Jack hasn’t had much consistency in his life, ignored by his owners for years and finally taken to a shelter. Now Jack lives in doggie foster care, where he loves to go for walks and gets along very well with his canine brothers and sisters and humans of all ages.

If you’re looking to adopt a medium-size dog for a somewhat quiet, patient household, please consider teaching Jack about the finer things in life (e.g., a warm dog bed inside opposed to being chained to a doghouse in the backyard).

To read Jack’s full story, visit Adopt-a-Pet.com. He’s currently available for adoption at BREW Midwest, a Beagle rescue that consists of a network of volunteers and foster homes across Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and western Pennsylvania.

Chula walks well on a leash and understands basic commands. She’s both house and crate training, spayed, and up-to-date on all shots. To learn more about Chula, visit Alaqua Animal Rescue and Adopt-A-Pet.com.

Country of origin: Germany

Height: 7 to 12 inches

Weight: 3 to 7 pounds

Color: The Pomeranian comes in a wide variety of colors: white, black, brown, red, orange, cream, blue, sable, black and tan, brown and tan, spotted, brindle, plus many other combinations of these colors. The most common colors are orange, black or cream/white.

Training: Pomeranians are intelligent dogs, responding well to training and learning tricks. One of the most independent of the Toy breeds, they need firm, gentle discipline so as not to become “yappy”. In addition, Poms make for good watchdogs. Be sure to teach your Pomeranian early that he may bark a couple of times when the doorbell rings or when visitors enter, but then to keep quiet.

Grooming: The Pom has a long, thick, double coat that requires frequent grooming. Some owners prefer to have their dogs receive occasional haircuts to cut down on daily maintenance.

Exercise: The Pomeranian loves to go for walks and will happily play outdoors. Take him for regular short walks to satisfy his curious streak as well as ensure him a healthy dose of daily exercise.

The Family Factor: The Pomeranian is good for apartment or larger-home living. They are very active indoors and will do okay without a yard. With proper training, the Pom can make an excellent and loyal companion, though this breed is not for everyone. Families with young children may not be the ideal home for a Pom. The breed will connect well with older, calmer children. Regarding other pets in the home, when properly introduced, Pomeranians usually get along well with their fellow four-legged friends.

Health Concerns: Pomeranians are prone to dislocated patella (knee-cap), slipped stifle, heart problems, eye infections, skin irritations, tooth decay and early hearing loss.

Life Expectancy: 13 to 15 years

Famous Owners: Sharon Osbourne, Bill Cosby, Keanu Reeves, Hilary Duff, Kate Hudson

]]> http://www.mypethealthguide.com/new-pets/a-breed-apart-the-pomeranian/feed/ 0 http://www.mypethealthguide.com/blog/a-nose-for-trouble-meet-a-member-of-amtraks-k-9-unit/ http://www.mypethealthguide.com/blog/a-nose-for-trouble-meet-a-member-of-amtraks-k-9-unit/#comments Wed, 18 May 2011 12:49:38 +0000 Shannon http://www.mypethealthguide.com/?p=5933 It’s National Police Week, and we thought it appropriate to give a salute to four-legged members of the force. We had a conversation with Sgt. Deborah Myers of the Amtrak Police K-9 Unit about how she and her partner Tina, a German Shepherd, do their jobs protecting visitors and employees at Washington, D.C.’s Union Station.

How long have you been working with the K-9 unit?

I’ve been with Amtrak for three years. Before that I was with the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority for eleven years [Reagan and Dulles Airports].

How did you come to the K-9 unit?

Initially, I wasn’t sure what kind of police work I wanted to do when I attended the police academy. After working with the K-9 unit, there was no question in my mind. I didn’t want to do anything else. I love what I do and I love getting to work every day with the dog.

How old is Tina? How long have the two of you been together?

Tina will be eight in February and we’ve been together six years. Before Tina I worked with my other dog for eight years.

Does Tina have her own badge number?

Yes

When you’re not at the train station, Tina lives with you and your family. What does Tina do when she’s at home?

She’s really a part of the family, and when we’re at home, she’s a regular pet. She’ll respond to a treat just like any other dogs and isn’t above begging at the dinner table. But when she’s working, she can be searching a building and stick her nose right into a garbage that has food scraps in it and she won’t respond. She’s that focused.

