Friday, March 28, 2025

Celebrate the Joy of Owning a Cat with Respect Your Cat Day!

Celebrate the Joy of Owning a Cat with Respect Your Cat Day!

While independent, our feline friends bring a lot of joy into our lives and make great companions. There has always been something truly fascinating about cats—the way they act, play, think, and view the world, especially after 2015 when cat videos seemed to dominate YouTube. Even before the digital age, cats were revered and even worshipped throughout history for their ability to bring good luck, ward off evil spirits, and were considered sacred by the goddess Bastet. Some sources suggest that March 28th, 1384, marks the origin of the holiday, when King Richard II of England passed an edict banning the consumption of cats. Historically, cats have helped people by hunting rodents and snakes on farms, ships, and even for the U.S. Postal Service.

So, how do we celebrate this day with our beloved pets? While cats may prefer to nap and stare down at you from a high perch with judgment in their eyes, they can usually be won over with their favorite treats. My feisty little cat, Trini, can always be swayed with chicken-flavored treats. She will happily guide anyone to the cabinet, shaking her tail and being vocal about how much she wants them. Giving your cat its favorite treat or even letting them try something safe and new can be a great way to show your appreciation for your feline companion. Even hiding treats around the house can reward their natural hunting instincts.

Another idea is taking your cat on an adventure, depending on how your cat likes to travel. This can be done using a pet backpack, carrier, or harness to explore somewhere new or even visit a familiar favorite place if your furry friend enjoys traveling. Cats have a natural desire to explore the world around them, using all their senses to check everything out. My other cat, Little Kitty, absolutely loves going outside and hanging out in the jungle in the front yard or the poolside gardens in the back.

The easiest way to celebrate would be to let your cat enjoy some catnip, either on its own or added to a toy for extra enrichment. If you’ve never given your pet catnip before, here are a few reactions you can expect: euphoria and playfulness, hyperactivity at various extremes, mild sedation (your cat may become super relaxed or sleepy), or, in some cases, no reaction at all.

Engaging your cat with interactive toys, such as lasers, wands, and puzzle feeders, is a great way to keep the predator in your cat happy while providing exercise and mental stimulation. Look for toys with interchangeable attachments to keep your cat excited. Treasure hunts can also be stimulating for cats; hide toys with treats or catnip, and your cat might even bring the toy to you.

Lastly, you can always purchase something new and interesting for your cat, such as a tall perch or new toys and treats. Cats love to be up high so they can see around the house, and a new perch could be perfect, especially if it includes new scratching options or dangling toys to play with. When in doubt, they will absolutely enjoy any box you happen to get, and you can even try building them a little box fort to hide in.

Cats are unique and sometimes stubborn, but they have also been shown to improve our mental health—when they are not having the midnight zoomies and knocking precious knick-knacks off the counter. Why not celebrate the joy of their presence with Respect Your Cat Day by giving them your time and attention; they will always remember it and show their happiness in whichever way comes naturally to them.



Sunday, March 2, 2025

National If Pets Had Thumbs Day: What Would A Pet Do?

National If Pets Had Thumbs Day: What Would a Pet Do?

If Gus had thumbs, he would drive the boat!

National If Pets Had Thumbs Day was created by Ruth and Tom Roy in the early 2000s as a way to encourage people’s imagination and appreciation towards a funny aspect while realizing how much we provide for our pets. So, lets dig into our imagination as we picture a world where our pets have opposable thumbs.

The easiest thing to imagine is probably what a lot of us fear, and that is our beloved yet innocent pet now has the ability to open the refrigerator, jars, containers, the cupboard, and anything else that might contain food. Dogs already love to eat anything they can get their mouth on. While cats can be a bit picky, they certainly don’t like to have closed doors so you can bet all that food they didn’t eat is about to go bad. We would certainly have to adapt to have better food storage or locks on the refrigerator. It’s a good thing Advanced Animal Transport teaches CPR for humans and pets, because it’ll likely be needed after the pets have devoured everything they can find. 

Another interesting but terrifying thought would be that my pets can open doors and gates now, yikes! Dogs that are trained well could just open the door for themselves and come back in after going to the bathroom or they could even use the restroom in the house with some more training. Cats on the other hand are so independent that they would just leave the door open and have all the other cats in the area cause havoc in the house. I’m going to have to invest in some new doors with anti-pet with thumbs locks to get my pets safe and sound in this fictional world.

