The Misha May Foundation still has 2 kittens seeking
permanent homes in the Denver area. These cats were rescued from
a shelter in Louisiana and brought to Denver on September 19. They have
no owners and are available for immediate adoption. There are also a few dogs still seeking foster/adoptive homes.
Won't you open your heart to one of these animals seeking a home in
Denver? For more information, go to:
www.optimumchoices.com/katrina-help.htm.
It’s easy to forget our healthy, holistic ways during the
holidays. To help you, your family, your friends and your pets remain healthy
during this season, we offer the following special holiday packages.
$5 rebate plus FREE DVD
Purchase a bottle of NingXiaTM
Red juice at the full retail price of $50.99 and receive a $5 rebate
from Optimum Choices plus the NingXiaTM Red DVD containing
the Chinese wolfberry history and science behind this superfood
($2.00 value).
FREE BioPreparation or
Canine Massage Gift
Purchase $222 worth of
BioSuperfood/BioPreparation and receive a free bottle of BioPreparation
F2+ for animals ($23 value) or a free ½ hour canine massage
($25 value) for your best friend*.
FREE BioPreparation or
Canine Massage Gift
Purchase $333 worth of
BioSuperfood/BioPreparation and receive a free bottle of BioPreparation
F3+ for animals ($39 value) or a free canine massage ($45
value) for your best friend*.
FREE BioSuperfood or
Canine Massage Gift
Purchase $444 worth of
BioSuperfood/BioPreparation and receive a free bottle of BioSuperfood F2
for people ($49 value) or a free canine massage ($45 value)
for your best friend*.
FREE BioPreparation,
Joint Treats or Canine Massage Gift
Purchase ten or more bags of Active Care
Healthy Joint Treats and receive a free bag of Joint Treats ($16.99
value) or a free bottle of BioPreparation F2+ for animals ($23
value) or a free canine massage ($45 value) for your best
friend*.
All orders placed during December 2005 qualify. No other
discounts will apply. Shipping and sales tax additional. Individual orders may
be combined but shipping to more than one address will incur additional shipping
charges (free gift cannot be divided).
*All free
canine massages performed at our office in Golden, CO. We would be happy to
travel to your site for a small travel fee.
This month we offer essential oil gift suggestions. Give the gift of health to
your loved ones!
Essence of the Season Kit
Contains two single oils: Frankincense (Boswellia carteri)
and Myrrh (Commiphora myrrha); one blend: Christmas Spirit; and two gum resins:
Frankincense and Myrrh. Refresh and purify the air while you lift your spirits
with the exquisite one-of-a-kind essential oils of frankincense, myrrh and
Christmas Spirit (a beautiful blend of orange, cinnamon, and spruce essential
oils). This exquisite collection of therapeutic-grade essential oils and resins
possesses rich, exotic fragrances with the unique ability to lift emotions and
heighten spiritual awareness. [Three 5 ml. bottles of oil and two small glass
bottles of resin.]
Holiday
Collection of Oils Kit
When the aroma of ripe oranges, cinnamon and clove fills
the air, you're reminded of holidays past and warm, good cheer! Now you can have
this aromatic experience with Young Living essential oils! What's more, this
rare collection features our finest essential oils including frankincense and
the coveted cassia oil, packaged in a festive holiday tin with a free gift bag!
Bring the spirit and aroma of the winter season into your home this year. This
is a limited time offer and will only be available while supplies last.
(Packaged in a medium white gift bag: 6" x 10").
Thieves Kit - Holiday Promotion
Don't
let bird flu get you down! Still wondering how you can protect yourself during
those cold winter months? Your solution lies in our very own Thieves Kit! Packed
with powerful germ-killing essential oils, our Thieves line helps eliminate
airborne bacteria and boost your immune system for the upcoming cold and flu
season. And just in case you've run out of time to shop and wrap, this popular
kit comes complete with a beautiful burgundy gift bag! Perfect for your
boss, employees, in-laws, or neighbors, take advantage of this simple gift idea
that is packaged and ready to deliver! Gift bag will hold all of the items in
this kit.
The Thieves Kit includes: 1- 5 ml Bottle of
Thieves Essential Oil Blend 1- Tin of Thieves Hard Lozenges (NEW!) 1- Thieves
Spray 1- Bar of Thieves Soap 1- Thieves Dentarome Ultra Toothpaste 1- Thieves
Fresh Essence Plus Mouthwash
To order any of these, go to our
Young Living
Essential Oils website,
click on Product Catalog in the
left-hand menu and then Essential Oils/Kits on the pull-down navigation menus at
the top.
