Precious Pets Vol 2, Issue 8 by PreciousPets

Precious Pets The ultimate monthly paper for pets and their companions LIKE US ON

VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 8 • MARCH 27, 2015 • www.preciouspets.ca

In this issue New Pets in the

home

3 d Dragon

rde Take in a Bea

5 Stuart Nulman

Dutch rabbit, Popcorn, in champion form (See story, p. 4)

Photo - Credit Amanda Greening

on Books

In praise of a particular special woman Barking Bram with Bram D. Elsenthal

This has been a really trying month. I told you last issue about the death of my dear cousin Sally’s husband of 40 years, Stanley Rosenthal. Well, by a cruel twist of Fate, two days after a crying Sally called me to inform me of Stanley’s passing, she herself died! How crazy is that? I loved Sally so much and she and I were close for about 40 years. She was an amazing woman and I will miss her dearly. Rest in peace in both New Jersey and Valhalla, dear Cousin Sally. She was the last of my family in this hemisphere still living and with her passing, an era truly comes to a sudden and devastating halt. Sally-Jean Rosenthal will be buried at Mt. Moriah Cemetery in New Jersey alongside her beloved

Stanley, just in case any of you finds yourself there. Please say a little prayer, because she was really one of a kind. Baruch Dayan Ha’Emet. West Island SPCA was offered help by us long ago For over a year now, I have attempted to let the West Island SPCA know that we were very willing to help get the word out about them. Following the tragic death of many dogs at a pet business on the West Island in 2013, a memorial service was held at the Global location in Hudson and we met three members of the fledgling West Island SPCA at the time... and plugged them in our subsequent issue. I followed this up with offers of free publicity, just as

we offer all of our amazing volunteer pet-driven organizations, such as Gerdy’s Rescues. The SPCA did not reply, not even once. So it is with more than a modicum of chagrin that I respond in this column to the West Island’s recent fundraising drive and its CEOs “appearance” on CJAD radio claiming that no one knew of their existence, hence the financial losses. I hereby make this offer once again. We are prepared to help you get the word out, but the help must come from your organization, as well. Good luck with the months ahead and may you and your animals have a bright future. Reward offered to anyone who helps bring an animal torturer to justice If you know of anyone who has injured or killed an animal and transmitting this to us helps bring the twisted perpetrator to justice, Precious Pets pledges to give you a financial reward once the person is charged. We cannot give you vast riches, but we will give you what we can scrape up and you will remain anonymous if you wish to thus remain. Happy holidays! We would like to wish the followers of two of our great world religions, Judaism and Christianity, a happy, healthy and safe Passover and Easter holiday season. May people of faith and belief treat their fellow men

and women of all colours, creeds and beliefs with kindness and justice and may we all stand together in our quest for a better world. And may animals receive the same kind and ethical treatment as humans are expected to get. Amen to that! Welcome to... Our newest but FAR-from-inexperienced writers, acclaimed Toronto-based film critic Shlomo Schwartzberg, who returns to the fold after writing for our earlier publication The Local Herald, and Stuart Nulman, whose Book Banter show and column has made him a bit of a bookish celebrity in his own right. Welcome to you both, I say with much pride. And last but certainly not least... Since we all bleed Irish green this time of year, at least figuratively, our next issue (April 2015) will feature some terrific photos snapped at the Hudson St. Patrick’s Day Parade by our talented Van Biello, whose tenure at Dawson’s School of Photography has her capturing one award after another. Look forward to seeing CFCF TV news anchor Mutsumi Takahashi, the first female marshal in event history, as well as Juliana Pavelka and Keith Johnston and their Irish Wolfhounds and Gerdy Gouron of Gerdy’s Rescues with some of her dogs.... in the exciting April issue of Precious Pets!

