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ANIMAL RADIO | November 25, 2004
a not-for-profit monthly newsletter
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**HAPPY THANKSGIVING from Animal Radio!**

In this issue:

* THE PET ENTREPRENEURS - The pet that has everything.
* SAVANTS OR SAVAGES - Technology and killing.
* PULLING ON THE LEASH - Who's walking who?
* A HUMANE THANKSGIVING - Rethinking dinner.

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ANIMAL RADIO PROGRAMMING - NOV-DEC 2004
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The ANIMAL RADIO HOUR is coming January 1st to the Animal Radio Network.
Authors and experts, CLEA SIMON and DARLENE ARDEN will explore the world of
animals and literature. Stay tuned for the guest line-up!
________________________________________________

BEST FRIENDS RADIO with Michael Mountain, Francis Battista, Faith Maloney,
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================================================
THE PET ENTREPRENEURS
================================================
What do you get the dog or cat who has everything? These folks know.

If you're like me, you've asked yourself: Do I really need to waste more
money on my cat or dog? Am I really going to buy yet more bizarre products
at great expense in order to assuage some guilt I feel about my pet?

The answer, of course, is "yes!," which is why I traveled to Philadelphia
last week to attend the American Veterinary Medical Association's annual
meeting. The convention hall was jammed with hundreds of booths, promoting
the products that your vet will be telling you your pet can't live without.
Here are some that caught my eye:

At the Veterinary Products Laboratories booth, I saw a display for "D.A.P."
and "Feliway." These are dog and cat pheromones that, when wafted through
the air by a plug-in dispenser, are supposed to turn stressed-out÷and
therefore whining, house-soiling, and vomiting÷animals into placid pets. Two
presentations at the nearby symposium of the American Veterinary Society of
Animal Behavior were paeans to the power of D.A.P.÷which stands for "dog
appeasing pheromone"÷to turn a canine Sauron into a Bilbo Baggins.

The inventor of the products, French veterinarian Dr. Patrick Pageat, told
me he discovered that nursing mammal mothers secrete a powerful pheromone÷a
chemical signal÷that calms their frightened newborns. In dogs, that scent
was released from the skin between the mother's mammary glands. Pageat
called this chemical an "appeasing" pheromone, synthesized it in the lab,
and started a company to sell it. Because each mammal's scent signature is
unique, plugging in a bottle of D.A.P. should not result in dog owners
licking spills off the kitchen floor or whining by the front door when they
have to go to the bathroom.

But not so fast. Pageat has also discovered a human appeasing pheromone in
the aureoles of nursing mothers. He finished a clinical trial that he says
shows that the pheromone (I recommend it be called "Mommy!") significantly
reduced the heart rate and agitated behavior of young children facing
medical procedures.

As we talked, I realized I might be interviewing potentially the most
powerful man in history. Imagine the geopolitical effects of Pageat loading
up crop-dusters with "Mommy!" and spraying it on Iraqi insurgents, al-Qaida
caves, or Michael Moore. Instead of a malevolent Dr. No, Pageat would be a
benevolent Dr. Getting-to-Yes. He quickly crushed my fantasy. "It doesn't
change the way you behave," he explains. "It modifies and decreases your
level of stress." Still, who wouldn't want a snort from an atomizer of
"Mommy!" after watching Headline News? ("Mommy!" or whatever Dr. Pageat
names his human pheromone, isn't commercially available. D.A.P. and Feliway
can be purchased at pet stores, veterinarians' offices, or ordered from
www.feliway.com.)

And from good smells to bad ones. Until the pet industry comes up with a
virtual reality device that makes you feel you're drinking a piņa colada at
Club Med while you're actually cleaning up after your cat or dog, I am not
going to be duped by battery-operated litter boxes or dog scoops on poles
that supposedly make the job more pleasant. That's why I was drawn to the
Mutt Mitt booth. The Mutt Mitts ($25 for a pack of 200) are cleverly
designed, double-ply, degradable, mittenlike plastic bags that acknowledge
that yes, you are picking up dog poop. But at least with a Mutt Mitt you
won't poke your finger through the bag.

Manning the booth was Mutt Mitt's owner and creator, Dale Bardes. He brings
an evangelical passion to the subject of waste disposal. He has even made a
human version of his product for backpackers: Nature Calls. When Bardes, who
bears a striking resemblance to former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, gets
going on the advantages of his fecal-disposal products÷yes, he thinks
they're better than sewage systems, and, no, you don't want to know why÷you
get the feeling you should forget spending tens of thousands of dollars to
put in that extra bathroom. Instead, just buy a municipal-sized Mutt Mitt
dispenser ($60), and set it up at the end of the hall. (Mutt Mitts can be
ordered from www.muttmitts.com.)

