Pet Bucket Blog

1. Dress to impress.  Sombreros are a must for a Cinco de Mayo fiesta.    source source   Add a colorful poncho to really bring the outfit together. source source Not necessary but always a nice touch, a moustache.    source  Hot indeed.   source   If you really want to stand out, take the piñata route. But warning: you may get hit on (wink wink).   source 2. What's a party without decorations? Piñatas, cut paper banners, and blow-up cacti will really set the atmosphere!   source | source 3. Supply tasty snacks.  Nachos are quick and easy!   source And who doesn't love a taco?    source 4. Tequila Tuesday or not, there has to be margaritas.  source And Coronas for the beer drinkers!   source   5. Every good party has music. What's more appropriate than a mariachi band!   source source 6. Where there's music, there's dancing! Take some tips from these guys who have the hip motion down: source source   So there you have it! All that's left is to invite your closest pals.   source   Have fun! But not too much fun or you may end up like this:   source source   Feliz cinco de mayo! Or as the cats like to say, feliz cinco de gato!  

Gone are the days of a simple tennis ball being good enough for Fido, or a feather on a stick enough to capture Puss’s attention. This is the modern age, where technology and animal science are revolutionizing how we play with our dogs and cats.    Here are five new generation pet toys to take your pet into the future! Image credit   FroliCat:    FroliCat manufacture interactive, high-tech toys for cats. They gained popularity initially with their FroliCat Bolt, a laser toy that automatically projects random patterns over the walls, floors and furniture that cats love to pounce on and chase.            Image credit   They soon followed with other inventions that allow cats to play when their owners are busy. FroliCat Flik is a yo-yo like robot that throws out a piece of string and then reels it back in. Cats are entranced trying to hunt the yellow string and capture it before it pops back to ‘hide’ in the toy.    Image credit   FroliCat Twitch simulates live prey, bouncing and flicking a teaser toy for cats to hunt and battle. It can be programmed to activate for a single session, or at multiple times throughout the day so your cat can play chasing games when no one is home.    Since their creation, the company has found dog, ferret, rabbit – and even spider – owners have found their pets enjoy the toys as well.    PetCube:  Pet owners often feel guilty leaving their pets at home especially when they pull sad faces and slink around dejectedly when they know they are leaving for the day. PetCube is a recent innovation which allows owners to play, talk to and monitor their pets remotely – all from their smartphone.    Image credit   The device allows a person to watch their pets through a camera, play with them using a low-intensity laser pointer, and talk to them through a speaker all housed in the cube. The PetCube lets the owner’s friends digitally look on and play with the pet as well.    Image credit Nina Ottoson:    Nina Ottoson specialises in creating toys that twist and stretch the minds of pets. Toys like Dog Smart and Dog Brick hide treats beneath bone decorated blocks. Your dog or cat must discover which blocks hide treats, and push them off with their nose and paws for their reward.    Image credit   Dog Tornado is a pet feeding bowl that has five levels that rotate. The dog has to manipulate the levels to locate the areas the owner has chosen to hide treats.   Image credit   Dog Casino Wood is for the brainiac pet. Drawers must be pulled out in different directions to locate the reward.    Image credit   Go-Go Dog Pals:   Often times the owner’s arm gets sore before the dog is tired of playing fetch. Go-Go Dog Pals solves that problem, and lets dogs play to exhaustion while their owner sits relaxed on a park bench. Operated using a long-range remote control, the Go-Go Dog Pal toy zooms over the ground, stimulating your dog’s hunting instincts while giving it great exercise.        Image credit   The casing is made from lightweight, durable material able to withstand excited dog’s teeth. It comes in a variety of patterns which look like various chase-worthy animals, including squirrels, turtles, rabbits and porcupines.    Image credit   Ipad:      For the ultimate futuristic pet plaything, look to Apple’s Ipad. The Friskies Jitterbug app causes creepy crawlies to jump and skitter across the screen for your kitty to bat. Your cat can ‘win’ if it smacks all of the bugs and move to the next level. Cat Toys Lite let your cat hunt a mouse and Cat Fishing allows them to paw at goldfish in a digital pond.    Image credit

Samuel Price is no ordinary pet artist, creating his unique, contemporary dog portraits without using a drop of paint.  Image credit   Instead, the self-taught Price recycles magazines to fashion his works. He began his unique technique out of necessity, rather than artist’s whim. As a young man he could not afford paint and so took to cutting up and gluing together pieces from old magazines and newspapers to create pictures of animals, people, and scenery.     Assembled from hundreds of small magazine squares, each artwork takes three to six months to complete, varying the size and complexity of the subject matter.    Image credit   Price began creating photomontages of pets after a friend of his was unhappy with how a portrait of her dog Floyd by another artist was turning out. Price offered to give immortalising Floyd a go and he was so pleased with the result, it is still one of his favourite works to date. Since then he was captured many a doggy face using his unique method.    Says the artist, “I feel incredibly blessed to have the opportunity to share my passion for dog art with the world. I never imagined that my career would have taken me in the direction that it has, but I have learned so much by studying animals and have aligned my career in a very intuitive manner to combine my personal interests and pursue my dreams.”   Image credit   Price works from photographs, sketching the basic shape of the pet on canvas, and starts gluing. He usually asks the client to take the photos themselves, as they know their pet best, and how to best capture their personality. Price tries hard to capture the affection owner’s have for their dogs in his work.    It is important to Price his artworks stand the test of time. He attaches the magazine clippings from everyday publications using polymer emulsion, a kind of acrylic paint, which he paints the back and front of each piece. The polymer embalms the magazine to prevent the natural process of oxidation which would cause the paper to corrode over time. When the artwork is complete, he glazes it with UV protective gloss that deflects sunlight, preventing any harmful fading that might result from exposure over time.     Image credit   Price lives in San Francisco with his wife, his dog Buster, and two cats.       