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VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 8 • FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015

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MAILING ADDRESS: ..............................................P.O. Box 66521, Cavendish Mall, Côte Saint-Luc, QC H4W 3J6 PUBLISHER AND EDITOR:.....................................................................................................Bram D. Eisenthal SALES MANAGER:........................................................................................................................ Tina Di Salvia CREATIVE DESIGN:...............................................................................................................James McCafferty ART DIRECTOR: .............................................................................................................. ..............Marta Barnes ONTARIO DIRECTOR & DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL MEDIA:...........................................................Janet Boiangiu

PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 8 • FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015 • www.preciouspets.ca

Animals make many movies dearer to our hearts Ever since the beginning of the movies, there have been animals that have become movie stars or have made an impact in their own right. Dorothy’s dog Toto in The Wizard of Oz and Lassie, of course, but also cowboy star Roy Rogers’ horse Trigger, who was billed as “The Smartest Horse in the Movies (considering that they’re not reputed to be all that smart, that might not be saying much)” and the cat that threatened The Incredible Shrinking Man in the movie of the same name... Let’s face it, animals of any stripe are tailor-made for cinema, either as ‘characters’ we root for, creatures we fear or a combination of both. Horror and fantasy films have gotten off on enlarging them to epic proportions, including giant spiders (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King), great apes (King

Kong) and humongous snakes (Anaconda) though the giant bunnies of Night of the Lepus didn’t scare anyone as rabbits simply are not frightening no matter how big they get. Then there are all those werewolf movies, depicting the dangerous animal inside of us. Animals, whether pets, predators or simply as set decoration are almost always guaranteed to entice the viewer with their antics. Think of the slobbering dog Hooch in the Tom Hanks comedy Turner & Hooch, Ulysses the cat carried around by the main character in the Coen brothers’ drama Inside Llewyn Davis or Joey, the horse who ends up fighting and suffering in World War One in Steven Spielberg’s film adaptation of War Horse. Uggie. The really cute Jack Russell Terrier in the Oscar winning French silent film The Artist even got to walk the red carpet, sporting a nifty bow tie

Entertainment Entre-Nous with Shlomo Schwartzberg

during the film premiere. On TV, too, animals have played a prominent role, including another Jack Russell Terrier named Moose, best known as the personable Eddie on the classic comedy Frasier. And we all remember Arnold, the pig on Green Acres, Mister Ed, the talking horse on the sitcom of the same name and Ben the bear in Gentle Ben. Currently, animals have had significant roles in such series as Revenge, Downton Abbey and Wilfred, whose lead character, a dog, is, interestingly, played by a man in a dog suit (Jason Gann). Whatever the guise of the animal on the big or small screen, you can see why someone came

up with the old show business adage “Never work with children or animals.” Those wise words testify to how animals can steal scenes away from their human counterparts almost every time. And we, the audience, wouldn’t have it any other way. Shlomo Schwartzberg is a longtime Toronto-based arts journalist, film programmer and teacher. He is also the co-founder of and a regular contributor to the noted online daily cultural web site Critics at Large (www. criticsatlarge.ca). He grew up in a household that was a happy home to several cats.

For Pets And People In Motion

PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 8 • FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015 • www.preciouspets.ca

Rabbits are ‘a-hoppin’ in most unusual competitive sport BY

CHANTAL GARGANO - PHOTOS COURTESY CANADIAN RABBIT HOPPING CLUB

Amanda Greening with her Holland Lop-breed, Babbity Rabbity

Everyone knows that rabbits are cute and cuddly, but did you know that they can also be agile and ‘’bunderful’’ little athletes (ED. NOTE: Chantal’s beloved late rabbit was named Bun Bun)? A while ago, I discovered a very unusual sport that originally started in Sweden in the 1970s, called Rabbit Hopping. This fun activity is very similar to dog agility events but the stars of the show are you guessed it - rabbits. In order to learn more about this exciting

sport, I had the pleasure of interviewing Amanda Greening, one of the founders of the Canadian Rabbit Hopping Club (CRHC), located in Calgary, Alberta, and her mother Rosemarie Greening. In 2005, Amanda and her friend Krysta Turner started the original CRHC as a 4-H (a popular mainly-rural youth organization) project after reading articles about rabbit hopping in Denmark. They created little jumps and were surprised at how easily the rabbits got into the jumping routine and how much they enjoyed it. In July 2007, they were invited to the Calgary Stampede Rabbit Hopping Demonstration and this is where the Club started. Things developed from there and the club presently has a modestly-numbered 15 members. One of the club’s goals is to spread the word that rabbits are extremely intelligent and personable. Most people think that rabbits are just animals that sit in a cage and don’t do anything interesting but nothing could be further from the truth. Each rabbit has their very own personality along with amazing learning abilities. How can you tell if your rabbit has what it takes to be a good athlete? According to Amanda, you can’t really tell until you try him out. If,

