Cape Cod Pets

Puppy Love Comes to a Cape Cod Marsh

Boy (Dog) Meets Girl (Turtle)

By Don Lewis


This tragic story has been told a million times in books, plays and movies. From Homer's tale of Helen and Paris set in Troy nearly 3000 years ago, to Shakespeare's impetuous Italian teens "Romeo and Juliet" penned in 1597, and Bernstein's musical update relocated to New York City with Tony and Maria in the 1957 "West Side Story," these cross-cultural romances rarely find a happy conclusion. And so it was in the salt marsh of Chipman's Cove one bright spring day when boy from the upland Canine Clan met girl from the brackish Reptile Family. From the first you knew nothing good would come of it.

First Fateful Meeting of Boy and Girl
As the Turtle Journal team censused diamondback terrapins in their mating aggregation on the Outer Cape, along came an energetic canine boy to experience his first encounter with turtles.

You could see his fascination from the first, as he strained on his leash to investigate these wonderful creatures with that exotic "Eau du Marsh Parfum." He couldn't restrain himself as he danced about to the rhythmic cadence of Jets and Sharks.

Love Blossoms
It was love at first sight. He couldn't take his eyes (or nose) off her as she strained in the bucket to flee his native uplands and escape to her more familiar lowland estuary home.

The tragic ending came quickly as boy tried to express his devotion with a sniff and a kiss, and girl rejected his advance with a nip on the nose.

Sadly, it was doomed from the start and could never have worked.

They came from two different worlds that only met on a spring high tide.

On a happier postscript, boy returned to the marsh a week later, perhaps to refresh memories of his puppy love.

Older and wiser, he inspected the new set of bucket girls from afar.

I could have sworn that he rubbed his paw across his nose as he waved goodbye to the new ladies of the bay.

Don Lewis is currently serving as Chief Operations Officer of the National Marine Life Center is Buzzards Bay, where restoring life to the ocean is their mission and their vision.  The National Marine Life Center is building a marine animal hospital on the north bank of Cape Cod Canal to rescue and rehabilitate stranded sea turtles, seals, porpoises, dolphins and small whales for release back into the ocean. Don also maintains the Turtle Journal.

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State alerts consumers to voluntary cat food recall

Massachusetts Animal Health Officials announce voluntary recall of Nutro Cat Food

BOSTON – Department of Agricultural Resources (DAR) Commissioner Scott Soares last week reminded Massachusetts consumers of a voluntary recall, announced Thursday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), of select varieties of Nutro Natural Choice Complete Care dry cat foods and Nutro Max dry cat foods.

Nutro Products is voluntarily recalling some varieties of these cat foods with “best if used by dates” between May 12, 2010 and August 22, 2010, according to the FDA.  The cat food is being voluntarily recalled in the United States and ten other countries due to incorrect levels of zinc and potassium, both of which are essential nutritional supplements added to Nutro cat foods. The recall does not affect any Nutro dog food products, wet cat food or dog and cat treats.

“As the state agency responsible for regulation of pet food sold in Massachusetts, the DAR is urging Bay State pet owners who have purchased these recalled products to discontinue feeding them to their cats immediately and to monitor pets for symptoms that could be related to eating the recalled food - including a reduction in appetite or refusal of food, weight loss, vomiting or diarrhea,” said Commissioner Soares, whose agency includes the Division of Animal Health.

Soares pointed out that the FDA also recommends that pet owners whose cats are pregnant or experiencing health issues should contact their veterinarians.

The FDA encourages consumers who have purchased the affected products to return the food to retailers for a full refund or exchange.  For a complete list of the affected dry cat food products or for more information about the recall, call (800) 833-5330, or visit www.nutroproducts.com.

The DAR’s mission is to ensure the long-term viability of local agriculture in Massachusetts. Through its four divisions – Agricultural Development, Animal Health, Crop and Pest Services, and Technical Assistance – the DAR strives to support, regulate, and enhance the Commonwealth’s agricultural community, working to promote economically and environmentally sound food safety and animal health measures, and fulfill agriculture’s role in energy conservation and production.