With holiday times come thoughts of puppies and kittens as cute gifts to
give. Who can resist the thought of a puppy or kitten under the Christmas tree
with a bow on its neck? However, giving a pet as a gift is often not in the best
interest of the animal. Owning a pet is a big responsibility and too many gift
pets are later taken to shelters because the owners found them to be too much
trouble, had problems with them or got tired of them. Also the pet you pick as a
gift for someone may not suit their personality. Even young kittens and puppies
have distinctive personalities, based on their genetics, that make them suited
for one person and not another. For instance, one young kitten may be very
playful but not like being held or cuddled while another happily lies in your
lap and purrs. This is why many animal shelters and rescue organizations will
not let people get animals to give as gifts to other. They require that the
final owner meet with them and select the animal. That way, they can be sure the
owner has a pet they like and will bond with. Even children will bond with one
animal and not another, as I have observed in my work as an adoption assistant
at the local cat shelter. Also, these organizations will not adopt out the
animal unless they are sure the potential owner understands and accepts the
responsibility they are undertaking and how to properly care for the animal
(since dogs typically live 10-15 years and cats 15-20 years).
Another
option many people choose is to get an animal from a pet store. Who can resist
the cute puppies and kittens at the pet store in the mall? It's also considered
a relatively inexpensive way to get a purebred puppy if you have a breed
preference. Unfortunately, buying a puppy or kitten from a pet store often
results in a pet with behavioral and health problems. So that "inexpensive"
purebred ends up costing you more in the long run, with all the vet bills and
behavioral issues (think of the cost to fix damage to your house if your pet
goes to the bathroom in inappropriate places or tears up your house). Most pet
stores sell animals from commercial breeders intent on producing large numbers
of animals with little regard for health or temperament. Commercial breeders are
defined as: "One who usually has several breeds of dogs with profit as the
primary motive for existence. The dogs may be healthy or not and the kennel may
be clean or not. The dogs are probably not screened for genetic diseases, and
the breeding stock is probably not selected for resemblance to the breed
standard or for good temperament. Most commercial breeders sell their puppies to
pet stores or to brokers who sell to pet stores."
Many animals from pet stores come from what are called "puppy mills",
equivalent to the "factory-farmed" animals that are bred in confinement to
produce meat for us. Puppy mills are defined as "a breeder who produces puppies
hand over fist with no breeding program, little attention
to
puppy placement, and poor health and socialization practices. A puppy mill may
or may not be dirty but it is usually overcrowded and the dogs may be neglected
or abused because the breeder can't properly handle as many dogs as he has."
Unfortunately, raising puppies in puppy mills has become an extremely lucrative
practice for many Amish farmers in Pennsylvania. Main Line Animal Rescue in
Pennsylvania reports that "many people believe that Lancaster County has the
highest concentration of puppy mills in the country." They have therefore
erected a billboard to publicize this dark side of the Amish to the many
tourists. For more information, see the following articles:
Humane Society of US,
New York
Post. Other states also have their share of puppy mills that supply pet
stores. I massaged a Pekingese dog that had been rescued from a puppy mill in
Wyoming, where it went blind due to neglect. The dogs used for breeding in puppy
mills are often given just enough care to keep them alive to produce puppies,
with no regard for their health or emotional well-being. They usually live in
small cages their entire life.
The examples of health problems encountered with pet store animals abound. I
know someone who bought a Chihuahua at a pet store and she has never been
successful in housetraining it (so it pees everywhere). It is also very small,
at just 3 pounds, which makes it more prone to health problems. Another person
who is enamored with Shetland Sheepdogs (Shelties) bought her third Sheltie at a
pet store after Sheltie #2 died. This dog, while good tempered and "apparently"
healthy has such delicate digestion that even at its young age, it has to be fed
a certain dog food and cannot tolerate the all-meat dog treats that most dogs
thrive on.
While most people who buy pets at pet stores are ignorant of the animals'
origins and potential health issues, some people will deliberately buy sickly
animals from stores to "rescue" them. Unfortunately, such "rescuing" only
encourages more irresponsible breeding, because the store has now sold these
animals, encouraging them to stock up with more. And the rescued animals may
have such poor genetics that the owner can never get the animals totally healthy
and ends up spending considerable sums on health care.
If
you want a truly healthy purebred animal, your best option is to buy from what
is defined as a hobby breeder: "A breed fancier who usually has only one breed
but may have two; follows a breeding plan in efforts to preserve and protect the
breed; produces from none to five litters per year; breeds only when a litter
will enhance the breed and the breeding program; raises the puppies with plenty
of environmental and human contact; has a contract that protects breeder, dog,
and buyer; runs a small, clean kennel; screens breeding stock to eliminate
hereditary defects from the breed; works with a breed club or kennel club to
promote and protect the breed; and cares that each and every puppy is placed in
the best home possible." You will not find animals from hobby breeders in pet
stores as these breeders carefully screen every potential adopter and often
retain legal ownership of the animals. You can find such breeders at dog and cat
shows, through breed clubs, magazines and websites and through responsible pet
supply stores that do not sell animals. While it is more trouble and expense to
get an animal this way, the results will generally be a healthier, happier pet,
resulting in lower vet bills.
