Update and HeARTs Speak

Hi everyone! I apologize for the lack of posts lately; it has been a crazy Fall semester with a heavy course load! 

Here is a quick update:

More posts are coming soon!

As things wind down in the coming months, look forward to new posts! Some topics I hope to cover are: Why should you volunteer at an animal shelter?, The pros and cons of owning rats, The runt of the litter (rats), Easy blanket for your dog (or you!), and other pet news and reviews.

Products still available

Visit the Caring Creations store to browse through our products! We have fun little items such as bow ties for your pets and you can even make special requests! A portion of all proceeds goes towards helping animals in need.

HeARTs Speak

Exciting news! I became an ambassador for HeARTs Speak!

HeARTs Speak is a great organization that helps animal shelters and rescues get in contact with artists that are willing to donate their time and resources in order to help these animals get adopted.

As an ambassador, I help to connect artists with shelters and rescues and promote the benefits of adoption.

Last but not least...Rats!

My two rattie boys are doing great at ten months old! I hope to do some more blog posts soon about rats and rat care!

Take care!

Why should you foster an animal?

If you would love to have a furry friend around but don't have the money, fostering is a great option. While it still takes time and responsibility, fostering allows you to care for a dog or cat (even small animals like rats or guinea pigs!) with most, if not all, expenses covered.

Why are foster homes needed?
Almost all animal shelters and rescues need foster homes. Some shelters don't have enough kennel space, or don't have kennels big enough for large dogs. Other rescues rely on foster homes because they don't have a physical location for the dogs to be kept. By being a foster, you allow shelters and rescues to have room for more dogs, so fewer dogs have to be euthanized. 

What type of pets can be fostered?
Most shelters and rescues have many dogs and cats that are looking for foster homes. While many of these animals are fairly healthy and just need some love and care, some of these pets may not be doing very well in kennels because of anxiety or a disability such as blindness. Others may need foster care because they are recovering from kennel cough, parvo, etc.

Dogs and cats aren't the only pets that can be fostered! Small animals such as rats, guinea pigs, or rabbits also need foster homes. Just look up rat rescue, guinea pig rescue, etc. in your area!

Do I get to choose which pet I foster?
Most shelters will let you know which animals require foster homes and if they have any special needs. You can typically submit your preference and they'll do their best to match you with a pet that fits your lifestyle. 

How long do I keep my foster pet?
There are short-term fosters (typically around 2 weeks) or long-term fosters that care for animals that need special care. It's up to you to decide which is better for you!

How much does it cost to foster?
In most cases, it doesn't cost anything! Most shelters and rescues cover all medical expenses and provide food and any other items you might need (collars, leashes, beds, etc.). You are welcome to buy your own toys and accessories for your dog too!

How much time do I need to give to foster?
You just need enough time to love and care for your pet! Some rescues may require you to provide transportation to vet appointments and adoption events, but they can always work things out with you if you aren't available to do that!

What is a foster failure?
Although it has the word "failure" in it, foster failure isn't bad at all! Foster failure means that a foster has decided to adopt and keep their furry friend instead of finding a new home for them. It's great when this happens and goes to show that fostering allows you to get to know a pet and its personality.

If you don't have the money to adopt, please consider fostering! 

Take care!

DIY Coloring book/painting of your pet (no drawing skills required!)

Here's an easy, simple way to turn a photo of your pet into a work of art! For this tutorial, I will be using GIMP 2.0, a free photo editing program that you can download here. Although I am using GIMP, this process can be done in most other photo editing programs such as Photoshop.

Let's get started!

*Click the images to enlarge

1.

Open up GIMP, click on File>Open and select the picture you will be using. I'll be using a picture of this kitten.

2.

Once your picture is open in GIMP, you want to turn it into a black and white photo. To do this, click on Colors>Desaturate. 

3.

On the right side of the screen, you'll find the layers panel. Right click your layer and duplicate it.

4.

Next, you'll want to invert the color of the top layer. With the top layer selected, click on Colors>Invert. 

5.

The top layer should still be selected in this step. At the top of the layers panel, you should see a "Mode: Normal". Open up the drop down menu and select Dodge. This should make your picture very faint.

6.

Right click the top layer and select merge down. This should leave you with one single layer.

7.

Now we want to make the image more visible. Click on Colors>Curves. Play around with the curve until you reach a point where the image is lightly colored but still visible.

8. Lastly, we want to click on File>Export As, and save your image.


Now you can print your picture out and use it as a coloring page
OR
Save your photo onto a flash drive and bring it into Walmart. You can choose to print your photo on a canvas and bring it home to paint yourself!

Good luck and have fun!

What you should know about double rex rats

My double rex rat, Butters

When I first decided to get a pair of rats, I wasn't expecting to come home with a double rex rat. But after seeing Butters in the litter, I had to take him home with me! I did some research on double rex rats when I got Butters, and I'll share that info with you today.


What is the difference between double rex and hairless?
It's fairly hard to distinguish the difference between double rex rats and hairless rats. There are double rex rats with no hair and there are hairless rats with hair. 

So how do you tell the difference? True hairless rats have absolutely no hair, not even whiskers, but some rats with the hairless gene do have very short hair often called "peach fuzz". Most double rex rats have peach fuzz or some short hair that falls out and regrows in different patches (this is why some double rex rats are called patchwork hairless). Double rex rats also have curly whiskers instead of the normal long, straight whiskers.

Hairless rats are pretty rare and it's likely that a "hairless" rat found at a pet store or rattery is actually double rex. I was actually told that Butters was a hairless rat when I got him, but it seems pretty clear now that he is a double rex.

Can double rex rats be kept with a standard furry rat?
Yes! Butters is kept with his brother, Timmy. Although they are from the same litter, Timmy has fur while Butters only has very short slightly curly hair. They can absolutely be kept together and, like any other rat, double rex rats always need a friend.

Timmy and Butters

Do double rex rats need any special care?
Double rex rats have pretty much the same needs as a standard rat. The only difference I would point out is their lack of fur. This causes them to be more prone to cuts and scrapes when play-fighting with their cage-mates. They can typically clean these cuts themselves and they heal fairly quickly, but just keep an eye out for infections.

Whether you're looking into getting a double rex or a standard rat, make sure to read about how to properly care for a rat. They are low cost to acquire, but can be as expensive as a dog or cat if they get sick. However, rats are amazing, intelligent animals and it's so rewarding once you create a bond with them.

Take care!

This new app helps raise money for animal rescues

Screenshot of Animal Rescue Rush
www.animalrescuerush.com

For all of you out there with iPods, iPhones, or iPads, here's a new app that you can download! Animal Rescue Rush is a racing game for all ages. The game play is simple: choose an animal as your character, pick a map to race in, and choose the type of race you want (single player or multi-player). The game is free to download and a portion of the money earned from advertisements and in-game purchases go towards four different animal charities!

Check out the video below:

Animal Rescue Rush is currently only available for iOS, so I have not had a chance to try it out yet as I only have Android devices. Based on the video, this game seems to have good graphics and a straightforward game play. Kids will surely love playing as fun animal characters and enjoy the excitement of racing. I'm not sure how much teenagers and adults will like it, but perhaps the benefit of donating to animal charities will encourage more players.

Founder Ben Murray and his team hope to have Animal Rescue Rush available for Android at the end of August 2014. I'll be sure to download the app and have an update for you then! If you have an iOS device, go ahead and give it a try and leave a comment below letting us know what you think. You'll also be helping animals in need!

Have fun!