Your Pets And More - Stories!

"Be Thankful for your best friend with this Thanksgiving Treat for your pooch "

2008-11-11T08:19:00.000-08:00

What you will need

2 lbs. ground turkey
2 eggs
2 C. cooked rice
8 oz. peas
3 diced carrots
1 diced apple
2 minced cloves garlic

How to make them

Preheat oven to 375. In bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix well by hand. On baking sheet, form into the shape of a turkey, pumpkin, or large dog bone.
Bake for 45 minutes.
Remove from oven let cool and serve.

Yummy Hamster Treat Recipes

2008-10-22T06:10:00.000-07:00

Banana Hamster Treat

1/4 of a banana
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon raisins
small squirt lemon juice

Mush up the banana, add a small squirt of lemon juice so the banana will stay fresh. Add the honey and raisins, then stir all together.
Serve this in a small bowl separate from his daily food mix.

Peanut Butter And Oats Munchy

1/2 cup peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
1/4 cup of oats
1/4 cup of sunflower seeds

Mix ingredients together and Serve in a small bowl separate from his daily food mix. .

Hamster Bisciuts

1/4 a teaspoon of peanut butter
1 box plain Cheerios cereal
variety of vegtables such as carrots, celery, bok choy
small dog biscuit or stale or fresh bread
bird seeds and sunflower seeds
small amount of cheese

Spread peanut butter on dog biscuit or bread. Stick cereal on top and press in some of you hamster's favorite small foods such as bird seeds or sunflower seeds. Press in vegies around the Cheerios. Press cheese around the vegies to cover. Have fun hiding the treat where your hamster has to climb to get it.

*Warning: Please note that some hamster owners find that peanut butter can cause hamsters to choke.

Fun Games and Toys For Your Ferrets

2008-10-06T09:25:00.000-07:00

FIRST AND FOREMOST, YOU ARE YOUR FERRET'S FAVORITE TOY!

Keeping your ferret entertained is really not hard and does not have to cost a lot of Money . You don't need to go out and buy toys from the store. You would truely be amazed at the number of items you have in your home that will entertain your ferret for hours.

Here are some great ideas for items you have around your house

Small Empty Soda Or Water Bottle:

Take an empty soda or water bottle that has a narrow opening on top and punch a bunch of holes through it randomly along the sides. Then take some of your Ferret's favorite treats and put them inside. Rattle the bottle and then place it on the floor and once they smell the treats inside they will do everything they can to get at the treats. Make sure you use a bottle that tip forward to get the treats out. Otherwise they will get very frustrated and lose interest.

Old Sweet Pants:

Cut the legs off of an old pair of sweatpants. Lay them out and let you ferrets crawl into them. Once they are in there tickle them while they're inside. They will turn around and try to fight back. Don't Be surprised if you find them a sleep in them too Ferrets love soft dark places to sleep.

PAPER BAG:

Take an empty paper bag and crumple it up a little toss it on the floor. As we all know ferrets can't resist investigating everything they hear or see, soon enough they will start poking around inside of it see what trouble they can cause in there.

BALLS:

Roll a toy ball past your ferret and he will chase after it. Balls with little noise-makers inside will definitely get his attention.

SQUEAKY TOYS:

Squeaky toys can be found cheap and will instantly interest your ferret.

OLD STUFFED TOYS

Almost everyone has at least one or two old stuffed animals they no longer really need. Ferrets love to cuddle with them and drag them around. If you do not have any you can always find some fun ones with rattles in them or crinckle very cheap usually around fifty cents at yard sales or even at resale shops.

THE NUMBER ONE THING TO REMEMBER IS YOU ARE YOUR FERRET'S FAVORITE TOY!

MEET MOLLY...SHE'S A GREY SPECKLED PONY

2008-10-03T10:29:00.000-07:00

Meet Molly. She's a grey speckled pony who was abandoned by her owners when Hurricane Katrina hit southern Louisiana. She spent weeks on her own before finally being rescued and taken to a farm where abandoned animals were stockpiled.
While there, she was attacked by a pit bull terrier and almost died. Her gnawed right front leg became infected, and her vet went to LSU for help, but LSU was overwhelmed, and this pony was a welfare case. You know how that goes.

