Animal Chatter by Iris Winston The small boy and his dog were playing happily on the far side of the park. Even from some 200 yards away, I could see the extent of their joy in each other and their game. Also evident with every move was the special relationship between the two. It was clear that this was more than the usual...
Tag - animal chatter
Animal Chatter by Iris Winston No dog of mine has ever ventured an opinion on being confined to a crate. That’s because I’m so uncomfortable with the idea of crate training that I have never been able to go that route. I have heard a long list of the advantages of familiarizing a dog with using a crate. I have seen some dogs...
Animal Chatter by Iris Winston The day that Marnie was not at the door to greet me was the day I knew that she was near the end of her life. My beautiful Irish setter hadn’t been able to let me know that she was glad to see me. It was so different from the way it had always been when she had danced around me as soon as I came...
Animal chatter BY IRIS WINSTON Can a cat have a happy life if he never roams the great outdoors? Cats instinctively love exploring, hunting and staking out their territory. Wild, feral and some male farm cats can cover 150 acres or more, for example. Even the more modest 15 acres that make up the average female farm cat’s...
Animal Chatter by Iris Winston How many different breeds of dog are there? That’s something of a trick question. Even if it were limited to the number recognized by kennel clubs, the numbers would vary from nation to nation. At last count, the Canadian Kennel Club recognized 187 breeds—including the uniquely Canadian Inuit...
Animal Chatter by Iris Winston I know that Freya, my 20-year-old Norwegian forest cat, is near the end of her life. She has oral cancer and the malignant tumor is invading her jaw bone and growing to the point that she is not able to close her mouth completely. Certainly, this means that her quality of life has declined, but...
Animal Chatter by Iris Winston “Music has charms to soothe a savage breast.” So playwright William Congreve wrote in the 17th century and music continues to have a strong effect on the mood and emotions of many creatures in the 21st century. For instance, music therapy is regularly used as an anti-anxiety remedy or to treat...
Animal Chatter By Iris Winston Think about the pain you would feel to have the first joint of each of your fingers removed. Consider the discomfort associated with cosmetic procedures — even if you made the decision that the surgery would be worthwhile. Animals don’t have any say in the matter of surgery inflicted upon them...
Animal Chatter By Iris Winston It looks attractive, but… Those were the words from a friend of mine as she looked at the illustration accompanying one of my pet columns. It showed a cute white dog on a long leash walking far ahead of an older man holding the leash. It brought to mind a life-changing accident for my friend. She...
Animal Chatter By Iris Winston If you are thinking how your grandchild’s eyes will sparkle when you give her a puppy or kitten for Christmas, complete with a red bow round its neck, reconsider. The vision is appealing — for a moment. But the consequences could be really upsetting for the animal and for a family that may not be...
