A Walk Around the Blogs: Let Cats Do What They Want Edition

I know lots of cat owners who like to complain about cats who like to sleep on them. But here’s a reason to let your cat, no matter how big he is, sleep on you (like you can actually stop them). Pudding, who had been adopted by the Jungs just hours before, saved Amy Jung’s life by preventing her from falling into a diabetic coma and rousing her son into action.

Moral of the story, when your cat start batting at your nose at 2am because you won’t pet him, he’s really just trying to make sure you’re still alive.

And now on to the blogs.

Bella, of Bringing Up Bella, is terrified of thunder storms. And I don’t blame her. I had (okay, have, though it’s better now) a phobia of strong winds. I have distinct memories of tornado watches and warnings growing up, and the terrible thunderstorms you could feel building all day long. Luckily, Bella has wonderful, loving pet parents who are willing to try whatever they can think of to help Bella get over her fears, just as my parents helped me.

Now when it comes to dog training, the best I can tell people is find something that you can be consistent at that works for you AND your dog. (That “and” is kind of important.) Recently Mel of No Dog About It Blog was talking to a neighbor who mentioned using a training technique that most of us know doesn’t work for dogs, and wondered how she should respond, if at all.

I want to make sure we Kristine at Rescued Insanity a happy, belated birthday. I’m a little over halfway through my 30s, and love them, just so you know. This week, as she lay on the couch, trying to decompress, her mind wouldn’t let her. Her wonderful partner asked the best question one could ask at a time like this “Would you like a dog?” and handed off a happy and playful Shiva to her momma. There really is nothing better in this life for de-stressing than good game of tug.

Lindsay of That Mutt is one of my favorite pet bloggers. She loves animals fiercely and yet is generally able to remain practical about meeting the needs of not just the pets in her care, but the animals in her community. This week, she wrote a letter to her mother’s rescue cat, Ninja, in honor of all the cats who were not rescued in her area this year.

As the former owner of a Pit mix, I hate dangerous dog laws that discriminate based on breed or size. Many large dogs are as sweet and gentle as can be- partly due to personality but also because people with large dogs tend to understand they need training. I’ve also met many small dogs who had Napoleonic complexes (my own Larry to start) and who bite- partly because their owners say- it’s a small dog, what harm can it do. Let’s get one thing straight- a dog who bites unprovoked is a dangerous dog, regardless of its size. A tiny Chihuahua might not be able to do much damage to me, but it could hurt a small child. Cute and little is no excuse. Over at The Poodle (and dog) Blog they agree with me, and we all hope that the city of Windsor sticks to its guns, and that Misha, an 8lb Chihuhua, remains registered as a dangerous dog.

And finally, over at rumpydog, we have some more good cat news on this Saturday. Go check it out.