“Pets Hiding” Photo Contest – Win Free CANIDAE!

By Julia Williams

Dogs and cats love to hide, don’t they? They hide under our rugs, blankets and bedspreads. They hide behind the curtains and underneath the bed with just their tail sticking out. They like to hide outdoors, too… in the grass, in a pile of leaves or next to a tree.

Some pets “hide in plain sight” by lying on a same-color rug or tile. You might find your pet hiding behind the couch, with just their nose peeking around. Cats are especially fond of hiding in the Christmas tree, and some hide inside a birdhouse hoping to catch a snack. Small dogs can hide in a pile of toys (like ET did).

The point is, hiding pets are funny, and they present us with lots of great photo ops. Most pet owners I know take a ton of photos, so I thought this hiding theme would make for a fun contest. (Truth be told, I “stole” the idea from my favorite cartoon kitty, Simon’s Cat. But you know what they say – there’s no such thing as a totally original idea!).

“Pets Hiding” Photo Contest

Do you have a cute photo of your pet hiding? We want to see it, and sharing it could win you free CANIDAE Pure dog food or cat food! Yep, your photo could net you a big bag of premium quality pet food for your animal pal.

Categories and Prizes

Best Dog “Hiding” Spot: 1 (one) 15-pound bag of CANIDAE grain free dog food (Pure Elements, Pure Sea, Pure Sky or Pure Land)

Cutest Cat “Hiding” Spot: 1 (one) 15-pound bag of CANIDAE grain free cat food (Pure Elements or Pure Sea)

Funniest Hiding Spot: 1 (one) 15-pound bag of CANIDAE Pure grain free dog food or cat food (winner’s choice).

Most Creative Hiding Spot: 1 (one) 15-pound bag of CANIDAE Pure grain free dog food or cat food (winner’s choice).

Luna the Fashion Kitty Struts the Online Catwalk

By Julia Williams

Cats wearing clothes is not something you see every day, even on the internet where you can see just about anything you can imagine. Photos of doggies dressed to the nines, sure… but not cats. That’s because most cats are just not the clothes-wearing kind. Luna the Fashion Kitty is, however. This feline fashionista has been wearing cute outfits since she was just a baby, so strutting around in colorful tutus or dresses is second nature to her. Luna’s 18,000 Facebook fans are so used to seeing her with clothes on, in fact, that on the rare times she posts a photo “in the fur,” she seems totally naked!

I caught up with Luna the other day and asked her a few questions, so we could all get to know her better. I hope you enjoy her candid interview!

Julia: How old are you, and what breed are you?
Luna: I’m 5 years old, and I’m a Cream Point Himalayan Purrsian.

Julia: Most kitties hate clothes, but you seem totally comfortable in yours (dare I say, you even seem to enjoy them!). How and when did this clothes wearing thing begin?
Luna: I come from a fashionable family, my grandma had a boutique and the store next door carried furchild clothes! My momma couldn’t resist and got me an outfit, because she always had dogs and didn’t know that kitties hate clothes. Since I didn’t get the “hate clothes” memo either, I felt very good in my outfit from the beginning. That was it, I was meant to be The Fashion Kitty.

Julia: How many outfits do you have now?
Luna: Too many to count! Last time we tried to count them, there were close to 300 outfits!

Julia: What are your favorite outfits?
Luna: I look so good in EVERYTHING that is hard to have a favorite!

Julia: A common theme of your outfits seems to be frilly tutus and matching hair bows – what’s up with that?
Luna: What’s up with what? I’m very girly and we kitties jump better than any ballerina, so it’s just logical that tutus and bows are a big part of my wardrobe.

Julia: Is it hard to use your litterbox in a dress? 
Luna: Not at all! Sometimes if I’m wearing a big tutu, I leave the tutu in the box. Lol. What can I say, the hole to my kitty box is too small fur a big tutu butt!

Coping When Your Pet Is Sick

Annabelle

By Julia Williams

I was originally going to title this post, How the Internet Makes Being a Pet Parent Better. I changed my mind when I realized that it wasn’t really “the internet” that I meant, but the people a pet owner can meet there through various online avenues. For me, those avenues are primarily a pet blog and Facebook. There are many others that one might choose as their favorite “virtual water cooler,” but in the end it’s the interactions we have with other pet owners and the friendships we form that matter more than where we choose to gather.

Some people, including me, have a hard time remembering what life was like B.I., or Before Internet. My virtual water cooler visits are an integral part of my day. It’s how I stay connected to others while enjoying the solitude and freedom of a work-from-home career. Yet it’s become so much more than that to me, and I only realized just how much more when my beloved cat, Annabelle, recently fell gravely ill.

