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10A Daily News – Saturday, September 1, 2012 Furniture Depot 527-1657 235 So. Main St. Red Bluff MON.-FRI. 9:00-6:00 SAT. 9:00-5:00 SUN. 11:00-5:00 Furniture Depot is giving away Free Furniture! you'll receive a FREE $250 gift certificate good toward anything in our store! With any purchase of $1,000 or more, Certificate Gift healthPetsactivities & Shelters allow remote control of cat toys LOS ANGELES (MCT) — If American worker pro- ductivity drops in the third quarter of 2012, the hunt for a cause can start here: iPet Companion, a "virtual play room" that allows anyone, anywhere, to play with criminally cute, reprehensi- bly distracting orphan cats waiting to be adopted in Los Angeles city shelters. The Los Angeles Best Friends Pet Adoption & Spay/Neuter Center, a Mis- sion Hills, Calif., facility owned by the city of Los Angeles and operated by the nonprofit animal wel- fare organization Best Friends, launched its virtual play room last week. Now bored cubicle dwellers and weekend Web surfers can waste more hours online, seeing live video from the "free-roam" cat room and manipulating three toys in real time. at our pet adoption center to be showcased," said Sarah Schanz, marketing special- ist for the center, adding that many shelters struggle with low cat-adoption rates because feline personalities don't always shine in a shel- ter environment. Watching cats at play, however, helps people to form bonds before they have even seen animals in person. MCT photo Cats play in the iPet Companion virtual playroom at Best Friends Pet Adop- tions and Spay/Neuter Center on Aug. 21 in Los Angeles. As mechanical arms dangle and swing toys — "teasers" or "charmers" in cat-person parlance — the human at the other end of the Internet connection can pan or zoom the camera for a closer look. "It's a great way for cats company Kong saw a pilot program at an Idaho Humane Society facility and agreed to sponsor the iPet Companion installation in L.A. and four other U.S. sites. The Foothills Animal Shelter in Golden, Colo., reported that in the first month after its iPet Com- panion room went live in May, the number of cat adoptions rose 26.5 percent compared with the same period in 2011 and 67 per- The cat and dog toy cent compared with the month before the launch. Robert Cohrs, marketing director for Kong cat prod- ucts, said iPet Companion promises not only to raise awareness of shelter cats, boost shelter Web traffic and increase adoption rates, but also to act as a form of "virtual volunteerism." Peo- ple interacting with cats online, he said, are essen- tially augmenting the work of volunteers who play with and care for animals until they get permanent homes. As soon as an article about the L.A. launch went live on latimes.com, the cat- obsessed began lining up to play with the Mission Hills cats. shouldn't read The Times at work," one person wrote on the play room's chat board. "It's been 48 minutes and I'm still here." "This just goes to show I Animal preparedness in a disaster like the Ponderosa Fire By RONNIE CASEY During the recent fires we have come to realize disaster can strike anywhere at any time, without notice. Many of us are often unprepared to evacuate quickly with not only our family but also the animals under our care. The decisions faced during that critical time are often hard and difficult to make. The possibility of you and your animals surviving depends mostly on the emergency planning done before catastrophe strikes unexpectedly. As harsh as the reality is, ani- mals left behind during emergen- cies can be injured, lost or killed. In addition, if turned loose, they can fall victim to exposure, starva- tion, predators, and contaminated food and water. Beloved family pets left inside a residence may escape and fall prey to the same, as well as those left tied outside. Your animal's safety is ultimately your responsibility. Preparing ahead for a disaster aids in assuring your animals will survive and, if separated from you, be reunited. To prepare for the unexpected, such as assembling necessary supplies and develop- ing a disaster plan, basically is the same for any emergency. Be aware, many evacuation centers only permit service ani- mals and will not accept family pets. Therefore, it is vital that a list of places where pets can go is established. Do not leave your pet behind. If it is not safe for you, it is not safe for those under your care. Contact your veteri- narian for a list of boarding ken- nels or ask whether they will take your pet in case of emergency. Contact local animal havens and ask whether they provide emer- gency shelter. Locate hotels or motels away from your area that accept pets. Ask friends and rela- tives whether they would be will- ing to take in your pet. When a warning of an impending evacu- ation occurs, call and confirm any arrangements made. Put together a pet emergency supply pack. It should include a minimum of three days food and water for all pets. If canned food is utilized, consider pop-tops. Do not forget to add feeding dishes. Other items to incorporate are: • First aid kit – The pet's vet- erinarian can tell you what to include. • Leashes, muzzle, collars, or harnesses which have an ID tag attached. • A current photo of the pet, in case you are separated and need to create "Lost" notices. • Blankets and towels (paper and cloth), plastic trash bags, flashlight, and cleaning products. • Pet beds and toys, if easily • Separate pet records that list type and breed of pet; pet's name; contact name with address, phone number and area code; gender; distinguishing characteristics; whether the pet is spayed/neutered and whether the pet is micro-chipped. • Pet carrier or crate. • Photocopies of medical records, with proof of all vacci- nations. • A two-week supply of any medications the pet requires, including information on dietary restrictions, feeding schedules, etc. taken can help reduce stress. • If cats are involved, a litter pan, scoop litter, plastic bags and scooper. Birds should be transported in a secure travel cage or carrier. Have a blanket accessible to put over the cage for both warmth and to help reduce the stress of traveling. If the weather is warm, have a spray bottle available to periodically moisten the bird's feathers. Band the leg for identi- fication purposes. A timed feeder will ensure the uninterrupted daily feeding schedule of the bird. When preparing for reptile or amphibian (herptile) pets, bring heating pads or other warming devices, like heating packs or hot water bottles. Styrofoam insulated boxes can be utilized as temporary housing for the animal. Don't forget water. Since you may not be able to obtain fresh vegetables or fruits during a disaster, keep frozen items ready for emergencies. However, if your herptile feeds on live food, remember to con- sider this for evacuation as well. Spray bottles help maintain the higher humidity some herptiles require. Small animals, such as ham- sters, gerbils, mice and guinea pigs, should be transported in secure carriers with bedding materials, food, and water. Editor's note: This is part one of a two-part series. Next week Ronnie will discuss evacuation and preparedness for large ani- mals.