however, your rabbit has lots of energy, curiosity and approaches you wanting attention, he has potential. If he has an athletic body type that is also very good, but sometimes even the chubby bunnies can surprise you with their enthusiasm and are able to keep up with the best athletes. If your rabbit is shy and is more the laid back type, though, he might not make such a good candidate. When asked which gender (male or female) are easier to train, Amanda said that there are really no differences, but that males tend to be a bit more sociable. She also added that you should get your rabbit spayed or neutered because hormonally-induced behaviour can be detrimental to training. This will also improve the overall health and well-being of your animal. Amanda explained that during actual competitions, they do time trials where the fastest rabbits win. All the rabbits go around the same course and they get penalties for knocking off bars, skipping obstacles etc…. much as in canine or equine events. They also have the side-by-side race, where two identical courses are set up next to one another and the first rabbit to go through the hoop at the end wins. In this type

PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 8 • FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015 • www.preciouspets.ca

Chantal’s little diva, the late, beloved Bun Bun

of race, some rabbits can get quite competitive. You can see them getting all excited in the pause boxes (where the rabbits begin and finish), wanting desperately to sprint while waiting for the ‘’GO’’ signal! Some of the rabbits genuinely seem to want to win because they run faster if there is another rabbit for them to directly compete against! They also have agility tracks where rabbits will do a round of pure jumps over a variety of obstacles. The rabbits are timed and the top competitors garner a bonus round, where all the jumps are raised higher. They then must maneuver over jumps that are made taller and longer with every successful jump. Rabbits can make

RABBITS CONTINUES PAGE 14

Introducing a child into the home We recently welcomed a bundle of joy into our home… a bouncing baby boy named JJ. We also have five Pit Bulls. Pit Bulls have often been referred to as the Nanny Dog and I can attest to the fact that they are wonderful with children. My right-hand assistant, Ocean, is highly-trained and obedient and I completely trust her around people, dogs and children, yet I will never leave her alone with JJ even for a few seconds. After all, she’s

Editorial Board THE EDITORIAL BOARD OF PRECIOUS PETS IS COMPRISED OF INDIVIDUALS CONNECTED TO THE PET FIELD IN SOME MANNER, WHO ARE READY TO ADVISE THE PARTNERS AND/OR STAFF WHEN

ASKED FOR THEIR OPINIONS. THEY ARE:

MICHAEL J. COHEN, COUNCILOR, CITY OF COTE SAINT-LUC (QUEBEC) AND FOUNDER OF ITS CATS COMMITTEE AVERIL ROBINSON, OWNER OF PET FRIENDS (VAUDREUIL, QUEBEC) GERDY GOURON, OWNER OF GERDY’S RESCUES AND ADOPTIONS (QUEBEC) DR. WOJCIECH WYBRANOWSKI – VETERINARIAN (MONTREAL’S WEST ISLAND) GABY DUFRESNE-ST. CYR – OWNER OF DOGUESHOP (MONTREAL) SUZANNE VILLENEUVE – PRESIDENT: SUZANNE VILLENEUVE ASSOCIATES INC. & SVBIZ INC.

