The KONG Pets Need to Play campaign: a nationwide charitable program aimed at increasing adoptions of shelter animals. KONG will install the innovative iPet Companion in shelters across the country, enabling users around the world to play with cats that are available for adoption over the web. Additionally, KONG will donate its trademark Classic red rubber KONGs to dogs at the shelters, giving them the enjoyment of the toy recommended by vets, trainers and behaviorists more than any other.

Throughout the Pets Need to Play campaign, KONG will install iPet Companion in animal shelters across the US for six weeks at a time. The KONG iPet Companion, exclusively licensed by KONG, allows any online user to play with animals remotely by controlling unique robotic toys with a few clicks of a mouse. A camera captures all the fun and lets users watch the video live as the cats chase, jump, pounce and grab at the toys. With KONG’s help, shelters will have the unique opportunity to house the interactive toys at their facilities and implement the portal on their websites, showcasing adoptable cats that are looking for forever homes, and allowing people to play with the cats over the internet.

“At KONG our chief dedication is animals, and a big part of that is giving back to the animal shelter community by encouraging adoption of these animals and supporting their well being while they await their forever homes,” said KD Frueh, president of KONG. “In our increasingly digital society, we felt there was no better way to reach the public and encourage adoption than by connecting these animals directly with people through the interactive iPet Companion virtual play system.”

To view a complete list of shelters with currently active sites where you can play with their cats online, go to www.ipetcompanion.com.

http://youtu.be/sQcWy_qX8kQ

Check out the winning act!

Source: Dogs Against Romney Website

Scott Crider, founder of the grassroots campaign Dogs Against Romney will be coordinating with publisher Simon & Schuster next month for the release of the new book, DOG ON THE ROOF! On The Road with Mitt and the Mutt.

The book, written by Bruce Kluger and David Slavin, and illustrated by Colleen Clapp, is a satirical look at the infamous story of Mitt Romney and the time he crated his Irish Setter Seamus on the roof of the family car for an entire 14-hour roadtrip. The book is set to be released June 19.

Dogs Against Romney has taken on an astonishing following: it currently has more than 53,000 followers on Facebook alone. Says Crider, “I am delighted to help promote DOG ON THE ROOF!, because it provides a hilarious look at a character-illuminating issue about Mitt Romney.”

Whether or not you support Mitt Romney in his campaign for Presidency, surely we can all agree that dogs are not luggage!

Realize that you’re facing an important decision–caring for a feral kitten takes time, patience, and infinite amounts of caring. Some kittens may need medical intervention, or may be too young to be removed from their mother’s care.

Ask yourself: do you have the time to take care of and socialize a kitten? Caring for a feral kitten requires multiple hours a day of one-on-one attention for weeks, or sometimes even months.

Ask yourself: do you have the proper connections and network to find the kitten a new home? Are you willing or able to keep it?

Ask yourself: how old is this kitten? Alley Cat Allies recommends that feral kittens older than 4 months of age be allowed to stay with their colony, and need not be taken in and socialized. Instead, kittens older than 4 months should be neutered, vaccinated, and then returned to their outdoor homes.

The organization offers these helpful tips for determining a kitten’s age:

• Under one week: (3-8 oz) Eyes are shut, ears are folded down, and kittens are unable to walk. They can purr and make tiny noises. The umbilical cord may still be visible.
• One-two weeks: (8-11 oz) Eyes start to open (they are blue) and focus. Ears begin to open and movement is improved to crawling, snuggling, and kneading.
• Three weeks: (7.5-14.5 oz) Eyes fully open and ears are open and standing up. The kitten will start to respond to noises and movement. The first wobbly steps are taken and baby teeth start to come in.
• Four-five weeks: (8-16.75 oz) Running, playing, digging, and pouncing occur often. Kittens will start to wean and will be able to lap up formula, eat soft food, and use the litter box by themselves. Eyes have fully changed from blue to their adult color.
• Eight weeks: (2 lbs) Kittens look like little versions of full-grown cats.

Alley Cat Allies has some great articles on other steps of the process, such as how to deal with different trapping scenarios, how to care for neonatal kittens, and how to socialize feral kittens.

If you find a feral kitten or kittens and cannot care for them yourself, call your local animal services office–they will be able to connect you with an animal shelter that can care for the kittens.