I found my next must-have pet product a few rows over at Anne Schmid's
Soft-E-Collars stand. When my beagle, Sasha, was convalescing from her
ligament-severing encounter with a car, I dreaded hearing the defeated sound
of her smashing her head-encasing plastic collar on the stairs each day. She
had to wear the "Elizabethan collar"÷the hard, clear plastic cone that
isolates an animal's face from its body÷to keep from chewing off her splint.
But these cones cut down on smell and peripheral vision and generally drive
pets crazy.

Voilā÷the Soft-E-Collar, which will turn your pet from Queen Elizabeth I
into Bozo the Clown.

Five years ago, Schmid's collie, Sweet Pea, wouldn't stop licking a hot spot
on her hip and had to wear the traditional collar. Sweet Pea became deeply
depressed because of looking like Pixar's desk-lamp mascot, so Schmid came
up with something better, a wide, cloth ring worn around the neck that
protects the wound, but doesn't infuriate the pet. Her husband says they've
sold 100,000 Soft-E-Collars. Watching Schmid's videotape of her pets
prancing happily, showing off their Soft-E-Collars as if on a Fashion Week
catwalk, I realized a $25 Soft-E-Collar would have been a bargain÷especially
since Sasha managed to destroy three $15 plastic cones. (Collars can be
ordered at www.bonafido.com.)

Joe Carney has a vision. In every veterinarians' waiting room there will be
a tasteful display of Carney's Ming-inspired cremation urns, and his
cheerful photo memento boxes, which have room for a pet's ashes and a shelf
to store the departed's collar or favorite toy. When I observed this would
be a little like hospital waiting rooms displaying coffins, he immediately
pivoted and suggested vets devote a room in the back to discussing
euthanasia, where they can show Carney's wares÷which sell for $125 to $150.

Looking at Carney's product line, I was reminded of my conviction that the
whole pet memorial business is both maudlin and pathetic. This conviction is
undercut by the fact that back home in my bookshelf are two cheap wooden
boxes filled with the expensive remains of my late cats, Shlomo and Sabra.
(Joe Carney's Web site÷featuring urns only for humans÷is
www.joecarneyfuneralsupplies.com.)

Pet death is the subject of many exhibits. When I picked up a copy of the
book Doggy Heaven's in the Sky, Jim Barbarite, husband of the book's author
Lynn, asked me to please step away from his booth if I planned to read it.
He'd had eight female veterinarians burst in tears and he couldn't take
anymore. Doggy Heaven's in the Sky is based on the death of the Barbarites'
Golden Retriever, Cody. So anguished was their 4-year-old son that Lynn, a
teacher, decided to write a book for children explaining that euthanizing a
dog sends it to doggy heaven where dogs' boo-boos go away and they can slide
down rainbows.

Jim, who owns a printing company, made 500 copies of the $5 book. He sold
out the first day of the convention and could have sold 2,000 more. He had
been taking orders of 50 copies each from vets who want to give the book, as
well as the companion, Kitty Heaven's in the Sky, to clients with young
children and dying pets. Wanting to keep my composure, I decided not to read
the book in the convention hall. (Both books can be ordered from
www.helpingonepageatatime.com.)

How does Cody get to doggy heaven? I found the answer around the corner at
the Fatal-Plus booth. Fatal-Plus (the "plus" brilliantly evoking the sense
that's there's something that comes after "fatal") is sodium pentobarbital,
sold in powder or solution form by Vortech Pharmaceuticals. An injection of
it in the right dose will kill an animal within seconds.

Fatal-Plus is a family company, and I am assured by Director of Operations
Peter MacNeil that Vortech will never seek to reposition Fatal-Plus in the
human market. He explained that states have their own lethal formulas for
capital punishment and Vortech wants nothing to do with that business. I
suggested that with the approaching burden of decrepit baby boomers, perhaps
the time will come when my generation should consider keeping a vial of
Fatal-Plus in the medicine cabinet. MacNeil looked at me as if I was a
boomer who, if not yet requiring a dose of Fatal-Plus, definitely needed to
be carted away. (Only animal professionals can order Fatal-Plus, thank
goodness!)

