Ani-mail Post@ Animal Designs October 2005
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1. What's New
2. Pet Journals
3. Featured Item
4. Cats Have Defective Sweet Taster Receptor
5. Drawing and Fun Stuff
6. Comments-Questions-Suggestions
7. How to Unsubscribe

We extend our thoughts and support to all the victims of the recent
hurricanes, both human and furry. Our sincere wishes for their
speedy recovery.

1) WHAT'S NEW
This month's new product is a real treat for dog lovers. Check out
the unique handcrafted gift products from original wood carvings .
These beautiful hand-painted pieces are available in your favorite
dog breed and we have 147 AKC breeds to choose from. These
collectibles are priceless, yet affordable. As with all our products,
since we can't list all the dog breeds here, if you want a special
order contact us with your request. See the beautiful selections of
door toppers, water globes, hang ups and figurines at:
http://www.animaldesigns.com/dog-gifts.htm

2) PET JOURNALS
WHEN I AM OLD
When I am old...
I will wear soft gray sweatshirts...
and a bandana over my silver hair...
and I will spend my social security checks on wine and my dogs.
I will sit in my house on my well-worn chair
and listen to my dogs breathing.
I will sneak out in the middle of a warm summer night
and take my dogs for a run, if my old bones will allow...
When people come to call, I will smile and nod
as I show them my dogs...
and talk of them and about them...
...the ones so beloved of the past
and the ones so beloved of today...
I will still work hard cleaning after them,
mopping and feeding them and whispering their names
in a soft loving way.
I will wear the gleaming sweat on my throat,
like a jewel, and I will be an embarrassment to all...
especially my family...
who have not yet found the peace in being free
to have dogs as your best friends...
These friends who always wait, at any hour, for your footfall...
and eagerly jump to their feet out of a sound sleep,
to greet you as if you are a God,
with warm eyes full of adoring love and hope
that you will always stay,
I'll hug their big strong necks...
I'll kiss their dear sweet heads...
and whisper in their very special company....
I look in the mirror... and see I am getting old....
this is the kind of person I am...
and have always been.
Loving dogs is easy, they are part of me.
Please accept me for who I am.
My dogs appreciate my presence in their lives...
they love my presence in their lives...
When I am old this will be important to me...
you will understand when you are old,
if you have dogs to love too.
-- author unknown
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
Looking for a stylish product to carry all your essentials, then
check out our tapestry tote bags in your choice of pet and animal
prints. These totes have a full nylon lining, two 30" cloth straps,
and an easy velcro closure. They are 15"x18" and very durable. See
the selection now at:
http://www.animaldesigns.com/Merchant2/merchant

4) CATS HAVE DEFECTIVE SWEET TASTER RECEPTOR
Scientists from the Monell Chemical Senses Center, in collaboration
with scientists from the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition, UK, report
that a defect in a gene that codes for part of the mammalian sweet
taste receptor can account for cats, indifference to sugar and other
sweets. Cat owners have long recognized that, unlike most mammals,
domestic cats are uniformly uninterested in sweet-tasting foods.
According to an early study conducted at Monell in the 1970s, the
same indifference to sweets is also evident in wild cats such as
lions, tigers, leopards, and jaguars. "One possible explanation for
this behavior is that felines are unable to detect sweet-tasting
compounds like sugars and high intensity sweeteners because their
sweet taste receptor is defective," comments Xia Li, PhD, a molecular
geneticist at Monell and lead author of the current study. "An
obvious place to look, therefore, is at the genes coding for the
sweet-taste receptor." Although sweet sugars are ubiquitous in human
foods, they are seldom added to cat food, and owners usually do not
feed sweets to their cats. This is because, in contrast to most other
mammals, both domestic cats and their wild cousins, the big cats, do
not show a preference for and, most likely, cannot detect sweet-
tasting compounds. Other than this sweet blindness, the cat's sense
of taste is normal. The molecular mechanism for this unique behavior
towards sweets was not known, until now. Sweet compounds, including
sugars and artificial sweeteners, are recognized by a special taste
bud receptor composed of the products of two genes. The authors found
that in cats, one of these genes is not functional and is not
expressed. (It is called a pseudogene.) Because the sweet receptor
cannot be formed, the cat cannot taste sweet stimuli. During the
evolution of the cats' strictly carnivorous behavior, selection to
maintain a functional receptor was apparently relaxed. This research
provides a molecular explanation for the common observation that the
cat lives in a different sensory world than the cat owner.
Adapted from the Animal Radio Network http://AnimalRadio.com.

5) DRAWING & FUN STUFF
Congratulations to Annie S., winner of the pawprint tissue box cover.
October's drawing is a paw print drawstring bag After entering your
name, check out the rest of the fun page at
http://www.animaldesigns.com/trivia.htm Thanks to Pam K.. . for
this month's pet photo of Heidi and Jess two of the cutest
dachshunds you'll ever see. We want to honor your pet next month, so
send us a copy of their photo either by email or snail mail.
September's question was: What is your pet preference? The results
were evenly split with Males (37%), Females (35%) , and either one
(28%). It was good to note that there were not any votes for
the "other" category.

6) COMMENTS-QUESTIONS-SUGGESTIONS
A big THANK YOU is extended to all the volunteers who unselfishly
gave their all to assist those affected by the hurricane disasters.

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
www.animaldesigns.com