I was cycling through all of the “downer” emotions that besiege us when our fur kids are sick: anxiety, fear, sadness, dread, helplessness. Mostly, I was just very worried about Annabelle and terrified that I would lose her. I do have people in my “real life” who understand the turmoil that having a sick pet creates, but only a precious few. I really needed an army, because I was trying to be strong, for Annabelle…and I was failing miserably.

I found my army on Facebook, where my friends’ list includes many good-hearted souls who love their pet as deeply as I do. I also participate in a Facebook group that’s comprised of crazy-about-cats people like me. One thing I especially love about Facebook is that no matter what you might need from others – support, opinions, answers to questions, knowledge that only comes from personal experience – you can post a status and get what you need immediately. It’s like a real-time lifeline, a metaphorical tow rope thrown to a drowning man.

Say Cheese! Your Dog’s Smile Could Win FREE CANIDAE!

Does your dog’s beautiful smile melt your heart? Does your pooch grin wide enough to eat a banana sideways? And do they like to eat paw-licking-good dog food? Well then, fetch your camera and get ready to capture those dazzling doggie smiles!

Why? So you can enter your fabulous photo(s) in our new contest for a chance to win some FREE dog food! Is that BOL (bark-out-loud) awesome, or what?

The Grand Prize Winner will receive 6 months of premium quality CANIDAE pet food and a chance to be featured on the CANIDAE website or Facebook page!  Ten runners-up receive a 5lb bag of their dog’s favorite CANIDAE Life Stages formula.

Could Your Dog Be the Next CANIDAE Star?

Wanted: Dogs with winning smiles, happy expressions or gloriously goofy grins. Must be willing to work for pet food. Amateurs encouraged to apply.

Venus the Chimera Cat Meows about Fame, Photoshop & Family

By Julia Williams

The first time most people see a photo of Venus, they usually think it’s a photoshop fake or that her owners dyed her face. It’s hard not to, since this kitty seemingly has two very different faces, perfectly split down the middle of her nose. A visit to her Facebook page is enough to convince all but the most skeptical humans that Venus is indeed a real cat.

But why is her face like that? Venus might be a chimera, a rare condition where two genetically distinct embryos merge in the womb. It’s also possible her unique face is just a coincidental placement of a normal tortoiseshell pattern. DNA testing is the only way to know for sure, but Venus doesn’t really care and neither do her 104,000+ Facebook fans who enjoy this cute kitty’s wit and humor. I chatted with Venus recently so we could all learn a little more about this now famous split-faced feline.

Julia: If you had $1 for every time someone said your face was photoshopped, how rich would you be, and what would you do with all the money?
Venus: I would probably have a half million dollars and I would definitely donate to animal aid after I got a few little luxuries for myself, like one of those fancy automatic litter boxes, a couple new cat condos, a lifetime supply of cat treats and cool toys...oh, and maybe a posh new carrier for trips to the vet.

What do you think about all the hubbub over your face?
I guess I'm not surprised because I do look so different than most other cats.

You were born a stray, but luckily found a wonderful forever home. What does your human family love most about you, and what do you love about them?
My human family loves that I'm so snuggly like a baby. I'm timid and shy around strangers, but when it's just us I'm always laying on someone's lap purring up a storm. What I love most about them is that they love me for all of me, not just because of how I look...AND they let me get away with things most kitties can't do. We don't have many rules.

Does Your Pet Have a Doppelganger?

Annabelle

By Julia Williams

I can’t count the times I’ve looked at someone – either in person or a photograph – and thought “Gosh, they sure look like so-and-so.” I hear about this happening to others too, so often that I’m sure every person on the planet will have this same experience many times over the course of their life.

I once hypothesized (not seriously, just in fun) that the reason it happened was because our faces were created from “molds” that were reused. Some molds were eventually altered to create different features, but overall a finite number of molds were available. Hence, in our lifetime we were bound to come across people who looked remarkably like other people, and even…people who looked just like us!

These body doubles are sometimes called doppelgangers, a German word meaning “double-goer.” In folklore, doppelgangers were malicious ghostly doubles that haunted their more innocent counterparts and confused their friends and relatives. (Could the doppelganger legend possibly be where the term “evil twin” came from?). Nowadays, a doppelganger is simply any double or look-alike of a person.

Barney

Some people say that everyone has a doppelganger. Although there’s no proof of this, there are many stories about cases of mistaken identity, and some have disastrous consequences. For example, a doppelganger commits a crime and an innocent man is sent to jail. I have never seen my doppelganger, but I sure do hope she is a law abiding citizen!

If we believe that every human has a doppelganger out there somewhere – I’m not convinced but I haven’t rejected the theory, either – then what about our pets? Could dogs and cats have doppelgangers, too? Well, sure. Why not!