Release courtesy of the MA DAR.

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Is your pooch Bowlingual? Does your kitty clean your litter box?

Or find your pet or let your dog jog inside your house
Doing the right thing for your pet from $1,200 or $79

By Walter Brooks

Last year US pet owners spent $43 billion on their animals. Since you are reading this article about pets, you know that you can go into any pet store  on Cape Cod or on the South Shore and find brushes for $60, cat scratchers for $200, and dog beds for as much as $450.

Watch this dog's bark be translated into people-talk.

The problem is novelty instead of practicality. Who needs a device which can translate your dog's barks?

Pet lovers in Japan can understand their dogs better than ever before with a gadget that translates doggy talk into human words. Bowlingual, the new device made by toymaker Takara Co., has dogs saying things like "I'm feeling great!" "It's so annoying!" and "Come on, play with me!" Kids and grown-ups alike are fascinated by the thought of finding out what their canine buddies are really thinking. The $30 device will also perform:

• Bark Translation: Analyzes your dog's barks to determine which of six emotions it is feeling: happy, sad, frustrated, on guard, assertive and needy.The device then provides a phrase matched to the emotion, to represent what your dog might say if only it could speak
• Body Language: A guide to interpret your dog's behavior to help you teach and care for your dog
• Data Analysis: Maintains a record of the 100 most recently analyzed barks for your reference.
•  And has a Home Alone Mode which monitors and records your dog's barks and emotions for up to 8 hours while you're out of the house and your pooch is left alone.
  

See the Bowlingual here.

The smelliest pet task made easier

Ask any cat owner what part of owning an indoor pussy is the worst, and odds are they will say cleaning and emptying the litter box. We wrote "indoor" because no pet owner should leave their pets outdoors with Cape Cod's booming coyote population. If you haven't seen any cats or dogs running free in the past decade it's because they have all been dinner for a coyote.

Plenty of litter boxes claim automatic cleaning, but the Litter-Robot is the one that delivers. A weight sensor marks when your cat enters and when it leaves the igloo shaped devise. The Litter-Robot then counts down from seven minutes and, as long as the sensor hasn't been activated again, the self-cleaning action begins as shown in the video on the right.

The company calls it the automatic self-cleaning litter box that really works. It does free you from the chore of litter box scooping. Pet owners can be sure that your cats have a litter box that is cleaned automatically and reliably, again and again. The large waste drawer holds several days' worth of waste. You can take that weekend trip or leave town for a short business trip without having to worry about your cat's litter box smelling up the house, and all this for $329.

 Let your dog  jog inside your home

Watch this 100 lb. dog set a speed record.

You know your canine doesn't get enough exercise, especially since you started skipping your daily two-mile run or walk. If you have the money, you can keep your pooch fit and healthy while you remain a couch potato watching "Oprah".

That is if you have $1,200 for a doggy treadmill.

Every dog is better behaved and needs exercise to stay healthy. Since both of you are probably working, you're not around as much as you'd like to be to take Fido for a daily beach walk or even toss the ball with your pup in your yard (if you even have one).

But Dog Trotter offers a treadmill designed with canines in mind. Guardrails ensure your dog doesn't escape his workout, and an 11-degree incline is said to provide the resistance needed to build strength and muscle.

Electronic Cat Finder

If your cat is worth $79.95, you should never let it outside without a "Cat Finder."

Loc8tor is a credit card-sized device which can be used to find almost anything when it has a tiny homing tag attached to it - keys, cameras, TV remotes, pets, mobile phones, wallets, purses or even the car. It's small enough to fit in a wallet.

The Loc8tor Lite is specifically for locating and comes supplied with two tags.

Unlike anything else currently available, the Loc8tor's audio and visual cues from the handheld point you in the right direction and will guide you to the exact location of the missing pet (or other item) whether it's two yards away or stuffed down the back of the sofa or left behind in a shop. It will literally take you minutes to find a missing kitty that would normally have you hunting around for hours and maybe never be found at all.

