https://comfortforcritters.org/Comfort for CrittersVivitiCMS2021-04-01T04:44:00-05:00Comfort for Critterstag:comfortforcritters.org,2016-04-09:/entries/979309Choosing a Veterinarian - How to know if they're a good match for you2021-04-01T04:44:00-05:002021-03-10T15:53:23-06:00<p><img alt="" src="https://comfortforcritters.org/files/resized/344398/740;947;1daddf7ee44615b57645f05d61602e0287075d6a.jpg" style="float:left; height:202.983px; width:180px"><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Helping our pets to have the best life possible, often means teaming up with a great veterinarian. Finding the perfect match goes a bit further though if you want to help not just your pet, but all those you can’t adopt (but would like to!).</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">I’ve been taking my “Noah’s Ark” of animals to the same veterinary practice for over 20 years. I appreciate their skill and attitude so much that I wish they’d take care of me sometimes! When I chose them, I really did my homework, as I knew I’d be bringing many family members to them for many years. I also tend to adopt a variety of pets….reptiles, mammals, amphibians, etc., so I needed a practice that would support my ever-growing family.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">There are a few key questions which should be asked, when evaluating a veterinarian in particular, or an animal hospital in general.</span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Do the pet hospital’s days and hours of operation fit your schedule? It’s always good to check this first, so you don’t find someone you love, but could never find the time to see!</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">When you walk through the door, is the facility clean? Does it smell pleasant? If one of their clients has an “accident”, is it thoroughly cleaned up immediately?</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Is the staff responsive, from beginning to end? Are you greeted when you arrive or left to stand, waiting for someone to acknowledge you? Is the veterinarian interested to learn more about your pet, your needs and takes their time with the examination?</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Is everyone certified, including the vet techs and other staff workers? Is there meaningful training for other support staff?</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Does the practice have connections with a 24/7 emergency care facility, or can they recommend one in case of emergency? Do they know of specialists in the area for situations which are outside of their expertise? Would they willingly recommend them?</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Are written estimates provided for procedures which can be anticipated?</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Do they welcome a tour of their facility? For offices that have invested in great people, proper equipment and the latest technology, they typically love to show it off to prospective clients.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">By the time you sift through these questions you should have a good feel for the place and the doctor. Trust your gut to tell you if they are a good match for your family.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">For animal lovers that care not just about their own family members, but all pets, I’ve found there are a few other items to consider. These will really separate the good veterinary practices from the truly great ones. It’s also a great way to use the “power of your purchase” to support businesses that provide this higher level of caring.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Bring up these topics with your veterinarian to really get a feel for where their heart is:</span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Does the practice try to find homes for displaced pets? Most offices will have at least an occasional client that passes away, or for some other reason cannot care for their beloved pet. Great veterinary offices have a way to help find a home in these circumstances.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Do they help out their local animal shelters? While some shelters are fortunate enough to have a veterinarian on staff, most do not. They rely on a local veterinarian to either donate their time or offer their services at a greatly discounted rate. If you find a doctor that helps out their local shelter, you’ve surely found a winner!</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Do they have a charitable fund which helps out clients with financial hardships? Some practices do have a fund that they can dip into for extreme cases. Other clients can donate into this fund, to help support pet owners faced with difficult decisions.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Do they work with a separate non-profit to offer charitable services? They may also suggest you donate to a separate organization, such as the Veterinary Care Charitable Fund, which helps veterinarians to offer charitable services to clients facing personal hardships as well as animals rescued from abuse and neglect.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">All these issues can be revisited periodically, to make sure the practice you are using is still the right one for you. As pets age, or new pets are added to the family, it’s always a good idea to make sure your veterinarian is still the best choice for your growing family. It’s also a great way to see if there are any new ways you can make life better for just not your pet….but all those you can’t adopt!</span></span></p>
tag:comfortforcritters.org,2016-03-20:/entries/949395Think “Two by Two” when Choosing the Best Dog Food2021-03-01T06:30:00-06:002021-03-10T15:46:04-06:00<p><img alt="" src="https://comfortforcritters.org/files/resized/341429/230;152;e9759c3e1dd46f4acbbd99c3cc3be5e8351b73f1.jpg" style="float:left; height:177.983px; width:230.994px"><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">When I adopted Daisy, my first Labrador Retriever, through a local rescue group, I could tell she had seen better days. She was clearly 20 pounds overweight and her fur was quite sparse. She had been abandoned, after living with a family for over five years, so I knew she needed to be loved unconditionally and to get the highest quality care. She received these immediately, as I prayed that overwhelming damage had not yet been done.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">What I underestimated was the importance of a high quality diet. Once I transitioned her to a healthy diet, I was amazed at the turnaround. The pounds came off, though a daily walk certainly helped. In addition, her fur filled in to become thick and luxurious, changing her appearance dramatically.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">I did quite a bit of research when choosing her food, and have continued to stick to these guidelines for two additional dogs we adopted. Daisy lived to the ripe old age of 15 (great for large dogs!), which I believe is a testament to the fact that you can undo damage, even after many years. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">I consider these my “Noah’s Ark” guidelines, since they come in two’s. The first two ingredients on dog food are the most important along with two “statements” you should always see listed on the label.</span></span></p>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">The first ingredient <strong>should be always be meat</strong>, without exception. In addition, the label should specify what kind of meat it is. Terms like “beef”, “chicken” and “liver” are much better than the general terms “meat” or even “poultry.”</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">The second ingredient should again <strong>list a specific meat, followed by the term “meal.”</strong> So again, “beef meal” or “chicken meal” is preferred over “poultry meal.”</span></span></li>
</ol>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Once you’ve covered the first two ingredients you clearly know the majority of the contents, since ingredients are listed in descending order of prominence. So the ingredient that makes up the greatest percentage of the contents is listed first.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Additional ingredients can be listed as “by-products” or grains. The term “by-products” turns some people off, but these are actually nutritious organs (liver, lungs, etc.) which add to your pet’s diet. Grains are fine as well, since they are a good source of energy. Of course if your pet has a specific allergy to a grain, that makes the ingredient off limits.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Next, let’s look for the two statements you should see on every dog food label:</span></span></p>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">All pet food should have a <strong>nutritional adequacy statement</strong>. It will read something similar to, “This food is complete and balanced for all life stages,” or “This food is complete and balanced for adult maintenance.” These statements reassure the buyer that your dog’s complete nutritional needs have been taken into consideration and will be met by the food.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">There should also be a second statement which addresses <strong>how the manufacturer has verified that the food actually is “complete and balanced”.</strong> It may be done through feeding trials with actual pets (preferred) or simply formulated to meet the desired blend of nutrients.</span></span></li>
</ol>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">As you evaluate various brands, keep in mind that there is very little regulation of what goes into pet food. The USDA and FDA are not involved at all! The definition of commonly used terms, such as “holistic”, “organic” and “natural” is left completely up to the manufacturer. Don’t pay more for this extra bit of branding, unless you know for sure it’s more than just marketing!</span></span></p>