12 Unforgettable Pets of 2012

Grumpy Cat

By Linda Cole

If you spend time on Facebook or like to search the web for cute pets, you've likely seen Grumpy Cat with the sour puss frown and Boo, the super cute Pomeranian. It seems we can't get enough of these adorable pets. Below are some of my favorite pets that were “all the rage” in 2012. If you have a favorite that I didn’t mention, please let me know!

Grumpy Cat, aka Tardar Sauce (Tard for short), has an adorable scowl that makes it hard not to smile when you see her. Bryan Bundesen was visiting his sister Tabatha in Arizona last fall when he snapped the now famous frown of her 8 month old cat. Tardar Sauce was given her name by Tabatha's daughter, who noticed the kitten had speckles in her fur that reminded her of tartar sauce. She misspelled it but the name stuck. Grumpy Cat really isn't grumpy at all! She's a sweetheart, and loves to play. Tard isn't going away anytime soon. There's a children's book series, and a line of stuffed animals being discussed for 2013. Tard's official Grumpy Cat Facebook page has almost 315,000 fans.

Chopper the Biker Dog

Chopper the Biker Dog is one cool dude that rides around on his custom made motorcycle. He has his very own handmade biker leather jacket and sunglasses, but this Boston Terrier is about as mellow as a dog can be, and thoroughly enjoys his job as a therapy dog. His goal in life is to make a difference in people's lives. Chopper lives in San Diego, CA with his owner Mark Shaffer. His Facebook page currently has almost 20,000 fans.

Hank the Cat is a Maine Coon cat that decided it was time for a feline to toss a hairball...um... his hat in the political ring, running for the open US Senate seat in Virginia. A true grassroots campaign pushing a simple message, “It's OK to vote the humans out.” Hank netted over 7,000 write-in votes and also raised $60,000 for animal rescue organizations. Will Hank run again in 2014 or 2016? According to his campaign manager, Hank retired from politics, but Hank is staying mum on any future plans, sidestepping reporters' questions.

Venus

Venus the Amazing Chimera Cat is a beautiful tortoiseshell kitty with the most striking physical appearance. Her face is two colors perfectly split down the middle, the right side is black, and the left side is orange. Plus, one eye is green and the other is blue! Some people say this unusual looking feline is just a photoshop trick, but Venus is definitely a real kitty, and she even went on TV to prove it! Venus was a stray cat found wandering around on a dairy farm in North Carolina. She has 92,000 Facebook fans.

Henri, Le Chat Noir (Henri the Existential Cat) wants the world to feel his tortured soul living with humans and other pets, as told to us in a black & white YouTube video that went viral in 2012 with almost 6,700,000 views to date. Henri 2: Paw de Deux netted Henri's owner, William Braden, top spot at the Internet Cat Video Film Festival. Not bad for a shelter cat turned actor. (There are five videos to date, and all are exceptional!). Henri's real name is Henry, and in real life he's an easygoing, laidback kitty that loves to purr. And his online contempt is, well, just good acting, as he tells it.

Your Photo Could Win Free CANIDAE for a Year!

Wouldn’t it be cool to see your favorite canine featured on a bag or can of CANIDAE Natural Pet Food? Well, now’s your chance!

Yesterday, CANIDAE announced an exciting new photo contest for dog owners. If your photo is selected as the winner, you might get to see your four legged friend on a CANIDAE pet food package.

That would certainly be something to brag about, right? But wait, there’s more! The winner will receive a one year free supply of CANIDAE dog food, too!

YOUR ASSIGNMENT

Submit your best photos of your dog. CANIDAE is looking for only high quality photos with your dog looking directly into the camera. Large file sizes preferred with 5MB as the maximum size. You can submit as many photos as you like until the contest closes on October 31, 2012. During the contest you and everyone else can vote for your favorite entries. CANIDAE staff will select the final grand prize winner.

THE PRIZE

The grand prize winner receives FREE Pet Food for One Year!! All photos submitted become property of CANIDAE and may be used for commercial purposes including packaging, websites and any type of marketing or advertising material.

What are you waiting for? Submit your best photo today via the CANIDAE Facebook page.

Terms and conditions apply. See contest for details.

Could your Pet be the Next Facebook Sensation?

By Julia Williams

One cannot help but notice the growing popularity of pets on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. Given the number of pet lovers in the world, it shouldn’t be shocking to discover that some pets have more fans than many celebrities. But did you know some pets are even more popular on Facebook than prominent media organizations? Last year, social media news blog Mashable compared the fan bases of some popular internet pets to major media outlets, and the pets trumped CNN, FOX News, ESPN, the New York Times, Current and People Magazine!