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Going to the dogs--and loving it!

Daycare isn't just for kids anymore

   All aboard for a day at Doggie Day Care in Eastham!

By Judy Keenan

“Be careful where you step.” That was the warning from Noelle, a co-owner at Nauset Kennels as I stepped into the large doggy daycare play area.  Wise words.  On this day there were  twenty five dogs in daycare.  It was a veritable who’s who of popular dog breeds including  Pugs, Labradors, a Labardoodle, a Brittany Spaniel, a Cavalier, a Chesapeake Spaniel, a Portuguese Waterdog (unless you have been in isolation for the last two months you should know that this is the breed of the Obamas'  new puppy, Bo), Poodles, a Swiss Mountain dog, Malamutes, Huskies, Jack Russell Terriers and several Golden Retrievers.

Ozzie the Pug can't wait to get on the Woof Waggin!

Mutts are now “mixed breeds” to be politically correct and they were there also.  The noise level was amazing as they all barked out a welcome every time someone came into view and then the group chorus caught on.  And on.

Let’s look at a typical day for two of the dogs, Raffles and Wrigley, Golden Retrievers from the same household and best friends. They are picked up in the early morning at a designated stop by the Woof Waggin or the Bark Bus, specially outfitted 15-passenger vans that make the rounds in Harwich, Chatham, Orleans, Brewster, Wellfleet and Provincetown. 

All aboard the Woof Waggin

Both the Woof Waggin and the Bark Bus have been illustrated by local artist, Maura Condrick.  Many of the caricature dogs are modeled after the owner’s and staff’s pets.  They look delightfully cheery in the windows. At Raffles and Wrigley’s bus stop they bound onto the bus and go straight to their usual cages.

Best friends, Raffles & Wrigley.

Once they arrive at the daycare they are greeted by other doggy daycare friends and have their collars removed as a safety precaution.  Raffles and Wrigley stay together in one large cage while they wait to go outside and play.  Other dogs may be solo or in a group depending on their socialization level.  Newcomers are kept in a single cage so the staff can evaluate them to determine which group they can go into or even if they can go in a group. 

Eastham's own Dog Whisperer

Often owner tell the staff that their dogs are not vey social with other dogs and often the staff finds that to be not true in daycare.  They believe that the dogs may act aggressive to other dogs to protect their owners.  Dogs that exhibit aggressive cage behavior such as snarling, growling or baring teeth, may be calmed by Kirsten, whose parents started Nauset Kennel in the 1970s.  Other staff members call Kirsten “the dog whisperer” because of her uncanny ability to communicate with dogs and allay their fears and aggressions. 

"Diggin'" the playyard

In the play yard, dogs run in a pack chasing balls, cavorting and creating “Snoopy” dust--just having a wonderful time.  In the warmer weather, the dogs race through a kiddie’s pool or stop to drink the water.  Always, always they dig holes.  The yard looks like Craters of the Moon National Park in some places.   Not to worry.  Every few hours the dogs are brought back to their pens and the staff goes outside to de-poop the yard and fill in the holes with dirt.  Then the cycle starts up again and is repeated until it is time to go home on the Woof Waggin or the Bark Bus.

Noelle says, “Dogs are like kids on a playground and they go home exhausted.”  Owners will call to ask why their dogs come home so tired.  The response is,“Welcome to doggy daycare!  They had fun all day.”  Good night Raffles and Wrigley.

Fish oil and feedin' time

Feeding time requires a great deal of preparation to fit all the needs and appetites of the dogs.

Meanwhile back at the kennel, the boarded dogs await their dinner in the new addition which effectively doubles the size of the kennel. Each dog is given his preferred food in accordance with the owner’s wishes.  One dog’s bowl contained dry food soaked for two hours to prevent bloat topped with a vanilla cookie while another had food topped with canned green beans.  Others have chicken broth or selected cheese.

