Ani-mail Post@ Animal Designs June 2005
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1. What's New
2. Pet Journals
3. Featured Item
4. Ticked Off
5. Drawing and Fun Stuff
6. Comments-Questions-Suggestions
7. How to Unsubscribe

1) WHAT'S NEW
We're moving to a new home and you know what that means. Total
Chaos!!!. So we wanted to let you know that the newsletter will be
on hiatus for a while and will resume again in September. You can
still contact us and shop with us at your convenience, just visit:
www.animaldesigns.com. Enjoy your summer and all the festivities
associated with it. See you again in September.

2) PET JOURNALS
According to Merriam-Webster, the definitions of "lucky" are: 1)
having good luck, 2) happening by chance, 3) producing or resulting
in good by chance, and 4) seeming to bring good luck. "Feline"
comes from the Latin felinus, from felis and means: 1) of, relating
to, or affecting cats or the cat family, 2) resembling a cat and
sleekly graceful, sly, treacherous, or stealthy. As I read these
definitions of lucky and feline, I wondered how my Lucky came up
with his name. But, it really is a very simple story. Lucky is
one of the more common names for cats and dogs, and even though I
wanted him to have a unique name, Lucky basically named himself.
It was probably around 10:30pm because I had taken my aunt to see an
ice show at The Forum in Inglewood, California. However, when we
approached the front door of my apartment, we discovered something
lying there. We saw it was a kitten, even though it looked more
like something the cat would have dragged in, instead of the cat
itself. This poor little thing was dirtier than any other feline I
had ever seen in my life. A great deal of its fur was missing, and
if that wasn't enough, fleas were literally eating him alive. My
aunt and I knew that something had to be done right then and there.
Fortunately, she had always been around animals, as well as being a
nurse. Since I already had two cats and was on a fixed income, I
was hesitant about bringing this little one in. If I did, I knew I
would end up having three cats. I quickly said a prayer telling God
that I was willing to take care of this critter, but I needed help --
both physically and financially. I had already named him Lucky
for obvious reasons. My aunt had never come to stay overnight and
Lucky chose that night to show up on my front door. Of course, we
brought him in and he began to inhale his food. When he was finished
eating, Mama Faith -- my aunt -- began washing him in the bathroom
sink. Although cats are known for not liking water, Lucky didn't
squirm very much. I believe he knew that this lady was giving him
the love and care he so desperately needed. (I would have given
anything to have been able to help her, but because I am
quadriplegic, this was not possible.) Because of the infestation
of fleas, Mama Faith went back to town to find some flea shampoo.
When she returned, she finished bathing him. She continued picking
those fleas out one-by-one until 3am. My other two cats, Magique
and Jynx, were not thrilled about this little intruder, but as
almost all cats are, they were extremely
curious. Mama Faith inquired the next day to see if my Lucky
belonged to anyone and found out that he had. A neighbor woman with
many children told her that she would be very happy for me to take
Lucky since she knew her children hadn't done an adequate job of
caring for him. (I later found out that these same children had
abused Lucky. Also, instead of being the eight weeks that I had
guessed him to be, he was actually four months old.)
All four of us were very lucky that day. From the moment Lucky came
to join our family, my vet never charged me for taking care of any
of my "children." I don't need Merriam-Webster to define lucky or
feline because I get to look at a beautiful blue-eyed bundle of fur
every day -- and,
for me, that truly defines Lucky.
www.petwarmers.com
We all have stories that we like to tell our friends about our
pets, so send us your favorite "tail", and we will select one each
month to feature in our newsletter.

3) FEATURED ITEM
Just in time for the travel season, this custom made toiletry travel
kit/shoe bag in you will come in handy. The toiletry travel kit
measures 10 1/2" x 5 1/2" x 5 1/2", made of quilted cotton outside,
spill resistant nylon lining inside, zippered closure and handle. It
is also washable and breathable. Order your favorite animal print
at:
http://www.animaldesigns.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?
Screen=PROD&Store_Code=animaldesigns&Product_Code=tvl001&Category_Cod
e=3