Some of the most popular pets on Facebook gained notoriety first, and their large Facebook following came later. However, many were unknowns who somehow managed to captivate the masses. Perhaps most telling of all, the popular pet pages on Facebook are purported to be managed by the pets themselves. According to the Daily Telegraph online newspaper, “One in ten of all UK pets have their own Facebook page, Twitter profile or YouTube channel…” Some pets even have all three!

Further, legions of people seemingly buy into the notion that cats and dogs are capable of using a computer and thus, are managing their own Facebook pages and interacting with their fans. Ok, seriously…they know pets can’t type but prefer to look the other way for the sake of the fantasy. At least, I hope that’s what’s happening here. LOL.

As a pet lover, I understand. So many times, I’ve been caught up in the ‘voice’ of a particular Facebook pet that I find myself believing that what they said actually came from them and not their human servant. Well, not really…but almost. I liken it to that thing in the movie industry called the suspension of disbelief. A moviegoer knows certain things are just not possible, but they suspend disbelief for the sake of the story. Certainly, many tales become far more interesting told from the point of view of a pet, so we play along.

Firefighter Dayna and the Fire Safety Dogs

By Langley Cornwell

Dayna Hilton joined the fire service in 2000. In 2003, her rescued Dalmatian Sparkles gave her the idea to teach fire safety to children. Through the years, Dayna and her Fire Safety dogs have touched the lives of thousands of children nationwide and saved the lives of several. Additionally, she’s the Executive Director of the Keep Kids Fire Safe® Foundation and she’s authored three children’s books: Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog, Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog Coloring Book and Sparkles Goes to Boston.

I had the honor of ‘meeting’ Firefighter Dayna via chats and emails. You see, with Dayna, even if you don’t talk to her personally it feels like you know her. Her boundless energy, focused fire safety message, and undying devotion to her dogs are a magnetic combination. As a ‘one woman and two dog’ operation, she’s been able to accomplish so much. She and her dogs are passionate about what they do and have dedicated their lives to helping keep children safe. Here is an excerpt of our recent interview.

How did you find Sparkles?
I rescued her through the Dalmatian Assistance League of Tulsa. She came from a home overflowing with animals; Sparkles had been living in squalor with 62 other dogs.

What can you tell us about her background?
Aside from where she came from, I don’t know much about her background. What I do know is she was naturally great with children. Whenever kids approached she would roll around seeking belly rubs. One day we were playing and, just for fun, I wanted to see if she could crawl really low. She did it immediately, without any formal training. Crawling low is a crucial component of surviving a fire because it keeps your smoke inhalation to a minimum. When Sparkles began low-crawling on command, the idea for spreading a fire safety message to children was born.

Did Sparkles inspire the books?
Yes, totally. Sparkles had a tail that wagged non-stop; the only time her tail stopped wagging was when she slept. The idea for my first children’s fire safety book came from that tail! One day, Sparkles and I were getting ready to do a fire safety presentation at the school, and I put on her red vest, as I always did. That day was special though, as I looked at her and truly saw the love in her eyes. She couldn’t wait to get that vest on and go to work. I knew immediately that a children’s fire safety book was born!

Every day that Sparkles was in my life was a blessing. When I think about all of the lives she touched it’s overwhelming. Not only was she an amazing fire safety dog and a true credit to the fire service, she was a wonderful friend and companion.

From the time we met, Sparkles tried her best to make me happy. When I would leave the room, her ears would perk up and she would stand there, sometimes for hours, just waiting. Her love was unconditional.

Sparkles truly found her calling, and I am forever grateful she was in my life. When she passed away, I was heartbroken at losing my best friend, but I’m thankful that her legacy lives on, both through Tango and Siren, through “Sparkles’ Pathway” and through all the lives she has touched and will continue to touch. She was more than just my friend; she was a friend to millions of children. It is my hope that all the fire safety dogs that follow will share Sparkles’ passion for helping keep children safe, and we will continue to help save lives. Sparkles would have wanted it that way.

Justice for Bow a Huge Success on Facebook!

By Suzanne Alicie

Everyone who uses social networks like Facebook and Twitter is aware of the possibilities of increasing awareness and receiving donations for worthy causes from the caring communities. Fellow RPO blog contributor Linda Cole has written about this phenomenon in her post “How Facebook Helps Pets in Need.” Today I'll tell you how Facebook has been a huge success story for a special kitty. 

A few months ago I saw that a friend of mine had “liked” a page called Justice for Bow; the notification had a picture of a cat so I went to check it out. I was horrified when I saw the pictures of Bow and read the story of what had happened to him.