a dog and an animal. Admittedly, as someone who knows this quite experientially, they don’t always act rationally. I truly believe that she would never hurt him intentionally, but being a big, strong dog she could jump up if she hears him crying and scratch his face. But… hmmmmm…. how did we even get to this point? JJ’s introduction started months ago. His crib, changing table, dressers, clothes and toys were prominently displayed in our home well in advance. This gave all the dogs the opportunity to become comfortable with new objects in the house, as well as new smells and sounds. Baby toys make many strange sounds which could easily startle a dog. They were all squeezed and rolled across the floor and dogs were told they could smell and investigate but not pick up. Alternative objects were given to them to play with so they could clearly see the difference. During this process we noticed a particular toy that made the same sound as a doggy squeeze toy. For dog toys that sound is actually imitating a dying animal, which can bring out the prey drive in some dogs. Let’s just say that this particular toy will not be making an appearance at our house. We always err on the side of caution. Another point that should be made is that, well in advance, we started paying a little less attention to the dogs. We tried to set up a routine that was not so dogcenteric. I’m not advising new parents to stop interacting with the dog, just to start making sure they understand that they are no longer the centre of the universe. The key to this was keeping the message subtle, with minimal noticeable change. When the big day came to bring the baby home, we did so very methodically. We introduced JJ to the dogs one at a time in the lobby of our building. They were allowed to smell his feet… but nothing more.

Doggie Do with John Truss

Face licking is not allowed and no paws are allowed to touch the baby. As time goes on they are allowed to smell his face, but no licking. Interactions with the baby are always positive. If there was any grumbling, the offender was sent away to his bed. No harsh corrections were made, as the use of a verbal correction was sufficient. We always have to remember to praise the dogs when they are being good, as well. We must always let them know when they have done something right. If a dog moves past the baby in his swing and gives a gentle sniff, he or she is praised. If the intensity is a bit too high, they are gently told to move away. The key to success will always be setting very clear boundaries for

the dogs, but always keeping it positive. The baby doesn’t know any better right now, but will need to be taught the correct way of dealing with dogs as he grows. Something tells me this will come quite naturally to little JJ. Bark Avenue is at 5385 Cote de Liesse Rd, TMR, Quebec, 514-7472275. Their website is www.barkavemtl.com. You can also e-mail them at info@barkavemtl.com ED. NOTE: Best of luck and sincerest congratulations to you and your family from Precious Pets, your journalistic other home, John! We hope to meet JJ at Bark Avenue soon and we promise we will only sniff him at most…

PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 8 • FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015 • www.preciouspets.ca

For the love of dog Corners of My Mind with Keith Johnston

When I was growing up, we were never allowed to own a dog. My parents were die-hard cat breeders, breeding some of Quebec’s finest Seal Point Siamese in the early 1960s. Born in 1960, I ended up sharing my crib my twin sister and residing in a house filled with 21 cats of varying ages. My father once told me that when the cats were not biting me, I was biting them. As we got older and I commenced my rebellious years, my mother’s favorite saying was “Oh, for the love of God!” I think I might have been a little dyslexic, as I interpreted it as “Oh for the love of dog.” Needless to say, every stray dog ended up coming home with me. My parents would

not let me keep any of them, and in this instance, they knew quite well that this was a well looked after dog from two streets over. In any case, my first real relationship was with Bruce, a large German Shepherd. He lived with Chris, a married neighbor who was often alone a lot of the time because her husband, a pilot with BOAC, was away on business. As I was young and enthusiastic, I so wanted to make friends with this handsome canine fellow that I strolled right up to his territory to break the ice with this powerful animal. In true form, Bruce took his job to heart and proceeded to give me a scar on my chest that I wear proudly to this day. Chris, on

the other hand, was quite devastated by what happened and was worried I would go home and tell my parents what had transpired… with the end result being the destruction of Bruce. I found my way home, bloodied and with my pride in tatters, My mother took one look at me and said “For the love of God, what happened to you?” Not wanting to get Bruce into any trouble, I told my mother I hooked myself climbing over a fence. But, for the love of dog, I would not divulge the truth. Chris felt sorry for me, as she watched me walk past her house every day, just hoping Bruce and I would become friends. One day, those wishes were granted. Chris came out to see me and asked how my bite was healing. With no small amount of pride, I lifted my shirt and showed her. She told me she thought it was time for a formal introduction. Chris brought Bruce into the house so we could meet on his terms, not mine. He came up to me and the first thing he did was inspect his handiwork. He sniffed my chest and then looked into my eyes as if to say ‘I am sorry.’ It would have been so much simpler and less painful if we had done this in the first place. Within weeks, the two of us were inseparable and, realizing

PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 8 • FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015 • www.preciouspets.ca

this, Chris gave Bruce over to my care. In the end, Bruce ended up with two homes and I had a true companion, one that my parents would never have permitted me on a full-time basis. We spent hours walking around the turtle pond and down by the train bridge soaking up all that life had to offer: A 12-year old boy and his faithful sidekick. Whether chasing rabbits in the woods or throwing and fetching rocks from the river, we enjoyed one another’s company. The best part for me, however, was lying in the tall grass on a hot summer’s day using Bruce’s huge chest as a pillow, listening to his heart beat and thinking, in the selfish manner of adolescent boys, that this heart is beating for me and only me. As I write this, I close my eyes and listen carefully - and I hear that heart beating and feel his presence. FOR THE LOVE OF DOG, I cherish those memories. ED. NOTE: Keith and Juliana Pavelka are two of the most pet-committed people I have ever met, truly a very special couple. They are also very helpful to Precious Pets. Thanks to you both and good luck with your two monstrous-but-lovable Irish Wolfhounds.

Enjoying Bearded Dragons as pets Bearded Dragons are native to Australia and make wonderful pets. These lizards are interactive, know their families and become part of a routine just as quickly as a cat or dog, within a very short period of time. They are one of the most docile yet inquisitive pet lizards available. They do require a fairly large terrarium to accommodate their adult size. Normally a 48x16x16 terrarium is recommended, along with the appropriate heat lamp, UV lamp, water bowl, calcium, vitamins, a suitable substrate and branches to bask on. With the proper care, you and your dragon will share a happy space for many years to come. There are some costs associated with caring for a Dragon, as is the case with any pet. Bearded Dragons are omnivores and are probably one of the cheaper reptiles to feed. They require a good variety of greens, vegetables and small quantities of fruit on a daily basis and always welcome insects as a good protein source. They take great pleasure in trying new foods and insects and feeding them is a great way to bond with your Dragon. Bearded Dragons are now avail-

Reptiles are People Too... with Dawn and Yan

of Monarch Reptiles (Chateauguay, Quebec)

able in a variety of morphs. It is a good idea to shop around and see the varieties on today’s market before making a choice. Take the time to visit specialty reptile stores to become hands-on, as is the case with choosing any animal companion. There are indeed some that simply grab your heart strings during a visit. The price range is rather vast and can range anywhere from $100.00 – $500.00. Look for a reptile that is alert, but equally calm in your hand. Once you learn about how fascinating Bearded Dragons can be as pets, we promise you will not walk away without giving them at least some due consideration. If you are interested in discussing or seeing a large variety of fascinating reptilian pets, Monarch Reptiles, located in Chateau-

guay, Quebec, is the ideal spot for such a discussion or education. In fact, they often arrange seminars on related products and nourishment. Contact Dawn or Yan at 450-844-8401 or e-mail them at monarchreptiles@hotmail.com

Next Issue:

FRIDAY. April 24, 2015

DEADLINE WEDNESDAY, April 8, 2015 info@preciouspetscanada.com

PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 8 • FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015 • www.preciouspets.ca

TIDBITS Art from

Marta Barnes

Marta Barnes is a graduate from the creative writing program at Concordia University and studied abroad in Australia for six months in 2011. At the moment she is an ESL teacher at an elementary school in South Korea, from whence her inky illustrations currently propagate. She loves food, tea, and most other things that a Hobbit might - including the occasional adventure. Follow her travel blog at www.downfromthedoor.com

“With the discovery of some rubber gloves, a spool of string, and the usefulness of knots, Artie Anaconda finally managed to fashion himself a pair of hands.”

PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 8 • FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015 • www.preciouspets.ca

They Call Me Dr. W

Laser therapy for pets (BY DR. WYBRANOWSKI, B.SC. DVM CCRT)

One of the newest forms of pet intervention is Laser Therapy. A therapeutic laser produces invisible light in the infrared range that has beneficial effects on mammalian cells. How can light do that?, one can ask. The simple answer is that, as with plants that derive their energy from the sun, animal cells can also transform laser light into energy. The laser light turns on cell metabolism and these cells become better at what they normally do... they become stimulated and more efficient.

