Anastasia

Python Swallows Dog in New South Wales, Australia

A dog owner has been left distraught after her beloved pet was swallowed whole by a python.

The unnamed woman of New South Wales, Australia, discovered the 2.5m long snake curled up in her dog’s kennel – with a large bulge in its belly and the animal’s chain dangling from its mouth, ABC News reports.

The dog was a Chihuahua-maltese cross while the reptile is a carpet python, thought to be around 50-years-old.

The shocked dog owner found the python in her pet's kennel

Volunteers from the Wildlife Information Rescue and Education Service (WIRES) were called and took the snake to a vet to see if it would regurgitate the chain.

It has not, so it is now being examined to see if it will need surgery, the Sydney Morning Herald revealed.

A WIRES spokesman told Fairfax Media: “She [the dog owner] hadn’t thought about the possibility of a snake taking the dog.

The dog's chain was dangling from the snake's mouth

“The lady went out to let the dog off the chain, but instead of the dog being on the chain, it was a large carpet python.

“It’s only the second incident like this we’ve had in over 10 years. Usually it’s the other way around, the snake comes off second best.”

via www.huffingtonpost.co.uk

Pet Dogs - Man's Best Friend?

The average dog causes three family rows a week - as owners argue over where it can sleep and who should take it for walks, a survey has found.

Arguments over who should walk the dog are among the dilemmas that cause friction Photo: AP

10:01AM GMT 10 Jan 2012

A study shows 'man's best friend' can also be his worst enemy, triggering nearly 2,000 family arguments during its lifetime

Spats range from disagreeing about who should take the dog for a walk, feeding them too many treats and what to do with them when holidays loom.

Nikki Sellers, Head of Pet Insurance at esure, said: ''Owning a dog is not dissimilar to having a baby.

''Round the clock care and responsibility throughout a dog's life can become tiresome for any pet owner but should never be overlooked.

''Maintaining a dog's physical health through exercise plus regular stimulation to avoid them running riot around the house should at least help avoid some arguments.

''A healthier dog may also lead to fewer costly trips to the vet too but for advice on how to look after a dog properly, owners should seek professional help.''

The study also revealed one quarter of owners regularly argue about where the dog should be allowed to go in the house with beds, upstairs or sofas causing most rows.

One fifth of families frequently argue whose turn it is to clean up the mess in the garden, while one in ten disagree who should clear up the carpets should they be soiled.

Disciplining the dog is one of the biggest causes of arguments - as 18 per cent of couples often fall out because one is accused of being too harsh on the dog.

A further 15 per cent of families often row about who should be training the dog, while one in ten people get annoyed if the dog is 'humanised'.

Other arguments about the dog include who chose to buy it in the first place and how much has been spent on the dog.

They're also likely to cause unrest if they damage the children's toys or chew the family's shoe collection.

The study also revealed while the majority of family arguments are more likely to be about the children than the family pet, 14 per cent of owners reckon they row about the dog more than their children.

Incredibly, in 17 per cent of households the dog disputes have got so bad one member of the family has slept in the spare room, while a quarter of those polled have been known to storm off after things got too heated.

In fact, 26 per cent of dog owners have at some point considered getting rid of their beloved dog after a bust-up.

via www.telegraph.co.uk

Cat's Life

Second only to dogs, the most common pet in Cyprus is the cat - most often the common moggy. The Greek Cypriots get their pet cats from all sorts of places: some people choose their cats from pet shops or friends. Others prefer to adopt feral cats or strays.

It seems that something in the flowers caught Michel's attention.

Life for the domestic cat is usually very pleasant - regular food, a warm place to sleep, pet humans and freedom provided by the catflap. It's a pity that there is no such expression as "it's a cat's life", meaning a life of luxury! However, this is only one side of the story.. The petshop kitten takes pot luck when it is bought and taken from the pet shop. The incidence of discarded kittens and puppies is rising, These abandoned animals are often found in rubbish dumps, on the side of motorways or on  waste ground. They are usually put there by the caring humans who bought them in the first place. But having realised the true cost and effort of day-to-day pet care, they suddenly lose interest in the new pet and find it less appealing.

Michel posing for a photo in his favourite basket

A few years ago, I adopted a kitten whose mother had abandoned him when he was only 5-6 days old. I took him home, cleaned him and gave him some milk using a syringe until he was old enough to eat kitten food. Michel soon grew into a beautiful cat that was well taken care of. He'd often sit with us at the table, patiently waiting for his meal. His basket was his favourite place to lie in on sunny days while his catflap, equipped with a soft pillow and a blanket, kept him warm in winter. But one day, Alkis dared him with his toy ball and, playful Michel scratched him badly. The doctor said Alkis was very lucky not to get an infection because Michel had already been given his yearly vaccination jabs. Since that day, Alkis and Michel had begun to dislike each other so much that we eventually decided to give Michel away. Of course we didn't abandon him but gave him to a friend who lived on a farm in the countryside and took care of other cats as well.