Poor Kitty

Neighbors near Burton and US131 in Grand Rapids, Michigan often saw and fed a stray cat living in the area. When a few days went by without seeing the kitty, the concerned citizens began to worry. On May 10, 2011 the cat, which has now been named Bow, was found with an arrow through his face. Someone had shot the defenseless cat and left him to suffer or die all alone. The arrow had entered Bow’s left cheek, pierced his esophagus and exited near his right shoulder.

Saving Grace

The wonderful woman who found Bow took him to Michigan Veterinary Specialists, but she only had $200 to put towards his care. The caring staff at MVS removed the arrow and donated the antibiotics and IV fluids to keep Bow alive. Amy Smith Velthouse, a veterinary technician at MVS, also volunteered at Carol’s Ferals, which was the first place she turned for assistance for Bow. Carol Manos of Carol’s Ferals arranged for Bow to be transferred to the Animal Hospital of Lowell where Dr. Bruce Langlois took over his medical care.

Handicapped Kitty “Willow” Gets a Miracle

By Julia Williams

Facebook has done it again. I’m all teary-eyed because of an incredibly heartwarming story I happened upon. I won’t say “by accident” because I believe there are no such things. I’m convinced that everything and everyone has a purpose, and that every pet was put here on earth for a reason. Sometimes we don’t know what that reason is; other times, it’s crystal clear. In the case of a special kitten named Willow, I think her purpose is to help people see that every pet is precious – even those who some might call “imperfect.” Willow’s motto could be summed up as, “Play the hand that life dealt you, but never stop hoping for a miracle.”

Willow’s touching story began with her birth last December. Her back legs were badly deformed, and her people said she was born that way. They didn’t even bother to name her – they just called her “Cripple.” Although her siblings all found homes, no one wanted the tiny kitten with a deformity.

That is, until fate intervened and a kindhearted woman named Wendy answered an ad for a free crippled kitten. Wendy felt an immediate bond with the little kitty. She didn’t see a kitten whose deformed legs made it extremely difficult for her to walk. She saw a sweet, cute and loving soul who deserved a chance to have a wonderful life despite her handicap. Wendy took her home and named her Willow, because “a beautiful girl deserves a beautiful name.” As the days turned to months, Wendy’s love for Willow grew, and she came to see her as “the most perfect angel in all the earth.”

How Facebook Helps Pets In Need

By Linda Cole

Anyone with a Facebook account understands the addictive nature of this social networking site. It's a place where anyone can go to meet new people (with the proper precautions), get information and find pets that are in need of homes. The site even helps lost pets that have gone through natural disasters get reunited with frantic owners who were searching for them. Facebook is helping to change the plight of pets, one animal at a time.

Natural disasters affect not only the people who experience them directly, but those of us who only witness them via TV reports and now, social media. This year's violent and deadly tornadoes have given new meaning to “keep your eye on the weather.” People who live in tornado prone states aren't taking warnings and watches for granted this year. We can't do anything about the weather, but we can help those affected by it in ways that weren't possible five years ago.

Several days after the Joplin tornado, my Facebook news page was filled with posts from people who’d found pets in a demolished home or wandering aimlessly among the rubble. I also saw a number of posts from pet owners asking if anyone had seen their pet. It struck me then that Facebook had become a sort of “bulletin board” for lost and found. This is not what we see on TV news reports. Oh sure, we get some personal stories, but we don't get the day-to-day activities that go on after a natural disaster. I gladly shared each post I saw hoping it might help reunite pets with their owners. It was my only way of trying to help. But the power of social media cannot be denied, and I know that sharing someone else's post might lead to a person who was able to help in a way I couldn't.

Meet Boo, the Most Popular Pup on the Planet!

By Julia Williams

Nowadays, it’s not unusual to learn about cats and dogs that blog, tweet, write books and entertain their Facebook fans with funny status updates. As intelligent humans, we know the animals aren’t really the ones doing such things, but we play along because it’s harmless fun. In the past few years I’ve become “friends” with quite a few cats and dogs on Facebook. Until recently I thought Giant George, with 65,000 fans, and CANIDAE Pet Foods sponsored Surf Dog Ricochet, with 23,000 fans, really had it going on.

Ha ha! Those numbers pale in comparison to “Boo,” the impossibly cute Pomeranian who, as of this writing, has amassed a staggering 1,109,355 fans! What’s more, Boo gains fans at the rate of about 4,000 every day! When Boo posts a photo or video of himself doing what he does best – looking incredibly adorable – as many as 17,000 people click the “like” button, and 700 to 1,000+ people leave a comment.

Do Nicknames Confuse Our Pets?

By Julia Williams

Most people spend a good deal of time trying to come up with the perfect name for their newly adopted pet. We search names compiled in baby books and on the internet, read articles, ask friends for suggestions, and observe our four-legged friend to find the name that best fits them. Why then do so many of us seem to use nicknames for our pets more often than the name we decided upon when we first brought them home? And does it really matter? Is it okay to call your cat or dog by names other than their “official” one? Do multiple names confuse your pet, or will they learn to respond to the nicknames too?

