Monthly Archives: August 2010

Dog Breed Profile: Was Lassie a Typical Collie?

By Suzanne Alicie












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Why It’s Important to Groom Your Pet

By Linda Cole









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Keep Your Pets Safe from Poisonous Creatures

By Ruthie Bently

Growing up in northern Illinois, I didn’t see many venomous creatures, though my friends and I found a nest of baby rattlesnakes one day under a railroad trestle; we figured they’d fallen off a train car passing overhead. While venomous creatures exist in most of the United States and around the world, many employ flight over fight unless cornered. Venomous creatures use their venom when hunting, and at times we and our pets are in the wrong place at the right time.

There are many poisonous spiders that are dangerous to our pets. The best known are the black widow, brown recluse and tarantula. There are three black widow spiders indigenous to the U.S. The Western (Lactrodectus hesperus) is found from southwestern Canada down into Mexico; the Northern (Lactrodectus variiolus) ranges from southeastern Canada to the northeastern U.S., and the Southern black widow’s (Lactrodectus mactans) range covers New York to Florida, the southeastern U.S., and to the west across Oklahoma and Texas. The black widow’s venom (a neurotoxin) is reputed to be fifteen times more dangerous than a rattlesnake’s, and symptoms include increased blood pressure, limb rigidity, shortness of breath, abdominal spasms and dizziness.

The brown recluse ranges from Illinois south to Texas and from West Virginia to Georgia. Its range is expanding due to inadvertent transport by humans, and might be found in any of the lower 48 states. Its venom causes tissue damage around the bite and in extreme cases liver or kidney damage. While the bite of a tarantula may be painful and not usually fatal to humans, it may be lethal to small pets. When threatened, tarantulas have the ability to kick hairs from their abdomen which cause a burning sensation to mucous membranes or sensitive skin. Their range in the U.S. covers the southwest, central California, and they’ve been found in southern Illinois. Symptoms include the wound becoming red and feeling warm, skin rash, itching, swelling of throat and lips, and cardiovascular collapse in extreme cases.

There are between 1,500 and 2,000 scorpions worldwide; over 70 species are found in North America. Scorpions are nocturnal and possess a sting used to capture and overcome prey. Scorpions can be found under stones, bark on trees, leaf litter on the ground, in dark crevices and dry abandoned dirt roads. All scorpions are venomous though the most toxic in the U.S. is the Bark Scorpion (also known as the Sculptured Scorpion). Its range covers southern Nevada, southern and western Arizona and southern Utah. Its sting is acutely toxic and can be life-threatening to a pet. The Hentz’s Striped Scorpion range covers Florida, the Gulf States and as far west as Arizona and Mexico. The Giant Hairy Scorpion (H. arizonensis) is the largest species of nine species of Hadrurus scorpions in the U.S., and is found in the southwest. The range of these species goes as far north as Idaho and as far east as Colorado.

There are venomous snakes in every state except Alaska and Hawaii. Three species of toxic coral snakes (elapids) inhabit the U.S. The coral snake is a banded snake with bands of red, yellow and black. It’s sometimes confused with the king snake which has the same color bands, but is non-venomous. There is an easy way to remember the difference.  Just remember this: “red on black, friend to Jack” (describes king snake banding pattern); “red on yellow, can kill a fellow” (describes coral snake banding pattern).

The pit vipers include five species of copperheads, three species of cottonmouths (water moccasin), and thirty-one species of rattlesnakes including the Massasauga which is on the Endangered and Threatened Species List in several states. Some of these snakes may not be dangerous to humans, but they are to our pets. Hawaii doesn’t have a venomous terrestrial snake, but it does have the Yellow-bellied sea snake, a cobra family member. Its range encompasses the Pacific Ocean, from Africa to the western coast of the Americas, including many Pacific islands to Hawaii, and it’s found near the coasts of Costa Rica and Panama. They’re helpless if beached, but should be avoided. For more information see Linda Cole’s article What to Do If a Snake Bites Your Pet. If snakes are numerous where you live, consider snake aversion therapy.

