Did you know?

Here are some of our favorite interesting animal facts...

 * A group of kangaroos is called a mob 

* Chickens absorb vitamin D from the sunshine through their combs on the top of their head 

*Pets in nursing homes increase social and verbal interaction

*Senior adults who own pets go to the doctor less than those who do not own pets

*When opossums play dead, they are not "playing", they actually pass out from sheer terror

*Cats prefer to eat their food at 86 degree Fahrenheit 

*If you lift a kangaroo's tail off the ground , he can not hop

*Children who suffer from autism have more social behaviors if they own a pet

*The African Sulcatta is one of the three largest tortoises, growing to 2 & 1/2 feet in length & up to 200 lbs 

*A deer is able to run up to 40 mph, jump a 9' fence and swim 13 mph

*A single brown bat can eat up to 1000 mosquitoes in one hour

*Bats can fly as high as 3000 feet above ground at speeds of 50 mph

*Llamas are pack animals that can carry up to one forth of their own body weight

*Prairie dogs "bark" like a dog to warn other family members that a predator is near

Bay Area Arbor learn about volunteering at Majical Miniatures

On December 17th members of the Gleaner Insurance Society's, Bay Area Arbor, who's mission is to help local nonprofits by volunteering and raising funds, visited Majical Miniatures for a volunteer orientation and to learn more about what we do and what they, as a group, can do to help the animals. Arbor member and volunteer, Santiago Fonseca, shared his visit and photos with his friends on facebook and with us. Here is what he had to say:

"What a great place!! We walked in and we were welcomed by Speedy - a beautiful Llama (probably my homeboy from Peru), who walked up to me and rubbed noses with me. He oversees and protects all the smaller range animals and is often seen on his mound lording over them and keeping an eye out for foxes or any other predators that may get into the property.

After Speedy came out and he made sure we were friends, all kinds of goats and miniature ponies came out as the welcoming committee and as we continued on the volunteer tour with Jenna, Majical Miniatures operations manager, we saw so many different animals, and some you'll see in these images. The little 'roos were adorable! We fed them Orange Juice - thirsty little fellows :-). Look at a picture of me and Oreo who rubbed his face on me over and over and was so affectionate.

They have over 200 animals and never enough volunteers to tackle the tremendous tasks they face on a daily basis - seven days a week. You see, many of their animals have been injured and are there for rehabilitation. Those of them who are healthy after rehabilitation are released back into the wild, but many who were hit by cars, shot or otherwise maimed by uncaring humans, will live the rest of their natural lives there. You can imagine their Vet fees are high – their weekly operating budget is around $4000 – without the Vet costs and those vary from month to month. Tough going without outside support!

I’d like to ask you once again to become a member to help them retain their non-profit status. Memberships vary but start at 10 bucks a year – hardly two beers at any bar! And being a member of such wonderful place will enrich your lives as well. You can keep up with them through the website and/or the newsletter you’ll get as a member.  One of their long time volunteers and supporters has set up a page specifically for this – please go to: http://www.majicalminiatures.org/membership.html

Each level tells you what you get and each level has the appropriate buttons to make it easy to join – or you can look on the left side and e-mail any of the ladies there and they can offer you an alternative for payment (if you do not like paypal)."

 

 

 

 

 

Animal lovers New Year's resolutions

It is that time of year again; time to make our new year’s resolutions. This year let's try resolutions that are easy to keep & will benefit not only ourselves but our pets and shelter animals:

1. Resolve to provide the basic needs for your pet or for a shelter animal: food, fresh water, shelter and love! 
2. Spend more time playing. Spending time with your pet or a shelter animal is a proven stress reliever for humans and provides mental stimulation for the animal. 
3. Exercise: taking your pet for daily walks will help keep you both fit & trim 
4. Commit for the long term: Pets are not disposable. As they age they will need you more than ever. Keep in mind all the unconditional love he or she provided you over the years. Consider putting your pet in your will. Who will take care of her once you are gone?
5. Be prepared, is not just the boy scout's motto: In Florida we keep hurricane disaster kits for our family but many times forget to think about what will happen to our pets in case of an emergency. Many emergency shelters do not accept pets. Check ahead of time with your local government to see which shelters allow pets; be sure to keep an extra supply of medicines, canned food, etc for your pets.
6. Resolve to only use positive reinforcement when training your pet. Take the time to find positive training methods to use with your dog, cat, bird or other pet
7. Become a volunteer or donate to a local animal shelter: There are many wonderful rescues in our community who are in need of not only monetary donations but also donations of time & every day items like towels, paper products, pet toys etc. 
8. Provide Proper ID: What if your pet was to wonder away from home? Would the person who finds him be able to return him to you? Be sure your pet has proper ID on his collar or have him micro-chipped. 
9. Properly dispose of items that can harm wild animals. 
10. Adopt do not buy:  Adopt a shelter animal instead of purchasing an animal from a breeder or pet store. There are so many wonderful pets waiting in shelters for their forever homes. 