After the jump, check out this really cool infographic our friends at MBAprograms.com just sent us over!

The most recent state to pass such a law is Maryland. A few weeks ago the state’s highest court ruled that Pit Bulls and Pit Bull mixes are inherently dangerous. They held that, “When an attack involves Pit Bulls, it is no longer necessary to prove that the particular Pit Bull or Pit Bulls are dangerous.”

Typically, a dog is allowed “one free bite” before its guardian can be held liable for their pet’s aggressiveness. The theory behind this is that nobody can know if a dog is aggressive until it has acted out. Once a person has the knowledge that their pet is a potential danger to others—so, after that first bite—his legal responsibilities change.

What Maryland’s BSL does, unfortunately, is it abolishes the “one free bite” rule for Pit Bulls and Pit Bull mixes in the state. Those breeds are to be considered inherently dangerous, regardless of each dog’s individual temperament or history of aggression (or lack thereof). Maryland Pit Bull parents now face legal liabilities disproportionate to parents of other dog breeds.

Naturally, many animal rescue groups in Maryland are worried about the effect this new BSL will have on Pit Bulls in the state. The law holds that landlords with Pit Bulls on their property are also to be held liable if the dog bites. Pit Bull parents, facing eviction from their landlords because of the BSL, have been calling shelters in efforts to get rid of their dogs. Pit Bulls and Pit Bull mixes already living in shelters face a slim chance of finding new homes.

The Maryland Dog Federation has proposed an amendment to the state court’s ruling that would prohibit municipalities from passing BSL. Go here to find out how you can help!

Like any I.Q. test, the one for dogs is not entirely conclusive—some dogs excel in certain areas and stumble a bit in others. Nor does a high I.Q. mean your puppy is off to MENSA, or that you should feel any differently towards him if he tests low. I.Q. testing for dogs is simply one of many ways to learn more about your pup and his abilities.

The best time to test your dog’s I.Q. is around the 1-year-old mark. By this time, cognitive development should be complete. Remember that as far as analysis of the results goes, it’s more telling to compare within your dog’s own breed—different breeds have different strengths and weaknesses that should be accounted for.

Also keep in mind that factors other than intelligence—such as confidence, previous experience, stubbornness, and activity level—can play in to how your puppy does. Under-stimulated puppies will not perform as well.

So, ready to try it out?

In The Intelligence of Dogs, professor of psychology (albeit human) Stanley Coren lays out an multi-part test (the number in the parentheses is the amount of points awarded):

1. Problem Solving

Place a treat under an empty soup can.

Scoring:

(5) Dog gets treat in 0-5 seconds

(4) Dog gets treat in 6-15 seconds

(3) Dog gets treat in 16-30 seconds

(2) Dog gets treat in 31-60 seconds

(1) Dog tries to get treat and fails

(0) Dog shows no interest

2. Problem Solving

Quickly throw a large towel over your dog’s head and shoulders.

Scoring:

(5) Dog gets free in 0-15 seconds

(4) Dog gets free in 16-30 seconds

(3) Dog gets free in 31-60 seconds

(2) Dog gets free in 1-2 minutes

(1) Dog doesn’t get free within 2 minutes

3. Problem Solving

Place a treat under a small towel.

Scoring:

(5) Dog gets treat in 0-15 seconds

(4) Dog gets treat in 16-30 seconds

(3) Dog gets treat in 31-60 seconds

(2) Dog gets treat in 1-2 minutes

(1) Dog tries to get treat and fails

(0) Dog shows no interest

4. Short-Term Memory

Let your dog see you place a treat in the corner of the room, then turn him loose.

Scoring:

(5) Dog goes straight to the treat

(4) Dog searches systematically and finds the treat

(3) Dog searches randomly but finds treat in under 45 seconds

(2) Dog searches but fails to find treat

(1) Dog shows no interest

5. Long-Term Memory

Let your dog see you place a treat in the corner of the room (a different corner than the one you used in test 4), remove him from the room for 5 minutes, play with him, return, and then turn him loose.

Scoring:

(5) Dog goes straight to treat

(4) Dog goes to the corner from test 4, then the correct corner

(3) Dog searches systematically and finds treat

(2) Dog searches randomly but finds treat in under 45 seconds

(1) Dog searches but fails to find treat

(0) Dog shows no interest

6. Problem Solving and Manipulation

Place treat under a low platform, make sure your dog can still reach the treat with his mouth.

