Cat Joke

A man wanted to get rid of his wife's cat.
He decided to drive the cat to a town 20 miles away and set it loose.
When the man pulled into his driveway, the cat was there to greet him.

The next day, the man decided to drive the cat to another town 30 miles away from his home and set it free. Again, the cat beat the man home.

So the man went to the next state, 65 miles east of his home.He got on to the highway and drove, the whole time thinking what a great idea it was and how the cat would never be able to find it's way home.He dropped the cat in a park and got back on to the highway to get home.

Hours later, being so sure of his plan,the man called home and asked his wife: " is the cat there?"."Yes," the wife answers. "Why do you ask?"

The man answers: "Put that doggone cat on the phone. I'm lost and I need directions!"
The cat sat snuggled up to the wife and insisted on sleeping instead of helping the man.

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Pet turtles may have salmonella.
Some experts say they don't make safe pets as a result.



The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that "no reliable methods are available to guarantee that a turtle is free of salmonella." Because of the health risk, selling small turtles has been prohibited in the USA since 1975. Small turtles are those with a carapace of <4 inches in length.



According to the CDC, turtles and other reptiles are reservoirs of Salmonella and have long been a recognized source of Salmonella infection in humans Small turtles have posed a particular danger to young children because these turtles might not be perceived as health hazards and can be handled like toys. Salmonella infections in children can be severe and can result in hospitalization and occasionally in death .

That prohibition of turtle sales led to a substantial decline in human salmonellosis cases associated with turtles.

There have been several recent cases of turtle-associated salmonellosis reported to CDC by state and local health departments since September 2006. These cases illustrate that small turtles remain a source of human Salmonella infections.

Some of the people who have contacted Salmonella were.80% had direct or indirect contact with a turtle within 7 days before illness onset. The duration of turtle ownership before illness onset ranged from <1 month to approximately 5 years. Most had purchased small turtles as pets from flea markets or pet shops.

Salmonella illness remains a major public health problem in the United States, with an estimated 1.4 million nontyphoidal human Salmonella infections occurring annually, resulting in approximately 15,000 hospitalizations and 400 deaths. Reptiles are a well-established source of human salmonellosis.

Despite a federal law prohibiting the sale or distribution of small turtles as pets, such sales still occur. Salmonella can be transmitted to humans by direct or indirect contact with a turtle or its feces. No reliable methods are available to guarantee that a turtle is free of Salmonella. Most turtles are colonized with Salmonella and shed the bacteria intermittently in their feces. Certain techniques to eliminate Salmonella from turtles have been unsuccessful and have resulted in Salmonella isolates with increased antibiotic resistance . In addition, turtles not shedding Salmonella species under normal circumstances have been shown to actively shed the bacteria when stressed . Moreover, water in turtle bowls or aquariums can amplify any Salmonella shed by turtles. For these reasons, all turtles, regardless of carapace size, should be handled as though they are infected with Salmonella.


The Food and Drug Administration issued a consumer advisory update, available at http://www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/turtles042307.html
The CDC has published similar recommendations, available at http://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/spotlight_an_turtles.htm.

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Taking Care of Pets During the Winter Months

Housing:
It is best to keep pets indoors during the winter months, but if this is not possible, outdoor pets must be provided with shelter. Their home should be elevated off the ground to prevent moisture accumulation and have a door of some kind to keep out winter winds, sleet, and snow. Shelters should be insulated or heated. Water sources may be heated to permit constant access to unfrozen water; thermal units designed specifically for this purpose are readily available. Outdoor pets require extra calories to keep warm. Feed your pet according to its needs when the temperature drops. In severely cold or inclement weather, no pet should be kept outside. Indoor pets should have sleeping quarters in a draft-free, warm area with their bed or mattress elevated slightly off the floor.

Roaming cats:
Roaming cats, as well as house pets and wildlife, may climb onto vehicle engines for warmth during cold weather. Be sure to check under the hood before starting your vehicle and honk the horn to startle any animals seeking shelter inside.

Frostbite and snow removal salt:
Snow and salt should be removed from your pets paws immediately. Frostbitten skin is red or gray and may slough. Apply warm, moist towels to thaw out frostbitten areas slowly until the skin appears flushed. Contact your veterinarian as soon as possible for further care. Snow removal products should be stored out of the reach of pets and small children as their toxicity varies considerably.

source; AVA

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January 5th is National Bird Day.