Michel - patiently waiting for his breakfast

What's the most common pet in your country? Do you have one? How do you take care of it?

My Car and a Cat!

I got up early  today looking forward to my body pump class at 10 am. Having prepared all my gym gear , I got into the car and ... something weird happened! I inserted the switch key into the ignition and the engine started causing the car to move ...backwards or ...forwards. But on no account would it turn left or right ! Something was definitely wrong with the steering wheel !

Cnsidering that I am far from being mechanically minded - especially as far as car engines are concerned - I called hubby in tears - this time, they were not crocodile tears !! He told me that I might have locked the steering wheel and  all I had to do was to move it left or right so that it would unlock ! So I did ...but it wouldn't. Then I called my mechanic who repeated the same thing ! I didn't think it was important to mention that the engine would start none-the-less.

I did as he said , more or less exactly the same thing as hubby said ! ( I wonder why men are so self-confident as far as car engines are cocerned ! ) But no result ! I called the mechanic back .. and asked him to come and see what was wrong with the car ...  So he did ...

Believe it or not ...a cat had niceley settled into my engine just below the steering wheel mechanism. When I started the car , the cat was most probably  scared and leapt away causing the round rubber band (whatver it's called!!) to  slip off its place.... The mechanic found it ... lying on the pavement of my garage. I had seen it , of course, but thought it was part of little Tony's old bike ! Luckily ... curiosity did not kill the cat !! I don't think I could stand the sight of a dead cat in my car engine !

I was quite annoyed to miss my body pump class, but I made up for it tonight and went to the body attack class - my favourite !

Pets

Most people do not doubt that pets are great companions and that they are good for everybody (young and old people). To many adults, especially those who live alone, animals are like family members. They fulfil your need for affection and attention like only animals can do. To children, in addition to being their companions all day, animals also serve to help them learn day-to-day things. Animals show the circle of life in an accelerated way compared to human beings (birth, youth, adulthood, old age and dying). They also show children other things related to life such as having an accident, getting ill and knowing how to take care of themselves. As these phases are more accelerated in animals than in human beings the children learn about them through the animals. Moreover, animals help the children to develop their sense of responsibility, since they need to be taken care of constantly. In a study performed by Robert Bierer it was concluded that children, aged ten to twelve who had animals had more empathy towards others and higher self-esteem. Pets also help children to reduce their anxiety, tediousness and fear and to develop a better capacity to integrate and to be more focused in school.

According to a study carried out in Paris, France, seventy-six percent of the people interviewed believed that the presence of a pet favoured the communication between family members. A group of sixty children was observed and sixty-three percent of them owned a pet such as: dog, cat, bird, fish or turtle. The results of the inquiry confirm the importance of these animals to the development of affection in children and adolescents. The fact that the animal is permanently available for sociability with its’ young owners appears in the study to be a key-factor for the relationship between family members and this also shows that the presence of pets in homes is of great importance.

I had my first pet on my first birthday in April 1959. My parents offered me a puppy which was then one year old just like me.

I practically grew up with Argos - he turned out to be my best friend during my childhood and teen years. It took me time to get over his death 12 years later. Then came Arodaphnousa the cat and Chérie the poodle. A kitten and a puppy. They used to share their food in the same dish - Chérie would leave the fish for Arodaphnousa and Arodaphnousa would eat all the meat PLUS the fish but would leave all the bones to Chérie. They also used to sleep together. Unfortunately, I lost all their beautiful photos in 1974 during the Turkish invasion. Somebody must have found them , though, in occupied Famagusta. I also lost both my pets during that time.

As a student in Geneva, Switzerland, I had a Swiss friend who wanted to find a home for her 2 year-old dog - the offspring of a german pointer and a labrador! I only had a room then with a bathroom and a kitchenette but I fell in love with Pupuce and brought her home. We had her for 5 years and when Alkis and I got married and decided to leave Switzerland, we wanted to take her with us. However, we learnt that in Greece and Cyprus imported dogs had to spend 6 months in quarantine, then. I couldn't do that to Pupuce. She'd have died! And she was only 6 years old in 1983! So, however hard it was, we decided to give her to a friend of ours whose parents were blind. With some training, Pupuce became their guide dog.  Here she is with Alkis in my room in Geneva.

Next came Chap the naughty boy. I thought poodles behaved themselves!

And then in the 90s Michel the cat. Alkis and I had him for 3 years. Then one day, Alkis challenged him badly with his favourite toys - mouse and ball. As a result, Michel scratched him badly and we gave him away. But he was the cutest cat I've ever had!

He also loved my plants and flowers!

Finally my mother's labrador, Blanche. She was such a great dog - smart, intelligent, loving. My mother often brought her to Larnaca for a visit and , unlike Chap, she'd behave herself! She passed away a couple of years ago at the age of 18!

 

Since we gave Michel away, I haven't had a pet as both Alkis and I live in a flat and work long hours. So any pet would be very unhappy with us now!