tag:comfortforcritters.org,2021-01-25:/entries/2494948"Go-To" Websites for Patterns!2021-02-01T05:00:00-06:002021-01-25T15:19:21-06:00<p><img alt="" src="https://comfortforcritters.org/files/resized/665106/275;183;bca9f634a059eab72ee8c9845c94834b448d50ac.jpg" style="border:5px solid rgb(56, 71, 235); float:left; height:244px; width:360px"><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">I love poking around the Internet, finding new patterns and learning new stitches. Everything gets incorporated into the next pet blanket I make! I don’t like having to “sign up” at sites, even if it’s free. I like the sites that welcome everyone in and let you explore without even having to enter an email address. With this in mind, I’ve really focused this list on websites from some of the major yarn companies. They are happy to provide lots of patterns, advice, tips and tricks. After all, the more project you take on, the more yarn you buy!</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">These five sites are worth checking out since they have patterns that are completely free of charge and cover both knitting and crochet. I also found that the patterns were easy to print out and were super clear to follow. I love finding a new technique or a new stitch and then planning out my next pet blanket!</span></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#0000CD"><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>Yarnspirations.com</strong></span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Yarnspirations covers some of the very top yarn brands, including Red Heart, Caron, Bernat and more. This site provides many free and easy patterns, which I found nicely organized, making the perfect pattern easy to find. They can be sorted by skill level and even by brand of yarn, in case there’s a particular type you love (we all have our favorites!). I also liked how the patterns were formatted, proving all the info you need and making them easy to print, . </span></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#0000CD"><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>LionBrand.com</strong></span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">This site has tons of free patterns as well, which are sorted by type and skill level. I found some other interesting tools, including a guide to know how much yarn would be needed for a variety of project types and videos covering how to knit and crochet. I also found some fun patterns specific to holidays, which gave me some great ideas to try!</span></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#0000CD"><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>PlymouthYarn.com</strong></span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">This site also had a good number of patterns, which can be downloaded for free as a easy-to-print PDF. They didn’t have the volume of the previous sites, but I liked to be able to quickly scan the thumbnail pictures to get ideas. I found patterns that I didn’t know I wanted before I saw the pictures!</span></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#0000CD"><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>Yarn.com</strong></span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">The patterns at this site were not all free, but you can do a search for “free patterns” and get quite a long list of results. I liked that they had a wide variety of “kits” for sale to make blankets, baby items, etc. I also enjoyed learning about the crafts of Weaving and Spinning at this site. It may be a new area for me to expand into (when I find some time!).</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">If you know of a great website, please consider sharing it with your fellow CFC volunteers at our Facebook Group, “The Comfort for Critters Team”. See you there!</span></span></p>
tag:comfortforcritters.org,2020-12-23:/entries/2443603Pet Food Banks – The Need Continues!2021-01-01T05:00:00-06:002020-12-23T17:20:05-06:00<p><img alt="" class="" src="https://comfortforcritters.org/files/resized/661714/780;275;8ba6390120f93d0599214b8da40ff3a1914ac151.jpg" style="border:none; float:left; height:194px; width:550px"><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">The last time I wrote about this topic was one year ago. At that time the need was great and (needless to say) times have not gotten any better! The news is filled with video of the long lines at food banks, and the dire shape some families are in during this pandemic. If you find you are able, I would encourage everyone to donate to these relief organizations and consider adding pet food to the people food dropped off.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">From my observations, and as someone that donates monthly to food banks, the need (in my lifetime) has never been greater. With new Covid-restrictions in my area, I can no longer “walk in” my donation. I just get in a line of cars and pass the bags through a window to a masked volunteer. I was thrilled to see the long line of cars, but soon realized they were picking up, not dropping off, food. I’ve never seen this demand before and it was heartbreaking.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">This fall I read an article in the Chicago Tribute highlighting the surge in demand at pet food banks this year. Many of the pet-specific pantries had to abandon their reliance on volunteers and some even had to close. Shelters have been picking up some of the slack, but they too have been hard hit by the pandemic. The demand in the area grew so great that shelters had to start buying pet food to hand out, rather than relying on donations. According to one of the pet food pantry operators, “We found out that many of the people, particularly seniors, would choose to feed their pets rather than themselves.” So for me, helping feed pets is helping feed people too! It’s also caring for a person’s loving companion who is likely a tremendous emotional support.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">If you’d like to help out, an easy way to get started is to Google “pet food bank near me” (Google will likely “know” your location!). If not, add the name of your city. This should result in a list of places which will accept pet food.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">You can also try visiting the Anti-Cruelty Society at <a href="http://www.anticruelty.org/">www.anticruelty.org</a>. Check under “Resources” for a list of locations. You may also check out <a href="http://www.generationwags.com/">www.generationwags.com</a>, and check under “Rethink Rescue”, then “Safety nets for pet owners”. I found a list, by state, of places to get free pet food (or to donate food).</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">As I mentioned, some animal shelters provide food to the pets of local residents who are facing a financial need. So if you have a great animal shelter near you, it might be worth checking to see if they’ll accept pet food to distribute, as needed, to families. Remember, the pets you are helping are likely helping their “people” through a very difficult time. What a blessing it is to help people, and their pets. As a final note, I do want to acknowledge that every family seems stressed emotionally and financially right now. You don’t need to donate a case of food to help. A single can will help, and make a difference!</span></span></p>
tag:comfortforcritters.org,2020-11-30:/entries/2408300Best Cat Toy Ever! 2020-12-01T05:43:00-06:002020-11-30T14:54:39-06:00<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">My kitties have "test</span></span><img alt="" src="https://comfortforcritters.org/files/resized/657841/545;545;8aa98bfba3e92815760197abc2da1d6b49b0cf02.jpg" style="border:none; float:left; height:301px; width:301px"><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">ed" many cat toys over the years, but there's one type that's always their favorite. It's super easy to make too! You'll just need a bit of leftover yarn and a milk jug "ring". If your kitty loves to chase these plastic</span></span><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"> rings from the cap of a gallon milk jug, this is a way to make them soft and colorful. They will look much better as they lay on your kitchen floor, and they won’</span></span><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:15px">t hurt when you inevitably step on them!</span></p>
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<p><img alt="" src="https://comfortforcritters.org/files/resized/657843/540;409;a3f574fb898c8525f5c071c17be44b1244f88afb.jpg" style="border:none; float:left; height:201px; width:265px"><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Save one of the rings and gather an “I” size crochet hook, tapestry needle and some yarn. If you have catnip available, grab a bit of that too, but it’s not absolutely necessary (though your cat may disagree).</span></span></p>
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<p><img alt="" src="https://comfortforcritters.org/files/resized/657842/556;577;9286404caf30d1f0592cd85f32ba73ca4e31ad17.jpg" style="border:none; float:left; height:279px; width:268px"><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Just hold the ring steady and use a slip stitch to secure the yarn around the ring. Then use a single crochet stitch to cover the ring with yarn, as follows: Instead of putting the hook “into” a stitch, you’ll put it under the ring, grab the loose yarn, pull it back under, yarn-over and pull the yarn through. When you get to the end, use a slip stitch to attach the final single crochet to the first one. Tie off, and weave in the ends using a tapestry needle.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">You’ll also need to periodically push the stitches together a bit, so that they are nice and tightly packed around the ring. You shouldn’t be able to see the color of the original milk jug ring at all. I like to roll the finished piece in some loose catnip</span></span><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">, as the final touch to this easy-peasy cat toy!</span></span></p>
