Showing posts with label animal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label animal. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 1, 2026

Petfinder Post: Chihuahuas and Small Cats

The next dog breed the Busybodies of Britain wanted to suppres from view was the Cesky Terrier, which  is very rare in the US; Petfinder doesn't have a listing for the breed. "Cesky" is another form of the word spelled "Czech." The dogs are shorter-legged and longer-backed than Scotch Terriers, with more long hair on their faces, and don't look like the most functional breed. They are said to be calmer than most terriers. Breeders are asking for thousands of dollars per pup when these dogs may not even have the normal cat-size lifespan cat-size dogs are supposed to have, so Cesky Terriers may be a good breed not to let establish itself in North America.

So we move on to the rather ridiculous, beloved Chihuahua, the smallest of all recognized dog breeds. Chihuahuas are native to Mexico. Thin coats allow them to shiver and snuggle a lot; they can become clingy and shiver and cry when put on the ground rather than being carried in their humans' arms. Tiny size makes them good indoor pets, but seems to make some Chihuahuas defensively aggressive--they may be small, but they can still bite, if provoked. Most Chihuahuas are healthy and long-lived if not overfed, but a few bloodlines carry defects of the teeth and throat. A few Chihuahuas are described as having "fragile windpipes" that can collapse under stress; even fewer can have a sort of epilepsy. If you are a typical American, however, you know half a dozen Chihuahuas who are still bouncing and yipping about at ages from fifteen to twenty years old, whose humans' big concern is that the Chihuahuas may outlive them and be too "old and set in their ways" to adopt new humans easily. So the "animal rights" types' shrieking about this being a breed it's inhumane to keep really do more to discredit themselves than anything else.

Chihuahuas do need special care. Because they're so small, they have to be kept indoors or on a leash at all times--and it can be hard to find collars that fit them. (A three-band harness that puts the dog's weight mostly on the band around its chest, rather than the one around its neck, is a good idea.) Not only can they be run over because drivers don't see them; they can be eaten by owls or raccoons. They can be yappy, bossy, and annoying to humans who don't really hit it off with them. They are small enough that cruel people abuse them. A human can crush a Chihuahua to death under one booted foot, and some humans do. Some Chihuahuas have even been crushed incidentally, by humans, cows, or horses. 

People who are interested in stomping on pets have no business reading this web site. They should turn off the computer and go directly to the nearest hospital. If you are a cruel person who has been reading this web site, tell the admitting nurse you want to crush dogs under your boots. If the nurse seems lackadaisical, as it might be observing that it's still summer and you're wearing sandals, tell the nurse that the phrase "dead presidents" arouses fantasies that are not just about cash. Do not leave until they give you the help you need.

Decent human beings can't always plan on someone being at home with a Chihuahua, but they do agree that the micro-dogs are cute. However, that does not make Chihuahuas perfect pets for everyone. These small dogs need companionship and mental stimulation, and they can be overwhelmed by small children. Though not related to terriers, they can have terrier-type personalities--stubborn, sassy, busy, even bossy. There is a risk of their hurting or frightening a toddler, and being hurt by a six-year-old, because these dogs are small enough to take children's play very seriously. They like to play with responsible adults and teenagers, though, and often do well in dog athletics. Exercise for Chihuahuas needs to match their size. Don't keep them trotting after they start gasping. They resent slights and have been known to chew up people's legs. They can become very irritable if encouraged to overeat, or eat the wrong things, and develop indigestion. An irritable Chihuahua is a chewing hazard. Chihuahuas are unlikely to kill anybody bigger than a rat, but can they ever chomp.

Why am I bothering to type these things? Is anyone Out There not familiar with the care and feeding of Chihuahuas? We have a lot of foreign readers, so probably someone is. 

The classic Chihuahua has a round head, relatively large pointy ears, and a very short, thin coat that gives him a resemblance to the Mexican Hairless or Itzcuintli. Compared to either of those he is by far the most attractive. However, some pedigreed Chihuahuas have long fluffy hair and might be mistaken for other fluffy lapdogs like Pekingese and Pomeranians.

Most cats are actually bigger than most purebred Chihuahuas, although Petfinder lists some Chihuahua crossbreeds who weigh 25 or 30 pounds. For this post I'll try, if possible, to find extra-small cats, being aware that there aren't a lot of them in shelters.

Zipcode 10101: Canela from Puerto Rico by way of NYC 


Being a Chihuahua and Beagle mix, Canela naturally always wanted to be a pet--but she spent her first four years with a hoarder who didn't have time to pet individual dogs. She laps up attention and affection as if making up for lost time. Her adoption fee, which would otherwise be excessive, covers transportation to any State where she'sbeing adopted. She is, of course, bigger than a purebred Chihuahua, but she's still a small dog.

Elegy (and Cadence) from NYC 


They're probably kittens more than small cats, and Elegy will probably grow into those L E Gs. They are sisters, rescued together, and would benefit from being adopted together. They're described as silly, playful, bouncy adolescent cats.

Zipcode 20202: Cricket (the Big One) from Texas by way of Brookeville 


Probably after drinking heavily, somebody thought it'd be fun to see whether a Chihuahua and a German Shepherd could produce puppies. This is the puppy they produced. Probably just dumped for looking so odd, certainly not spayed and cared for, she was found trying to go feral while raising puppies of her own. She's only about a year old; weighed 18 pounds when rescued, might grow a little bigger. She is described as friendly, funny, playful, "smart," and quiet. She's already learned many points of good house pet manners. 

