art studio holds "paint a pet" fundraiser for the humane society

I enjoyed an evening with some of my best gal pals last week for "Moms' Night Out" hosted by our local MOMS Club. We all brought some food and wine to share and met up at Be...An Artist, a local art studio recently opened by artist Sandra Marshall. I was excited to do something different...slap some paint onto a canvas, but it was even more fun than I expected. While we were there, Sandra mentioned that the studio would be hosting a "Paint a Pet" fundraiser for the Arizona Humane Society, and my ears perked up. 

Our MOMS Club had an awesome time at Be...An Artist. photos courtesy of Sandra Marshall, Be...An Artist.

So a few days later, I found myself back in the studio with Sandra and her fabulous team. When the Arizona Human Society's Waggin' Wheels Mobile Adoption Wagon pulled up, the small crowd watched in excitement. For, inside were not only furry models for the budding artists, but adoptable models, at that. Once the wagon was parked in front of the studio, the side rolled up to reveal a wall of adorable critters in see-through kennels. The onlookers released a collective "Awwwww..." The back of the wagon said "NEW FAMILY MEMBERS ON BORD," which totally melted my heart.

The crowd gathered outside the Waggin' Wheels Wagon.

The hopeful pups check out the crowd, hoping to become the newest addition to a great family.

Inside, Sandra and her team had set up canvases for potential adopters as well as for birthday party-goers. What a great occasion for an animal-loving tween to have a party! Sandra started the art lesson by teaching everyone how to draw the animal they wanted to paint. Step-by-step, she showed them how to form the shapes the would somehow come together into a masterpiece. What I love about Sandra is her attitude. Though she is an accomplished artist, she instructed both "spirited" moms and young animal lovers on how to create a painting to be proud of. Throughout the process, she occasionally asks "are you happy with it?" If you say you're not, she'll ask what you're not happy with and help you find a solution. Remarkable patience.

Sandra helps the artists every step of the way.

Back outside at the wagon, I spoke to Megan Merrimac, Mobile Adoptions Coordinator for the Arizona Humane Society. I asked her about the Waggin' Wheels program. She explained that since the program's inception in July of 2014, they have had over 250 adoptions out of the wagon. They bring 6-8 dogs and a couple of cats each time they take the wagon out, which is three or four times a week. Sometimes they attend events, and sometimes they just hit the road. I asked Megan if the pets had to meet any special requirements in order to board the Waggin' Wheels Wagon. She said that she always make sure the animals are good with kids. That seems understandable, as the wagon was attracting small humans like bees to honey. 

Who could resist these cute faces?

At Be...An Artist that day, AZHS adopted out four animals. Pretty awesome! And Sandra donated a portion of the proceeds to the cause. We love that!

Be...An Artist has a wide variety of sessions and events geared toward children, teens, and adults.  They even offer summer camps and classes for people with special needs. It's a great place to have a birthday party, as I was lucky to witness first-hand. I think my art-loving daughter, Campbell, would absolutely love to have her next birthday party there. 

The party-goers were pleased with their masterpieces. photo courtesy of Sandra Marshall, Be...An Artist.

Have you been to Be...An Artist, yet? Or if you're not in the Phoenix area, is there anything like this where you live?

View the Be...An Artist calendar of events.

Connect with Be...An Artist on Facebook.

View the Arizona Humane Society's Waggin' Wheels Mobile Adoption Vehicle calendar.

Connect with AZHS on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube and Google+.

understanding ear-tipping in feral cats

Cutting off a portion of a cat's ear? To many, this may sound cruel and unusual. But it's a thing–a good thing, in fact. Ear-tipping or ear-notching helps protect the feral cat population.

what is a feral cat?

A feral cat is an outdoor cat that has not been socialized to people. For this reason, feral cats are often skittish around humans and are not adoptable. They live and thrive in all types of communities, from the big city to open farms and live full, healthy lives with the same life span as pet cats. Along with pet cats, they are protected under state anti-cruelty laws.

