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Developing and maintaining a respect for nature can involve something as simple as playing nature sounds. Dan Gibson’s recordings of the natural world are featured on numerous CDs. Christmas in the Country and A Celtic Christmas Story are two CDs that combine the festive sounds of Christmas music with the wonderful sounds of the natural world. For children of all ages there is Lullabies & Butterflies.
Besides their attractive personalized tags (which come with a lifetime guarantee) LuckyPet offers the added protection (for a nominal fee) of “Owner Alert” which features their 24-hour, toll-free hotline. These two items will increase the chances of lost pets being reunited with their human guardians.
The right book always makes a nice present. The following are some recently published books that “animal people” will enjoy. My Cat’s Tale (ISBN:0385335393) and My Dog’s Tale (ISBN: 0385335369) are two journals that people fortunate to be living with a dog or a cat would find useful. Each journal contains 112 pages of practical information combined with places where you can record information about your cherished, four-legged friend’s life. Last fall Jim Wight’s excellent biography about his father, Alf Wight, aka James Herriot, was published. The Real James Herriot: The Authorized Biography is also available as an abridged audio book published by Audio Renaissance (ISBN: 1559275731.) Read by Christopher Timothy, the actor who played James Herriot in the popular BBC television series “All Creatures Great and Small,” this audio book would make a wonderful gift for any Herriot fan. Animal Blessings: Prayers and Poems Celebrating Our Pets (ISBN: 0062516450) compiled by June Cotner contains beautiful selections from various authors about our animal companions. These inspirational words would make a wonderful gift for anyone who loves animals.
Adopting and providing a good home for an animal in need is one of life’s most satisfying and rewarding experiences. Unfortunately, many adoptions don’t work out, often because the people acquiring the animal were not as prepared as they should have been. There are several good books on the subject of adopting dogs and cats from shelters. The following are four of the best. When it comes to adopting canine companions from shelters The Adoption Option: Choosing and Raising the Shelter Dog For You by Eliza Rubenstein and Shari Kalina (ISBN: 0876054254) contains valuable information obtained from the authors’ extensive backgrounds in adopting and raising dogs. Another valuable book on this subject is Choosing & Caring for a Shelter Dog: A Complete Guide to Help You Rescue & Rehome a Dog by Bob Christiansen (ISBN: 1884421555). Christiansen covers numerous topics pertaining to selecting and raising a dog in need, including living with the canine, training, problem behaviour and health, to name a few.
Two very informative books which deal with the positive experience of adopting a feline friend from a shelter are Shelter Cats by Karen Commings (ISBN: 0876056761) and Adopting Cats and Kittens: A Care and Training Guide by Connie Jankowski (ISBN: 0876057369). Since it is vital that prospective adopters be well aware of the responsibilities and commitments involved in adopting and raising four-legged family members, it is a good idea if animal shelters and pounds made these books available to people interested in sharing their lives with pets.
Copies of the books could be sold or lent to prospective adopters.
© N. Glenn Perrett