Who trained Tina?

Tina was initially trained at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas but also we train every day. Both the dog and the handler are constantly being observed and evaluated. Both the handler and the dogs have to qualify individually, and also as a team. If they don’t both pass, they are moved on right away. And the training changes all the time. Whenever there’s a new threat or substance in use, we’ve got to get the dogs familiar with it. The evaluation has hardly any room for error.

What would disqualify a dog or team?

If the handler can’t read the dog or of the dog just doesn’t want to work. Dogs can act differently in the field than they do during training. Again, when it comes to explosives on trains, there’s no room for error. Our job is to protect the people who ride and work on the trains every day.

Is she trained to track a specific scent (e.g. illegal drugs, TNT, chemical compounds that go into making bombs, etc.)? Or can she detect multiple things? If so, what?

The dogs are trained to detect different scents specific to their job. Tina is trained to smell things that go into making explosive devices. The way I describe it when I talk at schools is by saying when your mom’s making chocolate chip cookies, you smell chocolate chip cookies. Tina smells each of the individual ingredients: butter, eggs, sugar, flour, and chocolate chips.

Specifically how is Tina, or any other police dog, trained to alert human officers that there’s a concern?

First, Tina would follow the direction of the scent, leading me with her. Her final alert is to sit close to the origin of the odor. She’s trained to give a passive response in case the device is motion-sensitive. Even before she takes off or sits, I see her body language change. I can usually tell that she’s going to react before she actually does.

Ok, so I have a 10-year-old mutt and a 15-year-old toy poodle. Could either or both of my dogs be trained as a K-9 officer right now?

Ability is more important than breed, age, or size. Most trainers don’t work with dogs that are younger than one year because they’re too immature, and don’t start training after they turn three so they can work longer. The older dogs would have a shorter career potential, and the poodle may be too small to do all of the searches. Tina is able to reach the overhead compartments and all around the seats on the train. But Customs uses beagles, which are about half the size of Tina, and they’re every bit as good at their job as she is. So again, the most important thing is an individual dog’s ability to do the job.

Do you only work at Union Station in Washington, D.C., or do you ever get on the train and go to other stops?

We primarily work at Union Station, unless we’re on special assignment. Even if it’s not Tina, there’s always at least one dog on the trains on the Northeast corridor, whether you see them or not.

Rescue Ink is an animal rescue group dedicated to battling animal abuse and neglect, and educating and informing children and families about the mistreatment of animals. These tough-talking tattooed bikers aren’t afraid to use their verbal muscle-power to take the fight against animal abuse to the next level, within the boundaries of the law. The group uses their intimidating presence to shame and report animal abusers and rehabilitate distressed animals.

They’re a colorful bunch, literally. The ink in their name comes from the penchant that the group’s membership has for tattoos. Lots of them. Each member has plenty of exquisite body ink that distinguishes Rescue Ink from your grandmother’s animal rescue organization.

You may remember Rescue Ink from their short-lived but very popular show on National Geographic Channel. Or their visit with Ellen DeGeneres who was so impressed with their dedication to protecting animals that she donated $10,000 worth of pet food and supplies from her company, Halo.

Today the guys continue their work helping the vulnerable by doing presentations at schools about the importance of not being a bully.

While their website is under construction, you can always keep current with the fellows on their Facebook page, which has daily updates on their latest rescue adventures and how you can help.

Or you can join us at the New York City Pet Show on May 22, 2011 to hear some of the guys from Rescue Ink tell stories about some of their most memorable rescues.

Sounds Like a Winner

To give a little insight into the decibel scale, total silence is 0 dB, most cats purr at 25 dB, normal human conversation is 60dB, a vacuum cleaner is 80dB, and a rock concert is 110 to 150dB.

Although her official register was 67.7 dB, friends and family confirm that Smokey’s been known to purr as loudly as an ear-splitting 90 dB.

Basically, Smokey may have a little trouble expressing herself at a KISS concert, but she’ll easily have her say at the next family discussion or on cleaning day.

She Worked Like a…

Don’t be thinking that Smokey just sat on her perch and waited for this honor. Her first attempt at the record on March 25, 2011 was thwarted by a complicated computer glitch, rendering the results useless. Not to be dissuaded, Smokey’s team of advisors and loyalists reassembled on April 27, 2011 for a second swipe at the record. Finally, on May 5, 2011, the good folks at the Guinness Book of World Records confirmed that Smokey officially set the record for having the world’s loudest purr.