{Written by Emily Yoffe. Reprinted from Slate.com. Emily Yoffe's book, "What
the Dog Did: Tales of a Once Reluctant Dog Owner," will be published in
June. E-mail your pet-related story ideas to Emily Yoffe at
eyoffe@hotmail.com.}

================================================
SAVANTS OR SAVAGES
================================================
They say everything is bigger in Texas. Now, let me preface by saying, "no
offense if you're a Texan," but your state leads the U.S. in canned hunts
and the killing of defenseless animals for sport. So, it comes as no
surprise that this story comes from the heart of Texas.

November signals the beginning of the hunting season. Thousands of humans
will wake early, trudge through the woods at dawn in the cool morning air,
and shoot to kill fowl, deer, and whatever they can (as long as it can't
shoot back).

While I personally cannot understand what thrill anybody gets from this
yearly escapade, I'm especially confused, angered, and distraught by John
Lockwood's new venture. He's a hunter, and he wants to share the hunting
experience with Internet users worldwide. No, I'm not talking about some
animated computer game. He's betting that people will pay him hundreds of
dollars to kill a deer at his Web site.....for real!

Lockwood plans to use his 330-acre ranch - where hunters anywhere in the
world will be able to fire bullets at live animals from the comfort of their
living-room.

"The idea came from another Web site that has viewing of animals and a
co-worker asked me, 'Boy, wouldn't it be great if you could put a gun to
that?" says Lockwood. "While you may not feel the recoil of the rifle you
can definitely see what's happened," he says.

Until the system is up and running, Lockwood says he's going to sell live
animal hunts over the Internet.

I am by no means a violent person. This whole concept, if you can't tell
already, appalls me. However, I am wondering why we can't use this
technology to fight our wars? Instead of sending our children to kill the
insurgence in Iraq, why can't we have them just sit, out of harms way, in
front of a computer right here in the good 'ol U. S. of A? In fact, they're
already well trained to do so. If you watch ANY television, you've had a
chance to see the many violent Nintendo and Sega games available this
Christmas. The hottest gifts this year allow our children to play real-time
war games with others on the Internet. It should be no surprise that
real-time hunting is becoming a reality.

Ghandi said "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged
by the way its animals are treated." Which makes me wonder, "where do ethics
come into play in our society?" What are we teaching our children? Are we
using our so-called "advanced-technology" to create more John Lockwoods? Is
the technology sector unavailable to the peace-loving minority? And most
importantly, what happens when this amazing technology of the 21st century
is used to our detriment instead of advancing our society as a whole.

{Hal Abrams is the founder and president of Animal Radio. Comments may be
addressed to YourVoice@AnimalRadio.com}

================================================
MY LITTLE MUSE
================================================
Three years ago, when my husband and I named our current cat Musetta, we
werenât thinking directly about the deepest origins of her name. Following
my insistence on a name with sibilants (supposedly cats hear the ãsä sound
best) as well as one that carries a happy fate, we called our little
black-and-white kitten after the mezzo-soprano role in the opera ãLa
Boheme,ä the demi-monde Musetta who, for all her vanities, has a heart.
Unlike the soprano Mimi, Pucciniâs heroine, the character Musetta survives
-- and after the devastating loss of my long-time feline companion Cyrus the
previous winter, I needed to give my next pet all the talismans I could for
a long, healthy life.

What I didnât necessarily foresee was how prophetic her name -- Musetta,
the little muse -- would become. True, Cyrus had been my constant companion,
the ash-colored "eminence grise" who would imbue my book ãThe Feline
Mystiqueä with much of its heart. But little Musetta took up the
responsibility of her name with gusto. As a tiny kitten, she would insist on
climbing -- claw-over-claw -- into my lap, with the tiny cave, the gap
between my keyboard and computer monitor, as her goal. Now that sheâs
reached a stately adult weight, sheâs more content to lie at my feet,
sometimes on my feet (a luxuriant blessing in our cold New England home) as
I write. Does she know that her purring calmness helps me concentrate? Or
that her benign bulk, nestled right against my chair, has more than once
compelled me to stay seated, at my keyboard, for far longer than I
ordinarily would have? For fear of disturbing her meditations, Iâve written
whole chapters. To her, I owe my latest book and first work of fiction --
the upcoming ãMew is for Murder.ä The cozy mystery contains its own tribute:
a black-and-white kitten with a distinctive off-center star on its tiny nose
who wins the heart of the heroine. I doubt my real-life ãlittle museä cares.
She just wants me to stay seated, stay quiet, and keep writing. I do my best
to obey.

