Rudolph

The Rudolph baby pet box was first available as one of the rewards of the Christmas event of 2010 (actually started at the New Year of 2011). To obtain Rudolph, the player needs to turn in 15 Christmas Coins to the Santa Rapper. Christmas Coins are available from Santa Nunez by trading in 1 each of Santa Coat, Santa Hat, Santa Pants, Santa Gloves, Santa Socks, Santa Shoes, Santa Bag, and Santa Muffler . Santa clothing pieces are given as rewards by the various rescued reindeer located within the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Rescue Rudolph missions.

Cat Protection centre: Bridgend's 'dire' adoptions drop

Kittens Catherine, Charles, Cambridge and Champagne were found abandoned during the Royal Wedding bank holiday
A cat rescue centre says it is struggling after a drop in people looking to adopt unwanted pets.

Cat Protection's adoption centre in Bridgend is looking after 247 cats and kittens, with another 397 on a waiting list.

Sue Dobbs, centre manager said: "I have been managing the centre for 13 years and have never known the situation to be so dire."

As well as a fall in homing, it has faced rising numbers of abandoned cats.

Since the start of the year, the charity has seen the number of adoptions drop by more than a quarter at the centre.

Lonely hearts
Recent abandoned pets include four kittens which were found huddled under a bush in a memorial garden over the Royal Wedding weekend.

"We are at breaking point if this continues. We are going to struggle to help the many needy cats and kittens out there," said Ms Dobbs.

Meanwhile, the RSPCA's Llys Nini centre in Swansea has placed a "lonely hearts"-style advert on Facebook, in an attempt to find a new home for their longest stray dog resident.

White boxer Asia has been there for nine months and the appeal is headed as "female looking for love".

The advert reads: "Non smoking, fun loving, friendly, with GSH. I love rolling naked in the grass, long walks & nights in by the fire. Looking for long term stable relationship with someone with own home."

Introduce a New Puppy to an Older Dog

Introduce a New Puppy to an Older Dog

Introducing a new puppy to an older dog can be a delicate process.
When you decide to add a new puppy to your household, there could be some problems if you have an existing dog. Your resident dog, who has received all the attention up until now, might not like having to share your love and affection. If you do not know how your current dog will react to a new puppy, you need to take precautions when making the dog introductions.

If you have an existing dog with some behavior problems you may want to address those problems before bringing a new dog or puppy home. Some bad behaviors can transfer to the new pet. Dogs learn by example from other dogs pretty easily. If aggression seems to be the problem it may be jealousy. The nature of the aggression must be identified before you can address it. You may also want to take into consideration the physical condition of your current animals. If you have an old dog with health problems, he or she may be too fragile to be around a new puppy. People will sometimes go into shelters or pet stores looking for a puppy to motivate their older dogs. Older or calm dogs are pretty content as they are and may be annoyed and very unhappy with a puppy's rowdy behaviors. A personality and energy match for your current pets is the best match, but if you do end up with a puppy and older dog, here are some suggestions we can offer.

Separation is a good idea at first. Having the new puppy in the house is enough for your older dog to get used to, let alone having to deal with the puppy nipping, barking and playing with their toys and bed. Try to have the puppy be in a room that your adult dog doesn’t spend a lot of time in at first. Bathrooms tend to work well for this because the older dog is probably not used to hanging around in there much. You can even use a crate or kennel. One important thing to remember is to train, feed, and play separately. You must remember to give equal time to both pets to keep the jealous behavior to a minimum.

To be sure that your pets stay healthy, it’s very important to have the new puppy examined by a veterinarian before introducing them to the older pets. A veterinarian can examine the pet and lessen the threat of disease to your existing pets. You can also treat for fleas and other parasites before bringing the new pet into the home.

Introducing a new dog in the house should be done in a controlled manner.
To introduce the new pet, pick a neutral area. Somebody else’s yard, or even have someone meet you walking down the street. Both of the dogs must be on leashes and under control. If you have more than just the one dog already, introduce them one at a time to the newest puppy. Start with the friendliest of them. You can start by having a friend and not a family member hold the puppy in their arms and letting your adult dog take a sniff. Separate the dogs and put the puppy down and let the dogs approach each other at their speed. You must remember to stay relaxed during this process. The dogs can sense if you are anxious. Verbal support, such as “good boy/girl!” reinforces any good behavior. If there is any aggression from either side you, will have to take a break and try again a little bit later. If the aggression continues, consult a guide or trainer. Allow the dogs to spend five to ten minutes together at a time and then proceed. We have put together some tips for introducing your new dog to an old dog.

