Could you like a cat with no hair on its body?

I asked my husband what he thinks of hairless cats (technically known as "Sphynx cats"). His response was quick: he likes cats with fur.

But I was curious, so I asked several more people. Though they all described themselves as cat lovers in general, they'd rather have cats with hair. I know a lady who is allergic to cats (but loves cats anyway), so I asked her, too. She said, "Oh no! no, no, no... no hairless cats!" (by the the way, I later found out that if you're allergic to cats, it doesn't mean that you are not allergic to hairless cats just because they don't have any hair. )

A hairless cat can be a good pet for people who are looking for something different in cats. One trait of this breed I like about is its extremely affectionate nature - a lot different than the typical "independence" you may find in many cats.

Personally, I wouldn't mind owning a hairless cat in the future. (If my dog says it's okay...)

You can visit the following website. They have more breed information.

AAA Diamond Sphynx

My husband is crazy about playing an online computer game right now. You know, the kind where there are a lot of other real people playing at the same time. In this particular game he is playing, you create a character who goes on various quests. You find treasure and buy all sorts of gear as you go along.

One particular part my husband finds exciting is that he can tame a pet for his own, as an assistant in his quests. The pet creature you tame (like wolves, owls, or even crabs) follows you no matter where you go in the game. It will fight along side you, and all you need to do to keep it happy is throw it a bit of its favorite food from time to time.

I think this is an interesting option in the game. You probably don't need a pet to play this game, but a lot of players seem to choose to own their own pets in this fantasy world. These pets can even save your life!

Pets are good for you...well, even in a virtual reality world, apparently.

Pets will give you a sense of partnership. They can be your loyal friends and assistants. You don't feel lonely when your pets are around. Pets add something invaluable to your life.

Simply, pets make you happy.

I'm sure my husband will play the game again tonight...and feed his pet crab so it will be happy to run around with him in the game world. I think he just got himself a cat, too.

Which tigers do you think live longer, zoo tigers or circus tigers?

Apparently, circus tigers seem to have a longer lifespan.

Why?

Maybe because circus tigers are more stimulated by their daily training. Training keeps these animals happy, giving them a job to do and the feeling that their lives have meaning. Circus tigers rarely pace in their cages and have a strong bond with their trainers. Neither trainers nor tigers are afraid of each other because they are almost always together.

Zoo tigers, on the other hand, tend to spend all day doing nothing but resting . These animals don't receive vigorous daily trainings. They simply have nothing to do. There may be a bond between caretakers and these tigers, but probably not as strong as that of circus tigers and their trainers. Zoo tigers are bored...

Average large zoo cats tend to live to eight to ten years. Many circus tigers tend to live to fifteen to sixteen years, some live more than twenty years. I'm sure wild tigers are the happiest of all, but I thought this was a thought-provoking fact about how animals can live a longer, happier life - beyond just giving food and shelter.

This trivia comes from the book The Tribe of Tiger by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas.

Summer season has started! I'm sure your pets - especially your dogs - won't want to miss out all the fun activities this time of year!

But wait! I don't mean to rain on your plans for summer, but are you prepared for emergencies involving your pets when you are away from home? After all, you never know...

Preparation makes a big difference in the quality of your pets' life, so you might want to check out the following information before you start packing. Summer season has started!

First Aid Kit for Pets

How to Pack a First Aid Kit for Pets

The Holistic First Aid Kit

By the way, even if your pets don't go anywhere with you, it's still good to get an emergency first aid kit ready. Remember the Scout motto! Be prepared!

Do you buckle up your dog when you drive your car?

Let me tell you a sad story that happened to a friend's dog.

She had a beautiful American Eskimo dog. The dog was so calm and well-behaved that it followed literally everywhere she went.

One day when I visited her, I didn't see the dog. She said the dog was dead. This is what happened:

She let the dog sit casually in the passenger seat. The dog was so well-behaved she didn't bother to put a seatbelt on the dog. Often, she would even leave the car window open to let some fresh air in when driving. One day when she was driving with the dog as usual, the dog suddenly jumped out of the open window and was hit by a car. Tragically, the dog died. My friend didn't have a clue why the dog jumped out. (I wish I could tell what dogs are thinking about.)

Unrestrained dogs die in car accidents every year. For safety and peace of mind, please please buckle up your dogs! You don't want to cry in the future for the loss of your precious family members!

Here is more information about seatbelts for dogs:

Canine Auto Restraint Equipment

Ruff Rider

Seatbelt for Dogs

Car Talk

What color is your cat?