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tag:comfortforcritters.org,2016-03-20:/entries/949386How to Help Black Pets2020-11-01T06:00:00-06:002020-10-01T14:41:30-05:00<p><img alt="" src="https://comfortforcritters.org/files/resized/40260/272;264;9dd2d125abb8ddfe626f941612fd9261a8f9170a.jpg" style="float:left; height:176.989px; width:181.989px"><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">I think we can all agree that judging anyone on the color of their skin, rather than the content of their character, is pretty appalling. It looks like this tendency in some humans, extends unfortunately, to our four-foot companions. Yes, “black dog/cat syndrome” is real, and real disgusting (I say this as my jet-black cat peers down at me from her perch). I swear she added the “real disgusting” part, though I do agree.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">I hear over and over from shelters that black cats and dogs are often quickly passed over and sometimes remain in the shelter for twice as long as their non-black companions. Petfinder, a matching service for adoptable pets and the lucky families that find them, also reports that black animals remain on their “available” list four times as long as pets of other colors, or mixes of colors. All this data unfortunately means that the black dogs and cats are also the first to be euthanized in shelters, if they do not have a “no-kill” policy.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">The reason for this phenomenon is as ridiculous as it is sad. Some shelters theorize that it’s because black pets don’t photograph as well as pets of other colors. Remember, we live in the age of Facebook, Instagram and more Selfies than I care to look at. Other shelters see visitor’s unwarranted fear of black dogs (we can thank Hollywood for that), or superstitions about black cats. Really? They also point out that the facial expressions of solid black pets are a bit harder to read and that the animal can seem less “unique”.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">I like to think that our colorful blankets help a bit, but realistically shelters need to face this very real problem and offer solutions. Thankfully most shelters do, and in very creative ways. </span></span><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">A shelter in Utah has promoted a “Back in Black” theme each November, where they publicize the plight of their black pets. Many other shelters hold special adoption events where only black pets are featured or allow for discounted adoption fees for black pets.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Every pet owner can also help. If you live with a black companion animal, be proud! Include them in Facebook posts and family photographs whenever possible. If you even smell a whiff of BDS (Black Dog Syndrome), talk to the person about their fears and show them they are unfounded. When most people interact with a lovable black ball of fur, any misgivings will evaporate. It’s also a good reminder to all of us to look past the shell that encompasses all life and to look for the beauty that lies inside!</span></span></p>
tag:comfortforcritters.org,2020-09-21:/entries/2298466Guide Dogs Offer Yet Another Reason to Love Pups!2020-10-01T04:13:00-05:002020-09-21T16:20:56-05:00<p><img alt="" src="https://comfortforcritters.org/files/resized/641904/301;168;53ab954f793f56ddbc3a9aa7f0f9c6564be80df3.jpg" style="border:none; float:left; height:223px; width:400px"><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">I love dogs. Small dogs, large dogs, dogs with one eye (I had one), dogs with two. I didn’t think I could care for pups any more than I do…until I read up on guide dogs. These “critters” are awe-inspiring.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Simply put, the dogs offer more than just helping the visually impaired navigate their world. They provide a sense of freedom which surely effects all aspects of a person’s being. They enable a life of independence and mobility, while boosting confidence and security. On top of that, they are wonderful companions (as all dogs are!), which has shown to reduce anxiety, depression and loneliness.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">These dogs love hanging out with their family, soaking up praise and playing, just like any other dog. However, when their harness goes on, they are all business. This is the main reason you should never approach or try to pet a service animal which is “on duty”. They are highly trained to focus on the safety of the team and are quite serious about their work.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong><em>Training a guide dog …</em></strong></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Training starts at about 8 weeks with a volunteer foster-family, which cares for the puppy during the first year. The dogs are encouraged to abide by some particular guidelines of behavior and exposed to a wide variety of people and situations. These families are true heroes and a critical part of the overall process. They need to follow many guidelines, like staying home most of the time, daily walks and attending puppy classes. The dogs they care for are genuinely loved, with all training done using only positive reinforcement. They train the puppy by offering treats and showering them praise in the form of physical and verbal affection.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">The next phase is a bit more formal and takes about six months. This is completed at a training center by professionals who continue to only use positive reinforcement. In general, the dogs are trained to safely move in a straight line, avoiding obstacles in their path or their partner’s path. They are taught to automatically stop at stairs, curbs, and doors, and to stay alert at all times. Besides that, their job is to take cues from their handler and follow their commands.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">All this training does cost a lot! To breed, raise and fully train a guide dog can cost around $50,000. This is one reason organizations which do this training have settled on breeds they find to be most successful, which are Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers and German Shepherds. The dogs selected need to have perfect manners, an eagerness to please and a willingness to work. They also need to be great at avoiding distractions. Even when specifically bred to be a guide dog, only about 70% of the dogs make it through the 18-month program. I’m happy to report that the 30% or so who do not “make the cut” are normally trained as another type of service dog, and go on help people in other, important ways.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">I found it just fascinating to learn about these dogs, even though I (mistakenly) thought I knew all about them. One misconception I learned is that these dogs are not taught to read traffic signals. Their partner needs to do this, since the dog is only trained to take its cue from them. The dog’s main job is to walk centrally along the pavement (without sniffing!), stop any time they reach a raised area or step, gauge the height and width of any area they go through (making sure their partner will have no issues) and they are taught to never turn a corner unless specifically instructed to do so.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">By far though, the coolest thing they’re trained to do is called “intelligent disobedience”. This means that even though they are highly trained to obey, they need to be smart enough to know when “not obeying” would be the safer choice. For instance, when their handler directs them to continue forward into a street, they need to know to disobey this command when traffic is approaching. In some cases, the dog may even attempt to move their handler out of the way, if something they deem to be dangerous is approaching!</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">The final step in creating a working guide dog is to pair the right dog with the right person. The expert trainers will consider the personality, age, communication style, level of mobility, lifestyle, and physical needs of the person. The dog’s personality, energy level and communication style are considered as well. Once a team is formed, they typically spend two weeks together, testing out the relationship. If all goes well, something like a graduation ceremony marks the final step in developing the guide dog and the first step for this pair’s life together.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">After learning all that these wonderful animals contribute to their handler, it’s hard not to become enamored. If you’d like to explore this topic just a bit more, I highly recommend the documentary “Pick of the Litter,” currently available on Hulu (and possibly other streaming services). Bring some tissue though, and be prepared to love dogs even more!</span></span></p>
tag:comfortforcritters.org,2017-05-11:/entries/1419643How to Make NO-TIE Fleece Blankets2020-09-01T06:00:00-05:002020-08-24T16:18:52-05:00<p><img alt="" src="https://comfortforcritters.org/files/resized/409744/225;263;6a8fa81389d4ff37a24fa813b550b14d4d39699a.jpg" style="float:left; height:195.994px; width:166.96px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:15px">Tied-fleece blankets are a great group project, and fun to make. Even the youngest of volunteers can master them quickly. However, all that tying can get tedious. Here's the solution....make a NO-TIE fleece blanket and comfort a homeless pet today!</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:15px">Start with two pieces of fleece, cut to be the same size. Any size will do as long as it’s square or rectangular. Put one piece on top of the othe</span><img alt="" src="https://comfortforcritters.org/files/resized/409739/830;873;75ee1f80af9835082714b65c2978b4efbbd92507.jpg" style="float:left; height:199px; width:190px"><span style="font-size:15px">r, lining up the edges so that they are even. It doesn’t need to be exact – just close!</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:15px">Now you are ready to cut your “fringes”<em>.</em> Make 3-inch “cuts” into both pieces of fleece along all four sides. The cuts should be spaced about 1 inch apart. You’ll end up with a 3-inch square cut out of each corner.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:15px">Starting on one side, flip all the fringes up (see photo at right). Next, make a very small (1/3”) slit where the fleece is folded at the base of the fringe. Cut through all layers (see photo, far right). Don’t make the slit too big, or you’ll end up with holes along the perimeter after the next step!</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><img alt="" src="https://comfortforcritters.org/files/resized/409741/264;352;e328d36e2c3db3ff77321c139fdfdb6e5cd2ae46.jpg" style="height:327px; width:245px"> <img alt="" src="https://comfortforcritters.org/files/resized/409742/291;359;3498fea9617703b7d5dcabaa19f6fd48d9ae9c3d.jpg" style="height:324px; width:283px"> <img alt="" src="https://comfortforcritters.org/files/resized/409743/247;329;b98d2c09fcfd54f0e952fa5af71a2de3ec49b340.jpg" style="height:323px; width:247px"></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:15px">Now tuck the ends of the fringe through the slit you just made and then pull the fringe down and tight! (See photos) Do this for all the fringes around all four sides.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:15px">That’s it! You’ve made a fleece blanket without tying a single knot! This method is a bit easier on the hands, when you’re making many blankets in a row. It’s also faster and makes a more comfortable blanket, since it doesn’t have a row of knots along the perimeter. The resulting soft and comfy blanket will be loved for a lifetime!</span></span></p>