Always start with small romps. Allow the dogs supervised access to one another for the first week or so. Slowly they will form a good bond and can be trusted alone. Depending on the dogs, these romps can be five minutes to an hour or longer. Pick the largest play area possible so the dogs have room to move around. I like to use the yard. If the older dog repeatedly shows signs of fatigue or aggravated behavior such as to avoiding the puppy, growling or snapping. Remember to remove all toys from this mutual play area to avoid possible aggression over these toys. The puppy is still a baby until they reach one year and because of this they don’t always recognize the signs of aggression.

Cutie Dogs

Cutie Puppies of the day !!!!!

Garden Plants That Help Fight Fleas Naturally

Garden Plants That Help Fight Fleas Naturally

By Linda Cole

It's that time of year when pesky fleas begin popping up in the home and on your pet. Planting certain garden plants around your home and in the areas where your pets wander can help deter and repel those little pests. Now is the time to plan your garden to include some plants that can help control fleas naturally.

Many of the same herbs used in cooking, baking and teas work well to help deter and repel fleas. However, not all plants are safe for use around dogs and cats. Tansy, Wormwood, Eucalyptus, Fleawort, Pennyroyal (also called Fleabane), Rue, Citronella and Sweet Bay are garden plants that can help repel fleas and they are suggested for use as natural flea control, but all of them are toxic to dogs and cats. Since most gardens are visited by neighborhood cats or dogs, it's best to avoid using these plants in gardens or around the yard.

Mints are one of my favorite garden plants because they can be used in baking, cooking and teas, and they have a wonderful smell. I have chocolate mint growing around my dog pen and the foundation of the house. All varieties of mint work well to repel fleas. One thing I love about my chocolate mint is when one of the dogs wanders through a patch of mint, they have a minty smell that clings to them for awhile and at the same time, it repels some of the fleas on them. And if one of the dogs decides to munch on some of the mint, I know it's safe and won't hurt them.

All of the mints are invasive plants, so if you don't want a yard full of mint, plant them in pots that can be buried in the ground so you can contain this plant in one area. You should plant different varieties away from each other to keep them from cross pollinating. Mints are perennial plants and inexpensive to buy. They're hardy, easy to grow and can withstand harsh winter snows and cold.

Catnip: anyone who shares their home with a cat can't go wrong with catnip in their garden. A member of the mint family, this plant is a natural repellent for fleas and safe for both cats and dogs. You might want to carefully choose where you want to plant catnip because it will attract outside cats. Placing this plant alongside your prized flower beds may not be the best choice.

Sage is thick bush that grows up to three feet tall. It's the largest member in the mint family.

Rosemary is also a member of the mint family. Be careful when planting Rosemary, however. You want to make sure to get the herb plant, which is safe for pets and not Rosemary Pea or Rosemary Bog because they are toxic for dogs and cats.

Chamomile is a good plant to have in gardens because it not only repel fleas, but it's believed the Chamomile plant can help keep other plants in the garden healthy. I've never tried it myself, but it's been said that if you have a sickly looking plant that's not growing well, plant a Chamomile next to it. This plant has little daisy like flowers.

Lavender is another member of the mint family. This plant is safe for pets and not only repels fleas, but moths and mosquitoes too. Lavender is a good plant to have in the area of your yard where you like to gather for outside outings with family and friends and where your pets play.

Lemon Grass is a perfect companion to Lavender because it too will repel mosquitoes and fleas. And yes, it does smell like lemon.

When you plant any of the above plants around your home's foundation and in areas where your pets spend time when outside, these plants can help repel fleas and other pests. You can take dried or fresh leaves and sprinkle them in your pet's bedding and across entryways into the home to keep fleas from entering through a door. Dried leaves can also be used in sachet packets that can be placed around the home or you can sprinkle dried leaves on carpets, under furniture and around baseboards to help repel fleas.

None of these plants will kill fleas; they only repel them, but by placing the plants in the right areas of your yard, you can use their unique ability to help keep fleas away from your pets and your home. When dealing with fleas, we need to use every weapon we can find. Julia Williams’ article, “Debunking Seven Myths about the Mighty Flea,” gives you an idea what we are up against when it comes to this annoying little pest. 

Feng Shui Tips & Tricks

Feng shui is an ancient and wise approach to the way our environment affects us. The way we feel and the way we act is affected in a great amount by the environment which surrounds us. Therefore, by learning how to properly organize what surrounds us, we can improve our lives, and that is what feng shui is about.
By organizing our environment randomly, we do not take control of how it affects us and give it the chance to become an obstacle without even realizing of it. Feng shui teaches us that the spaces where we live or work should be thoughtfully disposed in order to take the best advantage of them and make them be a help to us rather than an obstacle.

Feng shui shows us how our spaces can be designed and re-arranged in order to provide us the right balance and harmony. Simple things such as the position in which we place our desk, can become determinative to the harmony we feel in that space, and affect factors such as the concentration we may have when working in that space.