Pet Photos with Santa Fundraiser

Check out the adorable puppies at last month's Pet Photos with Santa event. The event hosted at Pets Plus in Parrish, helped raise funds for the animals at Majical Miniatures Animal Sanctuary. Thank you to our volunteers,Tanya Sharkey our photographer & Dave Burns our Santa's helper.

   

Norwegian Fundraising Cruise

Don't miss out on this amazing adventure and fundraiser! Book your cabin now before they are all gone!

Owls, Bats & Black Cats, Oh my!

Bats, black cats, ravens, crows, owls, rats, frogs and spiders, what do these creatures have in common? They are all associated with Halloween as evil or bad omens. Truth is, each of these creatures has many good qualities and in some cultures revered as symbols of good luck. 

Take the Black cat, in Western culture; they are viewed as a symbol of bad omens, especially if one crosses your path. This is not a new notion and dates back to the 16th century when black cats were suspected of being familiars of witches. Funny thing is in Ireland, Scotland, Germany, Japan and Great Britain the black cat is a symbol of good luck and is idolized in Egypt. Sailors preferred a black cat to all others because they felt it would bring them good luck. The sad truth is because of silly superstitions black cats have lower adoption rates in American shelters compared to other colored cats. Black cats are extremely affectionate and very sociable, just ask someone who owns one.

What about the Bat? Yes, there are tales of Vampire Bats, discovered in the 17th century, lapping up the blood of its prey but the first connection with Halloween came from Halloween rituals where people would gather around a bonfire to keep away evil spirits. Insects drawn to the fire light would draw hungry bats. Bats are amazing creatures; did you know that a single brown bat could eat up to 1000 mosquitoes in an hour? Another fun bat fact is they have a very long life span of almost 40 years. It is a myth that bats are dirty and disease carrying. In truth, they are very clean animals that groom themselves like cats.

The Owl is another interesting nocturnal creature that makes people nervous. According to Haunted Bay, “The owl entered into our Halloween traditions much like the bat. As a hunter of bats, owls would often be seen near the Halloween bonfires searching for food”. Heard and not seen, they would also scare those that traveled at night with their screeching and ability to hide in trees. There are many strange myths about owls, for instance, owls are the only creatures that can live with ghosts, if an owl is found in an abandoned house, it is thought to be haunted. Like the black cat, many countries consider the owl to be good luck. The Inuits of Greenland consider the Owl to be a symbol of guidance. Owls are wonderful at pest control, helping to control mice, moles, rats, snakes & insects.

Finally, the Raven and the Crow, These poor birds have been depicted as bad omens since the 1800’s when Edgar Allen Poe wrote about the Raven who mysteriously appears and constantly repeats only one word “nevermore”. Of course, who can forget the flock of crows waiting on the playground at Bodega Bay Elementary School in Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds? As for their ties to Halloween it is their jet black feathers and the fact that they feed on carrion (flesh of dead animals) that make them appear to be spooky. Ravens and crows are extremely smart. They can mimic human speech and are great at problem solving. Many cultures consider the Raven to be a spiritual figure.  We should never judge a book by its cover even when it comes to animals. If you take the time to learn about them, you might be surprised at what you find.

To each of you that offered your support for Poppy with your prayers and/or your dollars, we are so thankful and appreciate you.

We lost the fight for Poppy's life Tuesday evening about 8PM.
She fought a tough battle, and lived these few short weeks fully and with many happy comfortable moments, thanks to you, and to our staff at MaJical Miniatures.

We accepted the responsibility of taking her o...n knowing it would be a tough fight to win, and an expensive one in many ways, and though we lost her, we have no regrets that we tried, and we will forever have what she left of herself with us, and within us.

She drew people together to help care for her needs, and she offered us glimpses into her wild fears, and finally allowed herself to trust us just enough to manage her with less and less trauma each day. In her first days with us, she reminded us what strength a wild exotic animal can exhibit, even when in serious pain, to keep fighting for their life. She arrived here moving around on broken feet in a fight not to appear weak and vulnerable.

She was beautiful, funny at times, peaceful when alone in her green grass in the sunshine, hissy and mad when we got too close and she felt fear, and in her last few hours with us at her side, she was at a relaxed peace as she labored to breathe and finally slipped into a quiet death.

The dollars that were donated on her behalf will help with her expenses & allow us continue to do what we do here at MaJical Miniatures, which sometimes seems like the impossible, but often really is just 'almost' impossible. There are many magical miracles wandering around this farm every day, and your support and prayers have helped us make that so.

Unfortunately we must still cover the cost of Poppy's expenses. If you would like to help offset the cost of her expenses so that Majical Miniatures does not have to use funds that could help other animals in need please visit: https://www.gulfcoastgives.org/projects/768 and remember we only have two weeks left to fund this fund-raiser or we could lose what has been donated thus far!