The organization may be a bit control-freaky; they want to visit your house and talk to your vet before they even bring out the dog. Control freaks deserve what they get but, please, if you lead them through a friend's ancestral mansion on the Eastern Shore, do at least have a decent place in Hyattsville or Mount Pleasant or some such neighborhood.

Cricket (the Small One) from Georgia by way of DC   


These two from a group of ten dogs, who were put in a shelter when their human was put in a nursing home, have been through a lot together and lean on each other for emotional support. Cricket is the mostly black one; Mochi is the gray one. Both are female, have run up some vet bills, and weigh less than 15 pounds. You could carry both of them at one time if you had to. They are middle-aged small dogs, thought to be seven or eight years old, likely to live another seven or eight years or longer. They must be adopted together but at least the adoption fee is a reasonable "twofer" price: $500 for both dogs. 

Coral (and Breeze) from DC 


They're small but, again, not guaranteed to stay small. They're adolescent rather than adult cats. Coral is the one with coral pink patches, and Breeze is a more normal-looking gray tabby. They are best buddies and should really be adopted as a pair. They're shy at first but will do things you consider cute when they decide they like you; some of their cute habits are described at Coral's web page.

Zipcode 30303: Biscuit from Atlanta 


Isn't it a relief to come to a dog that's actually at the shelter that's advertising him? Biscuit is actually in Atlanta and the organization would prefer that he be adopted in Atlanta. They would like to maintain a relationship. Long-distance inquiries will be read only if they can't find a good local home for him. 

He is part Chihuahua and part Pomeranian, has had veterinary care and been neutered, and weighs about 10 pounds. They say he can entertain himself most of the time but likes to stay close to his human. 

Bobbie Jo from Atlanta 



The Humane Society, I'm sorry to say, so no wonder she looks a bit sad. This Amber-Eyed Silver Tip may be showing a rusty tone in her coat. Probably when brought in for rescue she could have been described as brown rather than black. Black hair turns brownish or reddish when a cat (or person) is malnourished and in poor condition. It should be a fine glossy black again in a few more months. Bobbie Jo is an adult car described as a "certified couch potato." She'll hang out beside you more as she gets to know you. She's not enthusiastic about cuddling...with anyone at the Humane Society, anyway, and can she be blamed. 

Alternate: Annie from Atlanta 


"The Last Litter Project" doesn't sound much more deserving of money than the Humane Society, but the cat is adorable. She's not a year old yet and probably will weigh more than 6 pounds in another year. Little Orphan Annie, who turned up in someone's back yard, doesn't seem to have been truly feral; she took to being petted, and bonded with another young cat, right away. In their photo Annie is the one on the right. They don't say the two kittens must be adopted together, but that would be the decent thing to do. The cats are still adolescent and will probably be easier to live with if adopted together.
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Monday, August 31, 2026

Butterfly of the Week: Scarce Hispaniolan Swallowtail

The Scarce Hispaniolan Swallowtail has always been scarce, so it causes less concern than Schaus' Swallowtail's scarcity does. It is still considered scarce enough to be somewhat endangered. It lives in only a few places, including a nature park in the Dominican Republic where it's an attraction. It has been called the Haitian Swallowtail but is known to live in only one, rather vulnerable, field on that side of the island. Relatively little has been written about this species, and many sources still call it Papilio rather than Heraclides.


Photo by Zowiezo, Valverde, D.R., October. It also flies in July, so there may be two or more generations each year. 
 
Aristor or Arestor was the name of two minor characters in ancient Greek literature. If spelled "Aristor" the name can be associated with the word aristos, meaning "best." If spelled "Arestor" it may be connected with Ares, the spirit of War, and translated as "ruler, controller," or "avenger."

For the few butterflies that have been caught and closely examined, females look similar to males, slightly larger and warier. Wingspans are about four inches across. Nothing is known for sure about the early stages. Adult butterflies like to sip nectar from colorful tropical flowers. Wings can fade from black and yellow to brown and tan.

People seem cautious about even photographing this butterfly because they don't want to make it more rare than it already is. For a long time there was only one museum specimen in Europe--and then it was destroyed. INaturalist has other photos..of the same butterfly shown above, pollinating the same flower bush; what I ganked was the clearest image. 
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Sunday, August 30, 2026

Why Dogs Need Leash Laws, Even in the Country

(This was written offline, at home, on Saturday, while Wonder-kitten lay dying.) 

First let me say that Americans keep dogs, not only for hunting and herding, but for personal security. Old costume books show that in the Arab countries people used to consider weapons part of men's clothing, as the Bible suggests the ancient Israelites did, before dogs were domesticated. "Thou shalt have a paddle upon thy weapon"--in those days "thou," probably even if female, got up in the morning and put on thy head scarf that could be pulled over thy face in a sand storm, thy sword or hunting knife on its belt, and last of all thy shoes, which were considered unclean and left outside. How else did humans survive in a world with wolves and bears and lions in it. But we have been blessed with many technological advances since those days. While we can now direct unmanned bombers to kill enemies miles away from us, for personal security we now have dogs. Their prompt reports of anyone approaching our homes are usually friendly greetings; they usually present no danger of anything worse than licking and drooling, but if a visitor seems to be disturbing us you never know. If they're walking or running with us, their reaction to a street criminal might be to distract him by licking his face or just to run away, but few street criminals want to find out. Pound for pound, dogs are stronger than men; a medium to large dog could kill a man in a fair fight, if it wanted to. But they hardly ever want to.