Hearing is Believing

If you find Smokey’s recent title hard to fathom, judge for yourself.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The sweet sounds of success may inspire you to get your own kitty into the competition in the future. Or just make you thankful that you’ve been blessed with an average-sounding cat.

Dan via Flickr

Life with a pet that can do its business indoors makes Sunday mornings a little more restful, but not necessarily sweeter.

Kitty litter, for all of its wonderful practicality, can create quite a mess. There are strategies for helping your cat cope with missing the box from time to time and things you can try to reduce the smell. But the straight poop is that some folks just can’t make peace with the concept of an open box in the bathroom.

If your concern is more philosophical than actual, here are some nifty ways to dispose of your dilemma:

Sweeten the Pot

Try a scented or natural product, like a litter made of pine to at least alter, if not completely eliminate, the odor.

Automatically Change Things

A self- changing litter box sweeps the solids from the pan, keeping litter from staying in the box where the cat goes. They can range from basic to extreme, but they can be well worth the scratch if you hate to clean the box. Plus, if your cat is prone to urinary tract infections, a self-changing box will help to keep bacteria from growing close to where your cat will be going.

Make a Statement

There are some very clever and decorative litter boxes that will make the cat box seem more like a part of the décor than an eye (and nose) sore. Consider a litter box that’s disguised as a planter or a lovely wooden side table. Or, if you ‘d rather embrace it than disguise it, you may like a box with a beach bungalow motif to take your mind off of your woes. Surf’s up, kitty.

Leave the Seat Down for Sadie

And finally, if you really can’t handle the notion of separate bathrooms for you and your pet, there is the option to toilet train your cat. It may not necessarily bring you closer together, but toilet training could help to flush your litter box cares away.

The NYC Pet Show is an event for the urban pet lover! The show will provide you and your guest with an interactive experience, which includes meet-and-greets, seminars, and panel discussions. Discover new products and services as well as gather information that will help you form a better relationship with your pet. More than 75 exhibitors will be on hand to show you the latest and greatest luxury pet products and services. For more information, check out NYCPetShow.com.

Entering our sweepstakes is easy: All you have to do is comment on one of our posts between May 4 and May 12. Tell us what you have to say and you’ll be automatically entered for a chance to win! We’ll draw the lucky winner at random.

Good luck—we hope to see you there!

No purchase necessary to enter or win. A purchase will not improve your chances of winning. Void where prohibited. Sweepstakes begins 6:00am ET on May 4, 2011 and ends 11:59pm ET on May 12, 2011. Must be over 18 and legal resident of 50 United States or DC . For Official Rules, click here. Rodale Inc., 33 East Minor Street, Emmaus, PA 18098-0099, is the operator of the Sweepstakes/Contest.

]]> http://www.mypethealthguide.com/sweepstakes/nyc-pet-show-ticket-giveaway/feed/ 0 http://www.mypethealthguide.com/sweepstakes/nyc-pet-show-ticket-giveaway-rules/ http://www.mypethealthguide.com/sweepstakes/nyc-pet-show-ticket-giveaway-rules/#comments Wed, 04 May 2011 18:31:03 +0000 pet editor http://www.mypethealthguide.com/?p=5793 MyPetHealthGuide.com NYC Pet Show Sweepstakes

OFFICIAL RULES

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN.  VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. A purchase or payment will not improve your chances of winning.  The MyPetHealthGuide.com NYC Pet Show Sweepstakes (the “Sweepstakes”) starts at 6:00 a.m. Eastern Time (“ET”) on May 4, 2011 and ends at 11:59 p.m. ET on May 12, 2011 (the “Promotion Period”).  Eastern Time shall control for all purposes of this Sweepstakes.  The Sweepstakes is governed by these Official Rules, and is subject to all applicable U.S. federal, state and local laws, and provincial or territorial laws, and is void wherever prohibited by law.

