Nostalgia for Cartoon Dogs

If you own a pet dog you probably like cartoon dogs a lot as well. One of the astounding things about cartoon dogs is how humanized they were in character but if you really think about it we also humanize our pets in a similar way …here are some of my favorite animated canines from eras gone by.  

Ruff from ,Ruff n’ Reddy was probably the first of the funny cartoon dogs. He was a Hanna and Barbera cartoon that was paired by a bossy cat named ,Reddy, that was coincidentally colored red.   This dog first made his appearance on television in the fall of 1957. Ruff was also interactive with a live host who asked him questions to which Ruff would provide dumb answers.  

The second big animated television cartoon dog was Huckleberry Hound was not that much different in looks than Ruff from Ruff n’Reddy. This is not surprising as this cartoon series was all made by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera’s. In fact the only difference might have been that this dog had a Southern draw. Another interesting fact about this show is that it was the first television show to win an Emmy for animation. Before that only Disney movies got that honor.  

Another one of my favorite dogs was Mr. Peabody, the smart white dog with the whiny voice and glasses that starred in ,Mr. Peabody’s Improbable History, This was about a famous time traveling dog and his pet boy Sherman who he time traveled with in his Wayback machine. This cartoon series started in 1959.  

Once he was released from the confines of the back pages of the Funny papers Snoopy also became a well-known funny dog on the small screen. The famous beagle and his creator Charles Schulz won and Emmy in 1964 for the show ,A Charlie Brown Christmas.,    You might also remember this dog ‘s imitation of a World War I Flying Ace named the Red Baron.  

No blog on cartoon dogs can be complete without mentioning Dino. Dino’s breed was technically a ,Snorkasoraus, and he was purple. His famous bit was trampling his owner Fred Flintstone in the opening credits.   He was also famous for his bark that sounded like ,rubba, rubba, rubba, Dino also talked in some episodes and his voice was bestowed by the fey and dry sounding Las Vegas style comedian Phil Silvers.  

Yet another great cartoon dog was of course Scooby Doo. This star of ,Scooby Doo Where Are You?,    Scooby  had a cute little ,intellectual, sidekick named Scrappy and a not so bright country cousin called Scooby Dum.  

My favorite dog of all time however has to be Ren from ,Ren and Stimpy,. This emaciated sharp-witted Chihuahua was companion to an overweight cat with bad breath. To me the two of them seemed more human then most human beings.  

Some other very famous cartoon funny dogs include Deputy Dawg from the Hi and Lois comic strip,  Underdog from the cartoon series and Otto from the Beetle Bailey comic strip.

The Most Loved Cat is An Indoor Cat

There are all kinds of cat lovers out there that will disagree but when it comes to being a responsible pet owner there is only way to behave and that is to never let your cat go outdoors unless it is carefully supervised.

This brings roars of protests from cat owners who will say things about cat nature and fresh air but the truth is that even in the country a cat has a lot of predators and is vulnerable to diseases. In the city it is even worse. So if you want your cat to live a long tie then don’t let it wander around outdoors.  

This is not just opinion. It is the advice of veterinarians, rescue organizations and humane societies. In fact some humane societies will not help out an owner who has left their cat outdoors. Some rescue organizations and humane societies will not even let you adopt a cat if you have any intention of letting it outside. Your request to adopt will be outright refused. Also at some humane societies you are also charged more for medical treatment if you bring them a cat that has suffered injury due to being let outdoors. You might even end up having your cat taken away from you.

In essence, if you let your cat roam around unsupervised outdoors in this day and age you are considered to be parent if something happens to it.

Why is letting your cat outside so objected to by all of these experts? Here is a short list of just a few of the risks to its health and well-being that an outdoor cat faces.

1. Being run over by a vehicle.

2. Eating poisonous plants.

3. Drinking antifreeze in a garage

4. Eating rat or raccoon poison

5. Injury or death caused by a fight with other cats

6. Contracting a fatal disease such as Feline Aids or Feline Leukemia

7. Abuse from mentally ill or addicted people

8. Abuse from annoyed neighbors

9. Getting lost

10. Getting stolen and then sold as bait for illicit gaming

11. Getting stolen and then sold to a laboratory

12. Contracting parasites, fleas, ticks and ringworms

Maintaining an indoor cat is also less expensive. For one thing your cat will need less vaccinations over the course of its lifetime. You will also be spared the expense of items such as a microchip,

You can buy cat leads and leashes that can allow you to take your cat for a walk just like a dog. Leads can be as long as thirty feet so your cat has room to roam.

Ultimately though the decision whether or not to let your cat roam free might just come down to how perceptive you are about the dangers in your neighbourhood. Times have changed and it is very old fashioned to think that a cat left to roam outside will be taken care of by “Mother Nature” somehow. Nothing could be further from the truth especially in an urban area.