If found young enough, feral kittens have a chance to be socialized and become adoptable, but rarely does an adult feral cat appreciate close interactions with humans. 

The main problem with feral cats is population control. The population can only be controlled through spaying and neutering. 

how are feral cats spayed and neutered?

Thanks to nonprofit groups such as Alley Cat Allies, we have a chance to keep the feral cat population at a manageable level through Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs. How does this work? It's a three-step process;

1. the feral cat is humanely trapped

2. the feral cat is spayed/neutered and ear-tipped

3. the feral cat is returned to it's community

When feral cats are spayed and neutered, not only does it control the population, but it also eliminates the mating behaviors that bother humans in the community. The cats are better-accepted and can live in peace and harmony. 

what is ear-tipping, and why is it necessary?

Ear-tipping is a process by which the tip of one (usually the left) of the feral cat's ear is removed. It is done under general anesthesia at the same time that the cat is spayed/neutered. It heals very quickly, causing minimal pain and recovery.

Feral cats who have been ear-tipped are easily identifiable, even from a distance.

photo credits: animalvogue.com, alleycat.org, startpets.net, chatofwakulla.org

Ear-tipping is effective in helping to identify a spayed or neutered and vaccinated feral cat. One can easily see at a distance that the cat has already been "taken care of," thus eliminating the inevitable further trappings and surgeries. Since cats show no outward sign of being spayed or neutered, it's important for identification purposes. If we can immediately recognize the the cat has already been spayed/neutered, they will not be traumatized by repeated trappings. This also helps preserve the resources of groups that help feral cats. Alley Cat Allies says, "feral cats may interact with a variety of caregivers, veterinarians, and animal control personnel in their lives, and so immediate visual identification is necessary to prevent an unnecessary second trapping and surgery."

other options just don't cut it

Other ways to identify feral cats have been explored, but deemed ineffective. These methods include:

• collars: As the cat grows or gains weight, a collar may become too tight, subjecting the cat to wounds or slow strangulation. There is also the chance that the collar may become caught on something, causing injury or death. Or, the collar may just fall of, so the spayed/neutered cat can no longer be identified as such.

• ear tags: Aside from simply being bothersome to the cat, ear tags may become infected, tear the cats ear, or fall off.

• microchipping: Though microchipping may provide us with information about a feral cat, if done alone, it does not allow for visual identification, so the cat may be trapped repeatedly.

• tattooing: A tattoo is often not visible until a cat has been trapped and anesthetized. 

This is what ear-notching looks like.

photo source: santisookdogsandcats.org

Alley Cat Allies is a group highly-recognized for helping the feral cat population. They practice ear-tipping of the left ear, but some feral cats may have their right ear tipped or may have an ear notch. Ear-notching–in contrast to ear-tipping–is when a small triangular piece is clipped from the cat's ear. This is usually done at the tip of the ear, but may sometimes be seen in the side of the ear, instead. Ear-notching is not as widely accepted because it may be more easily-confused with an accidental battle-wound. 

So next time you see a cat with it's ear tipped or notched, wave from afar and know that someone has cared enough to help protect him.

Do you have a feral cat presence in your area? Have you noticed ear-tipping? 

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main photo source: wwno.org

do you groüber?

We Uber from time-to time. Until today, I had no idea there was a competitor. 

The odds of me finding Groüber were slim. The announcement came buried in an email (of which I receive and discard hundreds without reading each day) from Groupon (of which I receive and discard what seems like hundreds without reading each day). What caught my eye? This banner ad nestled amongst the deals:

I read it once, and I read it twice. I read it three times. Huh?

Should I click? 

I'm not a clicker. I feel like every banner ad I see is going to steal my soul or some equivalent if I click on it. But how could I resist? I was über curious.

I clicked. Here's a snippet of what I saw there:

Grouber from Groupon on Vimeo.