1.  ELIGIBILITY: The Sweepstakes is open only to legal residents of the 50 United States and District of Columbia (excluding residents of Guam, Puerto Rico and all other U.S. territories and possessions). The Sweepstakes is not open to residents of Canada. Individuals must be 18 years of age or older and the age of majority in his/her state at the time of entry. Any individuals who have, within one year prior to the start date of the Sweepstakes, performed services for Sponsors, or their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates and successor companies or any organizations responsible for fulfilling, administering, advertising or promoting the Sweepstakes or supplying any prize, and the immediate family and household members of such individuals, are not eligible to enter the Sweepstakes or win the prize.  “Immediate family members” shall mean parents, step-parents, children, step-children, siblings, step-siblings, or spouses, regardless of where they live.  “Household members” shall mean people who share the same residence at least three months a year, whether related or not.  Mechanically altered or reproduced Entries are not eligible.  In order to enter the Sweepstakes or receive the prize, you must fully comply with the Official Rules, and by entering you agree to be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of Sponsors, whose decisions shall be binding and final in all respects, and you certify that you are eligible to enter.

2.  HOW TO ENTER: To enter, visit www.MyPetHealthGuide.com (the “Web Site”) during the Promotion Period and comment on any article on the Web Site. To enter without commenting, send an e-mail to MyPetHealthGuide@rodale.com and state, within the body of the e-mail, your first and last name, complete home mailing address (no P.O. Boxes), daytime telephone number (including area code), and date of birth, and then send your e-mail entry to the e-mail address stated above (the “Entry” or “Entries”).  ALL ENTRIES MUST BE RECEIVED BY 11:59 p.m. ET, May 12, 2011.  Limit one (1) Entry per person per e-mail address per day throughout the Promotion Period.  Entries by the same person in excess of the limits stated herein will be disqualified.  Entries submitted to the Web Site will be deemed to have been submitted by the authorized account holder of the e-mail address submitted at the time of the entry.  “Authorized account holder” is defined as the natural person who is assigned to an e-mail address by an Internet access provider, online service provider or organization (e.g., business, educational institution, etc.) that is responsible for assigning e-mail addresses for the domain associated with the submitted e-mail address.

3.  RANDOM DRAWING; ODDS OF WINNING: Sponsors will randomly select the winner from among all eligible entries received on May 13, 2011.  Odds of winning depend on the total number of eligible entries received.

4. WINNER NOTIFICATION: The potential winner will be notified by e-mail using the information provided on his/her Entry, on or about May 16, 2011.  Sponsors will then send to potential winner by e-mail, at the e-mail address on his/her Entry, an Affidavit of Eligibility, Release of Liability, Publicity Release, unless prohibited by law, and any other documentation that Sponsors require (the “Affidavit”).  In order to redeem his/her prize, potential winner shall sign, have notarized, and return to Sponsors the Affidavit within fourteen (14) days from the date Sponsors sent the Affidavit.  Any guest (his/her parent/legal guardian if a resident of a jurisdiction that deems him/her to be a minor) shall sign, have notarized and return to Sponsors a Liability Release, Publicity Release, unless prohibited by law, and any other documentation that Sponsors require within fourteen (14) days after receipt by the potential winner.  In the event: (a) potential winner cannot be reached for whatever reason after a reasonable effort has been exerted based on the information stated in the Entry, (b) of noncompliance with the above or within any of the aforesaid time periods, (c) potential winner is found to be ineligible to enter the Sweepstakes or receive the prize, (d) potential winner cannot or does not comply with the Official Rules, (e) potential winner’s prize notification or Affidavit is returned as undeliverable for whatever reason, or (f) potential winner fails to fulfill the Affidavit-related obligations, the potential winner shall be disqualified from the Sweepstakes and an alternate potential winner may be selected, at Sponsors’ sole discretion, from among the other eligible entries received.  Winner selection is under the supervision of Sponsors, whose decisions are final and binding in all respects.  If entrant’s e-mail address, telephone number, or home mailing address changes after he/she enters the Sweepstakes, it is the entrant’s sole responsibility to notify Sponsors by postal mailing notice to the address stated below to be received before the end of the Promotion Period.