But after surgeon Rustin Moore met Molly, he changed his mind. He saw how the pony was careful to lie down on different sides so she didn't seem to get sores, and how she allowed people to handle her. She protected her injured leg. She constantly shifted her weight and didn't overload her good leg. She was a smart pony with a serious survival ethic.

Moore agreed to remove her leg below the knee, and a temporary artificial limb was built. Molly walked out of the clinic and her story really begins there.

'This was the right horse and the right owner,' Moore insists. Molly happened to be a one-in-a-million patient. She's tough as nails, but sweet, and she was willing to cope with pain. She made it obvious she understood that she was in trouble.

The other important factor, according to Moore , is having a truly committed and compliant
owner who is dedicated to providing the daily care required over the lifetime of the horse.

Molly's story turns into a parable for life in post-Katrina Louisiana . The little pony gained weight, and her mane finally felt a comb. A human prosthesis designer built her a leg.

The prosthetic has given Molly a whole new life, Allison Barca DVM, Molly's regular vet, reports.

And she asks for it. She will put her little limb out, and come to you and let you know that she wants you to put it on. Sometimes she wants you to take it off too. And sometimes, Molly gets away from Barca. 'It can be pretty bad when you can't catch a three-legged horse,' she laughs.

Most important of all, Molly has a job now. Kay, the rescue farm owner, started taking Molly to
shelters, hospitals, nursing homes, and rehabilitation centers. Anywhere she thought that people needed hope. Wherever Molly went, she showed people her pluck. She inspired people, and she had a good time doing it.

'It's obvious to me that Molly had a bigger role to play in life,? Moore said. 'She survived the hurricane, she survived a horrible injury, and now she is giving hope to others.'

Barca concluded, 'She's not back to normal, but she's going to be better. To me, she could be a symbol for New Orleans itself.'

Molly's most recent prosthesis. The bottom photo shows the ground surface that she stands on,
which has a smiley face embossed in it. Wherever Molly goes, she leaves a smiley hoof print behind. Forward this and share it with all of the animal lovers that you know.

Find out more about Molly and her Amazing story Here

Story Confirmed by Snopes

Home Made Ferret Treat Recipe

2008-10-02T19:09:00.000-07:00

If you are like us you are always looking for fun Ferret Treats. Especially if you have picky ferrets like our Houdini. Here is a Fun and enjoyable treat Recipe for your ferret to try. We hope your ferrets enjoy this treat as much are ours did!

It's definitely a fun recipe to cook up and treat your little friends.

Ingredients needed

2 tablespoons lard
1 tablespoon Ferretone® or similar nutritional supplement
2 cups any commercially prepared dry ferret food
2 eggs
1 jar (about 6 ounces) any banana baby food
1 pound ground beef (uncooked)
1/2 cup raisins

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat a large frying pan or skillet over medium high heat. Add the lard and Ferretone® to the pan and mix them together as they melt.

2. Once the lard is liquid, add the dry ferret food. Fry the dry food until it is moistened throughout and fragrant. This may take a few minutes. Stir the food well as it fries, to make sure it cooks evenly.

3. Once the dry food is cooked, transfer it to a medium sized mixing bowl. Add the eggs, baby food, ground beef, and raisins. Mix well, either with your hands, or by using an electric mixer on a medium speed. Mix until all the ingredients are consistent and even.

4. Prepare a meatloaf or loaf pan by greasing it with margarine, oil, or non-stick cooking spray. Then transfer the mixture into the prepared pan, and gently pat it down into an even layer.

5. Place the loaf pan into the preheated oven and bake it for about 45-60 minutes, or until the meat is browned and cooked through. Keep an eye on the meatloaf, for the last 15 minutes or so of baking time, as it may have a tendency to suddenly burn. Note that, because of the kibble content, it will look a lot darker than regular meatloaf - the dark color should be distinguished from burning.

6. When the meatloaf is done cooking, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool significantly. Once it is cool enough to handle safely, slice into thin slices, and serve to your pet. Makes 1 loaf, or about 20-25 servings.