Scoring:

(5) Dog gets treat in under 1 minute

(4) Dog gets treat in 1-3 minutes

(3) Dog uses paws and muzzle but fails to get treat

(2) Dog uses muzzle only a few times and gives up

(1) Dog doesn’t try to get treat

7. Problem Solving

Show your dog a treat through a slit in a large cardboard barricade (he should not be able to get the treat through the slit). Encourage him to get the treat.

Scoring:

(5) Dog goes around barrier in 0-15 seconds

(4) Dog goes around barrier in 16-30 seconds

(3) Dog goes around barrier in 31-60 seconds

[Stop encouraging him after 1 minute]

(2) Dog goes around barrier in 1-2 minutes

(1) Dog tries to reach through slit and gives up

(0) Dog shows no interest

At the end, total how many points your dog got. Coren suggests interpreting the results as follows:

30-35: Genius

26-29: Highly Intelligent

22-25: Above Average Intelligence

16-21: Average Intelligence

12-15: Slightly Below Average Intelligence

8-11: Borderline

0-7: Deficient

No matter where your dog ends up scoring, don’t take the test too seriously! I.Q. tests—human or canine—are naturally flawed for their inability to encapsulate all the unique characteristics of the test-taker. If you decide to try it out, just have fun with it; I’m sure your dog will enjoy the extra treats!

There’s a bill pending now to update the antifreeze bittering law that was passed last session; here’s an article about it that contains a link to the MSPCA page, where people can take action to support S.88.  The formal legislative session ends July 31; it would be fantastic to see this legislation make progress before then.

As of 2011, Massachusetts law requires the addition of a bittering agent to retail containers of antifreeze to deter ingestion and poisonings of animals and people.  However, many people get their cars serviced at garages, which use wholesale containers of antifreeze that are not treated with a bittering agent.  Leaks of untreated antifreeze still result in poisonings.  In fact, Senator Brewer filed S.88 on behalf of a constituent whose dog died after drinking out of a puddle that contained antifreeze which had leaked from a vehicle.  Therefore, this pending legislation would require that wholesale containers, such as those used at automotive service stations, also contain a bittering agent to deter ingestion.

Most automotive antifreeze contains ethylene glycol, which is highly toxic to animals and humans and can produce life-threatening kidney damage, even in small amounts.  Unfortunately, the sweet smell and taste of antifreeze is appealing to animals.  Just one tablespoon of 50-50 diluted antifreeze can be lethal to a 10-pound cat, and as little as 4 ounces could be fatal to a 20-pound dog.  Leaks on driveways, in parking lots, on farms, and in natural areas like parks and campgrounds can easily contain enough ethylene glycol to kill both domestic and wild animals who ingest the sweet fluid.

A survey of Massachusetts veterinarians conducted by the MSPCA found that 67.9% of the respondents reported treating animals for antifreeze ingestion.  Further, this group reported a high mortality rate due to the speed at which antifreeze poisoning causes irreparable damage to an animal’s internal organs.  Across the country, The Humane Society of the United States estimates that at least 10,000 companion animals die from antifreeze poisoning annually; the number of wild animals poisoned is not known, but is thought to be quite significant.

The MSPCA believes that prevention is the most effective way of avoiding the suffering of animals and their human caretakers/guardians from antifreeze ingestion.  One component of prevention is the addition of a bitter-tasting deterrent agent such as denatonium benzoate.  S.88 would require the addition this substance to wholesale containers of antifreeze, to make it unpalatable to animals. Denatonium benzoate is already used in other household products, would not significantly increase the cost of antifreeze, and does not have any known long-term negative environmental or health effects.

Of course, it will remain important for animal welfare and public health officials to warn people about the dangers of antifreeze ingestion whether it contains a bittering agent or not.  We agree that public education about the dangers of antifreeze poisoning should continue, along with monitoring and documentation of poisoning incidents.

S.88 received a favorable report and is now pending in the Senate Ethics and Rules committee.  See www.mspca.org/antifreeze for more information and to take action.

After the jump, check out a great and informative infographic reminding us why spaying and neutering is so important (thanks to Sara from The Cat Pee Diaries for sending this to us):