There is a cabinet full of the dog’s daily medicines and supplements including fish oil.  In case you wondered about the benefit of fish oil for dogs, Dr Andrew Weil’s web page states that “fish oil is good for dogs – and cats! Veterinarians now recommend it for a wide variety of conditions ranging from kidney disease to arthritis and high cholesterol. Adding fish oil to your dog's food provides anti-inflammatory effects and can help relieve itching due to atopic dermatitis, an allergy-related skin condition.”  Hmmmm, that sounds astonishingly like the same benefits it is supposed to have for humans! 

Doggy daycare is available at many facilities across the Cape and Islands.  Take a trip to which ever kennel you are considering for your pet.  Seeing, listening and smelling are all the senses you will need to determine whether the kennel is right of your dog.  You can also ask your veterinarian or local pet stores for referrals.  Some other facilities on the Cape are; So Doggone Good in Sandwich, Cape Cod Pet Resort in North Falmouth, Dog Daycare Institute in West Yarmouth and Cape Cod Doggie Daycare in Bourne.

For dog owners who work or who need to be away for a day or for owners interested in social opportunities for their pets, doggy day care is the perfect solution. The dogs make doggy friends, they have great fun, they come home tired and happy and where else can dogs have the freedom to run crazily in large packs, barking merrily?

   It's all fun and games in the play yard at Nauset Kennels.

   Three pals offer a greeting.

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I bet my bird's faster than your bird!

Of pooing and cooing: pigeon racing on Cape Cod

   Don Silvia of Falmouth shows the full wing span of one of his racing pigeons.

By Samantha Pearsall

What coos, poos, and can find its way back to Cape Cod from Sandusky, Ohio in one day, a distance of more than 600 miles? Any member of the Cape Cod Pigeon Racing Club could tell you. Dog and horse racing are both more prominent forms of animal racing in the country, yet pigeon racing has been around since 1872. With almost 14,000 current members and about 100 new ones each month it is a growing sport nationwide, even on the Cape. The Cape Club in Centerville was founded in the early 1900s and currently has seven devoted members, some world-renowned, who each own over 100 racing pigeons.

“People think they’re a bunch of poopy animals,” said the club’s president and two-time national champion, John Canto of Harwich.

“People think they’re a bunch of poopy animals,” said the club’s president and two-time national champion, John Canto of Harwich. “These birds are very intelligent and people would be very astounded and amazed about what they can do.” Homing pigeons can instinctively find their way back home to their loft from more than 1,000 miles away. If they get off-course they track back and find the correct direction again that will lead them home. “Nobody gives them a dime for a phone call if they get lost. It’s just in their DNA to come home,” said Canto, “They’ve had it in them and we’ve just made them stronger.”

Strength. Stamina. Pigeons?

Despite the negative perception most have of pesky pigeons, these graceful grey birds are a “pedigree,” supposedly the product of several cross-breedings of domesticated pigeons over the years. From such crossings evolved birds with strength, stamina, and smarts that allow them to be released hundreds of miles from home and return by nightfall with speeds averaging between 45 and 50 mph. These are certainly not the ordinary feral pigeons you come across on city sidewalks; these racing pigeons can cost a handler a pretty penny of up to $250,000.

Perching pigeons take a break from racing.

Not all flyers are as intently involved and willing to invest as much, according to Deone Roberts, Sport Development Manager for the American Pigeon Racing Union (APRU). “This sport includes absolutely any economic level, age, education, gender, demographic, which levels the playing field. Our members range from under 10 years old to their 90s,” she said. “These birds are an amazing creature and nature put into them the ability to find there home. Animal lovers really appreciate that.”

Animal magnetism?

According to Pigeon Racing Digest, research suggests several factors may help answer the question of how these birds can find home. Noticing the sun’s direction may assist in orienting the winged critters with the direction they must take, yet there have been several successful experiments with flying pigeons after sunset. Homing pigeons may be keen enough to actually feel the earth’s magnetic field, which can indicate in which direction their loft is located. Other researchers propose that these birds use their innate sense of smell and even hearing to help them along their journey home. One thing is for sure though, according to flyers on the Cape, building their bodies up strong and healthy is a critical component of racing.