In all the many years I've been owned by cats, I have used nicknames for them. Each cat has had their “given” name, and a slew of nicknames. I didn’t think two licks about this until the other day, when I happened upon a discussion on an internet forum for pet owners. I often feel compelled to surf the internet, and as a pet writer for this blog and other websites, I naturally gravitate towards sites that pertain to animals. Pet forums are not exactly a productive use of my time, but they can be entertaining. Or in this case, serve as inspiration for an article.

The topic that day was whether people should just stick to the name they’ve given their pet, or if it was alright to give them nicknames. The vast majority were all in favor of nicknames for pets. They said they used nicknames all the time, and that their pets responded to them just as much as they did their original name. One person really made me laugh when they wrote that their dog’s nicknames were “Hey!” and “No!” I think many people can relate to that.

But in any crowd, on any subject, there will be those who favor and those who oppose. So it was on this forum, where a few people stated that they felt giving nicknames to pets could confuse them, and that it was unfair to the pet. As I said, this wasn’t something I had ever questioned. I can certainly see where, if you are trying to teach a puppy his name, you would want to be consistent and not use nicknames. Not having ever owned a dog, I have no knowledge on whether nicknames complicate matters for an adult dog. I am, however, quite confident in my belief that nicknames do not confuse my cats. Still, I thought it only fair to conduct some research on the matter.

I turned to my friends, my family and my ever-growing number of Facebook “acquaintances,” and asked for their opinions. This produced near identical results to the pet forum, wherein about 95% said they gave their pets nicknames and didn’t see any problem with it.

In the end, this exhaustive research (ha!) and years of firsthand experience have led me to conclude that it's perfectly fine for pet owners to give nicknames to their dogs and cats. Dog owners report that their canine companions do answer to their nicknames, and everyone knows most cats only answer to humans when food is involved. I’m pretty sure there's no need to worry about whether pets with nicknames will suffer psychological ill effects. Therefore, we should all feel free to call our pets pretty much anything we want to, and no one will accuse us of not being responsible pet owners.

So… what cute nicknames have you come up with for your dog or cat? Do share!

Read more articles by Julia Williams

Social Media Has Gone to the Dogs... and the Cats too!

By Julia Williams

Not so long ago, it used to be frowned upon for people to give human characteristics to animals, which is known as anthropomorphism (how’s that for an unwieldy word!). Those who were against it said things like “animals shouldn’t talk” and “animals can’t think or reason” etc.

My, how times have changed. This public disapproval of anthropomorphism seems to have faded into oblivion. I suppose it’s to be expected, given that the age we live in is so vastly different now, technologically speaking. The internet is firmly entrenched in the daily lives of everyone from teens to seniors. Most of us check email at least daily and visit many different websites and blogs every week. Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter have become the new gathering spot. Moreover, humans aren’t the only ones using social media to communicate – now there are countless dogs with blogs, and cats that tweet! Not only that, they are doing it with great success.

Consider these impressive numbers:

● Surf Dog Ricochet, the inspirational canine who has raised over $20,000 surfing for charity, has nearly 5,700 Facebook fans. Surf Dog Ricochet also has her own website.

● Nora the Piano Cat apparently tickles more than the ivories – she has more than 1500 Facebook fans and 1600+ Twitter followers. The Piano Cat also has her own website and blog, both of which “she” updates regularly.

● Charlene Butterbean is a surrogate mama cat to kittens fostered by Laurie Cinotto, aka, The Itty Bitty Kitty Committee. Ms. Butterbean (or “the Bean” as she is often called) has nearly 1,100 Facebook friends and the same number of Twitter followers.

● Giant George, a blue Great Dane who is the world’s tallest dog according to Guinness World Records, has more than 40,000 Facebook fans.

Compare some of those numbers to the Facebook fans of world renowned writers such as Anne Rice (60,000) or J.K Rowling (58,000) and you can’t help but be impressed. Truly, the following these canines and felines have amassed in just a few short years is a testament to the power that pets have to touch our hearts.

In addition to all of the Facebook pages and Twitter accounts purportedly manned by canines and felines, there are many other technological pet inventions that indicate we are in a new era. Take for example, the Twitter-enabled dog collar from Mattel called Puppy Tweets. When the collar’s tiny device detects barking or movement, it randomly posts one of 500 phrases to the dog’s Twitter page. According to the Huffington Post, there’s also an intriguing new app from Japan called BowLingual, which supposedly analyzes your dog's bark and translates it into one of six emotions. It syncs the phrase, which can then be tweeted through your dog's Twitter account.

