67 The Alabama Lawyer 433 (2006). PAWS LAWS or How Nigel and Miss Muffy Came to Be Rich.

• Author: BY KATHERINE COXWELL AND WANDA D. DEVEREAUX

The Alabama Lawyer

2006.

67 The Alabama Lawyer 433 (2006).

PAWS LAWS or How Nigel and Miss Muffy Came to Be Rich

PAWS LAWS or How Nigel and Miss Muffy Came to Be RichBY KATHERINE COXWELL AND WANDA D. DEVEREAUX For those of us who grew up in the 1950s and before, life was definitely simpler, especially when it came to the family pet. We all knew families who had a mixed breed dog, or perhaps a stray cat who wandered up one afternoon demanding to be fed. The cat played at chasing mice to justify its daily ration of Puss 'n' Boots and as for the dog, well, the dog might chase a stick or catch an old ball, but for the most part he spent his days lying in the sun dreaming of whatever it is dogs dream about when they whine and twitch in their sleep.

The dogs had names like Buster, Fido, Spot, Honey, or Lady. The felines, on the other hand, were usually dubbed Fluffy, Snowball or Midnight, or just plain Kitty. Very few people owned purebred animals, and most of the time even those were the product of friends saying to each other, "Hey, my children are after me to let Lady have puppies. Your Buffy is a Cocker, too, so let's get 'em together." The family cat usually met up with another desirable feline while out on an evening stroll, and the result was a litter of varicolored kittens of unknown origin. My, but times have changed!

No more living on scraps from the dinner table or terrible fishy-smelling cat food. No siree. Today's pet owners can choose a food formulated to suit their pet's age, size, level of activity or medical needs. They no longer eat from an old chipped white enamel pan, but have special personalized dishes which are placed in ergonomically correct feeding stations. An old blanket or rug carelessly thrown in a cardboard box on the back porch or in the garage would never be acceptable for today's pampered pets. The dog or cat of today, regardless of his pedigree, lives with the family and has a special bed from L.L. Bean®, Orvis®, In the Company of Dogs® or even Neiman Marcus®. There are beds with or without bolsters to keep the neck from hurting. Beds today run the gamut in terms of quality and construction. Plain beds are made from everything from twill stuffed with cedar shavings to hospital-quality foam with monogrammed washable cover. For the really well-to-do dog or cat there are wooden or decorative brass beds with cushions made of satin or faux fur and stuffed with down. Nothing is overlooked when it comes to the pet's comfort.

The children of the house do not have the onerous responsibility of bathing the dog in an old washtub in the backyard as they did years ago. If the dog got a bath at all, it was usually in the summertime, and more water ended up on the children than the poor disgruntled canine. As for bathing the cat, many a child has learned the hard way that that chore is best left to the cat itself.

Today the dog goes to a specialized shop where a person trained in the art of trimming, styling, bathing and primping takes over. There is no washtub behind the shop. There is, however, a specially designed tub with a ramp for the dog to walk up so the groomer doesn't have to lift the animal. The shop smells not of dirty dog, but of lots of sweet fragrances added to a shelf full of shampoos, conditioners and the like. The shampoos are, like the dog food, designed to fit the kind of coat the dog has. There are whiteners, darkeners, softeners and color-coordinated shampoos designed to bring out red, black or white in the coat. There are conditioners for harsh, soft or silky coats. Nigel, formerly known as Fido, is brushed, de-matted, bathed, dried with a special cage dryer, and brushed again. If Lady Lollipop, the neighbor's Shih Tzu, is being pampered, she will not doubt leave wearing a fashionable satin bow in her top-knot, and she might even have her nails painted. The shop will also sell sets of color-coordinated designer collars and leashes, a must-have for the well-dressed canine companion. All these things make Nigel and Lady Lollipop look adorable, but the only scent either one can catch is himself. Themselves.

There are shelves of books about pet care, as well as books to help the potential pet buyer decide what kind and what breed best suits his or her taste, lifestyle and family size. There are magazines such as Dog Fancy®, Dog World®, Cat Fancy® and the AKC Gazette, all dedicated to keep today's pet owner abreast of the very latest in veterinary breakthroughs, toys, food, breed information, and human interest stories.

And, what about Miss Muffy, formerly known as Fluffy? She doesn't care for pet spas or any kind of bathing routine, but that doesn't mean she has been left out of the burgeoning pampered pet industry. To avoid scratches on the furniture there are sisal posts on the low end, and high-end climbing furniture with several levels designed to look like trees, and a tiny house on top. The house itself has two-way exposure and has a small hammock for the cat which simply must rest after a full day of play with his Kitty Cat Circus Interactive GymTM. Bedtime means curling up in a sweet retreat Cat Cradle with Convertible CanopyTM or perhaps a Heated Thermo-Kitty BedTM made of faux suede and faux lambskin. Daytime naps for Miss Muffy may be taken in either a plain or heated deluxe window seat.

Veterinary treatment for animals in our day was limited as well. Dogs and cats were fortunate if they had a rabies shot once a year. If a dog got sick and was lucky enough to be taken to the local vet, the first question the owner asked was, "How much is this gonna' cost me, Doc?" About the only diagnostic tools back then were the vet's hands and a stethoscope. Today we have cat scans, myelograms, x-ray and ultra-sound, eye tests, and blood tests for just about everything. There are treatments for almost every ailment, including pills, injections, ointments, creams, surgery, and even cataract...