9. Immunoregulation: Has a direct effect on the immunity by stimulating lymphocytes 10. Faster Wound Healing:

Stimulates the development of fibroblasts, the cells responsible for wound healing. Everyone has to wear special

protective glasses: Even our animal patients have to wear Doggles to protect their eyes from the light.

Lasers have only been around for 30 years and I have been using one since 2009, but the new laser we just acquired at Animal 911 Veterinary Hospital is unique. We now have an MLS (Multiwave Locked System) Cutting Edge Class 4 laser. This unique laser has a patented simultaneous emission of continuous and pulsed emissions that reduce inflammation and pain immediately. It is the only laser on the market that can do both things simultaneously. Unlike other lasers on the market, this MLS laser is safe and cannot burn a patient, but at the same time it works much faster. MLS laser therapy has 10 beneficial biological effects:

A happy, eye-safe laser patient with Animal 911 technician Emilie

1. Anti-inflammatory: Causes veins to dilate, improving drainage and decreasing swelling 2. Anti-pain (analgesic): Blocks pain transmission in nerve cells and produces pain-killing chemicals 3. Accelerated Tissue Repair and Cell Growth: Accelerates cellular growth by increasing the energy available to cells 4. Improved Vascular Activity: Significantly increases the formation of new, small blood vessels to speed up healing 5. Increases Metabolic Activity: Increases the oxygen carrying capacity for red blood cells 6. Trigger Points and Acupuncture Points: Stimulates muscle trigger points and acupuncture points in a non-invasive way providing musculoskeletal pain relief. 7. Reduced Fibrous Scar Formation: Reduces the formation of scar tissue 8. Improved Nerve Function: Accelerates nerve regeneration

PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 8 • FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015 • www.preciouspets.ca

Vacation preparation to find a pet nanny

Some people vacation during Winter Solstice and others are likely to plan winter getaways at some point (it is not too late even now, when we are all just fed up to HERE with the blustery weather). For this reason, I share with you our vacation preparations to find a Pet Nanny. Winter is a good time to escape the bitter cold by heading to a warm-your-bones region down south. Our friends in Colombia informed us of San Andres in the Caribbean. It used to belong to the British, but is now owned by Colombia. It has the nicest harmonized juxtaposition of Jamaican Creole and Colombian hospitality. Mostly Colombians vacation here, so it was nice to see some of our acquaintances from Baru Beach at the Marazul. Azul in Spanish is “blue” and you truly see the seven different shades of the beautiful blue Caribbean Sea. This island is no greater in size than Quebec’s Isle Bizzard. Positioned across from Nicaragua,

near Costa Rica, the tropical climate features a rich history of Captain Morgan’s famous Pirate Trail. If you enjoy scuba diving as much as Keith does, this is an ideal place to swim with sting rays, eels, and to explore sunken ships. As for me, I just looked forward to being wooed by the sun, sand and surf. But prior to our departure, Keith and I encountered a true dilemma. Our regular pet sitter, a Vet Technician, was working at the Clinic at the very same time we would be gone. We don’t “kennel” our hounds, so my task was to find a Pet Nanny! Where could I find a reliable livein? How soon? Will they know, understand and be capable of dealing with a dog breed as gigantic as the Irish Wolfhound? Do they know how to feed raw? We needed to buy a bigger freezer for the dogs. And can the sitter cope with a teething 15-week old Irish Wolfhound puppy? There’s actually a valid reason for the nick-name “Art-a-menace!” Puppies are supposed to be rambunctious, but the little devil chewed up my sunglass case in protest. He knew we were going on vacation…. so a deliberate ploy of sabotage. He wanted me to feel guilty for leaving on vacation. When I told Hoolie “We will only leave for a short while,” the elder brother looked at me, then climbed up on to the living room sofa, on top of Keith, as if to say: “Please don’t leave me here alone with the little guy.” Hoolie is mildimannered. He would not tell the puppy in any harsh way to settle down. This is really because the baby still had his “puppy smell” to protect him. It cautions seniors that they’re dealing with a young one. Surely I’m not the only one who has ever encountered this situa-

