Pet Talk

We are proud to announce the winners of the
Aurora / Aurora Halloween Contest
We would like to thank all of you for submitting your photos of your dogs for our Halloween contest. We enjoyed all of the photos. Picking a winner from each center was a difficult task. The staff from the Aurora Center chose the Highlands Ranch winner and vise-versa. We would like to congratulate Miss Lucy of the Aurora Center for her elegant, Southern Belle look and Thurza Honeybunny at the Highland Ranch Center for her stylish fire hydrant pose. They are both winners of the $50 gift certificates. Take a look at all the participants on this web page. We think they are all winners.

Why Do Cats Purr?
People love the sound of cat's purr, but the soothing sound is still not very well understood. You probably think a purring cat is a happy cat, but this explanation doesn't cover all the bases. Cats purr not only when they are happy but also when they are stressed. Think of the purr as the cat's equivalent of our smile, indicating that no hostile intent is meant.
     How cats purr has long been a mystery. In a Breton folktale, cats are said to have developed the purr after spinning 10,000 skeins of linen thread to help a princess break an enchantment. It's easy to understand how a cat's purr could be compared to the whir of a spinning wheel.
     Today, however, the mystery has been solved. The sound a cat makes is caused by vibrating muscles surrounding the larynx. Researchers have also discovered where the purr originates: in the brain. Stimulation of a specific area in the cat's brain causes cats to begin purring.
     The purr is one of the first sounds newborn kittens make, no doubt as they snuggle up to their mother for suckling and warmth. As they mature, their purr becomes more complex. While young cats tend to purr in monotone, adults are capable of reaching two or three notes and sometimes as many as five. Purring can go on for hours without a break, even while a cat is eating or sleeping. In fact, it has been suggested that the purr is nothing more than a form of snore. Often, purring cats drool as well. The combination of salivation, purring, and paw kneading in an adult cat may indicate a temporary regression to feeding time in kittenhood.
     From Why Do Cats Do That? by Kim Thornton (BowTie Press) $6.95. Reprinted with permission of the publisher.

The chow chow has been immortalized for thousands of years on Chinese pottery, rugs, and statues. According to DNA findings, it is one of the oldest breeds on record. To the untrained eye the ancient rendering of the chow chow (chow) is often confused with a lion, because of its mane and almond eyes. The chow chow is called songshi quan in Chinese, which translates to "puffy-lion dog" The western name was derived from the pidgin English word "chow-chow," used to describe miscellaneous objects brought back from the Far East.
     The chow has enjoyed many moments in the limelight. Its likeness has been a model for artists for many millennia. One Chinese Emperor owned 2,500 of these dogs for his massive hunting excursions. A chow was given Queen Victoria in the late nineteenth century and the Prince of Wales during that era owned one for show. In the 1920's, the chow was a popular cohort for America's emerging royalty, Hollywood's leading men and women.
     The chow is extremely intelligent, has a quiet demeanor, often bonds to one member of the family. The chow can make an excellent watchdog. Their reputation as an aggressive animal can be averted when a chow puppy is given lots of affection from various members of the family and especially from people outside the family circle. Chows are very loyal and make excellent companion dogs. They often require obedience training, otherwise their intelligence and independence will prompt them to try to rule the house.
     While the linage of many mixed breeds is merely a guess, chow mixes are unmistakable because of their blue-black tongue. The tongue is such an indicative marking that a chow entered into a dog show will be disqualified if it sports a pink tongue.

Meet Marcie Our New Aurora Groomer
Marcie Brakel has been in the professional pet grooming industry for over 16 years and has owned two very successful salons in the Littleton area. Marcie has groomed all breeds of dogs. She groomed a dog for Betty White for a nationally televised commercial. She has groomed dogs for national magazines and for Soft Spot shoes. Whether it is a small dog, large dog, puppy, senior or even a cat, she can do it all. Marcie's love for animals shows in her style of grooming. The dogs leave looking wonderful and feeling fabulous! She has a very soft touch so to take the fear out of the grooming process. She takes great pride in pleasing our customers and pampering their pets.

Xylitol--Good for You, Bad for Your Pets
Thanks to Xylitol people can enjoy sugar free products like candy, gum and baked goods. Xylitol is a sweetener used as a sugar substitute and can also be found in many dental products such as mouthwash and toothpaste. This is good news for you, but it is bad news for your dog if he or she accidentally ingests it. Xylitol can cause serious and even life-threatening problems. Even though it is less likely for a pet to ingest sugar free gum then something else toxic to them, like chocolate, the number of cases are still continuing to increase. Any amount of Xylitol is considered unsafe and if consumption does occur, veterinary treatment should be sought immediately. Signs of consumption include depression, seizures and loss of coordination. These signs often develop very shortly after ingestion. Products containing this ingredient, especially if it is listed as the first ingredient in the product, should be kept far out of reach of dogs and cats.

Tenaker Agility Training
Agility is a wonderful, fun activity that both owners and dogs enjoy. It is a fast paced game where the handler directs their dog through a series of jumps, tunnels, ramps, and weave poles. Agility started in England as a demonstration at a horse event in 1978. It is now the fastest growing dog sport in the world.

Advantages in participating in Agility

• Wonderful follow up to initial obedience training
• Builds the relationship and bond between owner and dog
• Outlet for energetic dogs, gives the dog a "job" to do
• Great confidence builder for shy dogs
• Something to do with their best friend to have fun, good recreation
• It's a fun, fast growing sport - its very easy to get hooked
• Part of a fun, healthy community

Tenaker Pet Care -- Customer Appreciation Nights Enjoy discounted Nuggets and Avalanche tickets as our way of saying THANK YOU for being a Tenaker customer! Nuggets: Upper level tickets start at $20 Club level tickets are $40 Lower level tickets are $55 For every game in November! Ask about our family night specials Avalanche: Upper level tickets start at $21 Club level tickets are $75 Lower level tickets are $87 For every game in November! Take a look at the Denver Nuggets schedule or the Denver Avalanche schedule for specific dates and times. To order tickets, call Wes DeLancey at the Avalanche offices at 303-405-6184 and mention that you are a Tenaker Pet Care Customer.

Pet Poison Helpline
www.petpoisonhelpline.com
800-213-6680

November Pet of the Month
Kasey

Kasey is one of our frequent daycare dogs in Aurora. She is a 12 year old Chow Mix and has been coming to Tenaker for six years. She is very sweet and loves the attention of her human friends at Tenaker. Actually, she prefers their attention over other dogs! She does have a lot of fun playing with the other daycare dogs though. Her and Osa, our September Pet of the Month, are buddies at daycare.

       ABKA Accredited Boarding Kennel