{Clea Simon is the author of "The Feline Mystique" and the
soon-to-be-released ãMew is for Murder.ä Best of all, she will be hosting
the "Animal Radio Hour," starting in January 2005 on the Animal Radio
Network. You'll be able to hear her at http://AnimalRadio.com}================================================
A HUMANE THANKSGIVING
================================================
Do you love animals? If you are reading this, chances are you do. But
what about on Thanksgiving, do you still love animals? What about that
turkey youâre planning on eating? Did you know that turkeys raised for
Thanksgiving are kept in very cramped quarters, in their own waste, never
able to play outdoors? And then these turkeys are killed when theyâre only
twelve weeks old. So, much cruelty, so much suffering.

Turkeys are very intelligent and affectionate creatures, kind of like dogs
with feathers.

Our turkey, Cloe, was rescued from Thanksgiving three years ago. She was
filthy dirty, her toes swollen and deformed, and she was terrified of
people. Once she knew that she was safe with us, it only took her a month
until she was falling asleep in our laps. Now, she is the one who welcomes
visitors and follows us around.

The first turkey we rescued was named Tommy. He was gorgeous with bright
blue, green, red and purple plumage. The first night I walked him over to
the barn where he would eat and sleep. The second night I looked around for
him, to show him again, but could not find him. I searched the entire
barnyard until at last I found him; in front of the door waiting for me! I
had always heard that turkeys were not intelligent, so it didnât occur to me
that Tommy would remember where to sleep. Tommy taught me a lot about the
intelligence of these wonderful feathered beings.

Tommy was a huge show off. All he wanted was for people to see how dazzling
he was. He would parade around in front of people until they took notice of
him. When he really liked someone, he would lean his head on their stomachs
and cuddle with them. He would come when I called him and would follow me
around just to have my company. No wonder they almost made turkeys the
American symbol, they are wonderful animals!

Over the years we have received several turkeys. The sad part is that
because they are genetically engineered to get very big, very fast, to go to
slaughter at twelve weeks, their bodies are not designed to be very healthy
or strong. Itâs our experience that they do well for about two to three
years, and then have to be put to sleep. Itâs heart breaking. Even though
they donât live very long, the loss is worth the joy of having them.

Currently, we have only one, our little angel Cloe. Sheâs doing very well
so far and Iâm grateful for every day I get to hear her sing, see her
stunning brown eyes, and feel her pretty pink head as she falls asleep in my
lap.

Thankfully there is a humane way to spend Thanksgiving! There are non-meat
turkeys that are delicious, nutritious and cruelty free! You can find these
tofurkeys and unturkeys at various grocery stores.

When you have a humane Thanksgiving you enable a turkey to give thanks as
well because you are one less person who is supporting her pain and her
suffering. Please consider loving turkeys this year and having a humane
Thanksgiving day.

{If you live in the Los Angeles area, you can join us at the Gentle Barn
where we celebrate Thanksgiving with a real live turkey as the guest of
honor. The Gentle Barn Foundation is a non-profit organization that is home
to sixty-five animals all rescued from severe abuse. For more information,
go to www.gentlebarn.org.}
================================================
PULLING ON THE LEASH
================================================
Most dogs want to go out for walks and get very excited when the leash is
brought out. But, do you have one of those dogs who is so enthusiastic that
he literally pulls you out the door? Walking should be fun for both you and
your dog ö and there are some things you can do to make it so. Start by
checking your dogâs collar. It should be snug enough so she cannot pull out
of it, but not so tight that you canât put a finger or two between the
collar and her neck.

If your dog is especially rambunctious, one strategy you can try is playing
with her in your yard first to release some of her excess energy. You will
find that a tired dog can focus and will learn more easily than a wired dog.

The way to teach a dog to walk with a loose lead is to reward for a relaxed
pace and stop walking if you are being pulled. You can begin teaching a dog
to walk nicely on lead in your home or yard. Put a four- to six-foot lead on
your dogâs collar and talk to her as you start to walk. If she walks without
pulling, praise her and walk some more. If she pulls on the lead, stop, and
wait until she stops pulling. As soon as the tension on the lead is
released, praise the dog, offer a quick treat, and then continue walking.

If your dog continues to pull after you stop walking, turn and walk the
other way. A change in direction will cause her to be behind you. Then, as
she comes by, you can get her to focus on you with praise and a treat. Donât
yank the leash when you change directions ö let the action itself serve as
the correction. One good technique is to practice a lot of random
direction-changing, so the dog gets used to focusing attention on you and
moves with you.

