Friday Photo - Two Days Old

Last weekend Andrew and I went to Vicky's to take pictures of puppies so I could get them up on Petfinder. We got to meet the newest mom in Vicky's Pet Connection's program and her then two day old puppies.

Friday Photo - Baby Rabbit

For nine days Andrew and I took daily photos of a nest of cottontail rabbits. One Saturday we were pulling some tall weeds in the area where we usually have a vegetable garden. This year we didn't have time to grow plants and put them in the ground.

As we were pulling weeds Andrew found the nest! At first he thought it was abandoned. But then we picked up the grass and fur on top of the nest and saw four small rabbits! We weren't sure how old they were but decided to take daily photos of them to see how they grew and changed.

I did a little reading about cottontail rabbits on various sites. I wanted to make sure that the mom would come back even though her nest was disturbed. I read that our looking at the rabbits wouldn't deter her.

So the daily photos began and were documented on my personal blog. Most evenings around 6:30 we would go and check on the four rabbits. Over the course of nine days we watched the rabbits grow. At one point one of them died. We don't know if something happened or if he or she just wasn't strong enough.

The above photo is from the ninth and last day that we saw any of the babies. On the last day there was only one rabbit in the nest. And the rabbit's eyes were finally open. We don't know what happened to the other two and can only hope that a cat or bird did not get them.

Although our documentation of the baby rabbits didn't last long we were happy we had nine days watching them grow.

Friday Photo - Patriotic

This photo was taken when Haven and Beacon were just over a year old. We were at Lake Ariel in Pennsylvania. My grandparents lived here and I have a lot of childhood memories at the place. After being in the family almost 100 years old the property was sold a few years ago.

Fourth of July 2004 we spent at the lake. We watched fireworks and hung out with some of my extended family.

Fireworks: Fun for You, Not for Them

Most folks have a long list of tasks to complete in order to get ready for the 4th of July holiday weekend, full of chores like these:
-- buy fireworks
-- clean the house
-- pack your bags
-- shop for food
-- fire up the grill
-- buy more fireworks

Where do your dogs and cats fit on this list? 4th of July is a particularly stressful time of the year for pets and their needs should be addressed as you prepare for the weekend. Fireworks are a family event not well suited to the sensitive ears and psyches of the canine and feline members of your clan.

Expert animal behaviorist Diana L. Guerrero shares some 4th of July pet tips on her blog.  It's not just to protect your pets' ears, but perhaps their lives - many freaked-out dogs and cats bolt through open doors and over fences to escape the loud noises, ending up lost for days or even worse, hit by a car. Other pets may react by attacking fireworks, potentially suffering severe burns or other trauma.

Perhaps it's best to exclude your pets from family activities this time.  I know, that's odd advice from us given that our motto is "Go with dog. Be with cat." What's important is being proactive about their well-being, which ensures that the entire family - two-footed and four-footed alike - enjoys a safe holiday.