One thing that is not helped by buying pets from breeders is pet
overpopulation.
The Humane Society of the US estimates that 3 to 4 million pets are
euthanized by shelters each year because there are no homes for them. These pets
are the excess animals produced each year due to people not spaying/neutering
their animals as well as buying from pet stores (the animals then becoming lost
or taken to shelters by owners who can't deal with them). Therefore, the best
way to help the pet overpopulation problem and avoid supporting irresponsible
breeding is to adopt animals from shelters and rescue groups. It can be more
risky than buying from a responsible breeder, since you may not know the
animal's history or genetics, but someone experienced can guide you to make the
best possible choice. Getting a mixed-breed animal helps to reduce the risk of
health problems, since they tend to be more hardy and have fewer genetic
problems due to inbreeding.
If you want to gift someone with an animal this holiday season, the best
choice may be to pay for the adoption fee at a local shelter/rescue group and
let them pick out the perfect pet for them. Or you may choose to buy them all
the accessories they need to go with their pet when they bring it home.
This month, we suggest some books and DVDs that make excellent gifts.
For anyone who loves cats, we highly recommend the following trio of books
about Norton, the most amazing cat I have ever heard of. Click on the pictures
to go to our book ordering page which also includes a link to our review:
For dog lovers, we recommend the following DVDs:
This is a wonderful and highly entertaining film on dog nutrition. Click the
picture to read our full review and order direct from us.
The film Calming Signals by noted Norwegian dog trainer Turid Rugaas
is now available on DVD! Turid understands better than anyone I know how to
treat dogs with respect and kindness. This film makes her book Calming Signals
come to life. Click on the picture to order the DVD from Dogwise.
For people who want to learn what our animals would like to tell us,
we suggest the following books. Click on the pictures to read our review and
order from the publisher:
303-271-1649
866-305-2306 (toll-free)
Normal office hours are 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM Mountain Time (U.S.). If you would
like a return call outside those hours, please specify what days and times are
best.
Nothing on this website has been evaluated by the FDA. This information
is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Please
see a qualified healthcare practitioner for any disease or illness.
Another
option many people choose is to get an animal from a pet store. Who can resist
the cute puppies and kittens at the pet store in the mall? It's also considered
a relatively inexpensive way to get a purebred puppy if you have a breed
preference. Unfortunately, buying a puppy or kitten from a pet store often
results in a pet with behavioral and health problems. So that "inexpensive"
purebred ends up costing you more in the long run, with all the vet bills and
behavioral issues (think of the cost to fix damage to your house if your pet
goes to the bathroom in inappropriate places or tears up your house). Most pet
stores sell animals from commercial breeders intent on producing large numbers
of animals with little regard for health or temperament. Commercial breeders are
defined as: "One who usually has several breeds of dogs with profit as the
primary motive for existence. The dogs may be healthy or not and the kennel may
be clean or not. The dogs are probably not screened for genetic diseases, and
the breeding stock is probably not selected for resemblance to the breed
standard or for good temperament. Most commercial breeders sell their puppies to
pet stores or to brokers who sell to pet stores."
to
puppy placement, and poor health and socialization practices. A puppy mill may
or may not be dirty but it is usually overcrowded and the dogs may be neglected
or abused because the breeder can't properly handle as many dogs as he has."
Unfortunately, raising puppies in puppy mills has become an extremely lucrative
practice for many Amish farmers in Pennsylvania. Main Line Animal Rescue in
Pennsylvania reports that "many people believe that Lancaster County has the
highest concentration of puppy mills in the country." They have therefore
erected a billboard to publicize this dark side of the Amish to the many
tourists. For more information, see the following articles:
If
you want a truly healthy purebred animal, your best option is to buy from what
is defined as a hobby breeder: "A breed fancier who usually has only one breed
but may have two; follows a breeding plan in efforts to preserve and protect the
breed; produces from none to five litters per year; breeds only when a litter
will enhance the breed and the breeding program; raises the puppies with plenty
of environmental and human contact; has a contract that protects breeder, dog,
and buyer; runs a small, clean kennel; screens breeding stock to eliminate
hereditary defects from the breed; works with a breed club or kennel club to
promote and protect the breed; and cares that each and every puppy is placed in
the best home possible." You will not find animals from hobby breeders in pet
stores as these breeders carefully screen every potential adopter and often
retain legal ownership of the animals. You can find such breeders at dog and cat
shows, through breed clubs, magazines and websites and through responsible pet
supply stores that do not sell animals. While it is more trouble and expense to
get an animal this way, the results will generally be a healthier, happier pet,
resulting in lower vet bills.
