Let’s talk about that “ruff” life..

Amphibians and reptiles are both classes of living things that are cold-blooded and have backbones.

Amphibians begin life in water and later mature toward land. they’re cold-blooded vertebrates, consisting mainly of frogs, toads, and salamanders. Amphibians begin life breathing water through gills, and grow to breathe air through lungs. they’re found living within the wild worldwide, especially in tropical areas. The term “amphibious” also can be applied to a vehicle that functions toward land or air moreover as in water.

Reptiles are cold-blooded, have a backbone, lay eggs, are covered in scales, and breathe air through lungs. they often have short legs and long tails. Because they’re cold-blooded, they typically board warm climates or hibernate during winter months. a number of the earliest-known reptiles were dinosaurs. Modern reptiles include crocodiles, snakes, lizards, and turtles.

The primary distinguishing feature between amphibians and reptiles is the ability of an amphibian to sustain life underwater for a minimum of a part of its life. Amphibians are smoother and moister than reptiles, which are dry and scaly, and want to stay near a water source.

Pets can be a great way to teach a child the responsibility of taking care of a living organism. However, depending on the age of the child, many types of pets would not be suiting for kids under 13. While many parents thing that getting a bunny or a hamster would be a good idea for their kid, I will have to argue otherwise. Bunnies are cute and fluffy, but they require extensive care that many kids would not be able to fulfill. Also smaller animals like bunnies, hamsters and others are extremely fragile, and can be injured easily from mishandling. While reptiles are a bit of a safer option, they require specific light setups as well as controlled temperature and humidity for many species. Failure to balance all those factors can lead to variety of diseases that will seriously affect their lives.

With that being said, a dog or a fish would be the perfect first pet for a child. Dogs are not quite as fragile, given a bit more room for an error. And fish is relatively easy to take care of. Obviously both of those options have to be under adult supervision.

It was one of those holidays he despised. All the loved up couples celebrating their temporary bond. Of course, Jack knew that none of them will last forever, too many of his friends were unfaithful to their so-called love of their lives, or unhappy to be with them. Hell, even his parents came crumbling down after thirty years of their happy marriage. There was no example of that happy end in his life that everyone strives for. 

He has been in love before of course, but it would never last. Perhaps the problem was within him, or he was just right. There is no such thing as soulmates. Sooner or later people will grow apart, slowly falling out of love with one another.

Here he was, sitting at the bar. It was his third drink when he noticed this couple across the dining room. They were both beautiful people and seemingly happy, but something was off. The woman was shining with excitement, but no matter how hard the man tried to reciprocate that light of happiness, there was some fraud beneath his surface. As if he was waiting for cupid to appear and take the arrow out of his back he planted a while ago.

Once the woman excused herself to use a ladies’ room, her partner didn’t hesitate to come up to the bar and order a drink. 

“The stronger the better,” he said to the barman and took a deep breath. 

He noticed Jack sitting next to him, so he bought his drink as well before saying something under his nose and disappearing in the tables. 

A moment later, the woman was back to their flirty conversation, playing the role of a happy couple. Jack downed his drink and was about to leave but then he noticed a wedding band right next to him where a man stood just two minutes ago. 

Yet another union that is moments away from their end. What a funny day.

Before owning a pet an owner should do extensive research about the animal and what is required of the owner.

This includes the proper diet for the animal which is very important. Knowing the diet of the pet allows the owner to properly feed the pet based on what it usually eats. If the owner feeds the pet incorrectly it could cause the pet to be unhealthy and shorten its life expectancy.

Proper care based on the animal is also very important. All animals are different so it is important to know exactly what your pet will need. This could be how often your pet requires exercise or if your pet needs a certain amount of space to live adaquatly.

Different pets have different temperaments so its crucial to find one that aligns with the owner. For example a pet that is high energy requires an owner that is willing to keep up with that same energy level. So if an owner is unable to match that it is unfair to the pet because the owner is supposed to know what their pet needs.

Knowing your pet is part of owning it so don’t be the person that finds themselves unfit to handle your pet after already taking ownership.

Both of these animals are perfect pets but can be better suited for different people.

Cats are very easy to take care of compared to dogs because cats are very independent. They dont require the constant pressence of their owner and are perfectly fine being aloner for periods of time. This allows people who have busy lives or busy schedules to own a pet that does not require as much attention and care as a dog. Cats also are perfect pets for individuals who live in areas with less space like apartments.

Dogs require more attention than cats which means the owner must be available and willing to put in the work which comes with owning a dog. This means the owner needs to be diligent with walking the dog daily which is not something everyone is able to do. Dogs also require more space than a cat would which might not suit everyone as well.