<p> </p>
tag:comfortforcritters.org,2020-07-08:/entries/2190291Attracting Butterflies to Your Yard2020-08-01T06:00:00-05:002020-07-13T16:15:10-05:00<p><img alt="" class="" src="https://comfortforcritters.org/files/resized/630840/290;174;d8cb843ca2b8193686d589d76e0f93b5bd3817c8.jpg" style="border:5px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); float:left"><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Spring and Summer can be wonderful times of renewal. Plants which have withered to nothingness, burst forth with life and beauty. There’s nothing like it, and it makes enduring a Midwest winter almost worth it. Almost.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">One delight, which makes the high temperatures bearable is the return of the butterflies. With all their wonderful colors they are tiny masterpieces, flitting through the yard. Caring for these creatures can be fun and attracting them to your garden takes just a few steps. But first, let’s get to know our friends, the butterflies, a bit more.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">As with all God’s creations, the variety and creativity is simply astounding. According to the North American Butterfly Association, there are 20,000 different species of butterflies in the world. Roughly 725 of those species are found in North America. Butterflies range in size from a tiny 1/8 inch, to nearly 12 inches!</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">One of the common mistakes we make when noticing butterflies is confusing a butterfly with a moth. In general, butterflies are very colorful and almost all are active exclusively during the day. In contrast, most moths are subdued in their color and active only at night. Much of the confusion occurs with a few species of butterflies which are dull in color, and a few types of moths which are brilliantly colored! So to be sure, the best way to distinguish moths and butterflies is to look at their antennas. Butterfly antennas are shaped like a golf club (with the club “head” at the end), while moth antennas are simply straight, coming to a clear point at the end.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">So once you know what you’re looking for, or looking at, there are a handful of plants which are ideal to attract beautiful butterflies to your yard. Some of these plants are the main food source for common butterflies, so they are the perfect way to care for these creatures, as you create beautiful gardens to enjoy. It’s always best to not use any pesticides on any of the plants listed, in order to keep the butterflies happy and healthy!</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">These plants provide the perfect food for butterflies:</span></span></p>
<ul style="list-style-type:circle;">
<li><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Milkweed</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Parsley</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Alfalfa</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Fennel</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Queen Anne’s Lace</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Daisies</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Hollyhock</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Coneflower</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Black-eyed Susans</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Forget-me-nots</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Marigolds</span></span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">A handful of other plants provide sustenance, and also attract an unusually wide variety of butterflies. These are also beautiful in gardens, and include many common bushes and trees. Again, pesticide-free will give you the best results!</span></span></p>
<ul style="list-style-type:circle;">
<li><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Clover</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Butterfly bush</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Goldenrod</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Sunflower</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Dogwood when flowering (bush)</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Poplar (tree)</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Hackberry (tree)</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Blueberry (bush)</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Black walnut (tree)</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Almost all types of Oak (tree)</span></span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Lastly, you can use your vegetable garden to feed your family and attract these flying works of art! Try planting celery, peppermint, turnips, radishes, okra, fennel, dill, broccoli, brussel sprouts, carrots and cabbage. For added attraction, put sliced oranges here and there among your plants. Run a knife along the tops of the slices to release the juice and make it easy to slurp up!</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">One final idea to really bring in the butterflies, is to give them an irresistible concoction, call Butterfly Brew! You can buy it in the store, or make it yourself using one of a variety of recipes you can easily find online by Googling “Butterfly Brew”. They seem to differ just a bit, based on your climate, but most combine over-ripe bananas, beer and sugar! The mixture you create can be left in a dish, painted on rocks and fence posts, or soaked up by a sponge which is then hung from a low tree branch. Butterflies especially like to drink from a sponge, so an easy feeder idea is to place a Brew-soaked sponge in the center of a large, upside-down margarine container lid. Voila!</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Just as we care for the critters who share our home, we can care for the critters who share our yard. Try out a few of these plants, or whip-up a batch of “Brew,” and enjoy the show!</span></span></p>
tag:comfortforcritters.org,2020-06-16:/entries/2161112Finding your joy in blankets!?2020-07-01T05:00:00-05:002020-07-08T14:55:25-05:00<p><img alt="" src="https://comfortforcritters.org/files/resized/626019/1170;1810;57cd4b93f362cc6801cb5dfa8da89d96553f7c2c.jpg" style="border:5px solid rgb(240, 140, 34); float:left; height:370.952px; width:250px"><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">This has certainly been a summer like no other! I’ve found myself with more time, but less motivation than in any time I can remember. To challenge this malaise, I’ve found I have to turn off the news and actively seek out joy. Of course with the pandemic and riots keeping me safely inside my home, that joy has to come from within. I can’t always muster this, but I can always turn to my blankets for it.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Yes, that’s right, I’ve found joy in creating lively, artistic (somewhat), colorful, goofy creations. If it helps pass even one more night, I encourage everyone to do the same. During the month of June I created blankets which mimic fruit, flowers and even leaves. I love nature, so looking to it for inspiration was easy for me.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">I continued on making blankets that resemble donuts, cookies and even rainbows. Some turned out better than others, but I truly felt inspired as I searched out photographs, sketched my design, picked up my crochet hook, and got to work!</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">All my blankets have the goal of bringing comfort to a homeless pet, but to be honest, these blankets brought comfort to me. They allowed me to shift focus from the problems in society to a perfectly sliced orange. Where I felt powerless to improve anything around me, I was able to figure out just the right stitch to convey the bumpiness of a chocolate chip. With this solution in hand, world peace can’t be far behind!</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">So I encourage you to break from the routine of the blankets you’ve been creating and search out this joy for yourself. Find a yarn that’s different, or a stitch that you’ve never tried before. Combine a chocolate brown yarn with bright neon green. Express yourself in these small little creations which will bring so much joy to the lucky pets who receive them. As you imagine that jet black cat snuggled on your colorful creation, you can’t help but smile. I hope just looking forward to that, helps get you through this “new normal”. Bless you all!</span></span></p>
<p><img alt="" src="https://comfortforcritters.org/files/resized/626021/1170;1220;1a428e772f101ed5a56b036fe76311b3559bb3a7.jpg" style="border:1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); height:276.989px; width:265.895px"> <img alt="" src="https://comfortforcritters.org/files/resized/626020/410;449;f3a0ed4e752805e19daf530ba2c25c989d82b2ec.jpg" style="border:1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); height:276.96px; width:252.997px"></p>
tag:comfortforcritters.org,2020-05-14:/entries/2122758Crafting to cut stress2020-06-01T05:00:00-05:002020-05-31T15:35:01-05:00<p><img alt="" src="https://comfortforcritters.org/files/resized/620287/1170;780;6d9b9df1f23472f270146152d12909b4f4da0a67.jpg" style="border:none; float:left; height:211.974px; width:317.997px"><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">I’ve been busy creating more crochet patterns for pet blankets and researching the topic of “stress-mitigation”, in preparation for my next e-book. I began this research at the end of last year, not knowing how applicable it would be in 2020. One of the many blessings of CFC, which I never anticipated even in the slightest, is how beneficial crafting often is to the people wielding the hooks and needles.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">I’ve learned over the past 13 years, just how relaxing and rewarding it is to make these cute little blankets. It seems “crafting” is a wonderful way to unwind and even counter-act the stressors we all experience.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">I asked readers, in my last newsletter, to tell me how making blankets was helping their mental health as they deal with the new reality of Covid-19. By far, the greatest number of people told me that they make blankets to relax, especially given all that is going on in the daily news. A close second, was the need for people to be able to do something positive. That certainly doesn’t surprise me at all!</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Without exception, CFC volunteers and supporters are among the best people on the planet. People who have joined our team want to roll up their sleeves and help charities, not stay home. I’m so happy that our helpers can still stay at home, stay busy and make a huge difference.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">My research is leading down paths of crafting as active meditation, as triggering the “relaxation response,” having a positive influence on anxiety and depression, and many more avenues. I cannot wait to share it with everyone!</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">If you’d like to contribute to what I’m learning, I’d love to (privately) hear your perspective. Please email me at <a href="mailto:Linda@ComfortForCritters.org">Linda@ComfortForCritters.org</a> and I’ll send you a few questions to answer. As we all look for our own ways of dealing with the heightened stress of 2020, it often helps to hear that others are searching this out as well. Your thoughts, experiences, successes and even failures in “crafting through stress” can be yet another way you can help others. Bless you!</span></span></p>