Journeys in Petland with Juliana Pavelka

tion, I reassured myself. I started to ask the network of people where “Precious Pets” is distributed, and thus I received pet service references.Ieven checked some care service web sites. The web sites are mostly “self-serve” sites. I contacted one, inquiring if they screen the people who advertise on their site? No they do not. “The responsibility is all yours,” they told me. Dog-gone-it! In the past, I’ve had job interviews, however I’ve got new respect for interviewers today, since I had to indulge this interview screening process for our Pet-Nanny. I made a list of what I wanted, what I needed from that person, and what would be the icing on the cake. My list was three pages long. I narrowed things down to important tasks, in order to have a well-rounded criteria. Now that I knew what I needed, and possessed a “must have” list in terms of qualifications, how did I know that I would make the right choice? Then it dawned on me. HR, Personnel Placement firms, LinkedIn… there are many qualified people out there, it’s just a matter of finding the right chemistry for the job. Pity people don’t interview humans the old-fashioned way, as we might have more people employed. One wants originality, however the resume software obliterates this possibility, making choices even more difficult and time-consuming. The pet references from the boutiques that distribute Precious Pets worked the best for me. Even pet

PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 8 • FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015 • www.preciouspets.ca

sitters who were already booked, were courteous, helpful and offered more contacts with wise tips. I remembered that two of my favourite bosses once said, “Listen to your gut feel, Jules.” Well Joe, Tony, you were right on the money! That’s the way to do it.When I asked Joyce if she ever handled the giant dog breeds, she launched into a description of her very own pet companion Charlie, part Wolfhound. I smiled at Keith, we all chatted some more nd we were fortunate to have found Joyce. We are now grateful that she’s our Pet-Nanny. Keith and I missed “the boys” while we were on vacation. We kept in contact by texting. We were able to enjoy our vacation with ease of mind. The boys also loved Joyce and I have videos of them playing together. I’m happy to have someone like Joyce who feels like family watching over my wolf pack – We’ll go to no end for our Precious Pets. A very special thank you to Joyce at Charlie’s Pet Service. Editor’s Note: We thank Juliana for sharing her advice on looking for a pet sitter. And Joyce, kudos to you as well for satisfying a customer to this length. I would also like to point out that Precious Pets has advertiser and sales rep Ian Shulman on board. A very experienced and devoted pet entrepreneur, Ian’s new business, Concierge 4 Pattes, also includes pet sitting in its lofty repertoire. Look for Ian’s ad in this and subsequent issues.

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PRECIOUS PETS â&#x20AC;˘ VOLUME 2 â&#x20AC;˘ ISSUE 8 â&#x20AC;˘ FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ www.preciouspets.ca

From Cat Lover to Prophet by Gerald Champagne (Tate Publishing, $18.99) It all began for Gerald Champagne when a weeks-old blackand- white kitten, from out of nowhere, was scratching outside the door of the apartment in which he and a college roommate were living. Champagne decided to take the stray kitten in right away and make it his own pet (much to the chagrin of his roommate, who told him the cat was his sole responsibility). It wasn’t until a few days later, when Champagne took the cat to the veterinarian because it had caught a bad cold, that he gave it a name … Cigale (pronounced “sea-gal”), which was the name of a beloved pet dog he had when he was a child. Thus began a 19-year relationship between Champagne and his beloved pet cat Cigale. However, Champagne was convinced that, during the last year of Cigale’s life, he had begun to experience a series of dreams that were not only paving the way to a more spiritual way of life, but as well a path towards becoming a prophet. When Cigale had to be euthanized in 1996 due to crippling arthritis, Champagne used his series of prophetic dreams and his firm belief in symbolic messages to find himself a new pet cat. This led him to a home in the town of St. Colomban, where a woman who resided there had a litter of kittens to sell. In that litter, he found a Calico cat who had an identical resemblance to Cigale. So, based on the prophetic, symbolic dreams that he had ex-