HI-LARIOUS, right? You have to check out the whole page. It's all an ad for the Groupon app, April Fool's inspired, I presume. Pure genius. Go right meow. 

your baby and your pets: 10 tips for a smooth introduction

When you're expecting a baby, everyone in the household must make adjustments and compromises, including the family pets. It's important to have a smooth transition as baby and pet get to know each other. This process is more critical for pets who have never been around small children before, but even canine and feline veterans may need some brushing-up when a new little person enters the family. Here are ten tips to help you introduce your baby to your pet:

1. Maintain control. If you have a dog, make sure training is in order. If your dog is prone to jumping on you as you walk into a room or jumping on your lap as you sit down on the couch, it's time to set some boundaries. Your lap will soon contain a baby, so make sure your pet is in control. It's great to lap-share, but it must be on your terms, and it must be safe for everyone involved in the cuddling session. 

2. Don't go in green. Especially if your pet has not been around babies before, it's important for him to get used to the sounds and smells of babies. If you have friends with babies, invite them over! Exposing your pet to the antics of tiny humans will be an advantage moving forward.

3. Bring on the goods. A new baby requires lots of stuff, and this can all be a bit scary to your dog or cat. Make sure your cat doesn't make the pre-baby empty crib his napping place, and it's best to activate the motorized cradle swing in advance so your dog doesn't bark at it incessantly once baby is relaxing in it. If you make sure to introduce your pet to the baby paraphernalia before the baby arrives, it will be one less thing to worry about. 

4. Stroll. If you plan to walk your dog with a stroller, practice first. It may seem simple, but walking a dog and pushing a stroller can be a tough combo. It might look a bit odd to walk an empty stroller around your neighborhood with your dog (I did it and got some looks), but you will be so happy you did. Much better to get the leash tangled in the wheels before there's a baby in the stroller.

5. Talk it out. If you have a name for your baby, use it in conversation. Your pets are listening. Dogs are thought to understand about 165 words, and cats between 25 and 35, so if your baby's name is introduced early, they can incorporate it into their vocabulary and become more familiar with it.

6. Use their keen sense of smell to your advantage. If you have a lotion or oil you plan to use on your baby's skin, apply it to your own skin in the weeks leading up to your baby's birth. Your pets will recognize it and feel more accepting of the new little person.

7. Give your pet a security blanket. If you have the opportunity, bring one of your baby's hospital blankets home to your pet before you come home with the baby. Your pet will be able to smell the baby before she even comes home, which will help your pet feel more secure.

8. Decide on a pet sitter. Who will take care of your pets while you are giving birth? It's a great idea to line up a family member or professional pet sitter to step in while you are at the hospital. I have been "on-call" for several expecting clients in the past, and it's a pleasure to hop into action at the most exciting moment of their lives. But a word of caution: don't send a stranger in. Make sure your pet is familiar with the person providing care during your absence so you can keep stress levels down.

9. Keep it casual. An elaborate presentation of the baby to the pet is not necessary or beneficial. Bring your baby home with minimal pomp and circumstance, and dive right into the routine you intended. Your pet will be much more relaxed if baby is not presented as an exciting new toy. Try to keep visitors to a minimum for the first few days. If you have visitors, don't throw a huge "welcome baby" party in your home. The extra chaos will only cause stress for your pet.

10. Maintain status quo. A new family member will naturally throw a monkey wrench into the routine. Do your best to maintain your pet's routine. If a morning walk is the norm, then keep that habit up. If your cat is fed in the evening at a certain time, try to maintain that. Your pets will feel more secure and comfortable if their expectations are being met, so they will be more apt to adjust to the new addition. And that just makes life easier for you!

All interactions with pets and babies or small children should be closely supervised, regardless of how much preparation you've done. Until you see your baby and pet interact on a regular basis, you'll need to observe and make adjustments. Regardless of how interactive a relationship you want your pets and baby to have, always remember that you dictate the parameters of the relationship. By protecting all parties involved, we set our families up for a lifetime of happiness and fun. Pets and babies together could not be a better, more adorable, combo! Let's make sure we give everyone the best opportunity to succeed together as a larger, better family. 

This article, written by me, originally appeared as a contributor post on Brie Brie Blooms. It has been posted here with minor changes with permission.

wordless wednesday: on the prowl