Hamster Agility

2008-09-27T07:48:00.000-07:00

Who would have thought playing with your hamster could be this much fun!!! There are many hamster lovers everywhere who are now setting up little hamster agility courses for their best little friend and having a blast with it!!! From Bar jumps to tire jumps, teeter totters, A frames and even Pause Tables. How adorable and what a great past time to do with your little friend.

Find out more about building your own jumps or even buying these fun jumps at Hamster Agility.com

Make Your Own Cat Treats

2008-09-22T07:39:00.000-07:00

Here's for all those kitty lovers out there. Make your kitty a treat they will LOVE.

Kitty Biscuits

You will need:
1 cup of whole wheat flour
½ cup cornmeal
½ cup wheat germ
½ cup dried catnip*
1/3 cup canned tuna, drained!
½ cup of the juices from can
1 egg, whisked

*optional you can replace the ½ cup dried catnip with 1 cup dried catnip

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a bowl combine DRY ingredients and mix well
add the remaining ingredients which will leave you with a fairly stiff dough.
Mold into ball shape, and throw this on some wax paper, or a cutting board.
Roll out to about ½ inch thickness, and cut into shapes! You can use plastic cutters and make them in unique shapes of your cat's favorite toys.
Bake on an un-greased cookie sheet for 25 minutes.
Keep them stored in a tight plastic bag, in the fridge.

Great Dog Treat Recipes

2008-09-20T13:34:00.000-07:00

Here are some great treat Recipies so you can make your own dog treats that your dog is sure to love!

Fido's Favorite Treat

Store in the refrigerator or in the freezer as these can go moldy if left at room temperature for very long.
· 1 cup rolled oats
· 1/3 cup margarine or butter
· 1 cup boiling water
· 3/4 cup cornmeal
· 1 tablespoon sugar
· 2 teaspoons chicken or beef instant bullion
· 1/2 cup milk
· 4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese ( 1 cup)
· 1 egg, beaten
· 2 cups white or wheat flour

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease cookie sheets. In large bowl combine rolled oats, margarine and water; let stand for 10 minutes. Stir in cornmeal, sugar, bouillon, milk, cheese and egg. Mix well. Add flour 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition to form stiff dough.
On floured surface, knead in remaining flour until dough is smooth and no longer sticky, 3 to 4 minutes. Roll or pat out dough to 1/2 inch thickness; cut with cookie cutter. Place 1 inch apart on cookie sheets.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely. Store loosely covered. Makes 3 1/2 dozen large biscuits.

Veggie Bones
· 3 cups minced parsley
· 1/4 cup carrots, chopped very fine
· 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella or parmesan cheese
· 2 tablespoons olive oil
· 2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
· 2 tablespoons bran
· 2 teaspoons baking powder
· 1/2 to 1 cup of water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, rack on middle level. Lightly grease a large baking sheet.
Stir together parsley, carrots, cheese, and oil. Combine all the dry ingredients and add to veggies. Gradually add 1/2 cup of water, mixing well. Make a moist but not wet dough. If needed, add a little more water. Knead for one minute.
Roll dough out to 1/2 inch thickness. Using cookie cutter or a glass, cut out the shapes and transfer them to the baking sheet. Gather the scraps and reroll and cut.
Bake for 20-30 minutes until biscuits have browned and hardened slightly. (They will harden more as they cool.) Speed cooling by placing them on wire racks. Store in airtight tin.

Puppy Party Cake

· 2/3 cup ripe mashed bananas
· 1/2 cup softened butter
· 3 large eggs
· 3/4 cup water
· 2 cups unbleached white flour
· 2 teaspoons baking powder
· 1 teaspoon baking soda
· 2 teaspoons cinnamon
· 1/2 cup chopped pecans
· 1/2 cup raisins

In mixing bowl, beat together mashed banana and butter until creamy. Add eggs and water. Beat well. Stir in dry ingredients. Beat until smooth. Add nuts and raisins. Spoon batter evenly into oiled and floured bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes. Cool on wire rack 5 minutes, remove from pan, replace on rack and cool.