People who object to Americans' love of our pet dogs are generally known as: thieves. This is probably unfair; some of them are primarily rapists or murderers rather than thieves. People who want to be regarded as peace-loving and devout don't have to keep dogs inside their homes but they should shut up about the dogs other people keep. 

In the case of immigrants from Muslim countries, especially, and especially including that idiot El Sayed, any objection to the idea that every American home probably contains a dog should be regarded as evidence of evil intentions, along with any lack of deference by a male to all females, specifically including (a) little girls and (b) streetcorner women and (c) women with dementia, and any objection to Christian religious or social customs.

Some of my good peaceable neighbors keep dogs. One family keep big tough coon hounds, and one man grew up in a Dog Sanctuary, worked for a veterinarian and is sometimes pointed out as being a veterinarian, and keeps whatever dogs and cats seem to need homes. He likes to bring them up here, not to hunt for anything in particular, but to roam around and enjoy the woods. I approve of this behavior. 

Except sometimes...

Regular readers know my cats' family history, and may skip. This spring Serena had kittens. She has the Seralini trait and one whiff of glyphosate vapor left just one kitten alive. It was the sort of smoky "blue" grey that's actually a faded or "diluted" shade of black, above, and white, below, with blue eyes. Its back end was ambiguous, covered in fluff, but it looked likely to be male, and grew muscular and energetic like a male. 

Being social cats, the two younger adult cats, Drudge and Silver, wanted to see it right away; but having two litter boxes in the office last winter led to some undesirable behavior, so they had to wait until the kitten was old enough to eat kibble and live mostly outdoors. I didn't want him to be totally bored and lonely all night in the large cage where litters of kittens have spent their nights since Serena started telling us to do that. I put Wonder, as I put poor Zakitty who never became able to eat solid food, in a smaller cage where the adult cats would be nearby. The adult cats were kind and sympathetic about the kittens needing to be inside at night. Often one of them would sit on top of the cage and let the kitten inside bat at a paw or tail.

Drudge was kind to Zakitty while the wretched Manx kitten was alive, too...but the Blue-Eyed Wonder looked very much like Dilbert, and seemed to throw Drudge's mind right back to happy kittenhood days when he was always bigger and stronger than Dilbert, could always beat Dilbert at every game, and played gently and let Dilbert have a game now and then, accordingly. Drudge is not a normal cat. He picked up with Wonder where he'd left off with Dilbert.

Sometimes Drudge reminds me of his many-greats-uncle Mackerel, nine generations back. Mackerel would occasionally play gently with kittens. He was a big strong mackerel tabby tomcat who spent years in the woods, foraging. When Mac came back to visit us it was to bring his young relatives (he had sons and daughters on nearby farms, but not here) food treats rather than to ask for food treats; I usually offered him a treat and he always let the junior cats have it. After a rabies vaccination I had told Mac that having the jab was just the price of living with humans, getting regular food, and being a pet--and though Mac liked me and liked being a pet, he remembered that he'd been born feral, in an alley, and decided to be feral again. Mac was a protector and defender, though, more than a baby-sitter. He once rode a big coy-dog half a mile, up a snowy hill, until he came to some men who shot it. Coyotes aren't very big but this was not a wolf or a police dog, although it was the size of one; it was a very large coy-dog. None of the kittens Mackerel was defending seemed to have been touched, though one seemed to be reenacting what had happened when the kittens were given the coy-dog's tail. And Mac came home, also unharmed. I've had people question whether that really happened. I wouldn't have believed it, either, if I hadn't seen the tracks in the snow. No matter how big you were, you left Mackerel's little nieces and nephews alone if you wanted to keep the use of your eyes.

Drudge adored Wonder. It was mutual. Wonder was still getting a little milk out of Serena, last week, and he would leave Serena, after nursing, and curl up at Drudge's feet. And Drudge would lick Wonder's face and watch over him while Wonder napped. Serena had wanted him to have siblings, had enlisted the younger cats to help her keep producing milk for foster kittens if any had been found before Wonder was weaned. (It was her idea. I've never made any of this stuff up. Serena knows, plans, and even reasons to some extent, more than a cat's brain looks able to do.) No foster kittens were found but Drudge filled in Wonder's need for siblings.

Well, this Saturday morning Drudge did not remind me of Mackerel at all. 

Saturday morning, I was enjoying the Interlinear Hebrew Bible I found online. I know very little Hebrew; an Interlinear Bible seemed a good way to learn more. You have to download one chapter at a time. I had downloaded as far as the story of King David and was browsing over that when I heard animals sniffing around in the not-a-lawn. Were the cats chasing something? No--a cat was objecting loudly to something. "What's going on?" I shouted. The cat objected loudly to something else. Was it little Wonder?

I ran out on the porch. Serena, who had been hiding, ran out beside me. I saw three dogs running single-file through the not-a-lawn. The leader might have weighed forty pounds; looked like a mix of Golden Retriever and hound, maybe some collie or Australian Shepherd--a handsome dog, a dog someone should have been proud to run beside. The other two were much smaller. I could see that one was gray and white--I thought it might be my cat Silver, then saw that it wasn't. The other one was just a small disturbance moving through tall flowers. One dog barked. Drudge came out of hiding and joined Serena and me. Little Wonder objected loudly to something else--from where the big yellow dog was, by now out on the road. 

"Drop that kitten!" I yelled. The dog's long hair looked smooth and well groomed, and he dropped the kitten on command. Obviously he was someone's pet. Probably the neighbor who is not a fully certified veterinarian but rescues injured dogs. Obviously he wasn't hungry enough to eat a cat, which other animals need to be quite hungry to consider doing. In what a golden retriever has for a brain, which is mostly instincts and reflexes, very little thought, likely he meant to take Wonder home for a pet.