These birds begin training once they learn to fly, usually at about 30 days old, said Roberts. Up until the little ones reach flight maturity, both the male and female take turns feeding the featherless babies in the nest. Females will only lay two eggs, one week apart from each other, so the baby birds won’t begin learning to fly at the same time.

"Training tosses" and teammates

Once they mature, pigeons appreciate the care and food they are given in their loft from the handler, therefore they do all they can to return. The flyers have various methods and techniques for training, but generally they begin by letting the birds go at short distances away from their lofts, maybe half a mile away. As the birds consistently return home, the flyer lets them go farther and farther away, which Roberts calls “training tosses.” She says this technique builds up their muscles and homing skills.

Don Silvia proudly shows off one of his many racing pigeons.

Canto describes his birds as teammates rather than pets. They all work hard together, sometimes more than five hours of training a day. Some of his birds fly up to 300 miles each week for training during the months leading up to race season, which is in the spring and fall. Being involved with pigeon racing for over 50 years might illustrate why he’s been a top competitor in the country for years. In 1999 and 2001 Canto had the best wings in the country out of about 10,000 flyers and what he estimated were one million birds.

The "dark system"

Canto’s close competitor and companion, Don Silvia of Falmouth has been a member of the Cape Club since 1975. He uses the “dark system” where he only lets eight hours of sunlight into the loft so the pigeons think it’s winter. This causes the birds not to molt and instead keep their feathers so their wings are full during the race months. This gives the pigeon more speed, which is critical since the race is based on velocity, the distance flown divided by the time taken. Contrary to most racing sports’ regulations, the first bird home may not necessarily be the winner. For example, a bird that clocks in at 10 a.m. to a loft 110 miles from the release point flew faster than another bird that flew 95 miles and was clocked in at 9:59 a.m., regardless of the latter reaching its loft first.

In fact, many races are won and lost in mere seconds, according to Silvia. He lost a race by three seconds because his top pigeon refused to enter the loft. A neighbor was walking their dog nearby which startled the bird and caused it to stay in flight and circle for a few moments before entering the loft and stopping the clock. Some may wonder how seconds can even be counted in such a race where birds finish at various locations. Each bird must be registered with its respective club before entering a race. Registering consists of getting a band with a code that may read something like this: AU 99 ABC 1234. The AU represents the national organization; 99 stands for the year the pigeon was born; ABC represents the pigeon’s club, and the last four digits are the pigeon’s unique number. On the opposite leg another band with a computer chip automatically clocks the bird’s travels from the time it leaves its crate to begin the race until the instant it flies into its loft. This ensures that all birds in one race are on the same clock and a winner can fairly be named.

Fall River to host 2009 convention

In October 2009, the annual APRU Convention and Race will take place in Fall River. Northeast Zone Director Bill Desmarais said the national convention usually takes place in larger cities like Chicago, Orlando, or San Diego. This year the small city of Fall River was selected since many clubs in the area are known nationally. He said the local clubs should feel very fortunate to have this race in their neck of the woods this year. Three thousand birds are expected to participate, and 1,500 have already been registered. The first place flyer will be awarded $30,000. According to Silvia, pigeons are being shipped in from all over the country to compete in this race, from as far as Hawaii. Silvia is handling several birds that were sent to him from a Canadian breeder and hopes that one will take the first place slot. If Silvia wins, he has a deal in place with the breeders that he will take home 40 percent of the winnings.

“It’s really a ball,” said Canto, who is also excited about the big race. “There’s nothing like seeing a bird come through the sky ahead on race day.” After racing all over Europe, from France to Germany, where racing is so popular that “people have pigeons like we have dogs,” the fervent flyer plans to head to South Africa to get a taste of another country’s competition.

   A mom and her babies in the nest.

   Pigeon housing.

   Pigeon teenagers.

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