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A Letter from the Editor
September 2008
This month, I wanted to stop for a moment and recognize the furry friends that generally surround us, and I don't mean your husband whose back needs a wax ...I mean those puppy dogs and kitty cats that fill our lives with joy.
I have a 1 year-old puppy Labradoodle. In teaching her tricks and posting them to YouTube for my parents in Minnesota to see, I have discovered a whole underground of proud pet owners that show just how much people really do love their pets. Video after video shows Fido, Fluffy and Sparky rolling over, playing dead and so forth. I might add it takes a long time for those videos to upload to YouTube, so some great efforts are going on to show you how cool their pets just really are. I recently even saw people on YouTube with cat tricks!
I went on a mission to pay even more attention, where I could, to the pets around me that aren't my own. Guess What?? Everywhere I turn--pets!! They are at the pet stores picking out treats, in the cars with their ears blowing in the wind, at the parks (well dog parks to be exact) and even on vacation!! They're everywhere. I'm lucky enough to be able to work in an office where I can take my dog to work with me. Of everyone I saw these two moments were the most memorable.
A few weeks ago, I was at WalMart and a guy was sitting in back of his truck feeding and hanging out with his dog, who had posh accommodations including a bed, basket of toys and a water system. He was sitting there hanging out with his dog. It was really peaceful in the midst of this chaotic parking lot of shoppers.
Debbie, our Best Ever You webmaster, was out walking Holly, her dog, and I kept seeing things moving in and out of the bushes following her. Only to discover it was her two cats following her and Holly up and down the street. It is genuinely one of the funniest things I have seen. Cats on a walk??
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CAUGHT ON CAMERA! Yes, Debbie Hastings, our Webmaster, is a dead-head. It's no secret. But did you know that her cats follow her through the neighborhood when she takes Holly the Squatty Dog for a walk each day? The orange fur balls are Cosmo the Prozac Kitty and Sonny the Garfield Wannabe. A weird but happy bunch! |
Ok, so their cute and fluffy ... but did you know they are an incredible stress relief as well and there are so many other benefits? Studies show that dog owners get more exercise and lose more weight due to walking the dogs. Dog owners meet more people, vacation with dog as though the fluffster is a part of the family, and more so, who can resist how cute they are?? They provide an instant smile to you. Well, of course, unless they chewed your favorite shoes and then they go to the dog house :-)
I've never really met anyone who doesn't like dogs, but I have met
people who really can't stand cats. I am a huge cat fan and have 3
rescued kitties, a cat pin collection and a cat statue collection. I
think the best part about cats is their relaxation factor. They aren't
in constant motion and they will curl up with you and be so mellow. Talk
about stress relief!! Cats are also very trainable. We have a cat that
gives kisses and another who I swear, does talk to you.
Having four kids, I still say the best part about pets though, is that they really don't talk back. Pets don't argue, refuse to go to bed at night, need help with homework, or refuse to clean their room!! A pet's sole purpose appears to be to please you, especially dogs.
I'm waiting for all the bird, fish, snake, hamster, ferret owners and so forth to chime in here as well. As for birds, we had a blast at the York Zoo here in Maine. We sat in front of the 5 McCaws for over an hour as they repeated cell phone ring tones, whistles, words and more!!
I really could go on and on here. There are so many pet stories to share. Instead, I think I'll stop at this and just ask you to again pauses for a moment ... and listen to the power of pets!!
Try to take some time and find the balance.
It is there if you just stop and a listen to yourself.
Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino, Founder & Editor
