HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Hello, my Fellow Animal Enthusiasts!

Thanksgiving is TOMORROW!! And as I'll be caring for approximately 80 dogs, 20 cats, 3 bunnies, and an African Grey Parrot...I thought I'd wish you all a happy holiday today! :)

And in honor of this holiday (also known as Turkey-Day!) I thought I'd try and make us morally-conflicted animal lovers feel a bit better by focusing on the majestic Wild Turkey (free from domestication and extra fattening and our greedy grasps like the Domestic Turkey; which I too am very guilty of enjoying...) and learn a little something about this wild & misunderstood beauty!! :D

THE WILD TURKEY

Turkey's are EXTREMELY smart and social creatures; much like dogs in their affection with each other! They each have individual voices and can recognize each other by the vocal differences (SO cool!!). They are also GREAT with directions and geography! They can memorize the precise details of areas over 1,000 acres large!! Brilliant little birds, they are!

And quite colorful as well! Not only can the male's feathers be a multitude of colors (sometimes even very similar to peacocks!) but the bare skin on their neck and head also changes to varying shades of red, blue, and white based on their level of distress or excitement!! (AWESOME!!!)

Wild Turkey's can even fly!! Oh, yes! They have anywhere from 5,000 to 6,000 feathers; and by-golly, they know how to use 'em!! :P They can fly at (up to) 55 mph! Only at short distances...but still...that's better than I can fly! (...please forgive me for that... ;) ) They actually primarily roost in trees! Amazing! The more you know! :D

It's been fascinating learning about these majestic creatures! Benjamin Franklin actually wanted the Wild Turkey to be the National Bird of the United States! And, I mean, we all love our Eagles...but I think the Turkey would have done a stellar job too! :P 

I hope you all have a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving; and appreciate, love, and enjoy your turkeys and any and all of the delicious food you consume with family and friends this holiday!!!

I hope you have a FANTASTIC week, readers! Stay awesome!!

All the very best,

-Al :)

Winter Is Here!

Hello, my Fellow Animal Enthusiasts!

With less than 2 weeks to Thanksgiving (Oy!! Where did the time go!?); winter is officially upon us! (You know...unless you're a Northern Mockingbird...the State Bird of Florida...anyone?? :P ). Which, for some, is a bummer...BUT, if you are one of our featured animals today...you are WELL prepared for the winter, and probably love it! That's right! Today, we discuss... the beloved husky!!! :D

But not JUST the Husky! More specifically, we'll discuss the differences between Huskies and Malamutes, and even those less known Husky-family breeds! This post is brought to you by two guests at Woofs' N' Whiskers:

Tara: The Siberian Indian Dog!! (Can't Wait To Discuss This One!)

And Kobi! NOT A Malamute; But A BIG-BEAR-Of-A-Husky!! :D

You can already see the difference between those two; in the ear-shape, size of the head, body-length, and fur-growth...but let's not get ahead of ourselves! :P Let's first have a more in-depth look at...

THE SIBERIAN HUSKY

Siberian Huskies; GORGEOUS, of course! Hailing from (yup, you guessed it!) Siberia; originally developed by the Chukchi people of Northeastern Asia as endurance sled dogs; taken to Alaska for the races...and were loved by all!!

They are VERY loyal and loving and very much family dogs! They generally love and trust most people and other dogs. (Not much a guard dog, I'm afraid. ;) ) And though incredibly sweet; they have a decent predator instinct and will still chase after anything small (so look out, kitties!!)

They love big families and are FANTASTIC with kids; they really are a great dog for a kid to grow up with! :D

And, of course, they LOVE to run!!(And generally really love snow!!) So colder climates are best for these pups, and big outdoor spaces so they can get all that beautiful energy out safely!

They are truly fantastic pets; my Mom loves 'em, understandably.
GO HUSKIES!

(Oh, and Balto?? That story is completely based on real events...because huskies are heroes...and I love that dog...he's my idol!!)

And now... a VERY close brethren of the Husky...

THE ALASKAN MALAMUTE

The B-E-A-UTIFUL and powerful Alaskan Malamutes are one of the oldest Arctic sled dogs; developed by Eskimos after their ancestors came over from Siberia (with the huskies!) and settled in the Seward Peninsula (Yeah! ;) ) They were trained to pull heavy sleds loaded with food and camp supplies AND to hunt seals for food and chase away (and kill!) polar bears that tried to raid the camp!

