There is a lot of talk going on about what to do with the issue of feral cat population.

Some measures have been proposed which will allow residents to kill what they perceive to be feral cats on their property. This suggestion has caused a bit of a stir, and amongst cat lovers, it is quite understandable. Cats are natural wanderers and a treasured feline may make a mischievous dash out of its home only to find itself hunted quarry in a neighboring property.

There are more humane solutions being practiced right now which entail trapping feral cats, neutering and then releasing them back to their environment (TNR). Critics of this method maintain that the problem of cat predation on local small animal populations still exists after neutering, and that a continuous supply of stray cats are finding their fertile way into these feral communities every day. Thus, any positive gains realized by the TNR program are being constantly negated by the actions, or inactions, of irresponsible pet owners.

There doesn’t appear to be any immediate, cut and dry solution to feral cats except to keep employing the TNR program and educating the public about how to be accountable for their cats. Local laws can be enacted to impose fines on owners whose cats are caught wandering on a frequent basis. Social pressure can be fostered in the form of campaigns that suggest it is absolutely not cool and downright irresponsible to have unneutered or unspayed cats wandering around. This, of course, would not be applied to owners of show and working cats where planned breeding is necessary for their specific breed.

It comes down to the fact that over 64% of U.S. households have pets, and the majority of these pets are considered as family members. Cats are the rebellious, independent members of the family unit. They shouldn’t be left to their own devices nor should they be discarded like disposable lighters. Similar to any wayward teenager of a family, special measures and tolerances have to be adopted in order to get the loved ones through a difficult time in their lives and bring them back into the fold of family unity. Cats are a bit different in that they are “wayward children” for life, however, they can be conditioned to accept a house-bound lifestyle. Having them spayed or neutered (we’re talking about cats now - not teenagers) will help temper their wanderlust a little, and there are some great outdoor “playpens” and containment equipment designed just for the benefit of felines. Some cats can be trained to walk on a leash for nightly jaunts, however, that may not be particularly healthy for you or the cat if there are too many unleashed dogs in the neighborhood.

Do what you can to help alleviate the problem of cats turning feral. The animal welfare organizations and volunteers are doing what they can to deal with the current populations by using TNR, rescuing and adopting of cats. But the flow of new, fertile, domestic cats into the feral communities must be stopped at the family, neighborhood and regional level. This is accomplished through public awareness campaigns, teaching school children about responsible pet ownership, social pressure and individual involvement. It’s a long uphill road, yet it can be accomplished, one or two kitties at a time.

Cris Mandelin-Wood owns several websites covering domestic animals as well as Web information services and products. Animal welfare issues are of special interest. To sign up for the monthly Critterbytes Ezine, go to http://shelters.theanimalnet.com and select the state you live in. Once there you will find a listing of local animal welfare organizations and a sign up box for the ezine.

Many family members are thrown into the situation of care giving because of a medical health crisis of a loved one. It is important to know what condition your loved one is in while they are in the hospital and the progress they are making. It is just as important to know your family member’s condition before they ever need to go to a hospital because of a medical health accident.

We usually know about our close family members or friends general condition if we are in close and frequent contact. But if we are away from our family member over a period of time or distance, we may not know very much about their condition.

I would like you to take this opportunity and think about what is your family network is like. Do those that you care about have someone looking out for them or are they capable of looking out for themselves? Widowed or divorced spouses and the single elderly may be more at risk for a medical health care crisis. Do your elderly family members care for their old elderly parents, relatives or friends? If so, their risk increases.

Many elderly individuals will not ask for help, not even the ones we love. Their pride and their fears keep them from asking. Their biggest fear is the loss of control just like you and I.

Consider contacting your elderly family members in the near future and ask how they are doing. Then plan a visit soon and see how they are really doing. What they say and what is really happening may not be the same. The only way to find out if they are still capable of getting their needs met is in person. Do they have a plan in place for potential events that may occur? Are they leaving it up to chance? Do they have advance directives in place? Do they have a plan just in case they have a medical health accident?

Maybe you are thinking why this should even matter to me at all? Why, because in the long run it may effect you. If they have a crisis, will someone contact you to take care of their personal matters and expect you to make choices for them? What’s the real possibility? Or the worst case scenario that you read about in papers…someone falling at home and they can’t get up or reach the phone and days later they are found. You know. Dead. It happens. Then the people that could have done something live with some regrets.

Go visit just to check it out. Maybe they do have a plan and everything in place.

Here is a list of some signs to look for that may indicate that your family member or friend may not be coping well:

Appearance - Are they maintaining their usual appearance? Do they appear to have lost some significant weight over time an unreasonable amount of time? Are their clothes very loose? Are they using their eyeglasses or dentures? Layered clothing? Clean shaven? Make up? Clean clothing? Unreasonable body odor? Their hair?