4) TICKED OFF
Ticks are categorized in the class of Arachnida, phylum Arthropoda.
Even if your Latin is rusty, you might recognize Arachnida as the
class of creature that also includes insects such as spiders,
scorpions, and mites. While ticks are a hassle, be glad that most of
us donāt have to worry about keeping scorpions off of our cats.
Arachnida are characterized by four pairs of segmented legs and a
body that is divided into two regions.
* There are over 800 species of ticks worldwide and they all feed on
the blood of mammals, birds and reptiles.
* The two families of tick are called Ixodidae (hard ticks) and
Argasidae (soft ticks). The Ixodidae have a hard dorsal scutum
(shield). Argasidae have a soft exoskeleton with no scutum.
* While one would seem to be weaker, both groups unfortunately have
the ability to transmit disease.
* The saliva of the hard tick has an anesthetic effect at the site
of the bite.
* The saliva also helps keep the blood flowing by keeping it from
clotting while the tick is feeding.
* In many hard ticks, the saliva also acts like cement, helping to
anchor the tick in place and making it harder for you to remove it.
Scientists and pet companies have worked long and hard to provide
you with products that help keep your four-legged friends safe from
fleas and ticks. But they can't do everything. Here are some simple
steps you can take toward a safer environment for your dog.
* Mow your grass frequently. Sure, itās a hassle, but this is
probably the best reason of all to make it a habit. Removing weeds,
brush and other ground cover from your property will raise the
ground temperature and humidity, which can lead to adult tick death.
Also, this will help eliminate the habitat of other hosts like small
rodents.
* Go to the source. Treating your lawn with an outdoor tick
repellent or residual insecticide may also help decrease the tick
population.
* Keep your dog out of tick areas. Dogs who stay mostly indoors are
at a low risk of picking up ticks, but at some point Barkley has to
go outdoors, so check him daily for ticks. Tick-control insecticides
can be used according to label directions to help repel ticks, but
nothing beats a regular policy of hands-on inspection.
The Lifecycle of Ticks
The lifecycle of the hard tick varies. Some hard ticks will pick one
host and stay with it throughout the three stages of it's life cycle
(if it makes it that far). A tick that follows this type of life
cycle is called a one-host tick. Another type will stay on one host
through the larval and nymphal stages, then fall off and feed on a
second host as an adult before laying eggs. This type, as you may
have guessed, is called a two-host tick. Most hard ticks are three-
host ticks; for these, each stage of the life cycle requires a new
host. When the tick egg hatches, the larvae have six legs. A larva
will set out on a quest for a host. The larva, nymph or adult will
climb onto a blade of grass or shrub, and perch itself with it's
front limbs outstretched waiting anxiously for a host to brush by.
Once the host picks up the larva, the feeding begins. The larva will
feed on the hostās blood from three to five days and then jump
ship
in time to transform into the nymph stage. The nymph will again
quest for a host and then molt into the adult tick. Once the adult
form is taken and the female has consumed a large blood meal, her
body can expand four to five times the normal size. The male will
not eat at this time, but instead will mate with the female, fall
off and die. Once the female has her last blood meal and has mated
she will go lay her eggs. Amazingly, some species will lay several
thousand eggs at one time. The soft tick life cycle is different.
The soft tick will have several hosts between molting. Some types of
soft tick will quest for a host, much like the hard tick. However,
many will inhabit nests, caves, and burrows and simply wait for a
host to happen by. The sneaky soft tick will feed on a sleeping host
and retreat back to it's hiding place when the host awakes. Unlike
hard ticks, soft ticks can live for many years and can survive long
periods of time without food. Both hard and soft ticks can be
vectors for disease, which means they can both be harmful to your
pet. Luckily, the products available to protect your pet are
effective at slamming the door on both. There's a strong arsenal of
products available to control fleas and ticks, but if a tick should
become attached to you or your dog, remove it as soon as possible.
The quicker you get the tick off, the greater your chances of
preventing the tick from transmitting a disease to your dog.
* Always wear rubber gloves when removing ticks from your dog and
avoid touching ticks or tick secretions with bare hands. You don't
want the little beast touching your pooch and you don't want it
touching you either.
* Move carefully and use the tweezers to grab the tick close to the
surface, where the tick's mouth attaches to your dog's skin.
* Use steady pressure to pull the tick out straight. Do not twist or
rip the tick out. Your goal is to remove the entire tick; yanking it
out without paying attention could leave part still attached.
* After removing a tick, thoroughly disinfect the bite site and wash
your hands with soap and water.
* Once the tick is out, you can safely dispose of it by placing the
tick in a small container of flea and tick spray.
Hard as we try to keep ticks from finding our animals, it is not an
uncommon occurrence when they do. With the proper steps and careful
attention, though, they'll be just fine.
Adapted from the Animal Radio Network http://AnimalRadio.com.

5) DRAWING & FUN STUFF
Congratulations to Darlene M ....the winner of the pawprint tissue
box cover. June's drawing is a pawprint baseball style cap. After
entering your name, check out the rest of the fun page at
http://www.animaldesigns.com/trivia.htm Thanks to Maryann T . for
this month's pet photo of Penny, her new foal. .. We want to honor
your pet next month, so send us a copy of their photo either by
email or snail mail. May's question was: Do you think your pet
laughs? The majority of responses thought our pets do laugh with
Yes, usually at me (47%), No, but they make me laugh (44%) and Can't
really tell (9%).

6) COMMENTS-QUESTIONS-SUGGESTIONS
"Just a quick note to let you know that I love the tote bag you made
for me. The size is perfect an the cat print is so cute. I use it
all the time. Thanks so much for working with me." Kate A.

As always, we appreciate your comments, questions and suggestions
and we've provided this link for sharing this newsletter with your
friends. http://www.animaldesigns.com/tell-a-friend.htm Thank
you for taking the time to tell your friends and family about Animal
Designs. It is the ultimate compliment and we greatly appreciate it.

All the Best,
Jeanie
Animal Designs
www.animaldesigns.com
1.866.468.1739