Last year, the aforementioned Charlene Butterbean wore a “Cat Cam,” a collar with a tiny camera attached that automatically snapped photos every 15 minutes. The pictures were then uploaded to the IBKC blog so readers could log on to see what the Bean was doing throughout the day – mostly sleeping, eating and kitten wrangling (but please don’t ask me how I know that).

The “Shiba Inu Puppy Cam” became an internet phenomenon in 2009. This website featured a live-streamed webcam focused on six adorable newborn Shiba Inu pups doing all of the things that puppies normally do. I confess to getting my daily virtual puppy fix, although I usually only watched for a few minutes because it seemed like every time I tuned in the puppies were asleep. Those puppies eventually went to their forever homes, and now there is a new Shiba Inu Puppy Cam with five more fluffballs the public can fawn over via their computer monitor.

Should dogs blog? And what of tweeting cats? Should people put their puppies on a virtual display for the world to view whenever they want? I don’t see why not. If one chooses to pretend that a dog can type and is sending them a message on Facebook, that’s their business. If one considers it cool to get an email from a cat (ahem…that would be me), why should anyone else care? There’s no harm done to the animals, who are probably asleep in a corner of the room while their designated “PR agent” types away to their adoring fans. Intelligent people do realize that dogs and cats can’t type. Right?

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Who Won the CANIDAE Facebook Pet Photo Contest?

Most people love taking photographs of their beloved pets and showing them off to the world. But when this includes the chance to win a one-year supply of premium pet food from CANIDAE, all the better!

The moment many of our readers have been anxiously waiting for, is finally here. It’s time to announce the winners of our recent Facebook photo contest, and show you the prize-winning pets. We received hundreds of great photos, depicting everything from family vacations, children hugging their dogs, cats sunning in windowsills, dogs walking along the seashore, and beautiful shots of some of the cutest pets on the planet.

After narrowing the field down to the top 50 pictures, the entire CANIDAE staff voted for their favorites. Everyone had a lot of fun looking at, and voting on, all of the wonderful photos. Many pet owners attached touching stories to their pictures as well, relating how they rescued an injured or abandoned pet and brought them back to health. Often, they said that our premium pet food was part of the recovery process. “That always puts a big smile on everyone’s face around the office,” said CANIDAE employee Jason Castillo.

Dog Category Grand Prize Winner

Kristi M. of Broadview, Montana won the dog category with the adorable photo of her Fawn Boxer and Australian Cattle Dog mix jumping in the air to catch snowballs. Kristi wrote, "Our dogs and cats are more than just pets, they are family; and as such their health and nutrition are very important to us. Thank you for making such wonderful foods."

Kristi’s dogs Laila and Viktor both endured hardship before coming to live with the family. Laila had been neglected, left chained to a shed to be a "guard dog" and was underweight. Viktor had been thrown from a car window and suffered from a broken shoulder as well as having other signs of abuse. Both dogs are now happy, well-cared for members of the family.

Cat Category Grand Prize Winner

Amy R. of Farmington, MN won the cat category for her charming picture of best feline friends Attis and Arley snuggled close to one another. Amy wrote, "We've had Attis and Arley for about two years now. We feed them FELIDAE Grain Free because Attis is an Egyptian Mau and I read that grain free is best for his sensitive tummy. He does really well on it. They are such cute cats. They look out for each other and they love to play."

Dog Category Second Place Winner

The votes were so close in the dog category that a second place prize was created and awarded to Diane S. for her photo of Rain, an 8 week old Aussie mix puppy she helped to rescue after it had been discarded by the side of the road. Diane is affiliated with Paw Safe Animal Rescue in Virginia and will receive a 6 month supply of CANIDAE dog food.

We want to thank everyone who submitted their photos for this contest. It was so nice to see all of your cherished pets and read your heartwarming stories – and so very difficult to pick the winners! Even if you didn’t win the contest, your dog or cat could still get a little taste of fame – many of the photos and stories will appear on the CANIDAE website or in a special Facebook Fan Page photo album.

We may even feature the photos here in our Responsible Pet Ownership blog. We created this blog to provide helpful tips and advice for caring pet owners, and strive to offer insightful articles on virtually every aspect of pet care. We hope to see you here in the future, and on the CANIDAE Facebook page too!

Win Free Pet Food for a Year!

By Julia Williams

Every pet owner I know (including me) takes scads of photographs of their beloved animal companions. Every time we see them doing something cute, funny or heartwarming– which is pretty much every day, isn’t it? – we can’t resist snapping their picture. I enjoy showing them off to my friends and family; I even made a photo scrapbook once, dedicated to all the pets I’ve known and loved.