tag:comfortforcritters.org,2020-04-21:/entries/2091606Let Your Pets Help2020-05-01T06:00:00-05:002020-04-21T16:07:23-05:00<p><img alt="" src="https://comfortforcritters.org/files/resized/616229/1170;780;ff62ec841d167ebc08e6e91e078d3427032dd4f7.jpg" style="border:5px solid rgb(40, 72, 235); float:left; height:192px; width:282px"><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">As any pet-parent will tell you, when a pet enters your life, it’s never the same - and that’s a good thing. It’s a hard thing to explain to someone who has never experienced life with a four-footed friend. During this current crisis, I know I have appreciated my pets even more! I’ve heard this over the past month or so from countless volunteers, and it just re-affirms my commitment to helping all the pets that are in shelters. Getting them into loving homes is truly the best for them, but it’s also the best for the lucky families who will adopt them!</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">A survey by the “Pets for the Elderly Foundation” found numerous, real-life examples of how pets make our lives better. For the elderly these included lower blood pressure, fewer doctor visits and less depression. They also found, and this is true for everyone, that pets help us feel less lonely, make us more active, and shower us with unconditional love.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">One of the researchers even said that “pets are the same as sunshine and vitamins!” It seems that’s just what we all need right now! A similar study by the American Institute for Preventative Medicine also illustrated some of the benefits of pet companionship. I share these below, in light of the social-distancing we are all experiencing:</span></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><em>Pets give a person a “little life” to care for.</em> Take the time to enjoy this and remind yourself just how valuable you are to the little “critters” in your life.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><em>Pets offer non-judgmental acceptance</em>. They don’t care that you’ve lived in “sweats” for the past week, or the gray in your hair is showing through. Embrace this acceptance as you would extra cuddle time.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><em>Pets decrease feelings of isolation, which is especially critical now.</em> Talk to your pets (I know I do!) and cry into their fur if you must. They are awesome companions and can be wonderful therapists.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><em>Pets provide a feeling of safety if you’re living alone.</em> Spoil them for being right there by your side through this crisis!</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><em>Especially now, pets give you a reason to go outside.</em> Take them for walks, let them run around the yard, enjoy whatever the weather is … together.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:15px">One of my favorite groups, HABRI (the Human-Animal Bond Research Institute), report that 74% of pet owners feel that having a pet has improved their mental health. I think that statistic is low! Just consider these unique ways your pet comforts you, especially when you’re social-distant from other humans.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong><span style="color:#0000FF">Comfort</span> </strong>– Pets remind you that despite what you may be feeling, you are NOT alone.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="color:#0000FF"><strong>Routine</strong></span> – This aspect of living with a pet, can promote mental health, especially now that everything seems to be changing. Having a regular schedule and daily responsibilities, can really help stabilize you, when the world turns upside down.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong><span style="color:#0000FF">Activity</span> </strong>– Pets can help us see past our present circumstances, encouraging us to get active! A renewed sense of purpose can be found in caring for a pet, even if it just means feeding them or cleaning up their messes. Taking a dog for a long walk is healthy for you physically, but also mentally and emotionally.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="color:#0000FF"><strong>Distraction </strong></span>– Rumination can be a big player in depression. A pet can break that cycle, by just being themselves. Watching a relaxed kitty curl up in the sunshine, or seeing a dog race out the back door after a squirrel (again!), can break the cycle of negative thoughts. There’s likely to be a food dish that needs filling or a paw that needs wiping, to continue the distraction!</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="color:#0000FF"><strong>Physical touch</strong></span> – Hugs and handshakes may be a “no-no” for people right now, but not for our pets. It’s been shone repeatedly that stroking a dog or cat can lower blood pressure, heart rate and (related to depression) boost levels of serotonin and dopamine. The physical touch of a cat, curling up at your side, or a Labrador Retriever doing their famous “lean”, is a treat reserved for those of us lucky enough to share our home with a pet.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Coming on the heels of this virus, may be mental health issues we all should watch out for. Allow your pets to “lean in” to your feelings and give you the physical contact you may be missing right now. Remember that animals have access to many more scents and sounds than humans. They are unique in their ability to pick up indicators which tell them we are stressed. Just as we happily work to help them, support them, care for them each day….allow them to return the favor, and get us all through this crisis together.</span></span></p>
tag:comfortforcritters.org,2020-03-14:/entries/2044226"The Granny" is the Ultimate in Crochet!2020-04-01T05:00:00-05:002020-03-14T15:39:59-05:00<p><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:15px">The Granny Square is the first pattern I learned as a girl of 10 years old. It’s remained one of my favorites for that very reason. For me, it’s a “must” for anyone who really wants to embrace the “crochet life”. As I’ve explored other patterns, I’ve found this wonderful stitch can be used in a variety of ways.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">I’ve pulled together, and crafted blankets, in three distinct “Granny” patterns. I honestly LOVED creating all three. I hope you will too. These blankets are just perfect for us, since they can be made with small amounts of leftover yarn. By using lots of different yarn, the blankets come out very colorful, which is perfect for animal shelters. Please don’t be concerned about the “holes” created by this stitch, since the shelter will know which pets these blankets are appropriate for. Each creation will be loved by a pet and their family.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">I hope a return to this stitch brings back fond memories for you, and that you enjoy making these colorful creations!</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">================================================================================================================================</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:24px"><span style="color:#FF0000"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>The Granny Square</strong></span></span></span></p>
<p><img alt="" src="https://comfortforcritters.org/files/resized/609605/457;438;86dbdb77949f367f5c079654814dbfe7c6cd33a5.jpg" style="border:5px solid rgb(240, 57, 73); float:left; height:281px; width:292px"><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>Getting Started!</strong> I suggest using 4-ply yarn and a “I” sized hook for best results. Grab whatever leftover yarn you have and put it to good use! If you’re going to change colors each row, as I did, just tie off at the end of each row, after “join to initial CH3.” Then use a SL to attach the new color into any CH3 space (these will form the corners). After the SL, just start with “CH3” as the pattern indicates.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>To begin</strong> - CH4 and join with SL to form a ring.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>Row 1 –</strong> CH3, 2DC into the ring, *CH2, 3DC into the ring. Complete 3 times from the *, CH2, SL to join to initial CH3.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>Row 2</strong> – CH3, 2DC into the same space, *CH1, 3DC, CH2, 3DC all into next space. Complete a total of 3 times from *. Then CH2, SC into the initial CH3 to join.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Believe it or not, row 2 is the foundation for the rest of your beautiful Granny Square blanket.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>Row 3+</strong> - For the rest of the rows, just attach a new color in the corner, using a SL, and CH2. Add 2DC, CH2, 3DC all into the corner (this makes a “cluster”). CH1, work a group of 3DC into next space between groups of stitches. As your rows increase, the number of spaces will increase as well. When you get to the next corner, work another corner “cluster” (3DC, CH2, 3DC). You can make your Granny Square as large as you like, but simply putting a cluster into each corner, and a set of 3DC (with a CH1 before and after) into every space between the groups of stitches. Easy enough!</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>Border</strong> – With colorful blankets, I always like to do a jet-black border. It’s like framing a work of art! I did a simple HDC all around the outside, going into the spaces between the groups of DC, and then also into the tops of two stitches of every 3DC group. Be sure to put 3HDC, as always, into every corner!</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:15px">================================================================================================================================</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:24px"><span style="color:#0000CD"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>Granny in the Round</strong></span></span></span></p>