Movies and Television can give us an insightful view of our furry friends with thumbs. Perhaps like Puss in Boots, I can teach my cat to wield a sword but that would likely be a terrible idea. My cat, Trini would probably love actually acting like the Power Ranger she is named after, flipping through the air using daggers to fight monsters. Every dog could be like Air Bud and play basketball with you. Wouldn’t that be a sight to see a bunch of our canine friends playing basketball with everyone! You could teach your dog martial arts like in Paws of Fury making your dog an awesome protector. In a world where our pets have opposable thumbs, would they eventually be able to grow more intelligent and independent with a semi-society of their own like in Zootopia?

Dogs would be able to gain a skill that cats have had an advantage over for a long time, which is to climb, thanks to their newly usable thumbs. This would certainly make dogs very interesting to see interacting on the playground, perhaps using the jungle gym or trying out the swings. Now, this doesn’t mean diminish the climbing skills cats have but rather allows them to elevate their climbing abilities to include swinging from branches like monkeys and being able to actually get themselves down without need of the Fire Department for a rescue. For sure, you will have a hard time keeping them from climbing on top of everything in the house, including the house itself.

This thought exercise has given me a lot to consider how much more I would need to keep my pets safe from potentially overeating, getting outside by themselves, starting a cat gang warfare in the living room, or getting into all sorts of things they shouldn’t including my car. One thing is for certain, Advanced Animal Transport will still be the preferred way to get your valued pet to any location safely rather than letting them drive the car by themselves.

Finally, let’s talk about how we can celebrate this day with our pets beyond a fun thought exercise. The easiest will be doing activities together such as going on a walk (even with your cat on either a harness or cat backpack), sharing some type of treat that your pet can have and you might enjoy as well, or playing fetch. While they may not have those thumbs to grab and throw the ball or toy back, a lot of pets do like to bring them back to you including cats with some of their favorite toys. You can dress up in themed costumes and take pictures together such as Shrek with Puss in Boots or Superman with Krypto the Superdog. Take the day to enjoy some time with your pet as they love to be with you whenever they can.

#nationalifpetshadthumbsday #nationalpetholiday #thumbsupforpets #ifpetshadthumbs

Happy National If Pets Had Thumbs Day!

 


Friday, February 7, 2025

Support Our Local Rescue - Three Stooges Rescue

Advanced Animal Transport had the chance to help transport dog food for Three Stooges Rescue. Salmon-based dog food is important for their foster dog's digestive health and isn't cheap to maintain, including vet visits and boarding costs. 

There are multiple ways to help Three Stooges Rescue!

Want to help? Adopt!

Can’t adopt? Foster!

Can’t foster? Donate!

Can’t donate? Volunteer!

Can’t volunteer? Follow, LIKE, and Share Three Stooges Rescue’s posts on FacebookInstagram, and TikTok!

For donating salmon-based dog food, please send to:
861 Enterprise Way, Stuart, Florida 34997, United States


Facebook Post Expanded:
Stooges Fam. We need you. Urgently. Over the course of the year, we have rescued dozens of dogs. Over 50 have been successfully placed in safe, loving, incredible homes this year alone. And we are so grateful, but we find ourselves in a desperate situation where we are lacking fosters and people aren't adopting medium or big dogs.
We have long-term dogs living in boarding kennels. It's NOT a place for a dog to live.
They lose their manners, leash skills, not jump up, how to self-soothe, and potty training.
They become very difficult to place because everyone wants the perfect dog and the end of this unfair, boarded life gets further and further away.
We NEED your help. We NEED fosters right now, for several dogs.
Eli
Blizzo
Pixley
Tyson
Freya
Rocky
Nala
🚫 We can't help anymore dogs until we help the ones we are committed to. But we can't help them without the support of our community.
People tag, text, and call us dozens of times a day for rescue help and our answer has to be NO.
We are a foster based rescue, but when fosters flake or back out, we have no where for these dogs to go. When owners return dogs, there is no where for them to go. So here we are- in a cruel world, begging for the helpers to step up and give these dogs their chance at forever. We may have saved them from death, but we need you to give them a life.
We need pet free fosters right now. People who are willing to devote some time, attention, training and love to these dogs so they can find their forever. We have a volunteer trainer who will help give advice, tips, and training. We provide all the supplies, food, and anything else needed. You supply the love.
Please.