Eating Habits - Have their eating habits changed? Are they still able to prepare food? Are they still safe while preparing food? Do they have adequate food in their home?

While eating are they coughing? While they eat does their nose run? Do they talk about difficulty swallowing?

Mobility - Is there a change in their posture? Are they having difficulty moving? Are they grabbing furniture to walk? If they have stairs or steps are they still able to use them?

Mood - Are they happy? Are they ejoying life? Are they still involved in hobbies or interest? Have they given up on any pursuits? Have they had any changes in social activity? Do they talk about fears or being lonely?

Memory - When you visit do they remember who you are? Do they talk about current events or the past? In the period of one hour are they repeating a story more than one time? Are they distractible? Do they change the subject? Are they able to make their needs known?

Home - Is the appearance of their living quarters in its usual state? Are there any foul smells? Has the trash been recently emptied? Is laundry excessively stacked up? Are their utilities still in service? Does the yard look different from its usual state?

Health Care - Have they been to their doctor? Are they on medication? Are they taking their medication as scheduled? Do they use a medication organizer? Can they afford their medication?

Public Safety - Are they still driving? Have they had any auto accidents? Are there unusual dents or scratches on their vehicle? Take a ride. Are they safe? Are they still able to get out and do errands? To they get lost? Do they forget where they are going?

If you recognize at least two or three significant changes, your family member may be having difficulty coping. It may be time to talk with them and see what kind of help they need. It is time to help them make a plan if they do not have one. Consider if they don’t have a plan they are at an even greater risk of a medical health accident that has the potential for crisis.

If you observe many of these changes and your family member is in denial your may have to enlist the help of other supportive family. And still, if that doesn’t work out for the best then you may have to provide what I call Tuff Love and contact your local family protective services. Family protective services will send out a social worker to assess for real problems and take the necessary steps to assure your family member or friends safety. Be sure to give them your name and phone number as a contact person if they may need your help.

You can find help at your State and Area Agency on Aging. To kind your click on this link: http://www.aoa.gov/eldfam/How_To_Find/Agencies/Agencies.asp

It is harder to begin caregiving at the onset of a crisis. It is easier to help your family member or friend by collaboratively designing a plan in case the unexpected happens. It all begins with talking and appreciating each other’s value. Older family members and friends do not want to be a burden on anyone. Help them remain in control for as long as possible. Let’s keep our elderly safe!

Some people may think that it an anomaly that we often hear stories of dogs attacking children and yet, parents still choose to bring dogs into their families with little thought of the possible adverse consequences.

The vast majority of families with a dog will thankfully never have to deal with any of the terrible situations we hear about on the news. Dogs love people. Most dogs love children. Children generally love dogs as much as their parents do, and it is very doubtful that after thousands of years the connection between canine and humankind will be broken.

So the question is how to make the best possible environment for your children and your dog so that you won’t need to worry unduly about unexpected tragedy.

Experts generally agree upon at least three key areas which must be borne in mind when bringing a dog into a household with children.

First, be sure that very young children, as well as older children who may display immature, or impulsive, behaviors, are NEVER left unattended with a dog. Your dog is unlikely to suddenly choose to attack, but a dog - like a small child itself - will not always choose the best response when it is unintentionally teased, harmed or threatened in play. You wouldn’t leave small children unattended in play for more than a few seconds or minutes (depending upon their age). So if your child and your dog are together, you should be even more vigilant, as the potential for accidents is at least doubled.

Secondly, you should discourage roughhousing with the dog. Larger dogs can generally handle more play, without becoming agitated. But this is not a universal comment. Some large breeds may become agitated, or excited, in play and accidently harm your child. Large breeds may easily knock over small children unintentionally. Obviously smaller breeds could feel endangered with rough play and feel compelled to protect themselves from harm. Toughhousing is therefore to be discouraged with all breeds.

Thirdly, ensure that your family dog is moderately well trained. While some trainers may feel that the owner is adequately qualified to take on this task, you may wish to consider having your dog professionally trained if possible.

Aggression can happen with even the most loving owners when incorrect training, or improper handling of the dog is not addressed early on. Choosing a fully-trained dog may give you greater peace of mind you are looking for when selecting a pet for your children. Or if you train the dog yourself, you need to ensure that the dog understands that YOU are the top dog, AND that the dog is NOT above your children in the pecking order.

There are many other issues that are important to consider when buying a dog for your family. But taking the time to understand and learn about dogs before bringing one home, is definitely more conducive to you finding the life-long friend your children deserve!

(c) 2005 - Brigitte Smith, Healthy Happy Dogs

Brigitte Smith is a dog lover with a special interest in natural dog health and training for dogs. http://www.HealthyHappyDogs.com - FREE Report!