Being a responsible pet owner means keeping your pet safe from venomous creatures. If you sight an animal on your property, your pet catches one, or one bites your animal here are two good websites for information. At you can find species by identification and locate a species you’ve seen or find out what dangerous creatures are indigenous to your area of the country. lists venomous species by state.

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Cat Shows Are Not Just for Pedigreed Felines!

By Julia Williams

I’ve only been to a handful of cat shows, but I found them interesting and a lot of fun. It never occurred to me to inquire about showing my own cats, for two reasons. First, I don’t have a purebred cat. More importantly, my cats are rather shy with strangers and would either try to run away from the judges or scratch them to bits. I can’t change their temperaments, but I recently learned that nearly every cat show has a Household Pet class. So owners of outgoing felines who are either non-purebred or without papers, can “prettify” them and let them strut their stuff at a cat show. Who knows, your beloved garden-variety housecat might even take home a title!

The Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA), The International Cat Association (TICA) and the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) are the main cat registries and hosts for cat shows. Although some of the rules and eligibility requirements vary between these organizations, all three have a Household Pet category for their cat shows.

The Household Pet cats compete in one group, without regard to age, sex, coat length or color. Unlike the Pedigree classes, there is no written standard for Household Pets, although most organizations require that cats over 8 months be spayed or neutered. The cats in the Household Pet class are judged instead on their condition, uniqueness, physical beauty, health, and show presence. Judges look for cats who have a pleasing appearance, unusual markings, a sweet disposition and a calm demeanor. However, since “beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” the judging for this class tends to be more subjective.

Should you show your cat?

Entering your feline friend in a cat show could be fun and rewarding for both of you, but it’s definitely not for every cat. First and foremost, you must decide if your cat’s temperament is suitable to being in the cat show environment. Would they enjoy the experience, or would it frighten them and stress them out? A good “show cat” will have a friendly and unflappable disposition. This is especially important for the Household Pet class, since temperament is one of the main judging criteria.

For shy or nervous cats, being at a show would be more of an ordeal than something they would enjoy. Is your cat outgoing enough to tolerate the crowds, noise and being handled by strangers? A good show cat loves being on display and doesn’t mind being handled by lots of different people. If your cat is relatively friendly and well-adjusted, they might do well in the ring, although there is really no way to tell for certain aside from giving it a try.

Is your cat in good health? To be entered in a show, your cat must be fit and well, with no fleas, ear mites, bare patches of skin, runny eyes or sneezing, and vaccinations must be current.

How do you find a cat show to enter?

Cat shows are held all around the country every weekend. You can see the show listings for CFA here and for TICA, here.

If you see a show near you that you want to attend, contact the person listed for entry forms and information. Be sure to ask if the show you are interested in has a Household Pet division. Entries for cat shows close several weeks before the actual show date to allow time to create the catalog and judges’ books, so be sure to give yourself plenty of time to get your forms in.

Once you’ve decided to take the leap into cat shows, you should start by doing some research. It’s much better to know the rules than to find out you’ve broken them and been disqualified. has a lot of information for beginners interested in showing their cat, whether pedigreed or not. The internet is a good place to do some research, but a far better idea is to go to a cat show as a spectator so you can see first-hand how they work and what’s involved. You can also chat with the other cat owners to get advice. You may even find one who lives near you who would be willing to be your mentor and help you learn the “cat show ropes.”

So you see, your furry friend need not possess a pedigree to become a cat show champion. If you think your feline has the good looks and calm demeanor to take the cat show world by storm, why not have a go at it?

Photos by Krzysiu “Jarzyna” Szymański

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The Best Way to Help a Scared Dog or Cat

By Linda Cole








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Venomous Creatures That Can Endanger Pets

By Ruthie Bently









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