If youâre not making much headway with a regular collar, you might want to
purchase a head halter. Made by Gentle Leader, Halti and other companies,
these halters can be valuable tools for training dogs to walk on a loose
lead. They wrap around the dogâs muzzle and operate on the simple principle
that a dog will follow where his head leads him. A gentle tug on the head
halter will turn the dogâs head back toward you. A head halter will not
choke or pinch your dog. Once your dog is used to the head halter, it can
make training much easier.

Keep in mind, however, that all dogs need a little time to adjust to wearing
a head halter. At first, they often try to take off the foreign object. Each
halter will come with fitting instructions, so make sure that you read the
instructions and properly adjust the halter to fit your dog. If you donât
want to use a head halter but have a dog who tries to pull back out of his
collar, a martingale collar may be a safe choice. They are designed with a
fabric loop that tightens if the dog pulls.

Be patient and persistent ö your dog will improve with practice. Sheâll
gradually learn what to expect, and both of you can enjoy daily exercise.
Your efforts to train your dog in this and other aspects of good behavior
will be rewarded ö youâll have a polite, well socialized animal who is
welcome in many places.

{Sherry Woodard is the dog training and care consultant at Best Friends. She
develops resources and provides consulting services nationally to help
achieve Best Friendsâ No More Homeless Pets mission. You can hear Sherry
every weekend on the Best Friends Radio Show -
http://www.bestfriends.org/allthegoodnews/bestfriendsradio or
http://AnimalRadio.com}
================================================
HAPPY HOLIDAYS FOR YOUR PETS
================================================
While youâre busy making your plans for Thanksgiving and Christmas, donât
forget to include your pets, too.

You may have heard some of this before, but itâs really worth repeating.
Once you know the hazards, a few simple precautions will make the holidays a
happy and fun time for everyone.

At Thanksgiving time, there are some things you should not give your furry
friends. Turkey and chicken leave a lot of tantalizing bones. Donât feed
them to your pet. Small bones or bone chips can lodge in the throat,
stomach or intestinal track. Rich gravies and poultry skin can cause severe
stomach upset as well.

And when you start decorating for Christmas, bear in mind that holly and
mistletoe are dangerous for pets when eaten. The lovely poinsettia may not
be truly poisonous, but its milky white sap can cause severe mouth
irritation and stomach distress. With so many hybrid varieties available,
itâs good to keep all plants out of your animalâs reach.

Holiday lights mean more electrical cords for dogs and cats to chew, unless
theyâre kept out of the way. Sharp pine needles from the tree or wreaths
can puncture intestines. And a tree-climbing-cat or large dog with a happy
tail can bring the whole tree down! Anchor the top of the tree to the wall
using strong cord or rope.

Preservatives in the water in a tree stand can cause gastric upsets. Avoid
sugar and aspirin additives in the water, too. Sharp or breakable
ornaments, tinsel, and even aluminum foil should be kept out of reach.
Ribbon and string can be trouble, too, if theyâre swallowed.

Lighted candles should never be left unattended, especially if they are left
at kittyâs eye level or within puppyâs chewing zone.

Finally, with all the comings and goings, watch out for open doors and
sneaky pets. Make sure they have collars and tags on in case of escape.
Ask guests to keep an eye out for pets underfoot, and remind them that your
normally friendly dog or cat may be less than willing to deal with
enthusiastic children and rooms full of unfamiliar people. Better yet, have
a quiet place with a blanket and fresh water for your pets to retreat to
when the festivities get stressful.

And, hey, hereâs one more thought: How about adding some furry fun to your
plans this holiday season? Last year, more than 200,000 orphaned pets found
new homes during the national ãHome 4 the Holidaysä adoption drive. This
year, the goal is to send 300,000 homeless pets home for the holidays ö many
of them through our own No More Homeless Pets in Utah campaign.

What a great gift. Save the life of an orphaned animal this holiday season!

{Dr. Virginia Clemans DVM is the resident veterinarian at Best Friends
Animal Sanctuary and can be heard every week on the Best Friends Radio Show
- http://www.bestfriends.org/allthegoodnews/bestfriendsradio or
http://AnimalRadio.com}
================================================
YOUR OPINION - WHAT YOU HAD TO SAY
================================================
We always welcome your response to articles in our newsletter or something
you heard on Animal Radio. You may view other comments online at
http://AnimalRadio.com.
______________________________________________________
PET MASSAGE:

Sarah from Tampa responded:
As we all know, or most of us anyway, massage is an ancient practice given
to people (and animals, most notably horses) for eons. Actually, since
before recorded history. Massage is good for so many conditions; lowering
stress, blood circulation enhancement, decreasing pain as well as just plain
pampering. There is no way that a comforting massage is going to injure or
do harm to any animal, but in my state, as in a few others, massage is
restricted to Veterinary or Veterinary supervised only.