Dog training information: http://www.HealthyHappyDogs.com/BrainWork

Dog aggression information: http://www.HealthyHappyDogs.com/Dog-Bite-Prevention

When we think of giving gifts, we usually think of things to buy for people. Yet if you think back on gifts you’ve been given, it might not be the material gifts you received that are foremost in your mind - it might be the kind of gifts that deeply touched your heart and soul. It might be various ways, other than material things, that people expressed their love to you.

There are five gifts of love that we can give to our families that can make a huge difference in their lives.

THE GIFT OF CARING AND COMPASSION

We all yearn to feel cared for, yet many of us withhold caring and compassion for others. A profound gift we can give to our loved ones is to listen with our heart, to understand and accept rather than to judge, and to stay open to learning rather than to protect against being hurt.

Think about the last time someone actually listened to you and gave you understanding and acceptance. The feeling of being understood and accepted with caring and compassion is one of the best feelings in the world. Instead of focusing on getting this from others, why not focus on giving it to others? You might be surprised at how wonderful you feel in giving this gift to your family.

THE GIFT OF COURAGE

One of the best gifts we can give our loved ones is our own courage. This means being having the courage to stand in our truth, to be honest about what we want and don’t want, what we will do and won’t do, what is and what is not acceptable to us. It means having the courage to take good care of ourselves, even if others don’t like it. It means not succumbing to our controlling behaviors that come from fear: anger, withdrawal, compliance, resistance, but instead being honest and above-board about ourselves. It means being willing to face conflict rather than give ourselves up to avoid it.

When we have the courage to face conflict and tell the truth, we not only provide our family with a role model for courage, but we provide opportunities for our loved ones to step up to the plate in the face of our truth and learn to be courageous too.

THE GIFT OF SERVICE

We are on this planet to learn to love ourselves and each other, and to help each other. One of the best gifts we can give our family is to role model this by doing service. Helping others fills the heart and soul in ways that nothing else can. If children do not see their parents doing service and helping others, they may never learn the great joy and fulfillment that comes from giving. One of the best gifts we can give to our family is to provide ways of doing service.

THE GIFT OF CREATIVITY

All of us are born with various ways of expressing our creativity. Expressing creativity is a profound way of connecting with Spirit, since expressed creativity is a direct expression of Spirit. Providing your family with many ways of expressing their creativity is a great gift. Creativity can be expressed in so many ways - cooking, crafts, building things, music, art, movement, telling stories, writing, humor, photography and video - the possibilities are endless! Creative family projects are especially wonderful in creating family closeness.

THE GIFT OF LIGHTNESS OF BEING

Lightness of being - fun, joy, laughter, playfulness - is a great gift to give to others. Lightness of being is infectious - our laughter and playfulness can help others take life less seriously and “lighten up.”

Lightness of being is one the results of all the other gifts - of caring, courage, service and creativity. When we give these gifts, we feel a wonderful lightness within, the lightness that is the result of fully giving from the heart. Our own lightness of being can bring lightness into our whole family. Children love it when their parents are playful, funloving and joyful. Laughing together as a family is one of the most precious experiences in life.

We need to focus of giving these gifts each day, not just during a holiday season or special occasions. These gifts are far more important than any material thing we can buy for someone. In fact, we might not be so focused on material gifts if we frequently give the gift of love - of caring, compassion, courage, service, creativity, and lightness of being.

A family memory journal is a fun, easy way to preserve family memories. A couple of years ago I was sorting through a pile of unused journals (many given to me as presents!) and was trying to come up with a way to put them to good use.

One day after a family gathering, I sat down and wrote a short description of the gathering in one of the unused journals. I wrote where the gathering took place, the occasion we were celebrating, the names of the people who had attended, and anything about the day that had stood out in my memory. I did this for the next couple of family get togethers and then just stuck the journal in a drawer somewhere.

It didn’t seem like that big of deal at the time, but probably a year or more later I pulled out the journal again and looked at the entries I had made. It was really fun reading them again. I had already forgotten some of the things that had happened, or thoughts that I had at the time that fortunately I had thought to write down.

I’ve been really forgetful about writing in my family memory journal, but in the past couple of years have probably chronicled two or three family events a year. When you think about it, 25 years from now, the journal will be full of family memories.

Family journals are a great thing to pass down to your children and grandchildren. At the time they don’t really care about what’s going on, but some day they will appreciate being reminded of some of their childhood memories.

In the past year or so I’ve really gotten into scrapbooking. I was just thinking that my memory journal will be a great resource for my scrapbooking projects. Sometimes it takes months to get your photos ready and pages laid out. By that time you will forget any memories you had to go along with them. If you have your family memory journal, you can use it to add journaling to your scrapbook pages, with your memory as clear as if you had taken the pictures yesterday.

Don’t let time pass you by and let those special family moments get away from you. Sometimes an event as routine as “another family birthday party” might make a great memory later in life. Especially when older relatives start passing away, it’s special remembering the times they were involved in family get togethers. Someday when you’re that older person, your youngest family members will enjoy reading about their great- and great-great grandparents.