Optional Frosting
· 2 cup mashed banana
· 1 Tbsp. butter
· 6 Tbsp. carob powder
· 2 tsp. vanilla
· 3 Tbsp. unbleached flour
· 1 tsp. cinnamon

Blend thoroughly and spread on cool cake. Sprinkle with chopped pecans.

NOTE* The frosting contains carob, which is a safe (almost tastes like) chocolate substitute

"It's Clean Up Time" Dog Games

2008-09-18T11:58:00.001-07:00

Do you have one of those toy loving pups who has to have their toys all over your house and at least two in their mouth? Well here is a game you can play with them that will also make your clean up time much easier. Here's how you do it

Get a container or basket that you wouldn't mind having in the main room of your house.
Then collect a few toys and other items that are safe for your pet to pick up. Place these items around you on the floor. Now encourage your dog to pick up the items one at a time and include Key words like "get your toys" or "Clean up time" so your dog knows what you want from them, as soon as they have picked up an item, even if it is barely off the floor, take it from them, verbally praise them with including your Key word and reward them with a treat. Then place the toy in the container or Basket. (Remember this is suppose to be fun so if you see your dog is getting anxious end the game and resume it later adding items each time you play. After your dog has gotten the hang of picking up the items make it a little harder for them to return the items to you. Spread the items out a little further,and have them bring them to you. Once you have that have them place the item in your hand. But remember to keep the fun in the game for both you and your pet. Now start having them hand you the items over the basket rewarding them verbally and with treats. Some dogs will catch on and just start putting them in the basket by themselves while others you may need to have them give the item to you and you place them in the basket.

World's Heaviest Dog According To The Guinness Book of Records

2008-09-07T18:06:00.000-07:00

Hercules, The English mastiff from Peabody, is the world's heaviest dog according to the Guinness Book of Records.

Hercules was owned by power lifter John Flynn and weighs more then many NFL line backers topping the scales at 282 pounds

Although Hercules passed away almost 2 years ago at 8 years old he is still in the spot light.

Hercules poses here with his owner John Flynn.

You can read more about this wonderful dog at The Salem News.com

Meet Puzzles

2008-08-10T08:18:00.000-07:00

This Is Puzzles.

He is one of our Many wonderful Rabbits we have here. He loves to play out side in the bushes where he can lay in the shade and munch the grass at the same time. As you can see by his picture he has a fun personality.

Puzzles was Born on Feb 6th 2007 and is a Broken Black English Lop. The English Lop is one of the largest breeds of Rabbits and should weigh more then 9 pounds as Adults and have an ear length of 21 inches or longer. These Furry Friends are more like a little dog then a Rabbit as they love to be with you and enjoy playing.

Meet BlackJack

2008-06-14T19:20:00.000-07:00

BlackJack found his way into our hearts and our home Oct. 11th. I am not sure if it was fate or just luck that brought him into our family....
I was on my way home to take my son to the Orthopedic for a follow up appointment when I passed the Dekalb Animal Shelter off Baseline Road in Genoa. For some odd reason after passing the shelter I Stopped and turned around on and went back to the shelter.
Now mind you at this point we have 3 dogs already and 8 rabbits so we really did not need any more pets, right? But I stopped, walked in and signed the book and took a look at the cats even though at this time we are not going to get one so why I was looking I don't know thought just maybe they have a rabbit that needs a home, We can handle that. Nope no rabbits so I go to walk out then for another odd reason I decide that I just have to go look at the dogs even though ever time I think of a pet in need of a loving home it breaks my heart, but I go in there. Walked down one side of the kennels with all the dogs barking like crazy. They were all really big dogs or smaller ones that were not good with other dogs or children. Then I walk down the other side of the kennels and curled up in a little ball between these two big dogs is this itty bitty little 9 week old Beagle puppy. He had been there almost 2 weeks and was scared half to death. I went up to the front counter and asked about him and had them bring him up so we could play. They said that he was dropped of because the people who bought him from the breeder had a medical emergency and the breeder would not take him back. Well needless to say I asked them to hold onto him for the evening as I was now late getting my son to the doctors office. That night when I got home I talked to my husband to see how he felt about adding another dog to the family he said it was fine but then sweetly reminded me that no matter how hard I try I can't save them all.... I assured him that the pup would be the only one I brought home that next day.
The next morning I called the animal shelter and assured them that I was going to come get him on my way home from work. By 1 pm Oct 11th BlackJack, then Toby, was on his way home to his forever home.