5.  PRIZES: The approximate retail value (the “ARV”) of the prize is $40.00 and consists of two (2) tickets to the New York City Pet Show held May 21 and 22, 2011. There is a total of one (1) prize to be awarded to one (1) winner. Prize subject to any and all applicable terms and conditions.  Any depictions of prizes are for illustrative purposes only.    All federal, state and local taxes on the prize are the sole responsibility of the winner.  Winner will be sent an IRS Federal 1099-MISC tax form for the retail value of any prize at or above $600.  No transfer, refund, substitution or replacement of prize permitted, except that Sponsors reserve the right, in their sole discretion, to substitute a prize of equal or greater value (or cash equivalent).  ARV of all prizes is in U.S. dollars.  All prizes will be awarded within 1 year of receipt of valid and executed winners’ affidavit or prize confirmation.  Any portion of the prize not accepted or unclaimed and/or unused by the winner will be forfeited and will not be substituted.

6.  PUBLICITY RELEASE; USE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION: Except where prohibited or restricted by law, winner’s acceptance of prize constitutes the winner’s agreement and consent for Sponsors to use and/or publish winner’s full name, city and state of residence, photographs or other likenesses, Entry, pictures, portraits, voice, testimonials, biographical information (in whole or in part), and/or statements made by winner regarding the Sweepstakes or Sponsors, worldwide and in perpetuity for any and all purposes, including, but not limited to, advertising, trade and/or promotion on behalf of Sponsors, in any and all forms of media, now known or hereafter devised, including, but not limited to, print, TV, radio, electronic, cable, or World Wide Web, without further limitation, restriction, compensation, notice, review, or approval.  By entering the Sweepstakes, entrants will be sharing their personal information with Sponsors.  Personal information collected by Sponsors will be used for administration of the Sweepstakes and awarding the prize.  In addition, by entering, entrants agree to Rodale Inc.’s use of entrant’s personal information as described in its privacy policy at http://www.rodale.com/1,6597,8-114,00.html. Please refer to Rodale’s privacy policy for important information regarding the collection, use and disclosure of personal information by Rodale. Rodale is not responsible for disclosures made by any third party. Rodale uses reasonable commercial efforts to comply with Federal CAN–SPAM law and entrants may subsequently opt-out of receiving further emails by following opt-out instructions contained in Rodale’s privacy policy.  All entries become the property of Sponsors upon receipt and will not be acknowledged or returned.

7.  NO TAMPERING; RIGHT TO CANCEL, MODIFY: Sponsors and their parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, partners, representatives, agents, successors, assigns, employees, officers and directors shall not have any obligation or responsibility, including any responsibility to award any prize to entrants, with regard to: (a) Entries that contain inaccurate information or do not comply with or violate the Official Rules; (b) Entries, prize claims or notifications that are lost, late, incomplete, illegible, unintelligible, damaged or otherwise not received by the intended recipient, in whole or in part, due to computer, human or technical error of any kind; (c) entrants who have committed fraud or deception in entering or participating in the Sweepstakes or claiming the prize; (d) telephone, electronic, hardware, software, network, Internet or computer malfunctions, failures or difficulties; (e) any inability of the winner to accept the prize for any reason; (f) if a prize cannot be awarded due to travel cancellation, delays or interruptions due to Acts of God, natural disasters, terrorism, weather or any other similar event beyond Sponsors’ reasonable control; or (g) any damages, injuries or losses of any kind caused by any prize or resulting from awarding, acceptance, possession, use, misuse, loss or misdirection of any prize or resulting from participating in this promotion or any promotion or prize related activities.  Sponsors reserve the right, in their sole discretion, to disqualify any individual it finds to be (a) tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Sweepstakes, or with any Web sites promoting the Sweepstakes; (b) acting in violation of the Official Rules; or (c) entering or attempting to enter the Sweepstakes multiple times through the use of multiple e-mail addresses or the use of any robotic or automated devices to submit entries.  If Sponsors determine, in their sole discretion, that technical difficulties or unforeseen events compromise the integrity or viability of the Sweepstakes, Sponsors reserve the right to void the entries at issue, and/or terminate the relevant portion of the Sweepstakes promotion, including the entire Sweepstakes promotion, and/or modify the Sweepstakes and/or conduct a random drawing to award the prize(s) using all eligible entries received as of the termination date.  If the Sweepstakes is terminated or modified due to technical difficulties or unforeseen events prior to the expiration date of the Promotion Period, notice will be posted at MyPetHealthGuide.com/blog.