Owners know the look of horror their cat gives if they are accidentally splashed with droplets of water in the bathroom - or the wretched expression they wear if locked outside in the rain.  Water, according to cats, is evil.    Image credit It is a somewhat counterintuitive horror. Since cats are so particular about keeping themselves well groomed, one would not think the idea of a bath would be so utterly abhorrent. Additionally, big cats such as tigers are often seen paddling across lakes and streams in the wild.  So what is the reason behind a domestic cat’s hatred of swimming, bathing and all things wet?    Water aversion most likely stems from the modern domestic cat’s desert ancestors. These ancient wild cats, living in arid regions such as Africa and the Middle East did not experience watery environments often and so did not adapt the skills to cope with it when it was encountered. This suspicion of water has continued to the present day.  The nature of cat fur is another possible reason for the distaste. A cat’s coat traps water  and if it should get soaked, it drastically reduces the animal’s ability to keep warm. Tigers on the other hand, who have been recorded to swim over 30 km in a single day, have oily, wiry fur which dries quickly.    Image credit That said, not all cats despise water. Certain breeds in fact are known for their love of taking a dip. The dog-like Turkish Van, nicknamed ‘The Swimming Cat’, adores water and will jump in the kitchen sink, ponds and pools to enjoy a swim – some owners have even found their Turkish Vans frolicking in the toilet. In their homeland, they would traditionally swim out to greet boats returning from a days fishing to beg for snacks.   Image credit Other breeds such as the Japanese Bobtail, Bengal, Manx and Abyssinian are also known for their fondness of water. These breeds were developed in coastal regions, which inbred an unusual feline relaxation around water.  Other varieties of cat can be trained to tolerate water, but it is certainly an uphill battle.             

The Khao Manee is a striking breed of cat celebrated for its brilliant white coat and unusual mismatching eyes. Its name means ‘White Gem’, and has origins in ancient Thailand where it was famed for its unearthly beauty.  Image credit   The first reference of the Khao Manee appeared in the Tamra Maew, a celebrated manuscript of cat poems created in 1350. Called by its other name, the Khao Plort, which translates literally to ‘all white’, the text claims the regal cat brings ‘long life and title’ to the household it called home.    Image credit   Until recently, breeding of the Khao Manee was restricted to the Thai royal family. King Rama V in the late nineteenth century was one of the most notable royal cat lovers and was a strong proponent of the breed, along with the Siamese.    The Burmese, Siamese and Korat are three other closely related breeds native to Thailand well known to the West. The Khao Manee however was kept for centuries as a closely guarded secret. So revered is the breed, its history is still taught in Thai schools.    Image credit   The ‘perfect’ Khao Manee has odd-coloured eyes. In such cases, one eye is usually blue and one eye amber or green. Kittens with matching yellow or green eyes are also typical of the breed.    All Khao Manee have pure white coats, however at birth some kittens have a small dark mark on the top of their heads. This mark disappears when they reach approximately one year of age.     In 1999, ‘Sripia’ was the first known Khao Manee to travel outside of Thailand. Colleen Freymouth imported her from her homeland to the US. She subsequently imported a male to produce the first Khao Manee litter born on foreign soil. As numbers of the unusual cat have been falling in their native land, Western breeders are now an important part in ensuring the cat breed does not become extinct.    Image credit   Khao Manee are known for being intelligent and mischievous cats. Like other Asian breeds, they are vocal cats and like to ‘talk’ to their owners a great deal. They can also be quite mischievous – and as their history as the cats of royalty suggests – require a high level of attention from their humans.           