Having either of these pets still requires the owner to put time and effort into them. So know what you’re getting into by doing research about the animal you intend on keeping as a pet in order to give it the exact care it needs.

A week ago I heard a desperate cry outside of my apartment. Once I looked around, I spotted a German Shepard puppy on the balcony of my first floor neighbors, locked out with his crate in 90 degree weather. My heart dropped, and I felt the rage I didn’t know I was capable of. How dare those people torture such precious baby in the heat like that?

When the crying continued, I took a better look at the poor thing and noticed an electric collar on his neck. To say I was upset would be a gross understatement… I was fuming. This puppy looked barely three months old and those monsters were putting him at so much risk.

Many people either don’t bother to think shock collars through, or just don’t realize the harm it causes to their “best friends”. There has been no study that proved shock collars to be more efficient in dog training than the concept of positive reinforcement. Furthermore, electric shocks can cause strong fear in the dogs and even increase aggression in some cases.

Putting such device on a small puppy that has yet to develop, can cause serious tissue damage and often times can burn through the soft neck skin. Needless to say it will absolutely psychologically scar the dog for the rest of their life.

This is perhaps the most confusing time of my era, COVID-19 absolutely flipped my life upside down leaving me to fin for myself. Since the beginning of the lockdown, I have lost my job as well as my mother. Several of my relatives died of it back in Moscow so I have no way of being with my family during these hard times.

My friends from Russia told me that over there if you go outside, there are policemen everywhere and if you don’t have a “legit” enough excuse to be out, you get a pretty large ticket. Everything there is shut down, and essential business is not a thing there.

The scariest part of all, is that if even Moscow government thinks this is so significant, this means that this virus is much more dangerous than the flu like many people claim.

It is important for us to stick together during this terrifying time, and not turn against each other starting additional conflicts within the population.

I am a certified bather at our store’s grooming salon, and feel like there are several misconceptions about long haired cats people tend to have. A lot of time we get people coming in and ask us for a “lion” cut on their longhaired cat, without realizing how intrusive and stressful that procedure is for their furry babies.

Long haired cats have a double coat which helps them regulate their temperature year around. During the summer, the undercoat sheds therefore reducing amount of fur in order to keep cool. In the winter, however, their undercoat thickens to preserve that heat.

Shaving majority of it off, causes the cat to lose control over their body temperature which is consequentially ruins their balance. Such huge changes often affect cats deeply on emotional level, and they let that distress out by misbehaving and throwing fits.

Lastly, after that double coat is saved off, it never ends up growing back properly, ruining temperature balance for that cat forever. The only case we will ever recommend such haircut is nit the cat has really bad matts all over their body, yet that condition can be easily prevented by regular brushing.

Animal abuse is perhaps one of few things that hits extremely close to home in me. Now a days animal services seem to be as ethical as possible, but some practices are much more intrusive than many people would expect.

Firstly, the fact that declawing of cats is still a thing drives me absolutely insane. Claws do not work the same way nails in humans do. Claws in animals such as cats are more like tips of their fingers that have nerve endings in them. But removing claws doesn’t just butcher cats paws, but also typically have negative effects on cat’s temperament.

When you think about it, the only weapons cats have that make them feel safe and somewhat in control are their claws as well as their teeth. Removing over 80% of their defense mechanism will leave cat more paranoid and scared than ever, causing poor behavior due to the stress and inability of self defense.

I believe it is important to understand all of the positives as well as negatives that come with a breed which I discussed below. The reason why I even started the topic is because my cat, Leo, is Scottish straight. Meaning that he is a practically the same as Scottish Fold, but with straight ears.

The type of cat is extremely expensive, and I would like to discuss why I chose to spend so much money on him. While I do want my cat to look cute, the temperament is far more important for me while choosing a pet. The first cat my family ever got back in Russia, was the Scottish straight kind. Their reputation was what navigated our decision. Their personalities tend to be extremely loyal and socialThe first cat my family ever got back in Russia, was the Scottish straight kind. Their reputation was what navigated our decision. Their personalities tend to be extremely loyal and social, leading them to behave more like dogs than a typical cat. And that is exactly what made me want to get that type of cat for myself.

Thankfully, I’m not a huge fan of folded ears look to begin with so it wasn’t a big dilemma for me. However for anybody who would consider getting a fold over straight, I would strongly recommend to consider all of the health and joint problem risks they’re putting their future pet in.

Leo, however, blew all my expectations out of the water. He is extremely smart and by the time he was seven months old he knew various commands from sit and high five, to walk between my legs with every step and jumping over obstacles. His loyalty is incredible, he will not leave me for a second even if I am taking a bath (considering he despises water). Every morning he cuddles me and gives me kisses. This is truthfully the best companion I could ever ask for.