Thursday, January 2, 2025

Safe Travels: Essential Tips for Traveling with Your Pet

Safe Travels: Essential Tips for Traveling with Your Pet

 Written By Katelyn McLaren | Owner of Nurse Kate Curates


Who wouldn’t want to travel and go on adventures with their best friend at their side the entire time? Especially when that best friend is your pet dog or even your cat! Believe it or not, many pets love traveling with their owners. Feeling the wind in their fur, meeting new people, smelling new smells, and just enoying the time together.

Traveling with your pet is very different from traveling with a human companion though, or even a child. Traveling with a pet comes alot to be considered before you guys hit the road. Utilize this blog post to ensure that you are prepared and well equipt to travel with your fur baby. So that you can have the best, stress-free time traveling together!

Planning & Preparation for Pet Travel

Planning and preparing to travel with your pet is only half the battle. Well, actually it’s probably 75% of the battle if we’re being honest. So that is why planning and preparing is the first step here.

Destination Research Ideas for Your Pet

Have you picked out your destination of travel yet? If so, it’s time to do some research on that destination. You know that you, as a human, will be allowed to do all the things you want to do. But your pet doesn’t have the same liberties at all locations unfortunately. So it’s important that you do some research to find out where you pet can and cannot go with you.

Such as hotels they can or cannot stay at with you, restaurants they may be able to join you at, and even the local leash laws of the area.

You want your pet to have just as much fun as you, so if you want your pet to be your travel companion it’s important to ensure that they can be involved in your travel adventure fully. Not just left in the hotel room or RV the entire time you’re out having fun.

Microchipping & Identification Prior to Traveling

Making sure that you have your pet microchipped and have the proper identification documents with you for travel is just as important as having your own license and passport.

The destination that you are traveling to is likely just as foreign to your fur baby, so in the event that they were to get lost they would have trouble finding their way back to you. Unlike when they are home and know where to go.

Veterinarian Visit Prior to Pet Travel

Seeing your vet’s veterinarian prior to travel is especially important in the preparation phase. You’ll want to inform your vet about your travel plans so that they an determine if you pet is healthy enough for travel with you. This varies from one pet to another of course, so that’s why it’s important for your vet to make that determination.

Some locations/methods of travel also may require certain vaccinations to be up to date. Your vet will know exactly what vaccines are needed and will ensure that your pet ready to go.

Make sure your vet gives you paper copies of your pet’s vaccine records once everything is up to date. That will come in handy for the next step of preparing for travel with your pet.

Pet Travel Documents

Again, this is just as important as having your own documents when traveling. Not only will you want to have your pets vaccine records handy, but also their general medical records. Has your pet had a surgery in the past, a history of seizures, or maybe certain allergies? Medical history as well as a list of any medications they take daily or even as needed is important to have on hand when traveling. This is important for domestic and international travel with a pet.

Choosing a Carrier or Crate for Transportation

Choosing the right carrier or crate for your pet to travel in is also a very important step in preparation, because you care whether your pet is comfortable for the many hours they will need to stay in their carrier while traveling.

You don’t want a crate that’s too small of course. You want to consider how you know that your pet likes to lay when sleeping and relaxing. You also don’t want a crate thats too big, that might be difficult to manuver or fit into various means of transportation. If you are flying with yout pet, be sure to check that specific airlines carrier/crate size limitations before purchasing a crate.

Safety needs to be a consideration too of course. You want your pet to be able to move and maneuver in their crate/carrier. You also want to get one that YOU can open with ease and don’t need to fight with, incase you need to hastily get to your pet. But of course one that doesn’t open too easily that they can get out of it on their own.

Training & Familiarization 

Once you’ve picked the proper crate or carrier, it’s time to get your pet familiar with it since they will be spending a significant amount of time in it while traveling. Using positive reinforcement has helped many pet owners to get their pet more comfortable and familiar with going into and staying in their new carrier.

Such as giving your pet praise and possibly some treats when they’ve successfully walked into their carrier/crate after instructed to do so, or didn’t put up a fight when being placed into it to stay for a designated amount of time to practice.

Transportation Considerations

The means by which you get to your travel destination is also something you’ll have to put some thought into when traveling with your pet.

There’s SO much to consider when planning to travel with your fur baby, so that’s why we’ve created this ultimate guide for you to use every single time you’re preparing for a trip.