But he was a lot bigger than Wonder--twelve or fifteen times Wonder's weight--and Wonder did not run back from the road, up which the dogs were running away, to be comforted by Serena or Drudge or me. He lay in the road as if stunned or dead.

Well, he couldn't lie there or he'd soon be dead--squashed under a truck. I scooped him up. It is possible that being scooped up was what actually killed him, though at the moment of writing he seems comatose rather than dead. Retrievers are famous for being able to carry birds and small game without messing up their coats. Nothing worse than dog drool showed on Wonder's coat, and no bones seemed to be broken. I brought him in for safekeeping and combed the drool out of his fur. He didn't rouse. There was a horrible crackling, crumpling feel, though, about the skin over his ribs, as if a broken rib had punctured a lung.

Serena gave us an anguished look as I carried her baby in. How exactly a cat looks anguished I can't explain, but she did. Drudge got close enough to sniff Wonder and consent to my taking him in. Silver stayed on the roof till we were indoors, then came out and rattled her breakfast dish around the yard, as if to make sure I knew she was safe. Silver had acted all summer as if she would have liked to nurse Wonder and felt rejected that he was losing interest in milk by the time he met her.

Probably the dog never meant to hurt Wonder.

Probably Wonder is dying, slowly and painfully but mercifully unconscious, of internal wounds a vet couldn't treat even if there were an animal surgery in town that was open on Saturdays. I did once take a kitten whose only chance at life was surgery to the animal surgery in Kingsport. They didn't save her. 

He was so loved. During a normal day at home, the cats do their thing and I do my thing; they don't scratch at the door and meow just for attention. They've been scratching and meowing, today, wanting to know about Wonder. All adult cats in a social cat family show some sense of responsibility for all kittens. All three adult cats were involved in encouraging Wonder to run and climb in safe, age-appropriate places, all day, every day. All three miss him and probably even feel guilty about having felt unable to defend him, now.

Wonder was something we'd not seen before: Serena's kitten, having the physical advantages of all the milk and all the attention for a whole litter, as Serena had--only more muscular than Serena was as a kitten, and more aggressive, presumably from the Y chromosome. Every evening before I put him to bed he wanted to show off the new moves he'd learned to do. He'd grown strong enough to be climbing on roofs. After he'd exercised he would stand still on the ground and let himself be picked up and locked up for safekeeping all night. Like Serena he'd had all the cuddling he needed. Never in his life did he snuggle up into my hand. Why waste a good opportunity to start a game? He could sleep any old time. He wanted to run and jump and climb. He would have been a good barn cat, and had been claimed as one. His "dead weight" surprised me; yes, he did weigh more than three pounds, and stretch out to more than a foot long. At bedtime I was still scooping him up in one hand.

What come around the house in the daytime aren't predators. What killed him wasn't a predator. Just a much bigger animal, who just wanted to have fun--whose way of having fun was more than even a tough, adventurous little buckaroo of a kitten could stand. 

Retrievers and/or hounds and/or collies and/or Aussies need to run, and deserve a good run, every day the weather permits...with their humans by their sides, to keep them from inadvertently destroying gardens, or killing kittens, or chickens, or rabbits, or breaking lawn furniture, or polluting pools, or worrying cattle who are not theirs to "herd." These are beautiful dogs. I love them too. I like to run with them too. They can run you off your feet, especially when you want to be quiet and contemplate other things in Nature...but that's why they need leashes.
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Tuesday, August 25, 2026

Petfinder Post: Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Long-Haired Cats

Next on the list of dogs the Busybodies of Britain want you not even to be able to admire in dog shows is the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Admittedly that is a long, silly name, and dog shows might do everyone a favor by changing it.


Our first photo contest winner, Rasta from NYC. See below for contact and adoption information.

Changing the name to what? I don't know, but "Fuzzyflops" comes to mind, because this is the dog breed "fuzzy puppy" bedroom slippers try to look like. Smallish dogs with long hair and floppy ears and terribly cute faces. You probably have more respect for other breeds, but you can't not like a CKC Spaniel.

There is an historical reference. England's first King Charles, who ruled from 1625 to 1649, had shaggy hair. So did his courtiers, followers, and partisans--male as well as female. 


His father, King James of Bible-translation commission fame, was widely rumored to be bisexual, and he was able to persuade Princess Henrietta Maria to marry him only by proxy, but they learned to live with each other and had several children. He was probably heterosexual. Mostly, anyway. But he was a sickly little fellow with a speech impediment, and everyone had been disappointed when his healthier-looking older brother died. He told everyone he trusted only one barber;when Parliament refused to pay that barber Charles just let his hair grow. In his court men wore their hair in long flowing waves if possible, lace, jewelry, one-or-two-inch heels, and either flop-top boots or slippers with rosettes. About the only difference in men's and women's fashions that is obvious to modern readers is that men wore breeches and women wore long skirts. When they were outdoors both sexes also wore hats; when indoors they took the hats off.

Charles does not seem, in historical hindsight, to have been all that bad at his job--until his quarrels with Parliament reached the point where he not only tolerated censorship but tolerated the execution of well-off writers who published their own books, expressing dissenting religious opinions. Anyway Charles I was a liberal Protestant who married a Catholic and tolerated Catholic practices in England, and stricter members of the English Church wouldn't have it. The opposition party, in which men cut their hair short and were nicknamed Roundheads, took over and executed Charles for the crime of being king. A few years later the opposition leader who took over the leadership of the country was executed for the crime of having killed the king, and the British monarchy was restored. 

