How My Owner Groomed Me

It's been a scarey couple of days for me, but not as scarey as going to the groomer...I used to love going for rides in the car until my owner started ending some of those trips at a groomer, now every time we go anywhere, I'm afraid that's where I'll end up. So my owner decided to groom me herself. She used to do this all the time, but she doesn't as much anymore. This is what she did:

• She put a large towel on the table, and got her best scissors, a small and large pair, and my brush.


• I had so much hair, that she just took hold of it between here fingers a bit at a time and cut off a few inches almost all over my body, leaving enough to shape later. I moved constantly, so it wasn't a very pretty site when she finished.


• She went outside, and put the hair on the ground not to far from the bird feeder, because sometimes the birds like my nice, soft hair to make their nests.


• Finally, she gave me a bath...that felt good because it was a hot day.

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That was all she did on day one. I noticed she kept looking at me funny, like she was an artist looking at a sculpture, planning what she was going to chisel away next. And chisel she did, the next day! Out came a clean towel and those scissors again.

• She was more careful in shaping my hair this time...it was more of a puppy cut, and you have to remember I have curly hair, so she would a section of hair between the length of two fingers up and down, pull it out from my body, and cut, and did the same thing pretty much all over my body.


• The tummy hairs she cut very short, very close to my body. By the time she was done, I looked so much better.


• Around my face is tricky, since that's my least favorite place to be cut, she holds me gently but firmly by the scruff of my neck, like my mommy would when I was a baby, and that just did something to make me still, and she could trim around my face. It looks much better now, I used to look like I had a long beard, now my hair circles my face kind of like a lion. She uses little blunt but sharp scissors around my eyes, and I can see again!


• She was real careful cutting the hair on my legs, once she did it so short I looked like I had chicken legs, and we both hate that look.


• She also trimmed the hair under my tail pretty short so.


• Oh, and my little feet, she trimmed the hair following the line of my paw so there was just enough hair to cover my nails.

That's enough for now, I feel much better, and next she's going to learn how to clean my ears. She's getting some help from a good instructional publication, it's VERY detailed, and costs so much less than a grooming. You can Click here for more information. We were impressed.

Happy weekend to you!

Historic Day for Animals, ASPCA 142 Years Old

Today is a really big day for all of us animals. 142 years ago today, the ASPCA was started by a man who had a lot of money and liked to use it for good causes. His name was Henry Bergh.

In case you forget what ASPCA stands for, it is American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Abraham Lincoln was President when Bergh's passion to help animals came about. It was under unusual circumstances. He had been appointed by Lincoln as a diplomat for the Czar of Russia, Alexander II. He was shocked and dismayed to see how the work horses were treated, beaten an abused.

There was already a Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in London, which he visited on his trip home to America. This was his inspiration to start a similar organization here in the USA, making it against the law to abuse animals. He called animals the "mute servants of mankind" when he argued his case.

Ultimately, his efforts lead to the incorporation of the ASPCA on April 10, 1866, 142 years ago today.

It is interesting that AFTER this organization was started, a similar one to prevent cruelty to children was formed, and Bergh served as a Vice President of the organization for a period of time.

For more information on the ASPCA, visit their site at http://www.aspca.org.

Health Benefits of Owning Cats and Kittens

I can't believe my owner convinced me to add a page on owning cats and kittens, you'll see it listed in the right column under "Pages". I think it's because so many people in her family have cats...there's more about that on the page.

I made sure to add a comment or two of my own, that was our agreement, if we have to write about cats, I have to add at least my two cents worth.

We think we noticed that you can't make a comment on the pages, so if you have something to say after you read the article, come back here and comment!

Have a happy day! Aspen