calves begin their lives by falling 6 feet to the ground

TIGER FACTS

Most tigers have more than 100 stripes, and no two tigers have identical stripes.

A tiger’s roar can be heard up to a mile away.

Tigers walk on their toes.

Tigers have striped skin, not just striped fur.

Tigers are largely solitary cats and are most active between dusk and dawn.

PENGUIN FACTS

There are no penguins at the North Pole.

All 17 varieties of the bird are found in nature only below the equator, primarily in the Antarctic.

Penguins in the Antarctic move quickly on the ice by tobogganing on their bellies.

Hi All,

It’s been great to share my stories with you, but I am passing on the blogging torch to someone new. Her name is Lora and she is very excited about sharing stories about her horse, pony and dogs as well as stories from her job as  a vet technician.

I’m sure you will enjoy what she has to share and I will stop in from time to time to update you on the adventures of Riley Roo & Miss Kitty.

Here is how Lora describes herself:

“Hi there, my name is Lora Hilton. I am 22 going on 23 in July. I work at a veterinary hospital where I see, learn, and experience a lot of different things. I have an ex-racer thoroughbred named Outlandishlady but I call her Lady for short and a pony named Harley but everyone just calls him Pony. I also have a Chihuahua who is the best in the whole world name Charlie. I rescued him from a really bad situation as well as my horse. I was born and raised in Maine and moved to CT five years ago to go to school. I attended UCONN for animal science equine program but I had to stop because it was too expensive. I will go back someday! I live with my boyfriend and his Labrador/Pointer mix named Dude. Charlie and he get along great! I will be writing a lot about my little pack. They all have great personalities that make for good stories!”

My ex-husband and I were reminiscing recently about some of the many pets we shared throughout the years and he reminded me of the first time my Grandmother met Major Burns, our first ferret. I thought I would share the story with you.

A month or so after my ex-husband and I moved into our first home (I will date myself by telling you this was in 1986) we invited my grandmother over for dinner. Grandma C was a sweet woman who never had an unkind word to say about anyone.  She was a petite little thing who always wore dresses or skirt suits. I NEVER saw her in pants, and she never raised her voice that I can remember.

It was a big deal for me that my grandmother was coming to my house for the first time and that I was cooking her dinner. This was the woman who taught me not only how to cook, but to appreciate the value of brining together your family with a meal.

As we were young and this was our first house, we didn’t yet have a great deal of furniture, so I planned to serve dinner around the coffee table. 

When grandma got to the house I introduced her to our new cat, Jessica and our Lab puppy Sebastian. It did not occur to me to introduce her to the ferret, who lived in our spare bedroom. I assumed he was secured in his cage. That was a mistake. Gram was sitting on the couch, eating over the coffee table, which was not a usual occurance for this proper woman by any means but she was a good sport about it, when all of a sudden I see Major Burns pop his head out from behind a couch cushion. I was just about to say something when my grandmother stood up to go to the kitchen so I kept my mouth shut, firguring I could scoop up the ferret when she left the room and make a proper introduction. Major Burns had other ideas. He wriggled himself all the way behind the couch and then scurried out of the room. Gram came back,  sat down and continued to eat. At this point I wasn’t sure what to do about the ferret, but I figured he probably went back to his room and climbed back into his cage . I told Dale that I needed some help in the kitchen with something and as soon as we were out of ear shot I told him to find the thing before we scared the heck out of my grandmother. Too late.  I heard my soft-spoken grandmother say “Oh Dear” and I just knew what that meant. I rushed back to the living room and saw Gram bent over, looking between her knees under the hem of her skirt trying to see under the couch. Seeing my 80-something year old granmother in this position was like something out of the twilight zone for me.

Bless her heart she simply looked back up at me and calmly said “I think you may want to move, this house has rats.”

We explained that this was not a rat, found Major Burns under the couch and made a formal introduction. To my complete surpirse my Gram actually held the ferret in her lap and petted him for while. Then she went right on eating her dinner.

I guess the moral of this story is, introduce your guests to ALL the pets you have when they visit. Not everyone would have been as calm as Grandma C was.