Anyway, Charles I liked spaniels. Apart from his setting fashions that appeared to be inspired by these shaggy little dogs, it's hard not to like spaniels. First a bloodline of spaniel dogs was named after him; then, as some breeders of King Charles Spaniels crossbred the dogs for fashionable looks, others attached the modifier "Cavalier" to the breed name, commemorating what King Charles' party were called.

Unfortunately, there were valid reasons for trying to diversify this breed's DNA. They inherit all of the "spaniel" traits people want not to have to own. They can be so devoted to their humans that they annoy the humans; some will follow their human from room to room, trying to sit on per feet whenever possible. They are cat-sized and, if anything, like to curl up in their humans' laps more than cats do. They are basically hunting dogs, though small, and tend to bolt away in pursuit of small animals, on walks, then drop their prey right on their humans' feet. Floppy ears can encourage ear infections; CKCs' hair is not a primary source of eye problems, but they can inherit more serious eye disorders. They are prone to genetic conditions that shorten their lives and probably cause the dogs considerable pain. It's been claimed that a majority of all CKC Spaniels will die from heart disease after age ten. Some seem to be born with skulls too small for their brains, as well. PETA scream that "so few dogs of this breed can be considered truly healthy" that the breed should just go extinct. 

If only PETA could be considered truly healthy...This organization was always run by left-wingnuts and always known for outspoken opposition to various practices that used, when Ingrid Newkirk was young, to be both common and genuinely cruel. Now they're transferring that outspoken opposition to the whole idea of people being free to own or keep pets. In a world where everyone works to pay rent on miserable little flats to an increasingly corrupt government, the only pets anyone will be able to afford will be alley rats and cockroaches. People who want to live in that kind of world especially don't like the house dogs that protect our privacy, our property, and our persons from attackers. Scratch those people, and out pops their eagerness to violate our privacy, our property, and our persons. 

Mullahs who proclaim that people lose blessings by having a watchdog are definitely un-American, and need investigation for any connections to anti-American organizations. It's very simple, Muslims living in the US. Americans generally like dogs. Who don't like dogs? Thieves don't. If you don't like dogs, be quiet, and consider therapy, to avoid labelling yourself a thief. Some Americans are sympathetic to cat phobia, but we're probably right to distrust a man who doesn't like dogs.

People more levelheaded than PETA recommend that you demand tests for genetic disorders and buy pedigreed dogs only if they're free from any bad genes, even if you intend to have your dog neutered, to ensure ethical breeding practices. In theory, DNA tests and early neutering could breed disease genes out of the pool. The average life expectancy for the breed is 10 to 15 years. Selective breeding for healthy CKC traits could boost that to 15 to 18 years.

So some people might want to own a CKC Spaniel just to show what we think of PETA, which is not unreasonable. It's hard to find pedigreed CKC's in shelters because the ones who aren't sleeping at someone's feet have probably been euthanized--for valid reasons--but it's easy to find crossbreeds who have that fuzzy-slippers-dog-face look and attitude of sycophantic adoration. Sometimes the crossbreeds may be healthier.

CKCs need lots of brushing, which is no problem--they enjoy it--and an occasional bath, which may be a harder sell to the dog. They benefit from having a fenced yard to keep rodent-free. Outside the yard they need to be on a leash. Because they are typically so attached to a human, they may need for their human to walk with them, which is a win-win; both parties can benefit from walking about a mile, altogether, every day. In installments.

Obesity can shorten the lifespans of little house dogs who stay close to a human who doesn't get enough exercise. The dogs love treats, especially scraps of what the humans eat, and the humans love giving them treats...and then the dogs gain weight at about the same rate the humans do, only it's much more weight in proportion to the dog's healthy weight of 12 to 18 pounds, and obesity aggravates any problem genes the dog has. This is among the breeds most likely to be buried under the tree where the foolish fat human places a row of five or ten memorial markers commemorating how Fluffy, Muffy, Tuffy, Buffy, Duffy, Huffy, Puffy, and Gruffy all died at ages under ten.

That motivation to please the human helps a dog learn commands and tricks, and thus seem "smart" to humans. CKCs can excel in dog sports where they compete against other dogs their own size. Some also do well as visiting or therapy dogs.

Just for comparison, here is a show-quality CKC to show how close crossbreeds like Rasta, shown above, can come:


Photo from Britannica.com.

Long-haired cats usually do not show an attitude of sycophantic adoration. They bring one out in the people who love them. They are included here, though, to be fair.

Zipcode 10101: Rasta (see above) 


Rasta is described as a cautious little dog who has some idea of how small he is, relative to everyone else, and needs time to feel confident about approaching people. He does well with calm adults, human or other, but is frightened by fast-moving, impulsive young creatures who are much bigger than he--so no young children live in his ideal home. A friendly, confident senior dog, on the other hand, might help him settle in.

Sammi fromNYC 


Sammi does not like other cats. Maybe they chased her off the food when she was living on the street--she was rescued when she was starving, down to five pounds. She's not all that small a cat. She does seem to like and trust humans and even tolerate having her underside tickled. 

Zipcode 20202: Sage from Westminster 


Rescued from a puppy mill, Sage is described as about twice the size a show quality Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is allowed to be. Either somebody filled out her web page on a computer with an "optical mouse" that bounces when the light flickers, or she was being kept by a dishonest, unethical, as well as inhumane, breeder. They're not sure about her DNA but say she's cuddly and trainable and won't be having puppies in any case. 

