Non-Profit News

This week’s Pet of the Week is something different. Our barn cats. For a variety to reasons—sometimes because we have taken in a mother and her kittens and the mother was trying to survive on her own and was never well-socialized—sometimes because we take in kittens that are just a little too old to socialize easily—we end up with cats in foster care who will probably never be happy as house cats. We have several now.

Dear Readers, We love the ASPCA. They do such good work on a national level on all kinds of animal issues, but the one part of their work that we love the most is the information they provide to pet owners.

Don't worry about Snickers' eye. It's fine--she just ALWAYS closes at least one eye when you try to take her picture.

Dear Porky and Buddy: OK, I'm confused and a little annoyed. I just sent a donation to the Humane Society of the United States and almost the very next day, I got a newsletter from the Oswego County Humane Society asking for a donation. Don't they talk to each other? If I send money to the national organization, I assume they just divvy it up, so why can't the Oswego County Humane Society just leave me alone? (Not that I don't enjoy and appreciate their newsletter, but why do they insist upon including that obnoxious donation envelope?) Signed, Barb

Dear Porky & Buddy: Help! I don’t mean to sound shallow and I really really love all my pets, but I dread the coming of spring, otherwise known as the “mud season.” No matter how hard I try, I just cannot keep them from constantly tracking mud into the house and all over the carpets and it is so frustrating. Do you have any practical suggestions? Signed, Ken

Cassidy is a super friendly teenager, good with her foster mom's little yippy dogs and her other cats. As you can see, she is also very affectionate toward people, so much so that it’s hard to take her picture because she wants to just rub against your legs. So you just have to trust us that she is very pretty with a little half bob tail. She is totally ready to find a forever home of her own.

Dear Porky & Buddy: We have always been conscientious about using a topical flea and tick product on our pets, and that has always seemed to be effective. But we have never started it before May at the earliest and now our dog Sam is coming in with ticks almost every day since early March. March!!!!. I thought those nasty little things die or something over the winter. When should I start those treatments? Signed, John

This big, beautiful girl is Tinkerbell. Her mom had to give her up when she went in an assisted living facility. And SHE had taken her from yet another lady who went into nursing care.

Dear Porky & Buddy: I know we are getting close to flea season again, even though it doesn’t look it outside my window. Sigh. But I was wondering what you think about the importance of flea control for pets. I have been using various treatments for years and honestly, it has been a long time since I actually saw a flea anywhere near any of my pets. Is it really necessary to keep it up? I’m not being cheap, even though some of those treatments are expensive, but they are also pretty strong chemicals and are they really necessary in my case? Signed, Linda