SandStorm By The Sea

2008-05-04T07:06:00.000-07:00

Storm will be 8 on July 12th. She is the daughter to Breeze and my rough Houser, Storm is also a lover, but her favorite things to do is wrestle with other dogs or you. She also likes to shred any toy that comes into this house for them. It doesn’t matter what they are. May it be rope, tennis ball, or stuffy once Stormy gets them there is nothing but bits and pieces left. That is except for Quackers she loves to chew and roll around on him but hasn’t shredded him yet and she has had him for almost 2 months now!!

Sea Breeze

2008-05-04T06:57:00.000-07:00

Breeze is 10 years old and the second golden retriever we owned. Breeze is a True Golden. She is Patient, kind, super loving and willing to please no matter what task is asked of her. Breeze always wants to be with you no matter what it is you are doing. Her Favorite thing to do is sleep by your feet that is unless there is a tennis ball anywhere around her. All she needs to do is see it and she runs over grabs it. She comes to you with the ball in her mouth, a playful growl and the tail wagging just waiting for you to throw it for her.

Possible the Worlds Largest Rabbit... I can't believe how big he is!

2008-04-26T14:42:00.000-07:00

Meet Herman Possible the worlds largest Rabbit. This Germany Giant is even large for his breed which usually tip the scales at around 13 lbs. Herman weighs in at almost 17 pounds!! With ears that are over 8 in. long.

Herman lives in Berlin with owner Hans Wagner, who has had a special solid oak hutch built for Herman. This Giant Bunny eats almost 4 and a 1/2 pounds of food a day, but his Favorite snack is lettuce. According to his owner Hans, Herman Eats a bale of hay a week. That is a lot of hay!

See the original article at http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_4670000/newsid_4676900/4676904.stm

Meet Buttercup the Rabbit

2008-04-23T18:45:00.000-07:00

Hi my name is Melissa! I have a lot of pets, but my favorite one is my rabbit Buttercup. I Have 3 rabbits but Buttercup was my first rabbit. She is almost 3 years old. Her breed is the Mini Rex. Buttercup loves fruit and her favorite fruit is apples. We call her Buggy because you can have a hard time picking her up.

She loves to be out side and loves being held. Buttercup is a beautiful Opal rabbit with a nice shiny coat. I love to show her and she does really well. Buttercup is the old rabbit I have. If you give Buttercup anything plastic or wood she will chew it to pieces. Buttercup is evil some times, but I love her.

- Melissa

Harry - The New Edition

2008-04-19T07:56:00.000-07:00

I received Harry when I came home from school one day and my mother tried to surprise me. He came along with my other Ferret Houdini. The reasons I named these two like this is because they are escape artists and can get out of there cage in many different ways. For instance Houdini broke a bar at the top of his cage and he got loose, the only way I was able to know that he was out was when my little sister started yelling "Davids ferret is out!!!". I ended up placing something on top to keep them in.

Harry is a little more calm then Houdini is for reasons unknown. He also enjoys the beef treats they came with. He is a pain in the butt though because at night they are always trying to get out rattling the cage and making noise. All in all they are fun to have around, even though they stink and are very annoying there great pets to have around. The great thing about them is that they are potty trained...

- David

Squeak the mouse

2008-04-08T14:21:00.000-07:00

This pastel mouse dog toy is just wonderful. We purchased these since they are quite adorable little mice. Little did we know that the real fun is in the sound box inside each one of these. When you give it a squeeze this little guy makes a mouse sound that just drives our beagle nuts. When they arrived we opened one in the other room and squeezed it. Our beagle just went nuts! Barking came from the kitchen every time we squeezed this dog toy. Blackjack just loved this toy and was happy to have one for himself.

Squeak The Mouse

Welcome

2008-03-13T06:58:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Your Pets And More Stories!
These pages are stories from us and our customers. If you have something you'd like to submit please contact us.