8.  RELEASE OF LIABILITY; DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY; FORUM SELECTION CLAUSE: By participating in the Sweepstakes, entrants and winner agree to release and hold harmless Sponsors and their parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, partners, representatives, agents, successors, assigns, employees, officers and directors, from any and all liability, for loss, harm, damage, injury, cost or expense whatsoever including without limitation, property damage, personal injury (including emotional distress), and/or death which may occur in connection with preparation for, or participation in, the Sweepstakes, or possession, acceptance and/or use or misuse of the prize or participation in any Sweepstakes-related activity and for any claims or causes of action based on publicity rights, defamation or invasion of privacy and merchandise delivery.  By accepting the prize, winner agrees that any liability concerning or arising out of the prize rests solely with the manufacturer of the goods or their affiliates.  Sponsors and their parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, partners, representatives, agents, successors, assigns, employees, officers and directors assume no responsibility for any injury or damage to entrants or to any other person’s computer, regardless of how caused, relating to or resulting from entering or downloading materials or software in connection with this Sweepstakes.  Entrants and winners acknowledge that Sponsors have neither made nor are in any manner responsible or liable for any warranty, representations or guarantees, express or implied, in fact or in law, relative to any prize, including, but not limited to, express warranties provided by the manufacturer of the goods or their affiliates.  Except where prohibited, all issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of entrant or Sponsors in connection with the Sweepstakes, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules (whether of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, or any other jurisdiction), which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In addition, any dispute relating to the Sweepstakes (including these Official Rules) shall be brought in the appropriate state or federal court having jurisdiction over the subject matter located in the County of Lehigh, Pennsylvania.  Entrants hereby irrevocably consent to the personal jurisdiction of said courts and waive any claim of forum non conveniens or lack of personal jurisdiction they may have.

9.  LIST OF WINNERS; FUTURE SWEEPSTAKES/CONTESTS: A winners’ list will be posted on the Web Site on or about May 20, 2011, or to receive a list of the winners after May 20, 2011 by mail send a self-addressed envelope, with applicable U.S. postage affixed (VT state residents only may omit return postage), MyPetHealthGuide.com NYC Pet Show Sweepstakes, Rodale Inc., 733 3rd Avenue, New York, NY 10017-3225, Attn: Philavong Chandra, or by e-mail send an e-mail to Philavong.Chandra@rodale.com, and in the body of the e-mail type: Please e-mail me the winner for the MyPetHealthGuide.com NYC Pet Show Sweepstakes.

10.  SPONSOR: The Sponsor of the Sweepstakes is Rodale Inc., 33 East Minor Street, Emmaus, PA 18098-0099.

SWEEPSTAKES FACTS

Prize: 2 NYC Pet Show tickets

Prize: 2 NYC Pet Show tickets

Retail Value: $40

Number of Prizes: 1

Odds of Winning:    Depend on the Total Number

Eligible Entries Received

Ingsoc/Flickr

Affectionately known as odd-eyed cats, felines with a set of eyes that don’t match have a condition known as heterochromia iridis. It’s a naturally occurring uneven distribution of melanin. That’s all. No need to worry about how to treat or prevent it—because you couldn’t if you wanted to.

It may rattle your sense of symmetry, but having one blue eye and one brown eye won’t impede your kitty’s leaping, lunging, lurking, lazing, or looking. Although at times dizzying to look at, a cat with two distinctly colored eyes sees the world as clearly as you do—and maybe more.

Connect the Dots…Or Lack Thereof

The highest instance of heterochromia in purebred cats occurs in those that are all white. Because, like with dogs, heterochromia is caused by a variant distribution of melanin, the unusual eye coloring is more tied to coat color than anything else. In white cats, one eye can be blue, and the other copper, orange, yellow or green.

Prized Peeepers

While in the case of some dogs, Malamutes for example, heterochromia can be considered a flaw in the professional show world, in some breeds of cat this feature is highly prized. The Turkish Van, Turkish Angora, Japanese Bobtail and Sphynx are all purebreds that are celebrated for this rare trait.

Although not specifically mentioned in the Koran, legend has it that the prophet Muhmammad’s beloved pet Angora, Muezza, was an odd-eyed cat.

Keep Your Eyes Peeled For Changes

The born-that-way beauties with the one-two punch of eye color are just fine, but pay attention if your cat’s eyes begin to change color as they age. A gradual change from bashful brown to a cloudy grey or blue in an older cat could be the signs of a trouble on the horizon.