Hi Everyone,
Back from my long trip and eager to catch up on some animal news. Because we’ve had a rough couple of days only good news today:
Guy with nine senior rescue dogs, one pig, and assorted others plus good photo chops steals Internet (and your heart). Photo from Steve Greig’s Instagram.- Armani goes fur-free.
- More investors putting their money where their (vegan) mouth is. New Crop Capital, dedicated to “invest exclusively in plant and culture-based alternatives to animal agriculture, as well as technology platforms that make plant-based eating easier” announces a new $25 million fund.
- SeaWorld is phasing out all killer whale (orca) shows and also captive breeding of orcas. It’s also adding vegan options to its menu and going 100% cage-free eggs and gestation-crate-free pork.
I’ll post something separate on that last one shortly. In the meantime, any fauna related news on your end? I’m learning just how hard it is to sneak meds into the food of someone whose nose is 10,000 times more sensitive than mine.
Also, how the heck does Greig get all those dogs to pose? He must have one hell of a squeaky toy…
Betty Cracker
It’s National Puppy Day, and I’ll have an open thread up about that later with a throwback photo of one of my grizzled mutts.
I swear to dog, Hillary, just the other day I saw a piece of news about animals and thought, “I’m gonna have to remember that for the next ‘Faunasphere’ post,” but damn if I haven’t forgotten!
Hillary Rettig
Yippie! National Puppy Day! Extra smooches and scritches all around.
Anyone should feel free to email me any fauna related news. Actually ever since starting this column I’ve realized that there’s a lot more animal related news than I was aware of. It really is a faunasphere…
Capri
Try pill pockets. I can even get cats to take their meds when they are put into them.
Hillary Rettig
@Capri: Good idea! They do get expensive over time, tho.
schrodinger's cat
@Betty Cracker: Every day is the National Kitteh Day or so my bosscat tells me!
Betty Cracker
@Capri: Yep — one of my dogs is on twice-daily thyroid meds, and pill pockets are a lifesaver. We used to use cheese, which was more expensive! I got a deal on the pill pockets by having them delivered on the regular. And of course, both dogs get them twice daily (one with the pill, one without) because you can’t dispense a treat to one dog only — no fair!
Matt McIrvin
The SeaWorld story is pretty huge. Those orca shows were basically their signature attraction for many years.
Mingobat f/k/a Karen in GA
@Capri: My late and much-missed Smudge would eat the pill pocket and avoid the pill.
I also use the cat pill pockets for my dogs — they love them.
Hillary Rettig
@Betty Cracker: of course not!
problem is Billy has had a lot of meds and some of them were particularly foul tasting so he’s gone off the pockets. oh well…
Josie
Velveeta cheese always worked great with my dogs. Not sure about an equivalent for cats.
Hillary Rettig
@Matt McIrvin: Not to steal my own thunder on the upcoming column but this is the smartest thing they could have done. The days of performing captive orcas are numbered and giving up on them now gives SW more lead time to develop the virtual reality type attraction that will one day replace them.
Ending the orca show would be enough, but It’s especially nice that they’ve taken some other animal friendly steps at the concession stands. Indicates they really want to move ahead of the curve.
AdamK
That posing question is a real stumper for me. I have exactly two dogs and I can’t get them to pose at all. Can’t even sneak up on them with a camera without them moving and figuring out some way to mess up the picture.
Betty Cracker
@AdamK: Same problem here, which is why 90% of the photos of my dogs are taken when they’re asleep. If they’re awake, they’ll fuck up the photo-op somehow.
Mnemosyne
I figured out at least some of the reason why Charlotte has been harassing Annie a bit more lately — Annie has been sneaking into our bedroom and poking around, even though it’s Charlotte’s territory. So far there’s just been a little extra hissing and growling, but we’re keeping an eye on the situation. Thank goodness for the Feliway diffuser.
AliceBlue
@Hillary Rettig:
They also have plans to draw more attention to their rescue and rehabilitation of injured marine animals. They’ve done some very good work in this area.
Roger Moore
I think the big thing about Sea World’s orca shows is that they show the real limits of the for profit model. Sea World can’t keep around animals just because they’re interesting or important for conservation. They have to keep animals because they put butts in seats and sell merchandise. Of course that also means that boycotts and other pressure tactics have a basis for success; convince them that the show isn’t worth the money anymore, and they’ll give it up.
schrodinger's cat
@Josie: I had to pill bosscat once, that was a traumatic experience for me. Thankfully his respiratory infection cured itself before I could finish the entire dose.
trollhattan
@AdamK:
My current dog is photophobic, so it’s either shock and awe or a pic of her butt, in retreat.
Was okay until the day my kid, probably six or seven at the time, was introduced to my camera and began photographing her world, as kids learning cameras for the first time will do. Eventually her world and the dog crossed paths and she traipsed after the animal until she finally retreated beneath one of our cars. Ever since, camera BAD.
NeenerNeener
The cheapest way to get pills into my dogs is in peanut butter spread on small pieces of bread, or when my allergic-to-peanuts relatives are visiting, in plain canned pumpkin spread on little pieces of bread.
Hillary Rettig
@AdamK: I’m thinking velcro.
Hillary Rettig
@AliceBlue: It will be very exciting to see what new forms of entertainment and purpose will evolve.
Of course, every time I think about “virtual reality” entertainment I think of Bradbury’s short story The Veldt. :-/
Hillary Rettig
@NeenerNeener: these are worth trying! alternating pumpkin with pb might do the trick…the random / intermittent rewards might do the trick.
The Ancient Randonneur
My go to pill pocket is a cooked sweet potato (actually a garnet yam) cut into appropriately sized cubes. Voila!
The yams get nuked in microwave for about 6-7 minutes then popped into a paper sack to finish steaming. Let them, cut up and store for later use .
lurker dean
wow, that greig instagram feed is great, thanks for posting it!
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
I’ve had great success with Greek yogurt. Used as a treat without the meds, it can become so compelling that the meds won’t matter. With the (now 10 yo) baby dog, her first spoon had a pill in it, and it still works most of the time. Also we’ve had luck with cheese single slices you can mold around a tablet. Sort of like they’re “opaque” enough to mask the scent. But it’s a challenge, given canine/feline olfactory skills.
Hillary Rettig
@Roger Moore: GREAT POINT!
Hillary Rettig
@The Ancient Randonneur: what a great idea – thanks for sharing
Hillary Rettig
@lurker dean: I know; he’s amazing!
I love them all but kind of think the wolfhound steals the show. what a face!
Juju
@Betty Cracker: Couldn’tyou give a regular treat, like a snausage or a milkbone to the dog who doesn’t need the pill pocket and just use the pill pockets for the girl who does need pill pockets?
ruemara
If you guys learn a little desensitization & Counterconditioning, the pill stuff will go smoother.
satby
That guy is a hero. 10 senior dogs… and I always wanted a pig.
Paul in KY
@a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q): I use (when necessary) potted meat with the cats. It’s like super-good wet catfood.
Bill Hearn
EMPTY GEL CAPS!!!
My dog takes tramidol which is horrible tasting. I bought empty gel caps at the health food store and put the medicine in it and just add it to her food. She never tastes the medicine!
Bill Hearn
@Betty Cracker: Buy some empty gel caps at a health food store and put the medicine inside. You can then put it with any food or treats your animal likes, they’ll never taste the medicine.