<p><img alt="" src="https://comfortforcritters.org/files/resized/609606/362;378;896893e1b83955c786aabca9949993722ae486eb.jpg" style="border:5px solid rgb(52, 19, 240); float:left; height:298px; width:286px"><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>Getting Started!</strong> I suggest using 4-ply yarn and a “K” sized hook for best results. Grab whatever leftover yarn you have and put it to good use!</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>To begin</strong> - CH 4 and join with SL to form a ring.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>Row 1</strong> – CH 3 (counts as DC), put 11 DC into ring, join with SL to first CH 3. (Start a new color for every row, by simply joining the yarn in any SP <u>after</u> a SGC!)</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>Row 2</strong> – CH 3, DC into same SP, put 2 DC into next SP and into each SP around to the end. Join with SL to top of CH 3 from beginning.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>Row 3 – </strong>CH 3, work 2 DC into same space, SGC into next SP and in every SP around to end. Join to beginning CH 3 with a SL.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>Row 4 – </strong>CH 3, work 3 DC into same space, * SGC into next SP, LGC into next SP, repeat from * around to end. Join to beginning CH 3 with a SL.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>Row 5</strong> – CH 3, work 2 DC into same space, * LGC into SP<u> in the middle</u> of the previous rows LGC, then SGC in the next 2 SP, repeat from * around to the end, putting a LGC in the middle of the final LGC, a SGC in the last SP, and joining it with a SL to the top of the initial CH 3.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>Row 6</strong> – Repeat row 4.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>Row 7</strong> – Repeat row 3.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>Row 8</strong> – CH 3, work 3 DC into same space, * work SGC into next 2 SP, work LGC into next space, repeat from * around to end. Join to beginning CH 3 with a SL.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>Row 9 – </strong>CH 3, 2 DC into same space, work a SGC into every SP and <u>into every middle of the LGC</u> around to end.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>Row 10</strong> – CH 3, work 3 DC into same space, * work SGC into next 3 SP, work LGC into next space, repeat from * around to end. Join to beginning CH 3 with a SL.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>Row 11</strong> – CH 3, 2 DC into same space, work a SGC into every SP and <u>into every middle</u> of the LGC around to end.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>Row 12</strong> – CH 3, work 3 DC into same space, * work SGC into next 4 SP, work LGC into next space, repeat from * around to end. Join to beginning CH 3 with a SL.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>Row 13</strong> – CH 3, 2 DC into same space, work a SGC into every SP and <u>into every middle</u> of the LGC around to end.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>Row 14</strong> – CH 3, work 3 DC into same space, * work SGC into next 5 SP, work LGC into next space, repeat from * around to end. Join to beginning CH 3 with a SL. Your blanket should now be a great size for a pet at around 21” across.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>Border</strong> – You almost don’t need a border for this pattern, but I always like to add a touch of black to frame the piece. I added a simple SC in SP all around the perimeter.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:15px">================================================================================================================================</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:24px"><span style="color:#800080"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>Striped Granny</strong></span></span></span></p>
<p><img alt="" src="https://comfortforcritters.org/files/resized/609607/476;449;99d1a7d6e58b577bf0211502255930301e921de3.jpg" style="border:5px solid rgb(163, 20, 146); float:left; height:282px; width:292px"><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>Getting Started!</strong> For best results, use a 4-ply yarn and a “K” sized hook. If you decide to make your blanket a bit smaller or larger than the one this pattern creates, just be sure that your initial chain is a multiple of 3, plus 2!</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>To begin:</strong> CH 50.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>Row 1 -</strong> Work 1 SC in 2nd CH from hook. Continue working SC into each chain till the end (turn).</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>Row 2 -</strong> Chain 2, then work 1 DC into first ST. *Skip 2 ST, work 3 DC all into next ST (makes a cluster) *. Repeat between * until you have just 3 ST left, skip 2 ST, then put a single DC into last ST. You will end up with a row that begins and ends with a DC, and has the “clusters” in between. <em>(Change yarn color, if you like!)</em></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>Row 3 -</strong> From now on you'll be working in the spaces between the clusters of the previous row. CH 2, then work 3DC into each space between clusters. You’ll end the row with a single DC into the top of the final ST in the previous row. <em>(Change yarn color, if you like!)</em></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>Row 4+ -</strong> Repeat rows 2 and 3 until you reach the desired size. You can change yarn every row, or every group of rows. Just be sure to weave in all the ends (arg!).</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>Border –</strong> A simple border is very nice for this stitch. For the example, I trimmed the entire piece in two rows of HDC, putting 3 HDC into each corner.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong><u>Key:</u></strong></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">ST - stitch </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">CH – chain </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">SP – space</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">SL – slip stitch</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">SC – single crochet</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">HDC – half double crochet</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">DC – double crochet </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">SGC – small granny cluster (3 DC into same space)</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">LGC – large granny cluster (4 DC into same space)</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:15px">================================================================================================================================</span></p>
tag:comfortforcritters.org,2020-02-13:/entries/2013468The History of Animal Sheltering2020-03-01T06:00:00-06:002020-02-13T12:53:01-06:00<p><img alt="" src="https://comfortforcritters.org/files/resized/604104/800;448;3d4898f67b2132c8f1b1371c5982511d7f83cdad.jpg" style="border:5px solid rgb(240, 140, 19); float:left; height:234px; width:414px"><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">I just love delving into the history of caring for animals, to learn how the treatment of pets has improved so dramatically over the years. It’s inspiring to read about the people along the way, who carved a path, where there truly was none. This is the story of today’s animal shelter.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">The history of animal shetlers can be traced back to 1869, and a woman named Caroline Earle White. Caroline’s parents made sure she received a good education, something which was unusual for girls at that time! During her childhood, she witnessed the inhumane treatment animals received in her area, and it changed her. It wasn’t endured by pets so much, but by the horses and mules which would pull heavy wagons down the streets of Philadelphia. Drivers would beat, and otherwise abuse, the animals to get them to keep going, or to move faster. Caroline never forgot those scenes, and when she married an attorney in 1854 who supported her concerns, her “animal activism” began.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">She formalized her activism by joining the board of the newly created Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in 1867. After being relegated to non-management roles at the PSPCA, she decided that her future would have to be with an organization where women were in charge.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Caroline, along with 29 other courageous women, started their own branch of the PSPCA in 1869, with a focus on helping the many stray dogs in the area. The “Women’s Animal Center” became the first animal shelter in the United States, and is still open today in Bensalem, Pennsylvania.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Among the many things this first shelter, and Caroline White, accomplished was the establishment of the American Anti-Vivisection Society (1883), the installation of water fountains in cities (so that the horses and mules had clean drinking water), the opening of the first clinic in the US which provided free veterinary care for those unable to pay, and promoting legislation in 1907 that enforced the humane treatment of animals being transported on the country’s railroad system. Wow, what an amazing group of ladies! It reminds me of one of my favorite quotes by Margaret Mead, “<em>Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”</em></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Of course, the Women’s Animal Center went on to care for cats and other animals. They promoted the concept of “sheltering animals,” which inspired many other towns and cities to follow suit. Tremendous growth happened in the 20<sup>th</sup> Century when towns established two important roles for shelters. They were to provide care and protection for homeless pets as their primary goal. They also were tasked with protecting citizens from any dangers posed by homeless pets, including pet bites, attacks and zoonotic diseases.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Today there are roughly five thousand animal shelters in the United States. Since it’s an unregulated industry, specific statistics are difficult to find. Amazingly (at least to me) there’s simply no national reporting agency for animal shelters.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">There are approximately 90 million dogs in the country and 94 million cats, but only about 25-30% of those pets go through the animal shelter system. These shelters will see 6 to 6.5 million pets come through their doors in a typical year. Of these, roughly half are cats, and the other half dogs.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">These are the little lives we endeavor to comfort with our quilted, sewn, knitted, crocheted or tied blankets. We make a variety, to be sure, matching the variety of lives that pass through the shelters in our program. We owe a debt of gratitude to Caroline Earle White. I think she would be proud of every CFC volunteer and admire every blanket!</span></span></p>
