Month: May 2022

Humans have been friends with dogs for as long as man has been writing his history. Humans and dogs have proven that they are just meant to be side by side, through thick and thin. Just remember that you have a responsibility to look after your dog’s health and well-being. Following are some tips that will help you make sure your dog is healthy and happy.

Always give your dog plenty of attention and affection. When your dog behaves properly, make sure you let the dog know you are happy and give them some affection. This will help reinforce the good behavior and the dog will try to behave in this manner for the positive attention..

Start training your dog as soon as you bring them home. Create a vocabulary list that all your family members will use to command the dog and stick to it. Dogs can become confused if the same words are not used to give them directions. The dog will see “get over here” and “come” as two different commands.

If your dog gets lost, it is very unlikely that you will see him again unless he has proper identification. Tags can come off, so the best option is a microchip. It is quick to put in your dog, and it causes minimal discomfort. Simply register the chip ID after it is put in, and your pet will always have his identification with him.

Anti-flea products are dangerous. Many have ingredients that are dangerous to kids. Talk to your veterinarian about safer alternatives.

If your puppy or dog is constantly chewing up your furniture, invest in some chew-toys. Scatter them around the floor, especially around the legs of the sofa and end-tables. Be enthusiastic about your offers to play with the chewies with your dog to encourage frequent use. This should eventually deter him from chomping your furniture.

If you are in the market for a new puppy, make sure you will have enough time to devote to his training. On average, you need to take a young dog outside to do his business eight times a day and that can take a lot away from your schedule. Training takes more time and patience than most people realize.

Make sure you have the correct dog supplies. Before bringing your dog home for the first time, be sure that you are equipped with the right supplies. Every dog needs a good sized food and water bowl, a collar and leash, toys, and a comfy place to sleep. Also, remember to purchase an identification tag immediately.

It is very important for you to keep your dog’s ears clean. Keeping the inside of the ears clean will help prevent infections of the ear. This is also a good time for you to inspect the ear for fleas, ticks and any other pests that could have made your dog’s ear home.

Remember that dogs are creatures of habit and anything you start with him will be expected in the future. If you’re not keen on him sleeping with you, don’t let him do it only on occasion. Likewise, if you don’t want him begging at the table, never offer him a bite of people food. He will learn and accept things if you are consistent.

When you get a new dog, schedule a vet visit for soon after you’ve brought him home. As soon as your dog is brought to your home you should get an appointment scheduled with the vet. Your dog will get a vaccination schedule and a checkup. Talk with a vet about your dog being spayed or neutered. There are lots of homeless dogs and you don’t want to make the problem worse.

Humane Society

Put your dog through obedience training. A well-trained dog is a joy to live with for both you and them. Teaching them simple commands like “Come,” “Heel,” “Sit,” and “Stay” can help curb or prevent troublesome behaviors in no time. You can either teach them yourself, or you can find out about obedience courses by contacting the SPCA or the local humane society for class recommendations.

When you have a dog, you are going to be responsible for it and will have to meet its needs. When learning from this article how to approach it, it becomes easier. Use what you learned here and you can have a healthy and happy dog.…

Sneezing Cats – What Does This Mean?

A sneezing cat is not unusual. Just like humans, they can get something stuck up in their noses or their membranes can become inflamed or irritated and sneezing is the quickest and most efficient way to clear it. Some breeds just sneeze more often than others. No one really knows why, but breeds with short nasal passages and flat faces, such as Persians, end up sneezing more than other breeds of cats.

In many cases, an allergen is the culprit. Approximately 15% of all cats have some form of allergy. Most likely, these are due to:

Insects – Fleas are the most, as the flea’s mouth saliva can trigger an allergy. Even when the fleas are killed, itching can continue for some time.

Airborne Allergens – The same allergens that give us hay fever can cause allergies in cats too, including pollen, grass and mold.

Food & Drugs – Cats can be allergic to certain foods and medications, including some vaccinations.