I work with rescued dogs primarily and massage is such a help in overcoming
fear and socializing skills that I though I would like very much to go into
this business. I would subscribe to a school online, but if I can't work
there's not much point. Does anyone have information or suggestions as to
how this law can be removed or how it is/was handled in their area? I am
running into stone walls everywhere I turn.
______________________________________________________
WHAT ARE WE SPENDING ON OUR FURRY COMPANIONS:

I can tell you from my experience with the animal rescue groups here in my
hometown of York, PA, that they make it very difficult for a person to adopt
an animal from a rescue group. I once tried to adopt a puppy that was 12
weeks old from the Red Lion Animal Rescue, and they denied me because I
worked a full time job. They would rather euthanize that puppy for taking up
space in their shelter than adopt him to me, when I already had two other
dogs that were about 10 years old and I had them since they were 6 weeks of
age. I know that an animal rescue groups need to be aware of everyone they
are adopting too and weed out the individuals who do not have an animal's
best interests in mind. But there needs to be a point where some of these
rescue groups must decide whether they want to work harder on getting these
animals adopted out. I am a great pet parent and have since "purchased" a
Rottweiler at 11 weeks of age and adopted two additional kittens. I don't
know what the answer is for the rescues to weed out the senseless
individuals who can cause serious harm to the pets they intend to adopt and
the hardworking individuals who want to provide a home to a shelter animal.
But I believe this is one of the reasons that the amount of animals being
"purchased" is so high.
______________________________________________________
{Comments welcomed at: YourVoice@AnimalRadio.com}
================================================
A LITTLE BIRD TOLD ME
================================================
As I sat enjoying a cup of tea one morning before work, my children
brought a catalogue to show me what they had found. They pointed
at a picture of a T-shirt. They said it reminded them of me.

Flattered that they were thinking of me, I looked at the picture.
Then I frowned. On the front of the shirt, in large bold print, were
the words, "I Yell Because I Care."

"But I don't yell at you," I said softly. This brought laughter and
rolling eyes from my precious offspring.

"Oh yeah, Mom, you sure do!" said my oldest daughter. The second
child chimed in with, "All the time!" The youngest put his hands over
his ears in mock fright and spun around in a circle until he collapsed
on the floor, giggling and dizzy.

"No, no," I protested quietly. How could they possibly think I yelled
at them? I was a good mother. I listened and helped when I could. I
was always there for them, lending support and love. But a mom that
yelled?

"We can prove it," said the oldest. "Every time you raise your voice,
Bo Peep goes nuts."

I eyed my little blue and white parakeet with suspicion. Bo Peep sat
calmly on her perch, watching us. She was waiting for someone to
notice her and perhaps come over for a talk and a little playtime.
She thrived on the attention that four children could give.

"Okay, I'll prove it," I challenged them. "Let me think of something
to say loudly, and then we'll see."

I'd like to say that it took me some time to come up with an
appropriate phrase to "yell," but in all honesty, one just popped
into my mind. I cleared my throat daintily, and then sang out,
"You kids, hurry up or you'll be late for school!"

Before I finished speaking, Bo Peep was flapping around inside
her cage, hopping from perch to perch, screeching, "Tsk. . .tsk. .
.tsk!" She certainly gave us her two cents' worth. We all received
a thorough scolding from the tiniest member of our household.

It was a very humble mother who apologized then. The kids were right;
I was wrong. I now realized the truth. I was a mom who yelled, after
all.

A few minutes later, the children were still laughing as they made
their way out the door and on to school. I took another sip of hot
tea, then turned and shook a finger at my feathered friend.

"Miss Peep. . .," I began, only to be interrupted. Bo Peep puffed
out her cheek feathers and said earnestly, "You are so-o-o-o-o
pretty, pretty, pretty."

Well, I could hardly argue with such an honest friend, could I? It
had to be true.

After all, a little bird told me so.

{Reprinted with permission from Angel Animals Story of the Week. Pamela
Jenkins is a contributing author to Chicken Soup books and magazines. Her
story, "Tough Guy " is in the new book, Angel Cats: Divine Messengers of
Comfort by Allen and Linda Anderson.