Albino Peacock -- beautiful!

Going Around the Web: A Pet's 10 Commandments

> 1. My life is likely to last 10-15 years. Any separation from you is likely to be painful. 
 
> 2. Give me time to understand what you want of me 
 
> 3. Place your trust in me. It is crucial for my well-being. 
 
> 4. Don't be angry with me for long and don't lock me up as punishment. You have your work, your friends, your entertainment, but I have only you. 
 
> 5. Talk to me. Even if I don't understand your words, I do understand your voice when speaking to me. 
 
> 6. Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget it. 
 
> 7. Before you hit me, before you strike me, remember that I could hurt you, and yet, I choose not to bite you. 
 
> 8. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I'm not getting the right food, I have been in the sun too long, or my heart might be getting old or weak. 
 
> 9. Please take care of me when I grow old. You too, will grow old. 
 
> 10 On the ultimate difficult journey, go with me please. Never say you can't bear to watch. Don't make me face this alone. Everything is easier for me if you are there, because I love you so.
 
Take a moment today to thank God or the universe for your pets. Enjoy and take good care of them.  Life would be a much duller, less joyful experience without animals.  Now please pass this on to other pet owners. We do not have to wait for Heaven to be surrounded by hope, love, and joyfulness. It is here on earth and has four legs!

Send in your photos and Cats vs. Dogs Essays for our June/Summer Update!

Our Place to Paws will be updating our Web site at the beginning of June. If you'd like to enter a pet/wildlife photo in our reader's photo contest, send it to OurPlacetoPaws(at)aol.com (substituting the (at) for an @ of course). You can also send a "Cats vs. Dogs" essay to the same address (any writing on cats, dogs or cats vs. dogs). Winners recieve a T-shirt or specially painted egg by animal artist Peggy Sigler Dey (www.deybydeystudio.com).

Over 2 and a half million "hits"

I was amused today, after watching a video of an incredibly cute kitten falling asleep on YouTube, by one of the comments underneath the video.  Someone wrote something to this effect:  "What I think is amazing is that more than 2 million people have watched a video of a kitten falling asleep."

It's so true; if you search "cute kittens" or "cute puppies" on YouTube, you can come up with videos that have been watched by millions of people from all over the world.  And why not?  What lifts your day more than a few seconds watching a cute puppy or kitten?  What represents innocence, and joy, and love more than a baby?  Such videos are one minor thing that can unite people from around the globe.

I, for one, will keep watching these videos, especially in moments when I feel down.  My own kittens are all grown up now, and as precious and cute as I think they are as adults, I can always get my "kitten" fix with just a few clicks.  In fact, I never seem to get tired of watching this one.

Here's the video:

Duncan spends his morning at the windowsill

This little Scottish Fold loves to chatter at the small flock of birds that settles into a bush just outside the office window. It doesn't hurt that his perch is on top of the radiator, which is nice and warm on a cool morning.  I call it his "sauna."

Another cute puppy out there in the world!

Tug of War!

We've been away for a week -- a trip to Colorado and New Mexico. More blog entries soon, but in the meantime, here are a couple of animal-friendly pictures from our travels!  A tug of war between Italian Greyhounds Stella Blue and Sirius (no, that is NOT a real cat!  It's a toy), and Nikolai the Borzoi poking his head into the picture when we awoke to snow in Denver.

Franklin (on top of house) and Frisky