In a galaxy far far away these pets could be film icons...   The Star Wars films are modern classics, but did George Lucas make the correct casting choices? We’ve found pets that would rival the human actors’ portrayal of the much-loved characters.   1. Luke, I am your Scottish Fold father.   Image credit   Noooooooooooooo!!!      2. ‘Yodachshund’ wisely reminds us that, “Fear is the path to the dark side”.       3. This shiny Golden Retriever would make a great C3PO, enthusiastically giving you the odds for successfully navigating an asteroid field whether you wanted them or not, finished off with an all-knowing, loving lick.     4. According to ‘Obi Wan Catnobi’, “the force will be with you, always”.   Image credit   5. Wookies are one of the most feared beings in the galaxy, but the loyalty of ‘Chewbarka’ is legendary.   Image gallery   6. Princess Leia - the sassiest leader of the Rebel Alliance.   Image credit   7. R2-D2… Okay, perhaps this one’s a bit of a stretch. Maybe if the bin liner was blue instead? Fine, let’s move on shall we.   Image credit   8. Got Ewoks? These cute little soldiers, with their big eyes and ridiculously soft fur, will render any invading stormtroopers into mere swooning puddles.    Image credit Image credit Image credit Image credit      

This is an important community service announcement from Petbucket. They may look soft and squishy and oh so scrumptious, but many good people have fallen foul of these criminal cuties.    1. I can smell your fear … and it sure smells good.     2. I’ll just deal with this guy then you’re next and yeah, you’d better be scared cos’ what you see here is all muscle. Okay, maybe I’m carrying just a little excess puppy fat.   Image credit   3. Say hello to my little friend!   Image credit   4. First, I’ll woo the humans with my adorable antics, then monopolise their precious chocolate supplies. They will become my loyal followers and soon this will all be mine.    Image credit   5. Ha ha, is that all you’ve got? This is going to be too easy.       6. Even if I have to cross great oceans, tall mountains and fences that are more easily walked under – I will find you.   Image credit   7. My good friends here have told me all about you. It’s time you and me had a little chat - a ‘bow-wow’ if you like.     8. You, get in my belly! I will gobble you up. Or this leg at least… okay, maybe just your toe, but it will be your big toe.   Image credit   9. Go ahead, I dare you to say it right to my face.   Image credit   10. So human, you have discovered my secret lair. That’s bad news for you – very bad news indeed.   Image credit          

Cat cafes are making news the world over. No, they’re not for cats that love a macchiato – rather, they are enclaves for cat lovers to cuddle kitties whilst sipping lattes that are popping up in major cities internationally.      The first cat café opened in Taipei, Taiwan, in 1998 and became popular with locals and Japanese tourists in the area. In 2004, Osaka became home to Japan’s first cat café and subsequently many more opened in cities throughout the country. Tokyo alone now has 39 cat café’s in operation. The cafes’ popularity is largely attributed to landlords frowning upon the keeping of pets. Cat cafes allow people who might not otherwise be able to enjoy animal companionship to essentially ‘rent-a-pet’. Some cafes specialise in housing particular kinds of cats such as black cats, fat cats, rare breeds or re-homed strays. The cat café trend has been spreading. Cafes are now selling coffees amongst kittens in France, Hungary, Germany and Spain and even Melbourne, Australia! Last week the first cat café in the United States opened its doors in New York City. Sponsored by Purina ONE and the North Shore Animal League, it will operate for a limited time to raise awareness to the plight of homeless cats and open discussion about cat health. It has been so popular visitors can expect a 5-hour wait in the line to get inside.   Image credit The cats purring in the arms of excited New Yorkers are all rescues looking for new homes. Through the café, five of the sixteen have already found forever homes.   Those worried about cats being used for ‘entertainment’ need not fret. Cat cafes are required to obey strict animal welfare and cleanliness laws. It is their duty to ensure cats are not overly pestered by enthusiastic adults or children and receive adequate rest periods.     Image credit

Image credit We bring you all the winners from the International Academy of Cat and Dog Acting Awards, or Pawsies as they are known. As usual, the acceptance meows, purrs, woofs and howls were too long but amidst the expected winners, there was some promising and exciting new talent.  1. Best Action Performance Cat  Image credit Cat Duo Image credit   Dog Image credit   2. Best Performance as a Statue Kitten Image credit   Cat Image credit 3. Best Dramatic Performance Kitten Image credit   Cat Image credit Dog Image credit Small Dog Image credit   3. Best Stunt Performance Kitten Image credit   Cat Image credit Puppy Image credit   4. Best Play Dead Performance Kitten Image credit Cat Image credit   Dog Image credit  

Image Credit You may think that cats have a carefree existence eating, playing and sleeping. But they have problems too, for instance the warm sun moves throughout the day. IT MOVES! 1. I can't believe she left me for a whole day to do something silly like get married.   Image credit 2. This isn't even rose scented. How hard is it people!   Image credit   3. I will allow you one cuddle then I'll need my breakfast. The things I do ...   Image credit   4. I know I LOOK great but they didn't have any smaller sizes. I feel like I'm wearing a muumu!    Image Credit   5. Get to the belly rub already!    Image Credit   6. Their idea of a 'luxury' bed will just have to do.     7. Gourmet turkey and pork sausages for dinner again (sigh).    Image Credit   8. The human child has the larger bedroom. I mean, I can barely move around in here.    9. You're up and down like a yo-yo. Unless I need something stay right here.     Image Credit 10. Every time these guys breathe it feels like an earthquake. I've only had six hours sleep this morning.     Image Credit 11. Sooooo bored. There's nothing fun to do in this house.      Image Credit