Chloe from Alexandria


Just why this super-fluffy cat became a "misfit" isn't clear--they don't have a full biography--but she's been through some horrible things. For one thing she's been declawed. She can't climb, so she'll never be safe outdoors. They think she's fairly well along in middle age. Who knows...I imagine that having all of my whole fingertip joints pulled off with tongs would age me, too. The surprising part is that she's still gentle and friendly enough to be up for adoption. 

Zipcode 30303: Eastland from Cumming


He's another shelter pup who acts as if he's learned the hard way that just about everybody is bigger than he is. He needs a quiet, gentle home. 

Aioli from Chattanooga


Aioli was rescued along with some kittens. She was eager to move the kittens out into the world...probably due to hormones telling her to go out and start the next litter, but the shelter put an end to that. She likes food and may need to have her weight watched for the first year or two since she's been spayed. She is described as friendly and snuggly but not overwhelming.
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Monday, August 24, 2026

Butterfly of the Week: Schaus' Swallowtail

This week's butterfly is considered a success by conservationists, but it still includes one of America's most rare and vulnerable butterfly subspecies. At least, historically it has included...some sources now list Florida's Schaus' Swallowtail as a separate species from the Caribbean islands' Dusky Swallowtail.


Photo from Butterflies of America, by Bill Bouton, 2008.


Photo from Butterflies of America, by Bill Bouton, 2008--possibly the same individual? Males tend to show more vivid contrast between black and pale yellow; females can, as shown, have even the red, white, and blue spots muted into stylish shades of brown and gray.

Heraclides aristodemus was known by other names before 1911, but has been called Schaus' Swallowtail since Schaus published this description:


Only the subspecies ponceana (sometimes ponceanus), among the other subspecies of Heraclides aristodemus, was considered critically endangered, though all of these large butterflies are somewhat vulnerable. Some scientists argued that ponceana was distinctive enough that it ought to be considered a separate species; most have not agreed with this claim. 

(Why is it either ponceana or ponceanus, but always and only aristodemus? Because Aristodemus, or Aristodemos, was an individual man's name--a soldier in the Iliad, one of those literary characters from whom older names for Swallowtails came. Ponceana or ponceanus refers to a place, though the place would have been named after Ponce de Leon and the traditional rule didn't say that all characters had to come from fiction; some others came from history.)


Some more notes on the namesakes of other Swallowtails:


Due to different sources' listing this species as Papilio aristodemus ponceanus, Heraclides aristodemus ponceana, or Heraclides ponceana, information about it--though abundant--is scattered around the Internet in a tedious and time-consuming way.

In flight it seems easy to confuse with other Heraclides--another very large Swallowtail, with fairly long tails, black or dark brown with yellow stripes above, yellow with black stripes and spots below. 

This butterfly's habits are adapted to survive in groves. Its flight is typically high and erratic; it likes to lay eggs high in the trees, on new leaves. Schaus' Swallowtails can fly more than five miles across water, between Keys. They can also fly around tree branches and spiderwebs. They are not great composters; males are likely to amuse themselves by claiming a territory, often a tree about ten feet above the ground, and patrolling it rather than joining male drinking buddies at a puddle. (They do, of course, drink both fresh and salt water, but the males don't spend their days sipping salt water, as many Swallowtails do.) They usually avoid places that are subject to flooding. 

They are even said to be able to stop in mid-air and fly backwards to confuse birds. This web site, without questioning the honor or the sobriety of people who claim to have observed this, does point out that most butterflies have been blown backwards by gusts of wind.

Some sources, such as Butterflies of America, accept the US-centric proposed reclassification of this species with H. ponceana ponceana (also called H.a. ponceana) as the nominate subspecies, and the other subspecies listed as H.p. bjorndalei, H.p. majasi, and H.p. latefasciatus. 


Photo of Heraclides aristodemus (aristodemus?) by Alejandro Sanchez, Puerto Rico.


Subspecies latefasciatus, also known as Heraclides aristodemus temenes, photographed by Alex Pemberton, Cuba, 2009.


Photo by Alex835, July, Cuba, 2020.

Subspecies majasi is found in the Bahamas, and bjorndalei in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The name majasi was coined to commemorate Mark J. Simon, since simoni was in use as a scientific name commemorating someone else, according to this paper identifying majasi as a distinct subspecies.


Heraclides aristodemus ponceana normally lives in what are called hammocks or hummocks--groves of tropical hardwood trees. It is not normally a pest on citrus fruit trees, though it can be confused with some of the other Heraclides butterflies that can become pests. Its favorite host tree is called torchwood. It can eat another native tree called wild lime (or cat-claw, or shake-hand, from its prickly bark), and will eat citrus leaves and fruit if offered them, but its instincts and habits lead it to live in dense groves of wild trees rather than well spaced plantings of citrus trees. Populations that have recovered since Hurricane Andrew have had access to torchwood.

In fact, the IUCN Data Book points out, torchwood and wild lime are relatively small trees that normally grow at the edges of groves of bigger trees. These trees, and the flowering bushes the butterflies like, appear after fires clear out space among the big trees. Probably these butterflies are adapted specifically to pollinate new growth after natural fires. 