Car Travel

In the car you will want to consider bathroom breaks, as well as breaks for food and water. Depending on where you are going and what the roads are like, you will want to make back up “potty plans” for your pets in teh car. Such as paper potty training mats underneath your pets for the ride, incase you aren’t able to get off the road at the time that they likely need to use the bathroom.

Also consider whether your pet has a tendency for car sickness or not, and be prepared for any clean up you might need to do. That being said, stopping as often as you can on your ride, for potty breaks or at least juts fresh air breaks will make a world of difference for your pet during travels.

Alternative Methods of Travel

If you decide to travel with your pet in a train, airplane, or boat, you have alot less control over the environmetn so there are a few things to consider here as well. Such as does this mode of travel allow pets? If so, do you have to keep your pet in a crate, and would that crate stay with you or in another area?

It goes without saying, any mode of travel will require you to have your pets shots up to date and have proof of them in time for travel. Your vet should be able to print a copy for you when you take your pet for a visit before traveling.

It’s imperative that you research your mode fo travel and find out what their guidelines are regarding pets traveling with you, as well as being sure to have all vaccines up to date and extra doses of medication to take with you on you travels if your pet has any that they take regularly. Your pet will likely need to be in a crate of some sort or on a leash, so it’s important to know what is expected on the mode of transportation you intend to take your pet on with you.

Conclusion

Traveling with a pet can be complicated, but if you take the time to do research and prepare well before hand, it can turn out to be an incredible adventure for both you and your pet.

Your vet can help you prepare for traveling with yout pet by ensuring that their vaccines are all up to date and providing you with a paper copy of vaccine records. Then, once its time to hit the road, by having a plan for the transportation process, as well as when you arrive to your destination, you will be set up for success.

#travelingwithyourpet #petpreparedness #pettravels

Friday, June 14, 2024

Mable's Mission Bake Sale at Ocean Republic Brewing for Medical Funding

Mable's Mission Bake Sale at
Ocean Republic Brewing for Medical Funding

By Heather McLaren | Owner of Advanced Animal Transport

Advanced Animal Transport had the opportunity to meet community members of the pet industry including Owner of Mable's Mission, Briana, and Karen from Mermaid and Bear Pet Concierge whom also formerly worked with Wagnolia's. A big Thank You to Ocean Republic Brewing for hosting as well!

Heather (Left) Briana - Mable's Mission (Right)

The bake sale proceeds are designed to help cover expenses for senior dogs that are on the euthanasia list and saving them through foster-based rescue. Unfortunately, senior care is not cheap and neither are the illnesses associated with aging, including cancer.

Ziggy, one of the fosters, is only 3 years old and is undergoing chemo treatments for B-Cell Lymphoma. Prognosis is better than T-Cell, what Advanced Animal Transport's golden retriever, Gus fell victim to, but it is still equally expensive with weeks worth of treatments. To pay for these treatments and to cover the other medical costs of fosters in care, this bake sale was created to help reduce those expenses.

Even though the sale has ended, here are some ways you can still support Mable's Mission.

Donations can be sent directly through their website: https://www.mablesmission.org/donate-1

Shirts and other products can be purchased through their store.

We obviously chose the black Heather addition as our favorite!

And if you can't provide funds, volunteering is always needed:

To see what goodies were brought to the bake sale,
check out the photos below!
Couldn't make this one? Mable's Mission will be back!
Be sure to add them on Facebook to follow their next events!





Thursday, June 13, 2024

Treasure Coast Wildlife Center Needs Fish and Here’s How You Can Help!

Treasure Coast Wildlife Center Needs Your Help
and Here’s How You Can!
By Heather McLaren | Owner of Advanced Animal Transport

First, guess how many fish the animals are fed, per day!

Was your answer between 100 and 250?

Because it’s definitely between 100 to 250 fish, every day!

To give a quick background, Treasure Coast Wildlife Center is a “501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation, dedicated to the preservation of wildlife and the conservation on natural habitats. We are not a government agency. All funding for our efforts comes from public and private grants and from concerned citizens throughout our community.”

This means all their funding and volunteer help comes from YOU!

What does Treasure Coast Wildlife Center do with these funds and volunteer help?

They “rehabilitate and return injured, ill, and orphaned animals to the wild, as well as offer educational services to the public at large.”