Well, now’s your chance to win something wonderful from one of those photographs. Your favorite pet picture could net you a year’s supply of free CANIDAE dog food or FELIDAE cat food! How cool is that? I mean, what dog or cat owner wouldn't want to win a year's supply of super-premium pet food? Even better, the food is all natural and good for your pet, because it contains no corn, wheat, soy, grain fractions or fillers, and it’s naturally preserved.

So what do you have to do to win a year’s supply of CANIDAE All Natural Pet Food for your dog or cat? First, become a fan of the CANDAE Facebook page. If you don’t already have a Facebook account, you’ll need to sign up for one (it’s entirely free) at www.facebook.com. Then choose your best photo of your dog or cat, and email it to facebookphotos@canidae.com. Include a brief description of your pet, their name and a little information about them, such as what you love most about them or how they came into your life.

Two Grand Prize Winners will be chosen by a panel of judges at CANIDAE Pet Foods. One winner will be selected in the Dog category, and one winner in the Cat category. Both winning contestants will receive a free one year supply of the CANIDAE or FELIDAE formula of their choice. (A year's supply of pet food is defined as the nutritional requirement for one medium size dog or one domestic cat).

About Your Entry

Some photos and emails will be selected to appear in a special CANIDAE Pet Foods Facebook page photo album, and on the CANIDAE website. Please limit your entry to one JPEG image, no larger than 2MB; other types of images will be rejected. The judges will select the winning entries, one dog picture and one cat picture, based on which two pictures they determine to be the most visually attractive in each category.

Official Rules

No purchase necessary. Only one entry per household and email address allowed. Winners must be at least 18 years of age, a resident of the United States or Canada, and a registered fan of the CANIDAE Pet Foods Facebook Page. Contest ends November 13, 2009. Odds of winning depend on number of entries. Winner will be contacted via email and must respond within 48 hours or, at the sole discretion of CANIDAE Pet Foods, the prize will pass to the next runner up.

Contest void where prohibited by law. Selection of winner is subjective and at the sole discretion of CANIDAE Pet Foods. CANIDAE is not responsible for entries lost due to any technical difficulties including any that might occur with Facebook, the Internet, or email.

Entrants agree to receive the CANIDAE Pet Foods Newsletter and grant CANIDAE permission to publish their information and photos. To protect your privacy, last names and email addresses will not be published. Judges decisions are final. Employees of CANIDAE and its vendors are not eligible to enter.

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CANIDAE is Now on Facebook – Join Us!

By Linda Cole

Facebook is a social networking site that helps users connect with family, friends and like-minded people who want a place where they can share their stories and photos with one another.

CANIDAE® All Natural Pet Foods is excited to announce the creation of their own Facebook page for people just like you – people who love animals as much as they do. If you don't have a Facebook page yet, go to Facebook.com and sign in. Create your profile, send invitations to family and friends, play games and send out interesting challenges to others to ponder and enjoy. Have fun with quizzes that test your brain power or find out which dog species you are most like. Facebook has something for everyone and new friends to meet and interact with.

The CANIDAE Facebook page is the perfect place to learn about proper pet care, CANIDAE product updates, and important information on their product line. It’s also a place to meet other pet owners who are as passionate about the care and well being of their pets as you are. You can even find and connect with other pet owners in your area.

The folks at CANIDAE would love to see photos of your pets and read your stories and comments. Feel free to post to their wall as much as you like. Please post any special videos, photos or links that help show how people have embraced responsible pet ownership.

Join the many fans who use the CANIDAE Facebook page for pet lovers, to read their ideas and share your stories about how we all can give our pets the best care possible. Learn how premium, all natural pet food from CANIDAE can help your pet live a long and healthy life.

Their Facebook page is the perfect place to communicate on a more personal level with CANIDAE. It gives you an opportunity to meet and interact with one of the most experienced and dedicated staff around – people like you and me who want to make sure our pets get what they need to stay healthy and happy.

Become a fan and follow Rocco the dog's progress as he recovers from his life on the street, lost and hungry. Because of the generosity of a stranger, this little dog now has a new home and plenty of healthy food to help him along. The folks at CANIDAE are helping to care for Rocco by donating food to his adopted mom. You can visit their Facebook page for updates to this heartwarming story of the little dog who needed (and got) a helping hand.

You can also find updates and uplifting stories on how CANIDAE supports green energy in a new state-of- the-art plant in Oklahoma that has created badly needed jobs for Americans, and is environmentally friendly in its design.

Responsible pet ownership starts with love. Add in a dash of respect and a spoonful of kindness sprinkled with lots of attention for each of your pets. Come join the CANIDAE team today on Facebook to learn more about the joys and benefits you receive from your pet by being a responsible pet owner.

fb.canidae.com

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