perienced (focusing especially on the fact that the kittens were born exactly a year and a day after Cigale was euthanized), he decided to adopt the Calico cat (and, of course, to name it Cigale), as well as the other kittens in the litter. Champagne believed, however, that it was the presence of the second Cigale and his new litter of kittens, which ensured that the series of prophetic dreams became more frequent and confirmed that he was to pursue a quest to become a prophet, a messenger of God. If this story may sound a little farfetched or highly coincidental, Champagne tries to recount it with great conviction in his memoir From Cat Lover to Prophet. The book is divided into two sections: The first deals with Champagne the cat lover. Mostly, it is filled with details of his nearly 30-year relationship with his cats, and how much joy they have given him in his life, not to mention some of the highly emotional aspects of owning a pet (the portion that deals with the euthanizing of the first Cigale is rather heartbreaking to read, and gives me a deeper understanding of friends who are pet owners and the pain they went through when they had to go through this very difficult and heart-wrenching process). The second part of the book deals with his road to becoming a prophet and has nothing at all to do with owning a pet, let alone a cat. It’s basically a guide to how he became a religious prophet and

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the symbols and steps to take if you want to follow the same prophetic path that Champagne took. It is also about how his pet cat Cigale played a role in this prophetic epiphany that defies explanation… in fact, he offers no explanation at all to this somewhat feline contribution. From Cat Lover to Prophet is a somewhat curious, but mostly confusing book about a humble man

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PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 8 • FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015 • www.preciouspets.ca

and his pet cats and how these cats unwittingly became more than just house pets in the life of Gerald Champagne. ED. NOTE: Stuart Nulman is one of the better book reviewers around. His radio show and column Book Banter have achieved near-legendary status. We are proud to have him with us every now and again.

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Want to wish you and your loved ones a

Happy, Healthy and Safe

Easter and Passover May this holiday season bring us all closer together, no matter what our personal, cultural and religious beliefs....

If animals can get along together so well,

why can’t we do the same?

PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 8 • FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015 • www.preciouspets.ca

RABBITS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 up to three faults before they are eliminated. The number of obstacles will vary depending on the amount of space available. Usually a course is 30 x 40 feet in size. A very fast rabbit can do a course in 8-12 seconds! Rabbits are judged by both time and the faults that they commit on the track. They get seconds of penalty time for missing an obstacle or knocking off poles. When they knock a pole off three times, they are eliminated from the competition. They get 30 seconds to complete the jump and if they don’t succeed, they are also eliminated. As for the prizes, the winners are rewarded with bragging rights,

as well as lots of loving attention. But as rabbit aficionados are well aware, they get tons of love and attention anyway, even if they do not win. Amanda also mentioned that there are no age-based competitions. Rabbits can compete as long as they are able to do so comfortably. It’s recommended that rabbits be at least 5-months of age to start hopping, because at that age they have more of an attention span for the course. Rabbits under 9-months are not allowed to do any jumps higher than four poles in order to ensure that their joints are properly formed and strong before they strain them too much.

Just to give you an idea on how well respected the Club is, in September 2014 they were visited by two ladies from Japan who came to learn directly from them. I truly hope that this article will help increase awareness that rabbits are amazing animals and they are not made to be confined in cages and hutches. They need to run and play just like other animals. If you are curious to learn more about the CRHC, view training and performance videos, look at photos, learn how you can train you very own little rabbit to become an athlete and watch their March 2012 appearance on the Canada’s Got Talent TV show, or simply hop to their website: http://www.canadianrabbithoppingclub.com/ You can also visit the Facebook page of their famous rabbit Kokomo at the following link: https://www.

facebook.com/oneandonlykokomo I want to thank Rosemarie and Amanda Greening for their most-informative collaboration. (ED. NOTE: The March issue of Precious Pets remains one of several annual themed issues, featuring a story that is filled with Easter cheer just prior to that holiday. If there was a domesticated animal that was suitably paired with the Hebrew festival of Passover, perhaps we’d run a story on that, as well… but a lamb? A sacred golden calf? Let me know if you think of anything fun, dear readers? Meanwhile, much thanks to Chantal for bringing the Rabbit Hopping Club to our rapt attention! One other little aside: Your editor was companion to a sweet dwarf rabbit, Thumpy, about 30 years ago)

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PRECIOUS PETS • VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 8 • FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015 • www.preciouspets.ca