Friendly Pet Owners

People who have pets seem to be more relaxed and congenial. So it ‘s not hard for pet owners engage causal conversation with strangers, particularly other pet owners.

The other day at the store buying some supplies for the kitty, the customer in front of me asked me to take her place to pay for my purchase, a heavy box of kitty litter. It happened she is also a pet owner. I was so envious of her when she told me she and her family live with two dogs and two cats. Of course, I am most appreciative of her kindness to let me get out of the store sooner.

On another occasion during a visit to the vet, while waiting for our turn an elderly lady with her calico cat told me not to feed the cat dry foods. She said dry ones are too hard. I did not get the chance to ask why her cat was at the surgery. I bet her pretty cat, cuddled up to the back of her carrier, was suffering some kinds of dental problems from devouring on too many hard kibbles. She said to mix some wet ones with the dry foods. It happens gum disease is no stranger to me. One of our kitties, Purdy, the super mom, suffered this painful disease before she disappeared. She overindulged on dry foods made specially for senior cats. Luckily, that particular cat food is no longer available for sale.

This kind lady also took upon herself and moved my pet taxi. She put it right outside the exam room. So my gravely ill cat could slip into his carrier without being spooked by the dogs in the waiting room.

What a thoughtful person that kind lady is! - Ayee

A Perfect Gift for A New Mom

I have just discovered a new gift item for expecting parents.

We all know breast feeding is back. And many of these nurturing activities are taking place in public. Just the other day, I saw two young moms sitting in the seats outside of an ice cream parlor. One of them was feeding her baby. Both the mother and the child were strategically covered under an Afghan. But this white blanket with green trims was not big enough to reach the mother’s back. Unknowingly, the nursing mom exposed her entire backside.

After I passed by that young parent, I was thinking that she could have used a bigger blanket to avoid such embarrassing moments. Immediately, a poncho came to mind. A poncho is a simple overgarment natives of Central and South America wore to fight off the chill in the Andes. It is made from a piece of heavy clothes with a hole in the middle. It has also been made in other durable materials. Like a cape, it’s loose. So a poncho can discreetly keep the bonding between a mother and her baby comfortably away from the general public. - Ayee

An Ideal Corporate Director

Recently corporate governance is in the news again. CEO and director compensation remains a thorny issue. Top executives and board members are important members of a corporation. By all means they should be paid adequately but not extravagantly. And the board’s duty to appoint and fire top executives makes its effectiveness crucial to a company’s well-being. Therefore, shareholders should not take their right to elect company directors lightly.

Probably most shareholders do not personally know the individuals who run for corporate directors. Personality issue or showing disrespect is never the factor in the shareholders’ minds when voting for directors. Choosing an effective board has become a serious business decision.

If I am asked to choose a board member today, I think my ideal director will be an engaged one. This individual is not a CEO or COB of other public company. He or she does not spread his or her times too thin by sitting on too many corporate boards, particularly the ones outside his or her expertise. My ideal director should not have to travel a great distance to attend board meetings either. Lastly, this individual must have a genuine interest in the company. - Ayee

Food for Thought (III)/Parsley Tea

One of our senior family members is under the weather. It is our near 20-year-old kitty. Due to a thyroid medication he is on, his kidneys are not functioning as well as they were a year ago. In addition to many jars of baby foods that contains salts, he is also on a low-protein diet. Unknowingly, a compromised kidney condition together with low-protein intakes has made him prone to a health condition called edema.

The vet, a locum, after many x-rays, decided our cat did have too much water in him. The excess fluid in his abdominal cavity has caused sudden weight-gain. It has also impeded his breathing. However, before additional tests that determine the causes are done and assessed, the vet would not use any diuretics on the poor cat. Instead, he recommended keeping our kitty in an oxygen tent for the next 24 hours at an emergency animal hospital. Somehow the vet thought using of diuretics, an effective and common treatment for edema, would be harmful to the patient.

Making a long story short, I decided to look for some natural diuretics before a visit to our regular vet. Certainly I do not want to jinx my dear cat’s recovery. But I did come upon a simple parsley tea* in Myra Cameron’s book, Lifetime Encyclopedia of Natural Remedies(1993). Soon after feeding my cat his normal food spiked with a couple spoonfuls of the said tea, our kitty seems to be feeling better. He becomes more responsive when speak to. Evidently, the parsley tea has worked on him.

In my search of a natural product for my cat, I have also discovered that parsley is full of beneficial properties like potassium, and vitamins A and C. Among many other indications, this humble herb can also provide aids to our digestive system and thyroid functions. - Ayee

*Parsley Tea:
"Add one cup of chopped fresh parsley in a quarter of boiling water, simmered for 40 minutes. Strain and drink a cup with each meal."

Dog Story (II)

While waiting for friends at a local park, I saw two dogs, one, a black Labrador, and another, a German Shepherd, chasing a tennis ball in a grassy area outside the fenced-in tennis courts.

They were running after the ball their owner volleyed into the air with a tennis racket. Eagerly they ran side by side until one of them brought the ball back for the next round. The two mates were not competing against each other. They were just enjoying a friendly game of run and fetch on a sunny day at the park.

But if they were, the Lab would definitely be the undisputed winner. He scored all the runs. His mate, the scoreless Shepherd, was always a head-length behind him. After a few more runs, the Shepherd somehow gave out an impression of defeat or maybe fatigue. He was crestfallen for not being able to fetch the ball even once until an errant tennis ball flew right over a metal fence. It landed near where these two dogs were. And I could see right a way how excited that Shepherd was when he saw there was another ball nearby. He was elated. Finally when he ran toward his owner with that stray tennis ball in his mouth and his wooly head high, he was kind of telling the onlooker: "See, I can fetch too!"

Unfortunately it was not a good day for the Shepherd. Celebration for his home run was brief. The ensuring tug-a-war between the beast and man was laborious. The poor dog was so adamant about returning that slimy ball to its rightful owner.

What I observed of these two dogs romping around in the park may be so inconsequential. But the spontaneous smile and laughter their innocent acts brought out of me are simply priceless. - Ayee