Dog gone: Coping with grief after the death of a dog-child
It crossed my mind, a few weeks after Loki died, that I could march down to the SPCA and stroll back home with a new love. My former psychologist wasn’t going to find out and frantically call me to suggest a meeting, and Loki was not going to appear, as if I am Macbeth, and go all Banquo’s ghost on me. But was I ready for that?
Reader Round-up: Batdogs, city pigs, gallery walls, and cross-stitch charms
Once again, I loved getting peeks into the lives of my wonderful Homies from your Offbeat Home Flickr pool submissions. I got lessons in how to calm a “batdog,” got to peep a glorious gallery wall, and had my mind blown by a tiny cross-stitched charm. Ooh, I share with you yet another weekend adventure. This time, you’ll NEVER guess the animal I helped my friend adopt.
Mark Poulin makes jewelry for nerds and animal-lovers
Y’all get ready to do SQUEEing and AWWWWing over Offbeat Home & Life sponsor Mark Poulin‘s quirky and cute jewelry. From octopodes (or quadrapodes?), dogs and cats to sloths and dinosaurs… these pieces are guaranteed to be the cutest damn things you will see today. Ready to take the “I dare you not to say AWWWWW, while you check out this jewelry” challenge? Ready… go!
Custom, hand-painted Beware Of Pet signs from artists in Nepal
Want people to know that they’re entering the zone of a Pugnacious Kitty? An Intellidog? The Most Interesting Cat in the World? What about a Ferocious Ferret? Check out these hand-painted custom warning signs featuring your pets from Nepal!
Decorate with animal art and support conservation at the same time
This painting was done by Eli, a male orangutan residing at the Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City, Utah. We do paintings with all our orangutans, and many other animals at the zoo. Painting with the animals is first and foremost for their own benefit. The added bonus of all this artistic expression is the end product; paintings that can be sold to the public.
Taking our chicken to the vet
Our Rhode Island Red hen, Rosalind Franklin (or Rosie, for short), laid her very first egg for us Saturday. Sadly, her little chicken body wasn’t quite ready for it, and it caused a prolapse, which is when part of the cloaca protrudes from the hen’s vent. It’s a very serious condition that can cause death. With Rosie’s prolapse showing no signs of getting better, and having reached the end of our knowledge in treating her, we decided to take Rosie in to the vet. Here’s how it went and here’s what I learned from taking my chicken to the vet…
Bringing home baby, reptile edition: a guide to owning your first reptile
Buying an exotic reptilian isn’t an endeavour for the faint of heart. The idea of owning and loving a lizard from the other side of the planet hadn’t dawned on me until my partner did just that. And you can be too, with these helpful tips.
My son, the elephant: Fostering an elephant at an orphanage in Africa
There was one Disney character that touched me so deeply, ruined me so wholly, that the effects are still in place today. I refer to Dumbo, the big-eared elephant. As an adult, I began to research the plight of elephants in captivity — in particular, those in circuses. Overwhelmed by the callousness and cruelty, and feeling powerless, I also researched ways I could help. This is how I came to foster a baby elephant.