When I was gathering sites together for places that let you post pet photos, one I stumbled across was not one that would have first come to mind: The Weather Channel/Weather.com.
Under their Around the Home tab they have a Pets section. What a neat resource! In addition to sharing your cute pet pics, you can find a lot of helpful info. Starting with the main feature, their Personal Pet Cast. You select what kind of pet you have (dog or cat), their size, hair length, and age, then you type in your zip code, your pet’s name, and hit “Fetch.” The results tell you the day’s forecast high, a paw’s rating on the Dog Comfort Index, the best times to walk your dog, and the level of mosquito activity. All very handy info. But in addition to that, you can also select individual links, such as:
Flea Activity
Want to know if flea season’s in full swing where you live? Click on the flea activity link to see a national map. The legend explains the various colors and when fleas are at their height in certain areas. Or, enter your zip code to view a graph that tells you when fleas are at their most menacing in your city.
This is a great tool if you’re traveling with your pet to a different climate. Say it’s January and you’re going from someplace like Maine, with an April to November flea season, to Florida, which has fleas year-round. If you’ve let your pet’s flea treatments slide for the winter, you’ll know to take the proper precautions.
Dog Walking Calculator
Okay, this is probably my favorite tool they offer. You enter your walk duration, your weight, and your pace (how many miles per hour you and your dog generally cover), hit calculate, and you get the results of how many calories you burned.
I wrote about the ways your pet can help you stick to your New Year’s resolutions and suggested walking your dog as one of them for the weight-loss minded resolution makers. This calculator can help you keep track of energy expended in those efforts!
And to find parks to walk in, use the Park Locator found in the Dog Walking Calculator section. All you have to do is enter your zip to get a list of local parks.
Mosquito Activity Forecast
By doing the Personal Pet Cast you get a mosquito level indicator as part of your summary, but this link adds a little extra. Enter your zip code to get a chart that tells you hourly mosquito activity.
A nice resource to use in conjunction with any of the above. Planning to take a walk with your dog? You’ll know the best time of day to do it, when mosquitoes will be most active, and you can plan to protect yourself and your pet accordingly.
Like the Flea Activity link, this one is also great if you’re traveling to another climate. It’s something you might forget if mosquitoes only frequent your area in summer. (Take Florida as an example again. There, it’s technically winter, but they have limited mosquito activity present even now.)
Pet Events
This lists dates, events, and event day forecasts for a variety of national animal-related shin digs. Might find something near you, or you might find something elsewhere that would make for a good excuse to pack up and hit the road.
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