I always think that the relationship between my cat and dog is unusual, but in reality – I have seen cats develop relationships with other non-felines.  When I lived on several acres in the woods there was an old fox and cat “couple” that used to visit us. On a fairly regular basis I would see the 2 frolicking in my yard while standing at my kitchen sink first thing in the morning. My son, who was 4 at the time, and I would watch with fascination as these 2 potential enemies played as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Yesterday my father shared with me a viedo clip that someone forwarded to him. It combines 2 of my favorite things- the song “What a Wonderful World” by the great Louis Amrstrong, and a clip of another unusual pair. Check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rooyt3ptNco

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Riley Roo

I was married for 18 years. Throughout my marriage, my husband, children and I had several pets. We were divorced 2 years ago and at the time we had Riley and Jasmine (aka Miss Kitty). I don’t think anyone can ever fully understand the fallout from divorce, but during the decision making and throughout the process, you try to consider every aspect of your feelings, those of your children and your soon-to-be ex-spouse, and there is a great deal of  logistical planning. Although we had an amicable divorce and spent a great deal of time in easing the transition for our children,  it turned out that we hadn’t given the feelings of 2 members of the family enough consideration. Our dog and our cat. I know it may sound absurd to some of you, but we ended up in a real pickle when it came to those 2. As most of your readers know by now- Riley and Jasmine (aka Miss Kitty) are very attached to one another.

This is how it went

Plan A – I would keep the cat, he would take the dog, we would cover one another with pet-sitting if either of us was traveling. It seemed like a good plan at the time.

 Within weeks of separating the two it was clear that neither of our pets was happy. Our normally energetic dog was “depressed”. My ex-husband called me frequently to tell me that Riley was not acting like himself. Miss Kitty was none too happy either. She seemed lost without her partner in crime.

Plan B –  I would still keep the cat and we would share the dog. For months Riley went back and forth every time the children did. Initially, Riley seemed a bit better. He would perk up the first day he came back to my house and saw his cat. By the second or 3rd day he seemed miserable again. Although happy to be with his cat, he was having a hard time being away from his master. Miss Kitty was more herself as Riley was at least home some of the time, but she was definately cranky on days when Riley wasn’t here.

Plan C – Both Riley and Miss Kitty would go live with my ex-husband and I would spend time visiting with them when picking up or dropping off the children. Although Riley was not quite 100%, and neither was Miss Kitty, thier dispositions improved dramatically. We Had a Winner – or so we thought.

As time went on my Ex decided to purchase a new house. The house is lovely, white carpet and all, however,the neighborhood is not ideal for a dog. There is a main thoroughfare bordering the back of the house and no fence. Between the choas of the new move and the restricted playtime outdoors, Riley was worse then he was when we first divorced. He began continually whining and crying, and suffered severe stomach distress – repeatedly- all over the white carpets. He was just miserable.

Plan D – I took both pets back to my house. Riley settled back in to the routine at home with me, I think becasue he was relieved to be somewhere familiar. Miss Kitty was happy to have both her dog and her lakeside house. Eventually Riley learned to deal with his master’s absence, but it took a while.

Riley still goes to visit his “Dad” once in a while, and that seems to make him happy, but it took a long time to find the right balance.

Remember that pets are emotional beings. They suffer losses and changes, basically grief, just like humans do, but unfortunately we cannot communicate with them the way we can relate to people. When an animal loses a “sibling pet” or a person that’s close to them, it may take a great deal of time to recover. 

Remember to hug your pet today. It will make you both feel better.

As some of you may remember from previous posts, my significant other travels for work and is on the road several days out of every week. As is our custom when he is traveling, we talk first thing in the morning, throughout the day and in the evening before bed. During our ritual morning phone call the other day, he asked me how I had slept the night before.  I explained that I didn’t really sleep that well because of the cat.  This is the explanation I gave him.

“Miss Kitty drove me crazy most of the night. She wanted to sleep on me and I wasn’t comfortable. Every time I  moved her off me she would either start attacking my feet, claw at the side of the mattress or jump off the  bed and claw at the rattan bureau. ”

He asked me why I didn’t simply put her out of the bedroom. I explained that I got up a few times and opened the door for her and she would just look at me and not move.

He was quiet for a moment. Then he started to laugh. When I asked him what was so funny he said “Honey, not only did you have an argument with the cat, you lost the argument with the cat.”

Ugh. He’s absolutely right.

For all you cat lovers, or friends of  cat lovers – check out our Cat-Themed Gifts at Whales & Friends

Hello,

Below is the contents of an email I have received several times.  The author is unkown. I would like to give credit where credit is due, but to date I have found no one that claims ownership of the diary entries listed below.  Based on the facial expressions and tail wags of my animals, I have to say, the author clearly understands cats and dogs.

So “Kudos” to the author.

 I hope everyone enjoys this as much as I did.

Excerpt from a Dog’s Diary..