Here’s Where You Come In And How You Can Help The Native Animals!

Most of these residents are fish-eating creatures. Treasure Coast Wildlife Center needs help from the community with legally caught, fresh fish to feed their birds of prey, pelicans, alligators, and turtles. Fresh fish is the most nutritious because frozen and cooked eliminate excess vitamins, thus resulting in supplementation (which can also get expensive). BUT frozen is always super helpful!

Finger mullet, thread herring, and smelt are the most commonly used fish to feed everything on site.

Last week, a request for fish was posted with over 200 shares and many comments, but not much fish came through. They really need the help of having more fish donations! Advanced Animal Transport can also help with this. Have a boat and all the fish, but no transport? We can help! We can personally meet you at the dock!

If you’re looking to drop fish off personally, especially tilapia, drive on up to the wildlife drop off area. There is a large freezer that excess fish can safely be kept in for future use, since they consume 100-250 fish a day!

Did you know visiting Treasure Coast Wildlife Center is FREE to the public?

YES! Thursday through Sunday 11am-3pm. Based in Palm City, it’s about a 30 minute walk around the facility to see the rehabilitation residents. Our favorite was the Blue Jays! They are so beautiful up close!

There is a paid tour also available that runs about $5 for kids and $10 for adults (prices may vary). This is a more personalized tour, provided by the staff and will go into detail about the wildlife residents. Schedule about a half hour to an hour based on questions and group size. These will have to be planned in advance too.

Contact Information:

Treasure Coast Wildlife Center

8626 SW Citrus Blvd, Palm City, FL, 34990

772-286-6200

info@tcwild.org

 

If you see an injured, ill, or orphaned wildlife, please contact

Martin County Animal Services

772-463-3211


References: https://www.tcwild.org/. About Us. Retreived June 6, 2024 


To view some of our most recent visit, check out the photos below!

If you’ve read this far, ask them what’s different about their white pelican!







 

 

Sunday, June 9, 2024

Three Stooges Rescue Quarters for Kindness Auction Event

Three Stooges Rescue Quarters for Kindness Auction Event

By Heather McLaren | Owner of Advanced Animal Transport

Advanced Animal Transport had the opportunity to attend Three Stooges Rescue Quarters for Kindness Auction on June 6, 2024! Not knowing anything about it, we gathered a couple rolls of quarters and headed to the Moose Lodge of the Palm Beach Gardens. Below you’ll be able to see photos of the event! If you see yourself in the photo, please feel free to save it!

Three Stooges Rescue Mission and How Quarters for Kindness Came About

Three Stooges Rescue is a “501c3 non-profit dog rescue organization dedicated to making a positive impact on the lives of dogs in our South Florida community. Our mission is simple yet powerful: to provide a loving haven for furry friends in need, while alleviating the strain on overcrowded county shelters.

With a blend of compassion and comedic charm, we are deeply committed to rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming dogs, ensuring their tails wag with happiness as they find their forever homes filled with laughter, joy, and care.”

Quarters for Kindness is an organization that successfully raises funds for a charity through a fundraiser and also provides a chance for others from the community to win prizes as well. The charity fundraiser event includes a quarter auction, basket raffles, and a 50/50 split raffle at the end of the night. In Three Stooges Case, this resulted in a very successful night for not only raising funds, but also awareness of their mission to hopefully get more dogs adopted. Three Stooges Rescue Goal is 40 dogs and it’s definitely not cheap. Every bit helps, especially for emergency veterinarian visits.

The quarter auction consists of purchasing $2.00 paddles with a number associated with a chip that has the same number. As for the quarters, these will be used to throw in a basket for a chance at a drawing of your number that matches your paddle. Each raffle will be assigned a value of 2 quarters to 6 quarters with some of them going to charity. A more detailed description of this type of auction is described through Westlake Wanderer.

If attending early enough, in our case, there was food and drinks available and tons of venders to view prior to the auction. All of the tables were surprisingly full and the energy was fantastic! Advanced Animal Transport even got lucky to win some prizes as well!

For the next quarter auction, please subscribe by emailing Three Stooges Rescue newsletter to stay up to date on the next one!

Want to help Three Stooges Rescue? Please feel free to donate or contact them!
They need help with fish based dog food:https://amzn.to/3VazoOq
that can be sent to: 861 Enterprise Way, Stuart, Florida, 34997