Though it is one of the "giant" swallowtail family, Schaus' Swallowtail is not all that gigantic. With an average wingspread of 3.5 inches, its size is in between the Tiger Swallowtail or Monarch, and Florida's native Giant Swallowtail, H. cresphontes; its coloring fits the same general pattern as cresphontes and it has been called cresphontinus. Some individual H. cresphontes' wingspread is over 5 inches. However, Swallowtails are variable, and big aristodemus and small cresphontes can look almost alike from a distance. Only in 1911 did William Schaus prove that Schaus' Swallowtail was a different species and not an undersized subspecies of cresphontes. 

From a distance, it might even look like H. andraemon, which can live in the same habitat.


Florida's habit of spraying poison into the air, in a rather touching and pathetic attempt to control mosquitoes, is thought to have contributed to the near extinction of Schaus' Swallowtail. The butterflies are recovering on the Keys because the Keys are not normally sprayed. 

"
Several hundred Schaus's swallowtails could still be seen on regular basis on north Key Largo in 1972, but the species declined dramatically in 1973 when the local mosquito control district began sparying Dibrom and Baytex as mosquito insectices in the keys [1].
"


See also:


Damage done to humans by spraying has never been honestly assessed, though here I stand to testify that it costs Florida tourists. More pleasant (and effective) ways to control mosquitoes involve natural predators, of which many, like birds, frogs, lizards, and dragonflies, have high tourist appeal. Some birds might also eat Schaus' Swallowtail caterpillars, but these big caterpillars make quite a meal for a bird and, if not highly toxic, presumably taste nasty to birds. Nevertheless, presumably to humor those who believe the poison spraying is controlling the mosquito populations--which I did not observe to be the case on Florida's mainland--spraying is still allowed on Key Largo, where resurgent Schaus' Swallowtail populations could expand again, if humans would get out of the way.


Although Schaus' Swallowtails pollinate pretty flowers and their comeback was an interesting science story, Floridians can be a bit jaded about their unique wildlife. People were not as enthusiastic as you might think they ought to have been about bringing back these butterflies, despite their commendable tendency to avoid citrus groves.


Climate change could still destroy Schaus' Swallowtail. Actually, major climate change, such as that which could beproduced by putting a big "data center" in Georgia or Florida, could easily destroy Florida. 


A University of Florida teacher designed a virtual reality game to engage players with the idea of restoring Schaus' Swallowtail populations. So far, the game's popularity lags behind those of role models like Dungeons & Dragons or Pokemon Go, but give it time...


And the butterfly is featured on an "Endangered Pollinators" wall poster. 


Buy it:


Chegg uses the five traditional subspecies (Heraclides aristodemus aristodemus, H.a. bjorndalei, H.a. majasi, H.a. ponceana, and H.a. temenes) in a lesson on constructing "dichotomous keys":


(Of these names, bjorndalei seems to commemorate Florida biologist Karen Bjorndal. Temenes probably refers to a legendary King Temenos in Greek literature; as words temenos and temenes referred to the sacred ground dedicated to a Greek god--sometimes a grove. Latefascia means "banded sides" or "striped sides.")

They've been photographed by Joel Sartore: 


Colorful but lower-contrast female on the left. See the full-sized picture at:


Though Schaus' Swallowtails are big and beautiful, their human-avoidant tendencies may make them less charismatic than Tigers or Zebras. One blogger whined that Schaus' Swallowtails have "boring brown coloration." 


Say what? Photo of a male Schaus' Swallowtail posted by Jneal at 


Then again, males and females can look very much alike. (The one facing the top of the photo below is probably the female, going by her egg-loaded body shape.)


Photo by Pedrogenarorodriguez, Dominican Republic. 

Bah! Only some of the females achieve subtle brown and gray coloration. Many of these butterflies are gaudy but people just don't get to know them in the up-close-and-personal way most of us in the Eastern States know Eastern Tiger Swallowtails. Schaus' Swallowtails don't seem to crave salt desperately enough to lick humans' arms.

Scientists have reared ponceana caterpillars in university laboratories and released them into these groves. Photos and video: 


It is occasionally possible to see these butterflies at the Biscayne National Park. Attempting to "collect" them, or harming them in any way, would be a federal offense. Taking pictures is fine. You can also print off a copy of this brochure, or carry one, and report the sighting to the National Park Service. They would probably appreciate a copy of any photo you're able to snap, too.


However, you may notice that some of these links show people working with this species wearing masks and gloves and protective gear. That's not because of COVID. Schaus' Swallowtails live in places that are very friendly to mosquitoes...whose natural predators' populations have been decimated by continual spray poisoning. 

Some flowers Schaus' Swallowtails pollinate: 





https://www.fnps.org/plant/zanthoxylum-fagara#gsc.tab=0 (also a host plant for the caterpillars)




Both torchwood and wild lime bear fruit that some humans consider edible, though not likely to compete with oranges, limes, or kumquats. 

Eggs are laid separately, although caterpillars are sometimes said to be gregarious, and mother butterflies don't have to be particular about laying on the tenderest tips of the newest leaves.


Photo from Butterflies of America, by Alana Edwards, 2008. The leaf is torchwood.

The eggs hatch in a week or less. After that the caterpillars develop rather slowly for tropical butterflies, spending on average twelve days in each of their five skins. 


Photo by Carlos2262, November, Dominican Republic. 


More creatively ugly with each new skin, the older caterpillar retains the white collar and white tail segment. Photo by Jcs13, July, Florida.


The white tail segment flattens slightly and extends out at either side. Photo by Jcs13, same caterpillar.

