PETS

Day 158 of the Lower Puna Eruption, and, well, nothing new.

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Euphoria continues, beginning today with a happy welcome at my lanai breakfast by my water lily:

I have a dozen pets, the most popular kind, fish, averaging 13 per owner.  A red fish (I forgot exactly what) in my lanai lily pod.

As    I    was composing this post, my algae eater was curious, so I took this photo.  I have an aquarium next to my computer.  He/she came as a one-incher, and must now be all of four inches long.  There is a second one of equal size.

With only a little more than 4% the world population, Americans have almost half the pets in the world.  Two-thirds of homes have them.  Pets outnumber children by a factor of four.  Scientific American explained why, but I think it's mostly because we can afford them.

There are two ways to determine pet popularity.  As world data are largely lacking, the following applies only to the USA.  By number:

     #1  fish      172 million

     #2  cats       94 million

     #3  dogs      78 million

#4 and #5 are small mammals and birds, at 16 million and 15 million, respectively.

By household:

     #1  dogs        46 million

     #2  cats         38 million

     #3  fish          14 million

The average lifetime dog or cat cost is around $10,000.  A cockatoo, on the other hand, can set you back $50,000, but that is because they can live 50 years.  However, pet owners live longer than those who are not.

I just learned that feeding chocolate or grapes to dogs can be fatal.  If they consume aloe vera (which I have on my lanai), that can also be dangerous.  For cats, flowers like philodendrons and Easter lilies can cause severe kidney damage.  No surprise that many pets are obese.

Some questions you've been waiting all your life for answers:

• Why do cats have whiskers?  They help a cat get around and show mood.  The size is just about the diameter of their body to help them sneak through narrow openings.

• Do dogs have whiskers?  Yes, and they are functional for the same reasons.
• Should you brush your pet's teeth?  Not for fish, but yes for cats and dogs, two to three times weekly.  Dentals chews are available.

• Should you wash your pet?  Not fish, but monthly for dogs and twice/year for cats.  My wife and I had a 100 pound plus German Shepherd.  We lived next to a waterfall.  I threw a piece of stick into that stream you see in the photo, which he retrieved.  I shampooed him and threw the stick back in, which he returned to me. Job done.  I was worried about those falls.  Here's how to wash a cat.  What about birds?  Generally yes, and here's how.

• Is it safe to kiss your cat or dog or have them lick you?  Hate to say this, BUT BEST NOT TO!  On the other hand, there are pro and cons.

• How long do pets live:

• Indoor cats, 12-18 years.  Outdoor cats, only 2-5 years.
• Large dog around 8 years and small ones 13 years, although Chihuahuas can live up to 20 years.
• Goldfish up to ten years, Koi 35 years, Neon Tetra 5 years.
• Chickens usually 10 years, but up to 15 years.
• Large parrot up to 65 years and Parakeets up to 8 years, but Charlie, a Blue Macaw, is supposedly 119 years old.  Then again, maybe not.

• Rabbits up to 10 years.
• Rats 2 years.
• Ponies live longer than horses, up to 50 years.
• Snakes up to 40 years.
• Turtle/Tortoise up to 50 years, although Adwaita, a tortoise in Kolcata (formerly Calcutta) supposedly lived for 255 years.

The smartest animals are not pets:

     #1  Orangutan

     #2  Bottlenose Dolphin

     #3  Chimpanzee

     #4  Elephant

     #5  Crow

However #6 is the African Grey Parrot, #7 Pig and #8 Rat.  Dogs come in at #13, while the Veined Octopus is #11, #12 Pigeon, #14 Portia Labiata Jumping Spider (right),  and #15 Ants.  Cats?  Didn't make this list.  Ants are smarter than cats?  Yup, and my constant battle with them on my lanai has me exasperated.

Here are the top 10 cutest animal clips of 2017. Or funny viral animal videos.  Enjoy them, and your pets.

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Hurricane Michael should become a Category 3 when he makes landfall over the Florida Panhandle late Wednesday, probably right over Panama City:

A very interesting tropical storm is Leslie, which has been meandering in the mid-Atlantic for a very long time.  Suddenly, the projection is attainment of hurricane strength and a path that seems headed for Europe...yes, Europe:

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