National Bird Day.
Today is National Bird Day! Taking care of and living in tandem with birds is an amazing part of living in the Pacific Northwest, as there are numerous native bird species that call this place home and plenty of backyard chickens (like my own) that are cared for...
The Chicken Retirement Plan
Some of the many animals I care for on a regular basis are chickens and it’s become such a wonderful part of my every day life. My family shares custody and responsibility of the chickens with our neighbor and over the years, we’ve had a few flocks. We mostly keep...
Rooster’s 6th Adoptiversary!
Today (roughly) marks the day that Rooster has been with my family for 6 years! My mom met Rooster at a family friend's New Year's Eve party celebrating the end of 2011 and I distinctly remember her coming home from the party and running over to me to tell me about...
Celebrating the New Year with pets.
It's almost 2018 and I'm sure there are many who are planning their New Year's Eve plans and celebrations. Celebrating and coming together with family and friends can be a wonderful way to bring in the new year, especially during the cold, short days we've been having...
Favorites from 2017.
2017 had its highs and lows. There were devastating wildfires and massive hurricanes. Two different earthquakes hit different parts of Mexico. There were mass gun shootings, war, displaced refugees, and so much more. But in the midst of all that, there were people who...
Happy Holidays!
Many of the animals here and I are celebrating Christmas today and hope that everyone who is also celebrating is having a wonderful time with friends, family, and pets. And I hope all those celebrating other holidays this time of year are having (or had in some cases)...
Holidays with the pets
This time of year is filled with different holidays and celebrations and with the short, cold days in the northern hemisphere, it’s nice to have a few reasons to be with loved ones. For all those who celebrated Hanukkah, I hope you had a wonderful time with family and...
Jane (2017).
Every so often, I'll be reviewing different films, books, and other forms of media about animals. Some will be about animals here in the Pacific Northwest while others will be about animals around the world. For the first review, I saw the new documentary about Dr....
Breed Specific Legislation
There have been times, unfortunately, that dogs have been aggressive towards people and/or other dogs. Sometimes, these situations are accidental; other times, the dogs feel backed into a corner; and unfortunately, there are more than a few times in which dogs have...
The California Wildfires.
There have been several wildfires in southern California recently and with a blend of factors (it’s dry, hot, and record high Santa Ana winds), these fires have destroyed buildings, burned down forests, and caused immense damage. People have been evacuated from...
Wild Rabbits
During the spring time, it’s particularly difficult for me to go a day without seeing a wild rabbit and on more than one occasion, Rooster has tried to catch a rabbit that ran by (he’s luckily had no success in catching anything but still tries every single time!)....
Is your indoor/outdoor cat bringing you birds and other small animals?
**Disclaimer: I’m not an animal behaviorist or veterinarian and cannot guarantee that these things will stop your cat from catching things like birds, mice, and more. There’s really nothing that will stop your indoor/outdoor cat from hunting other animals other than...
Scoop the Poop!
One of my least favorite things about caring for dogs and cats is picking up poop and cleaning out litter boxes. It’s always stinky, a bit gross, and an annoying chore. But doing so is a vital part of having a pet, as leaving poop or improperly disposing of used...
#GivingTuesday
During this time of the year, there are so many days and reasons to shop. Black Friday deals, supporting local businesses on Small Business Saturday, online shopping on Cyber Monday. By far, my favorite one of these days though is Giving Tuesday, which is the Tuesday...
Thanksgiving and Pet Safety.
For all those celebrate, happy Thanksgiving! I know that Thanksgiving is tomorrow but this year, I’m incredibly grateful for all the animals in my life and that I get to spend so much time with them. The animals I care for have taught me a whole lot about life and...
Interacting with wildlife.
Over the past couple of years, I’ve read too many stories of folks interacting with wildlife and began to wonder if humans as a whole are too disconnected from nature. There are several stories of people endangering an animal’s life or their own life for a selfie,...
Losing a pet.
A few weeks ago, I shared that we had lost three of our young chickens because of a predator (a weasel most likely but that’s not terribly relevant) and more recently, Tommy the cat crossed the rainbow bridge after a long, wonderful life. This wasn’t the first time...
Animals in the wintertime
Wintertime can be so much fun but there are some things you can do to make sure that your pets are safe.
Hiking with Dogs.
Honestly, one of my favorite things about taking care of dogs is going on hikes and walks with them. Some days, it’s hard to get the motivation to go outside but once I’m out there with a dog, it’s so amazing. Even on the rainiest days, hiking and walking with dogs is...
Stories of animals helping people.
Over the past few months, there have been numerous natural disasters that have ravaged different parts of the world. Weeks after Hurricane Maria made landfall, Puerto Rico is still dealing with the aftermath. It’ll take years for places like Puerto Rico and Houston to...
Halloween and Pets.
Halloween is fast approaching and with it comes a large amount of chocolate, other candy, and costumes. One of the more terrifying things about all the candy that will appear around this time is the potential for dogs to consume some of the sugary treats. And for the...