Caterpillars can grow up to three inches long. Warty rather than bristly, they seem to be trying to look like the droppings of large sick birds. Possibly because their instincts have adapted to predation by ants, they put out their "stink horns" much more readily than some other Heraclides caterpillars. Their bite is not serious but, apparently on the premise that predators may not know this, they rear up and threaten to bite anything that touches them. For caterpillars they are large, and can chomp. And spit.


Photo by Isaacthelord, May, Florida.

Ants' predation on some species of caterpillars has been a "hot topic" recently. Though fire ant attacks are not known to have been a significant factor in the decline of Schaus' Swallowtail, they certainly aren't helping and a focus on ant-versus-caterpillar videos is likely to distract attention from the more serious problem of continual spray poisoning. Bigger, older caterpillars may be able to move away fast enough to survive. Smaller  caterpillars are often surrounded and eaten. Bigger ones can shove ants away with their heads or discourage ants with their osmeteria. A study quantifying how well this works focused on ants' ability to attack Heraclides cresphontes caterpillars, but H. aristodemus caterpillars will round on a nuisance with their long white osmeteria popped out, looking like something no reasonable person the size of an ant would want to meet. Ants are not reasonable persons.The caterpillars probably have to shove the ants off the twigs where they meet.


Pupation can last for most of either one or two years. Most butterflies emerge to fly in the season after they were caterpillars; some wait through another season. Eclosion tends to follow rain, when new leaves grow. Years when this species has two generations tend to be wet years.

The chrysalis looks like a twig, complete with splinters and spots that suggest holes in the wood...and then one day it doesn't. It splits open and releases the butterfly within.


Normally Schaus' Swallowtails eclose in April or May and fly, if they live long enough, until mid-June. In some years a second generation fly in August and September. 
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Wednesday, August 19, 2026

Petfinder Post: Corgis and Cats

You didn't think this web site was going to miss posting a Petfinder photo contest just because we missed some online time, did you? This is the week we learn about Corgis. You know, those little cute dogs Queen Elizabeth II used to keep a pack of. 

Corgis come from Wales. There are two distinct bloodlines, Pembroke and Cardigan. Cardigan Welsh Corgis have a longer average lifespan, but they're the breed the Busybodies of Britain want to render extinct. 

Why? Several things are listed as "down sides" to keeping Corgis. Some are trivial--the dogs' fluffy coats shed throughout the year with especially heavy shedding in spring. On the more serious side, their relatively long spines, proportionate to their short legs, are prone to diseases and deformities. Most Corgis who live to grow up are healthy but a few are genetically doomed to gradual, creeping paralysis. 

Another problem with these foot-high dogs is that they are herders, and to compensate  for being shorter than Collies, German Shepherds, or Blue Heelers they sometimes assert themselves and nip at ankles. And if they don't have cows or sheep to herd, they may try to herd--and nip at--humans. They often have a deep "big dog" bark they can use to demand due respect, but even if they have that asset they can easily become yappy and nippy. 

Obviously the Queen, who could have had any dogs she wanted, loved her Corgis. Most people who buy or adopt Corgis do. There is a lot to be said in favor of this breed and neither bloodline deserves to go extinct, but the Busybodies don't think you can handle Corgis. Especially not the Cardigan strain.

Cardigan Corgis are a little larger than Pembrokes and, frankly, not as cute, and they weren't represented in the royal dog pack. They are often seen as crossbreeds when they are actually pedigreed specimens of their own type. They have long fluffy tails, sometimes described as like little fox tails, and relatively big, rounded, stand-up ears. 

Both kinds of Corgi are intelligent dogs who need "jobs" that exercise their bodies and minds. Freqiemt walks and daily grooming are essential. Jumping or going downstairs can injure their backs. They like being near their humans whether that means lots of ourdoor work or lots of sitting at a desk, but it's important not to let them become overweight. They're not built to carry surplus weight.

Perfinder rarely features a Corgi. Most Corgis are loved. Though Petfinder recognizes the Corgi category, homeless dogs in that category tend to be crossbreeds, usually with Pembrokes. Relatively few Cardigan Corgis have been brought to the US.

Zipcode 10101: Numi from Korea by way of Long Island 


Numi is described as a mix of Corgi and Korean Jindo. She was rescued along with her two puppies, who were adopted fast. Numi has taken longer to be adopted because she's blind. They prefer that she be adopted in a quieter place than NYC.

Honey & Buns from NYC 


Just another pair of kittens whose human didn't want them and didn't have enough sense to prevent... growlgrowlgrowl. Anyway, this is a brother and sister who really should be adopted together, though the shelter might let you take just one as a companion to another kitten close to their age. Take them both. They're small.

Zipcode 20202: Indy from South Carolina by way of DC 


Rescued from a hoarder, Indy has had little chance to learn how to be a good pet dog, but she's affectionate and willing to learn. 

Carli from South Carolina by way of DC 


Abandoned during this summer's soccer mania, Carli came to the shelter with at least two siblings. They don't mention her needing to be adopted with her siblings but, as regular readers of this web site know, kittens are easiest to live with when there are more than one. They want to play with one another as well as with toys, though Carli likes to play with toys.

Zipcode 30303: Zazu from Atlanta


They're not sure what breeds went into this little dog. He shows breed features of Corgi and Malinois--a Mini-Mal? He'd love to help herd your sheep, or maybe ducks, or whatever you have. 

Scoot & Boogie from Atlanta



Under circumstances too horrible to describe, each of these kittens lost a hind leg. They still bounce, pounce, purr, and cuddle almost as if nothing had happened. They are a bonded pair, likely to do best if adopted together.
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