tag:comfortforcritters.org,2020-01-20:/entries/1989135Help Support pet food banks2020-02-01T05:03:00-06:002020-01-20T19:06:28-06:00<p><img alt="" src="https://comfortforcritters.org/files/resized/600522/170;161;beaa9c2d6febff2ab74f3b9c5bfb07f699ed78db.gif" style="border:none; float:left; height:254px; width:268px"><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">I know CFC volunteers and supporters are always on the lookout for other ways to help all those pets which they can’t adopt. One wonderful opportunity is to help feed the pets of families who may be struggling a bit financially.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">By helping these individuals and families feed their pets, you are truly helping the people as well. We all know that nothing gets you through the rough patches in life, like a furry side-kick. Imagine having to choose between paying bills or feeding your pet. No one should ever be faced with that choice!</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">If you’d like to help out, there is a growing trend among food pantries to stock pet food. Having volunteered at a food pantry myself, I did see that they’d stock the shelves with whatever donations they received. The only requirement was that the product was not expired and the packaging was not opened. If they received unopened pet food, then a section would be set up for clients to choose food for their cat or dog.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">An easy way to get started is to Google “pet food pantry” and the name of your city. Living near Chicago, this search produced a list of eight places where I would be able to donate pet food. Less populated areas may not have as many choices nearby, but food can always be shipped (maybe even directly from an online retailer!). </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Some animal shelters provide food to the pets of local residents who are facing a financial need. So if you have a great animal shelter near you, it might be worth checking to see if they’ll accept pet food to distribute, as needed, to families. Another option is to visit the website www.saveourpetsfoodbank.org. This site provides a list, by state, of shelters which will accept and distribute pet food. This group has helped hundreds of thousands of families and given out over 1 million pounds of pet food!</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Remember, the pets you are helping are likely helping their “people” through a very difficult time. What a blessing it is to help people, and their pets, in such a meaningful and easy way!</span></span></p>
tag:comfortforcritters.org,2015-02-07:/entries/710388Wabi-Sabi2020-01-01T06:00:00-06:002019-12-23T17:12:41-06:00<p class="MsoNormal"><img alt="" src="https://comfortforcritters.org/files/resized/597247/570;403;51b5a2565a04c9461e6f5bccc496409e7bfb0a45.jpg" style="border:10px solid rgb(10, 193, 199); float:left; height:214px; width:214px"> <span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Every so often people will question my logic in giving beautifully crafted blankets to pets who will likely knead them, chew them a bit and have the occasional “accident” (poop-happens, after all). They warn me that our creations will look worn and ragged in no time. Of course my short reply is, “because these pets deserve them,” as every CFC volunteer would attest.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">But the writer in me never likes a short answer, when a long drawn out one will do. So I got to thinking about our society’s obsession with “new” and how it’s never really fit with my particular view of the world. My favorite things in this life are all worn down a bit and dirty around the edges. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Wabi-sabi is a Japanese concept which embraces what I’ve always felt. It’s the idea that the imperfect, the worn, the used…is a beautiful thing. Perfection is boring. Scars, on the other hand, almost always hold an interesting story.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Wabi-sabi is embraced as a decorative concept and also a spiritual one. It elevates the idea that handmade, with all its imperfections, is far superior to something cranked out by a machine. Assembly lines may create perfect blankets, but one that shows the telltale signs of a beginner, simply comes alive with meaning. Or is it just me?</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">I see Wabi-sabi every day in my prized possession. It’s a hairbrush that’s almost as old as I am. My mom used to brush my then waist-long hair with it, and so despite the loss of a third of its bristles, I routinely wash it and pray that it continues to hold up. It is simply the most perfect brush ever created.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">I feel the same way about my books. I can’t help but give the hairy eyeball to someone who calls themselves “a reader,” and has rows of pristine books. Mine have been curled around and drooled on, more times than I care to admit. Their bindings hold enough crumbs to keep a mouse fat and happy for the winter. Clearly they’ve been used, loaned, and used again. My favorite book is my father’s Bible, which is riddled with notes, questions, underlines and arrows. The cover, disintegrating before my eyes, just enhances that wonderful old-book-smell. Its messy-beauty reflects perfectly, a book that was alive in my father’s hands.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">And so it is the same with the blankets we make. Yes, they will get torn a bit, dirtied and dragged. That’s exactly the type of blanket that my dog loves, and my cats cuddle in. Come to think of it, it’s a surprisingly accurate description of my kids’ old blankets and their favorite t-shirts! The worn blanket speaks volumes about its value to the pet. The worn blanket gets to wear its dirt and holes as a well-earned badge. The worn blanket is Wabi-Sabi, created with yarn and love.</span></span></p>
tag:comfortforcritters.org,2016-06-09:/entries/1042970“Heal” Boosts Hope for a Cure2019-12-01T06:21:00-06:002019-11-27T15:43:51-06:00<p><img alt="" src="https://comfortforcritters.org/files/resized/355086/652;1024;8bccd2042fe47a6cac522177c40d4eded9cd583c.jpeg" style="float:left; height:166.989px; width:146.974px"><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">I fell in love with dogs the first time one surprised me with a lick of my face. I fell a little bit more after reading this book. Didn’t think that was possible.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">“Heal: The Vital Role of Dogs in the Search for Cancer Cures” by Arlene Weintraub is an amazing journey into the science, art and imagination of cancer research. Most lives, unfortunately, do not remain untouched by cancer for very long. Mine is no exception, growing up with a mom on the front lines of the war, and eventually becoming one of its victims. Despite my familiarity with the topic, I had no idea that the field of “comparative oncology” even existed, let alone offered hope.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Heal explores the use of experimental drugs on pet dogs battling life-ending cancers. The clinical trials which use these dogs have a primary goal of extending the dog’s years, and greatly expanding their quality of life. These dogs and heroic families participate to help themselves, but also help others. The results that come from these trials have direct, measurable results in treating cancer in humans.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">As it turns out, dogs are an ideal species to test treatment options, since they develop cancer naturally as people do, and many of their cancers are strikingly similar to ours. Rats, mice and other typical lab animals need to be altered to mimic the cancers we suffer from. In fact, nine out of ten drugs which show promise in lab rodents, do not help humans. Primates are not nearly as helpful either, as cancer is much rarer in these species. This field is also appropriately called “translational research”, since what is learned to help dogs, can be translated to greatly speed up the development of treatments for humans. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Weintraub also explores how medical science is channeling a dog’s ability to sniff-out early-stage cancer, leading to wonderful new detection devices. She makes complex medical issues easy to understand and covers a wide variety of cancers. In addition, she covers a wide range of cures being currently explored.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">This book chronicles how veterinarians and oncologists are working together, leaving no stone unturned, in their search for a cure. It gave me hope and made me love our canine companions just a little bit more. Okay, a lot more. Since all treatments, therapies, trials and tests have a primary purpose of helping the dog, pet lovers will applaud this research. With the bonus of helping humans along the way, I think our canine friends would applaud it as well.</span></span></p>