Therefore; they are also VERY family and people oriented (and not the best guard dogs either!); but have MUCH stronger predator instincts than their Husky-brothers...and do best in a house by themselves without other dogs or any smaller animals. (Sorry, kitties!!) 

They are super strong, playful, and energetic! Also pretty fantastic family pets; as long as they are respected and allowed independence! And might be a wee bit less inclined toward kids than Huskies; but will still easily fall in love with the right kid and be their best pal forever!! :D 

And, of course, you can see the physical differences between Huskies & Malamutes; the ear placement, the snout shape, the tail, and the fur growth as well. 

Very similar, and both AMAZING dogs...but they also have their differences; that are always good to be aware of...I love them both!! :D GO MALAMUTES! 

And now, for the more unique...

SIMILAR WINTER/WORKING BREEDS:

The Siberian Indian Dog; As Previously Modeled By Tara. :P A cross-breed between Siberian Huskies and Native American Indian Dogs! A pretty perfect combination! :D

Native American Indian Dog! A gorgeous family-oriented breed developed by the original Native Americans and one of the first companion dogs (not wolves!) on the North American Continent! Awesome!!! :D

German Indian Dog! A cross-breed between The Native American Indian Dog and The German Shepherd! :D

And We Can't Forget The Beautiful Samoyed Dogs!! Yeah! Also originating from Siberia and used for pulling sleds and hunting; and ALSO  a very skilled herding dog! :)

I find this breed of dog just FASCINATING and truly love them! Even with all the beautiful varieties; they each have such spunk and personality! (And huge hearts!) They are really fantastic animals and I highly recommend adopting ANY of them for your family! (Especially if you live in a year-long-winter climate...like, say, Montana...)

Speaking Of Which; MY Childhood Husky; (Mixed With German Shepherd!) MYSTERY!! Enjoying her snow! Love You, Girl! :D

And with that, readers...

Until Next Time!! :D

I hope you have a FANTASTIC week, readers! Stay awesome!!

All the very best,

-Al :)

HAPPY (BELATED) HALLOWEEN!!

Hello, my Fellow Animal Enthusiasts!

Much has happened since my last post...one of those great things being... ... .... HALLOWEEN!!! :D

And, boy, was it a GREAT one!!! I had my usually spectacular Hallows Eve tradition (a B-E-A-UTIFUL cultural event that takes place in a Cathedral on the Upper West Side!). And meanwhile, on the very same day...many animals in the world were celebrating being very close to NOT having to wear their costumes anymore! :P

And so...I bring you...

THE WOOFS N' WHISKERS COSTUME PARADE:

Hektor The Spidey-Dog!!

Shep The Hot-Dog!

Bourbon Loves Her Pumpkin Costume!

Chopper Does NOT Seem To Love Her Pumpkin Costume! ;)

Sophie; The Baller!

No...NOT A Cat In A Black-Cat Costume...But Ebony Deserves To Be
Featured; She Makes Halloween GREAT!!!! :D

And also in honour of Halloween (and my incredible friend who introduced me to this great animal!) ...I have decided to do a little Tid-Bit-Tribute to an animal we all may have seen photos of...but don't know much about. In fact, it's the only poisonous primate (it's venom can kill with one bite and there is currently no cure!)... ... yup! You guessed it:

The Slow Loris

These adorable creatures are FASCINATING and quite deceiving! Though not typically vicious (unless in defense of course, like we all can be!) they actually produce poison from their teeth, much like Cobras! They use this for protection from predators for both themselves and their young; by actually licking the toxin ONTO the FUR of their babies in order to protect them! SO cool!! 

(And I wouldn't mess with them!! ;) )

Though, very sadly, people DO mess with them and they are a huge target for hunters and traders due to their apparent (traditional) medicinal properties and exotic nature; many of them painfully pulling their teeth in order to avoid being bitten...BUT, some much better folks are ON IT and working on saving the 

Slow Loris: check it. :D

I LOVED learning about the Slow Loris!! They are nocturnal and very slow but VERY stealthy and STRONG!! They will hold their grip for HOURS when stalking prey! And they ARE very gentle and peaceful by nature, as they appear, but when provoked or threatened...LOOK OUT. And that's my kinda animal, folks!! And I thought a good feature for After-Halloween! ;)  (Thank you, my great friend, for the introduction! :D )

We'll Cover This Species Next Time... ... :P

I hope you have a FANTASTIC week, readers! Stay awesome!!

All the very best,

-Al :)