8:00 am – Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am – A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am – A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am – Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 PM – Lunch! My favorite thing!
1:00 PM – Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 PM – Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!

5:00 PM – Milk bones! My favorite thing!
7:00 PM – Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 PM – Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 PM – Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!
Excerpt from a Cat’s Diary.

Day 983 of my captivity.
My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects.

They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength.

The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.

Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a ‘good little hunter’ I am. Bastards.

There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of ‘allergies.’ I must learn what this means and how to use it to my advantage..

Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow — but at the top of the stairs.

I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released – and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded.
The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicating with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe.  For now………

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Whales & Friends is looking for guest bloggers.

If you are a pet owner, ride horses, are a veterinarian tech, volunteer at an animal shelter or breed animals, Whales & Friends would love to hear from you.

Perhaps you are interested in posting once a month or once a week. Please let us know. by filling out the contact form

Those of us who have pets know what a wonderful and enriching addition they can be to our lives. Whether you live a type-A lifestyle, running from meeting to soccer practice to the grocery store, you have achieved a Zen balance to your existence, or are you are at the empty nest stage of life, animals in the home can offer humor, affection and unconditional love.

The high school I went to was quite progressive. Some called it a “new age” school. We had open classrooms and called our teachers by their first names. One of my favorite “idiosyncrasies” of my high school was our “Pet Policy”. Students and faculty were allowed to bring their dogs to school. Looking back on it, I have no idea how it all worked out, but several students and even our Headmaster brought their dogs to school every day. I don’t ever remember a single problem with the animals other than the occasional “accident” but even that was rare. Visitors to our school thought this was strange at first, often times reacting with wide-eyed stare, but upon seeing the interaction between the animals and students, most would ultimately decide that it was “cool”.

Fast forward 10 years.

Ours is a family business. One day a black cat wandered into an open bay door. The cat appeared ill, but not feral. I will tell you the longer version of Rachel’s story another day, but for now let’s just say that the little black cat that crossed our path became a permanent part of our office. During the day she was free to roam in and out of the building, from the warehouse to the office, from desktop to willing laps. Clients and regular visitors to our office came to not only appreciate the tiny member of our staff, but sought her out when coming to the office. When someone had a bad day, Rachel was there to cuddle. Rachel lived a long, and we like to think, happy life with us. When she was somewhere around the age of 9 she disappeared. We were all heartbroken. We discussed getting another cat, but we all felt that Rachel could not simply be “replaced.”

We did not have an office pet for several more years, until my sister adopted Phoenix. She began bringing the dog to the office 1 or 2 times a week she said because she couldn’t bear to look at her sad face as everyone was leaving in the morning. It took no time at all to realize that Phoenix was a real morale booster and she started coming to work 5 days a week. She comes barreling through the door in the morning and makes her “rounds”. She runs from office to office to say “good morning” to everyone.  She wanders through customer service to greet each phone operator. If Phoenix makes it in before me in the morning, she runs at me at top speed when I enter and then skids to a stop at my feet to get and give her morning “loves.”

Phoenix has taken to attending every meeting. Sometimes she sits under the conference table and others she perches herself on the sofa to watch and listen. If we had an extra chair at the table, I can easily picture Phoenix sitting in it. If someone has forgotten to call Phoenix when a meeting starts, she shows up anyway, scratching at the door to be let in. If a day is getting tense for someone they will often take a few moments to bring the dog outside and throw a toy for her. Usually whatever the problem is seems a bit better after watching Phoenix run in circles for a little while. She makes everyone laugh. Sometimes just by cocking her head to the side and raising an eyebrow, other times by running laps around the call center or stalking her toys. Phoenix gives great big hugs. She will put her 2 front paws on your lap and lean against your neck until you cannot resist putting your arms around her and squeezing. Talk about stress relief! Phoenix seems to know when she has made someone’s day better. She may approach them quietly if she senses they are having a bad day, but she can’t help but wag her tail as soon as she sees that she has made you smile. On the rare occasion that Pheeny stays home we are all sorely disappointed.

It may seem silly or counterproductive to have a pet at the office. Many would feel that employees taking time out to play with a dog is not cost effective. From my perspective the opposite is true. Those few moments spent here or there communing with the dog can provide a much needed break to a busy day. The affection and humor she provides helps to relieve stress which makes me feel more productive.  It seems to me that having a pet in the office when possible makes a whole lot of sense. I for one am very happy that Phoenix joined our team.

 I realize this is not practical or possible in many work situations, but when it is possible, it’s something to think about.