A cat's color might be a way of adapting to nature - especially in hunting situations.

According to Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, the author of The Tribe of Tiger, cats developed their camouflage in various habitats so that they could hide and hunt more efficiently.

For example, cats living in northern climates are often soft colored and grayish. This is because they must match the background during all four seasons, especially in snow. On the other hand, cats that live in the tropics are often brightly striped or spotted. This way, they can match the dappled sunlight falling through leaves in the forest or jungles. Cats in the savannahs are plain colored - tawny to match the dry grass.

Of course, there are exceptions to the rules. The cheetah, for example, or the puma - whose colors don't necessarily serve as camouflage. The cheetah dashes so fast that hiding may not be needed. The puma, since they live all over from the north to the south, may have adopted generic camouflage colors to go with various backgrounds. These are speculations.

The interesting part is that even if the colors of cats are different from those of the background, as long as the tone and intensity of the colors are the same, they can blend in the surroundings easily and are difficult to spot. Naturally, these adaptations of colors are more for wild cats who must survive wild in nature. But it's certainly fun imagining how our domesticated cats got their colors originally.

There is a story I can't forget.

It was about ten years ago, while I was visiting a friend of mine. As we chatted, I noticed a dog (a middle-sized mutt dog) calmly lying on the floor. I'm not sure of the breed. It may have had Labrador Retriever blood, but the dog was smaller in size. What I remember most clearly was the look of contentment in this dog's eyes. I petted this friendly dog and told my friend what a nice dog she had.

What she said in response to my remark was something I didn't expect at all.

According to her, this dog's previous owner was very abusive. He yelled at the dog, and hit her with rolled newspapers, and so on. By the time this owner decided to let go of this poor dog, nobody wanted her. The constant abuse had made her out of control, very fearful of people, and vicious.

When my friend heard that nobody wanted this dog, she decided to keep her. She had been mourning for the death of her previous dog and felt it was time to move on. So, the dog became her new family member.

After she told me the story, I looked again, this time more carefully, at the dog lying relaxed on the floor. There was no hint of fears, nervousness, or anger coming from this dog. I asked her how she trained the dog to make her so calm and friendly.

She said, "Well, nothing really. All I do is just love her. I love her very much."

I learned that I can't underestimate the power of "love" in pet care.

Ever wonder what about catnip drives cats so crazy? I try sniffing at it myself but I don't find anything special about the smell.

Catnip is a perennial aromatic herb belonging to the mint family. The active ingredient in catnip is nepetalactone. Cats have a special receptor in their olfactory system that responds to this. When cats sniff at it, their behaviors dramatically change (If you own a cat, I'm sure you think that's an understatement...)

However, some cats don't respond to catnip at all. First, kittens and senior cats don't seem to respond well. Second, because of genetics, a certain number of cats are "immune". If your cat doesn't care about catnip, you may feel like you're missing out on all the "fun." But don't worry, cats have all sorts of other quirks...I'm sure yours does, too.

Catnip is safe for cats.

To get the best potency out of catnip (in other words, to get the craziest behaviors), crush the buds between your fingers before giving it to your cat. Does your cat scratch your important couches and sofas? Try sprinkling (or rubbing) catnip directly on the scratching post. This may help distract your cat from the furniture. It worked for my cat, at least.

Care about the health of your cat? Please buy "organic" catnip. This will help you avoid pesticides. You can usually get organic catnip from a health food store.

Here are some websites providing information about catnip:

Kooky Kat Catnip Company

About.com

Kitty Hooch

Until I came to the United States, I had never seen ticks. I'm sure there are ticks in Japan, too, but since I lived in a city, I just didn't have an opportunity to encounter them.

Nature in America is beautiful. I love going camping with my husband and we enjoy trail hiking with our dog. This gives me a lot more opportunities to be exposed to ticks, "fortunately."

My first encounter with a tick happened on the bed the morning after we came back from a state park. I took it for granted that it was just a tiny spider crawling on the bed. After my husband flushed it down the toilet, he told me it was a tick and that ticks are potentially dangerous. I had no idea before, but I learned.

For a while, the mere sight of a tick attached on my dog's body used to freak me out. I remember even calling my husband at work and asked him to come back home real quick to just remove a tick from the dog's body.

But either I got desensitized or practice made perfect. Now, even if I find ticks, I stay calm and remove them without any fuss. I guess I accept tick removal as part of the commitment to owning pets.