Here are some tips from the ASPCA to help your pet bird.

Top Ten Ways to Keep Your Bird Safe from Kitchen Dangers

Companion avians are extra sensitive to what’s going on in the air. Whatever they inhale goes to all parts of their bodies very quickly. This sensitivity, coupled with their small size, makes it especially dangerous for birds to breathe in cooking fumes and eat some of the foods and plants that are commonly found in kitchens. ASPCA experts urge bird parents to heed the following precautions in order to prevent curious beaks from getting caught in dangerous situations.

1. Always keep your pet bird out of the kitchen while cooking.
Many veterinarians urge pet owners to keep their birds in a room other than the kitchen. However, if the kitchen is your family’s―and your bird’s― favorite place to flock, always move your pet into another room before cooking.

2. Never pre-heat your cookware on high heat.
If accidentally overheated, Teflon and other non-stick cookware, which contain polytetrafluoroethylene, can emit fumes and particles that may be harmful to birds. The fact is, any type of cookware pre-heated with cooking oils, fats, margarine or butter can harm your bird.

3. Never leave your bird and heated cookware unattended.
Sadly, fatalities can result when birds and cooking pots or pans are left together in the kitchen unattended—even for just a few minutes. Cooking fumes from any type of overheated cookware―not just non-stick―can damage a bird’s lungs with alarming speed. And if your bird is out of his cage, he might come too close to the hot burner.

4. Always turn the exhaust fan on or open a window before cooking.
It is important to make sure that your kitchen is properly ventilated. In addition to cooking fumes, birds are highly sensitive to a variety of other fumes, such as aerosol sprays, non-stick sprays, spray starch, perfumes, smoke, self-cleaning ovens and cooking gas.

5. Store toxic items out of your bird’s reach.
These include all cleaners, pesticides, mothballs and both prescription and over-the-counter medications. Some cleaning agents may cause mild stomach upset, but others can cause severe burns to a bird’s tongue, mouth and crop.

6. Keep your bird away from food and beverage items that could be dangerous. These items include:

- avocados
- onions
- garlic
- chocolate in any form
- coffee (grounds, beans, chocolate-covered espresso beans)
- tea
- yeast dough
- salt
- tomato leaves and stems (green parts)
- potato leaves and stems (green parts)
- rhubarb leaves
- cigarettes and other tobacco products
- moldy or spoiled foods
- alcoholic beverages

7. Make sure your bird does not have access to areas where insecticidal foggers or house sprays have been applied. Since birds are sensitive to inhalant fumes, they typically require longer periods of time away from treated areas. Contact the product’s manufacturer for recommendations if the label information is not specific.

8. Protect your bird from the stresses of the kitchen.
These include rapid changes in temperature and high traffic flow. Each time you cook, the temperature of the kitchen increases and then returns to normal. The repeated change in temperature could cause discomfort to your bird. The flow of people into and out of the kitchen is often high compared to other rooms in the house. This high traffic flow can cause stress which could lead to behavior problems in some birds.

9. Keep your bird away from kitchen appliances.
If a bird is allowed to fly free or accidentally escapes, the following kitchen appliances can prove hazardous:

- ceiling fans
- hot burners on stovetops
- open ovens
- toasters
- coffee pots
- tea kettles
- boiling water
- hot cooking oil

Keep in mind that grease, butter, margarine and oils can get onto your bird’s feathers, matting them and possibly exposing skin. This can cause a sudden change to your bird’s body temperature, leaving them wide open to a chill. Birds can also get cuts from sharp objects and could potentially drown in a sink or even a small bowl of water.

10. Keep your bird away from potentially toxic kitchen plants.

Some of these include:
- aloe (Aloe vera)
- avocados
- Boston ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata)
- cyclamen species
- dieffenbachia species
- English ivy (Hedera helix)
- ficus species
- kalanchoe species
- madagascar dragon tree (Dracaena marginata)
- philodendron species
- pothos or devil's ivy (Epipremnum aureus)
- schefflera species
- snake plant (Sansevieria trifiscata)
- tomato leaves and stems (green parts)
- potato leaves and stems (green parts)
- rhubarb leaves

Remember, if you think your bird has ingested or come in contact with a potentially toxic substance, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA. To reach the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, call (888) 426-4435. For more information on the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, visit www.aspca.org/apcc.

Tips on cooking safety were provided by Karen Rosenthal, DVM, MS.

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Will Smith and Best Friend

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