insects fly past us. We can also experience mental health issues like anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder because we just want to be outside. The tell-tale signs to look out for in dogs are overgrooming, destructive behavior, hiding, trembling, trying to escape, excessive barking, sudden changes in routine, and urinating in the house. For my felines, look out for repetitive meowing, not using their litter box, pacing, restlessness, attacking
your ankles as you walk by, excessive grooming, and drastic changes in routine. What can pet owners do to help improve their pet’s mental health? The most common mental issue we face is boredom — we must be stimulated to function properly. Therefore, carve out time each day, for at least 30 minutes, to play
Pirates, that’s right, pirates stopped America from changing to the metric system. While they can’t take all the blame, they steal a good chunk of it. There was a specific time in history when America did consider taking up the metric system. But pirates intercepted the standards, and America has refused to change its measuring system ever since. Way back when America was still a new country, there was no regulated measuring system throughout the states. Each territory was using some bizarre system that stayed only within state lines. For example, people were using Roman measurements, Dutch systems, and British systems dating back to King Henry VII. In 1789, Thomas Jefferson decided that some order needed to be in place. A lover of all things French, Jefferson admired the metric system’s logic and principle. He asked the French to help the U.S. transition to the metric system, and they were kind enough to send scientist Joseph Dombey. Dombey boarded a ship and set sail for America with two items pivotal to our measuring system change. The first gadget was a copper cylinder 3 inches in height and width, weighing precisely 1 kilogram. The second was another copper object, but this time a rod estimated to be a meter in length. These simple trinkets would have eased us into the metric system. Except, we never received them. In fact, Dombey never set foot in America. Unfortunately, storm winds blew his ship off course and into the pirate-filled Caribbean. The pirates hijacked his boat and held him captive, hoping to use him for ransom. In a tragic turn of events, Dombey died in that pirate prison before any ransom money could be sent. The pirates then auctioned off everything Dombey had on his boat, metric measuring tools included. So, you can thank the pirates for all the painstaking work we have to go through when using metric-based recipes. Why Americans never swapped systems after 1789 is still a mystery! Pirates Stole Our Metric System Why America Never Changed to Kilos and Grams
with us. You can throw a ball or frisbee outside, take us on walks, buy toys that imitate prey, or purchase meal stimulation mats or toys for us to move around to get the treats out of them. I don’t know about my cat friends, but canines love to learn new tricks and commands, as long as we get a treat at the end. At the end of the day, all we want to do is be with you. Therefore, engaging with us is the best way to help improve your four-legged family members’ mental health. In honor of May being Mental Health Awareness Month, be sure to check in on your furry friends as you focus on your mental health, too. Who knows, maybe we can help each other out and boost each other’s serotonin levels.
If your feline regularly coughs up hairballs, these homemade treats may be the perfect thing to help your cat’s digestive tract.
INGREDIENTS •
1 1/4 cups brown rice flour 1/3 cup canned pumpkin
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3 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp water
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1 egg
1 tbsp catnip (optional)
3 tbsp flaxseed, ground
DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet. 2. In a medium bowl, mix together all of the ingredients. 3. Once evenly mixed, place the dough in plastic wrap for 5 minutes. 4. On parchment paper, roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut the dough into narrow strips, and place strips onto a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. 5. Remove from oven, then use a spatula to break treats into bite- size pieces. Bake for 10–15 more minutes. 6. Once treats are cool, place them in an airtight container or serve to your feline friends.
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