tag:comfortforcritters.org,2019-10-25:/entries/1908390The Blessing of the Animals2019-11-01T05:23:00-05:002020-02-13T12:54:28-06:00<p><img alt="" src="https://comfortforcritters.org/files/resized/587281/533;600;5c683f4d635afd9eaca0475a8ae5c761ef89a34a.jpg" style="border:none; float:left; height:150px; width:133px"><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">I was fortunate enough to be invited to a blessing of the animals at a friend’s church, a few years ago. Though a lifelong Christian, I had never even heard of this ceremony, which in itself is wonderfully simple.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">It’s conducted in memory of St. Francis of Assisi’s love for all creatures. This saint had a legendary reputation for preaching to the birds, and once taming a wolf using only his words. I can imagine him walking, talking to the air (as he was rumored to do) and God quietly pulling up a stump to listen.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">The outdoor ceremony is usually short and to the point. It involves each pet being blessed, as they are gently sprinkled with holy water. To impart a “blessing” is more meaningful than you might imagine. To bless the pet, by name, means that health and life are being guided by God to care for the animal. The blessing also brings a strengthening of its relationship with its human companion.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">The blessing tends to spill over though, at least it did with me. Beyond the blessing the animal receives, the bond of all creation is celebrated. You can’t help but get choked up to see the families huddled around their kitty or dog, or in my case four little mice. It’s a stark reminder of just how blessed we are to have creatures to share the planet, and to share our lives.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">The bond between humans and our companion animals happens at the most basic of all levels. They don’t love us because of the car we drive or whether we stuck to our last diet. We don’t love them because they clean up around the house or their coat is especially shiny. The bond goes beyond what can been seen and often even understood. Why do I never fail to smile, when my dog starts her loud snoring? Or my mice doze in a big heap in the corner of their enclosure? I think it’s God’s way of giving us a taste of the love He has for us, which also surpasses human understanding, even as we mess up each day.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">The blessing of the animals is a perfect time to stop and count our blessings too. It’s a time to remind us of the beauty of God’s creation, His amazing creativity and humor, and His constant care for creatures that probably understand His true essence, as much as my dog understands the Wi-Fi coursing through our home.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">If your church holds such an event, I encourage you to partake. I’d even suggest you “crash” another church to experience this ceremony. Taking part in this joyous occasion is just another way we receive comfort, from the critters in our lives.</span></span></p>
tag:comfortforcritters.org,2016-03-20:/entries/949382Foster Care Heroes2019-10-01T05:05:00-05:002019-10-01T17:12:27-05:00<p><img alt="" src="https://comfortforcritters.org/files/resized/267699/387;423;639038c8c667f5343b1a3743f81d186a045b2734.jpg" style="float:left; height:151.989px; width:138.991px"><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Comfort for Critters loves to support any group that is working to improve the lives of companion animals. Often these are animal shelters, but sometimes they are not “shelters” at all, but simply a group of private homes, which together create a foster-care system. These typically start with a realization, by some caring person, of what breaks their heart. They then take the important, the scary, the often-overlooked next step, of doing something about it.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">These non-profit groups recruit a group of foster-parents who are willing to open their homes to displaced animals and care for them, as if they were their own. I have to think that opening their homes is truly the easy part. These people are opening their hearts in the most selfless of ways.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">The pets they will take in typically come from “high-kill” shelters and are cared for by these families until they are adopted. These volunteers bring their “foster-pets” to local adoption events and often welcome strangers into their homes, so that a family can meet a dog or cat.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">My first dog Daisy came from a high-kill shelter in Indiana to a foster care system in Lombard, IL when her days were literally numbered (three, I think). Allowing me to visit her at her foster home and hear first-hand about her personality and tastes was worth everything to me.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Most of us know the sacrifice it takes to care for a pet. But for our own pets, these sacrifices just feel like good parenting. These families join the ranks of “heroes” by making so many sacrifices for animals which are not officially a part of their family….and may only be with them for a short time.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">The benefits of a foster-care system to an animal, are great. Rather than spending time in a cage, with only limited exercise and interaction, these “critters” get to hang out with a family of caring people and usually other pets. The highly social nature of this system paves the way for a good attitude, once they are adopted into their forever family.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">The benefits to society are abundant as well. The cost to open a shelter, along with the monthly overhead, is often too great for people to take on. The foster-care system offers a nice alternative, allowing many more animals to be rescued each year, many more families to find their perfect pet, and many more people to get involved in saving these little lives. I love giving Comfort for Critters blankets to foster care systems, which will assign a blanket to each of their little ones. The blanket is temporary, since it goes along with the pet when they are adopted, but I’m sure the great memories these families have of their foster-pets, last a lifetime!</span></span></p>
tag:comfortforcritters.org,2016-03-20:/entries/949380Ten Great Reasons to Adopt an Older Pet2019-09-01T18:02:00-05:002019-09-24T16:45:18-05:00<p><img alt="" src="https://comfortforcritters.org/files/resized/268558/378;301;28775eeeb619d0d5b693ba02380ae19ad5ce7703.jpg" style="float:left; height:145.994px; width:183.991px"><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">The idea of a newborn puppy in your arms is irresistible. A pile of cuteness, with two ears and tail. But if you can look beyond those oversized eyes, you may see some great reasons to put the puppy down and give the older dog (the one in the back) another look.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">There are many great reasons to consider adopting an older pet. Consider these for yourself, or use them to persuade someone you know, who’s thinking of adopting. The shelters and pets will thank you!</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>Training</strong> – Older pets generally have some training, even if it’s only (the all-important) potty training. Once adult dogs get settled into their new home, they often “remember” additional training too!</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>Time for yourself</strong> – Bottom line, puppies take a lot of work. They require training, socializing, exercising, clean up and more. Of course older dogs require and deserve plenty of your time as well, but they’re a bit more settled and patient.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>They know “No”</strong> – An adult dog has certainly learned the meaning of the word “no”, they are more likely to respect it. Puppies? Not so much. Just consider all the money you’ll save in carpet, furniture and shoes alone!</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>Socialized</strong> – Puppies are still learning how the whole doggy-world works. Adult dogs have already been socialized and often get along with all sorts of animals, since they’ve been exposed to so much more.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>Instant companion</strong> – For a lot of excitement, puppies can’t be beat. However, older dogs will sit by your side, stroll with you on your daily walk and demand only as much time as you’d like to share.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>Truth in advertising</strong> – Every dog is one of a kind, just as every family is unique. Once a dog is “grown up”, what you see is truly what you get. Their level of activity and temperament is easily observed. They’ve also achieved their final size (except for a bit of “filling out”, as we all do).</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">With puppies you may know the activity level and size of the breed, but you never really know! Adopters are sometimes surprised when their puppy turns out much larger, longer or more active than they guessed! This is especially true with (awesome) mixed-breed dogs.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>Help a shelter out</strong> – Most everyone who enters a shelter is looking for a puppy or young dog. By overlooking the residents who will be quickly scooped up, you can help the shelter with some of their older residents, equally deserving of love. You’ll also be saving those that are closest to “the end”, unless the shelter is designated as 100% “no-kill”.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>Everyone deserves a fresh start</strong> – If you’re at all concerned that an older dog won’t bond with you or won’t heal from past emotional traumas, don’t be! Dogs live in the moment and will bond unconditionally to a new pet parent who shows them the love they deserve. They have the wonderful ability to “keep calm and move on”, which we can all learn from.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>Lower medical bills</strong> – Who doesn’t like to save money? An adult dog has likely been altered, had many of their preventative vaccines and testing is done for heartworm. Puppies, like babies, visit the doctor much more often!</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong>It just feels good</strong> – Okay, this is a bit subjective, but hear me out. Adopting an older pet just makes a statement like no other about the value and beauty of life at all ages and stages. It’s one strong voice, in a world which worships youth, declaring that all life is precious! Amen to that.</span></span></p>