Sip tea and help animals
How about this for an enjoyable afternoon: Sip tea, eat fancy little sandwiches and desserts, look at works by local artists and help out homeless animals.
Dreampower Animal Rescue is holding an art auction and tea from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Feb. 17 at the Carnegie Room of Penrose Library, 20 N. Cascade Ave. A donation of $5 is suggested, and will benefit the animals in Dreampower foster care.
For more information about the group, visit dreampower.org or call 390-7838.
Seeking the fittest pets
Does your dog waddle to the bowl? Does your cat look like a bowling ball?
Pet obesity is becoming an epidemic, according to the Alliance for Healthier Pets, a new organization formed by the American Veterinary Medical Association and Hill’s Pet Nutrition Inc. to raise awareness about the dangers of pudgy pets.
As part of the effort, owners of svelte, healthy pets are invited to tell their story in the 2008 PetFit Challenge. The essays should focus on how Hill’s has helped optimize the pet’s weight, and share tips that could benefit others. Five cats and five dogs (and their owners) will be selected to travel to New York for the judging. The finalists will receive free Hill’s pet food for a year, and the top cat and dog will star in Hill’s advertising campaign.
To enter, visit petfit.com. The Web site includes weight-tracking tools, diet information and a healthy-pet pledge card.
The group notes that most people don’t think they’re feeding their pets too much. But consider this:
* If a 20-pound dog eats 1 ounce of cheddar cheese, it’s equal to a human eating 1½ hamburgers or 1½ chocolate bars.
* If a 10-pound cat drinks one cup of milk, it’s is equal to a human eating 4½ hamburgers or five chocolate bars.
* If a Chihuahua gains one pound, it’s like a woman gaining 38 pounds. If a Siamese cat gains 4 pounds, it’s like a woman gaining 45 pounds.
Much of the problem is that humans are using food as a form of affection for their pets. Instead, play with them and take them for a walk. It’s not only good for them, but you, too, the organization says.
Sweet treat for Fido
Puppy Cake is just what it sounds like: cake for your dog.
This might be the wrong thing to mention on the heels of an item on overweight pets. But the company that makes it says it’s veterinarian-approved and can be a good training aid if you don’t overdo it.
Puppy Cake Mix, which includes a yogurt-based frosting, comes in two flavors: Fifi’s Favorite Carob Cake and Buddy’s Best Banana Cake. The mix is made with wheat flour and honey; you add an egg and oil.
Mixes cost $5.99 each, and shipping is free. To order, visit puppycake.com.