If your cat is sneezing because of an allergy, you may notice other symptoms as well, including your cat constantly licking his paws, rubbing his face or coughing. These aren’t always present, but may be. Your cat may also get hives that appear roughly half an hour after exposure to an allergen. The hives can appear anywhere on your cat and go away after a day. The cause of hives can include insect bites, new foods, a drug or vaccination or insecticides used to treat your lawn.

If you suspect the sneezing is caused by an allergy, try to determine the cause first. If you’ve changed something in the home – the cat’s litter or food, used an insecticide around the house, etc., – eliminate them and see if your cat feels better. If it’s the food, your vet may recommend a little Milk of Magnesia to clear the tummy out more quickly. Benadryl and cortisone treatments can also be employed. A veterinarian needs to administer these. Don’t try to do it yourself.

If your cat is suspected of having an infection, isolate him from any other animals as the infection can be contagious. You’ll probably also want to keep the kids away as well, as some bacteria and even viruses can be spread through contact to humans.

An abscess in the upper jaw can also cause sneezing. It can spread into the nasal passages, causing them to swell and close.

Another cause can be dust and mites. When stirred up in the litter box, these can be inhaled by your cat or get into the fur. Keeping the litter box clean is the best way to solve this problem and don’t use the litter in the bottom of the bag – it’s usually mostly dust. Cat like a clean box and this may even eliminate some behavioral problems as well, such as spraying or going to the bathroom elsewhere in the home.

Finally, you’ll want to check your cat’s nose to see is something is lodged up in it. This is particularly true if your cat is sneezing constantly. They may be trying to expel the object. If you’re unable to get the object out or if it appears to be too far up the nostril, you’ll want to take your cat to the vet as soon as possible, especially if it is stressing your cat out or they are having trouble breathing.

As usual, keeping track of your cat’s personality and knowing his behavior is a good way to tell if something is wrong. If your cat sneezes occasionally it’s not a big deal. But if he suddenly starts sneezing when they never did or the sneezing just gets worse, it could be a symptom and not just a sneeze.…

How To Take Care of a Kitten

Don’t let the cuteness of a new baby kitten fool you, these lovable critters can be a lot of work. Kittens are normally done with their weaning period at 12 weeks of age, so you shouldn’t be bringing home a kitten that is younger than 12 weeks old. A healthy kitten will have pink ears, pink gums and clear eyes. Keeping your kitten healthy while it’s growing is an important part of raising a cat that will live a long and happy life.

Just like any young pet, kittens need some guidance. Letting a kitten roam around your house doing whatever it likes will only result in messes and frustration, so begin acclimating your kitten to its new home as soon as possible. At first, a kitten should have its own little space like a part of a kitchen, a bathroom or even a spare bedroom or den. Fill this room with the kitten essentials: a litter box, food, water and toys. This will keep the kitten occupied, while also beginning to teach it that it needs to pee in the litter box.

If you have other pets or children in the home, you’ll want to gradually introduce them to the kitten after the kitten is showing signs of being comfortable in its new environment. Pay close attention to the kitten, not leaving it alone for long periods of time and giving it plenty of loving and affection. After all, you’re its new parent. Playtime helps the kitten build muscle and develops a strong bond between you and the kitten. Also make sure that anyone else that lives in the home plays with the kitten when it’s young so that it begins to form bonds with all members of the family.

Once your kitten is comfortable in its room, you can begin doing a little bit of training. Litter box training is important, and starting this training at a young age will only help the kitten, and save you the trouble of cleaning up messes around the house. Spending a lot of time with your kitten, especially after it eats and drinks, will allow you to know when your kitten is about to do its business. If you see that your kitten is about to urinate, gently lift it and place it in the litter tray or litter box that you have set up. Reward a kitten with praise and treats when it uses the litter box to encourage the repeated behavior.

You can also get your kitten used to grooming while its young. This will lead to a much easier time down the road when your adult cat needs to be groomed. Brush your kitten’s fur and teeth regularly so that it becomes comfortable with this kind of touching. You can also touch your kittens paws a lot so that it gets used to paw touching for future nail clipping and other grooming.

The key to raising a happy and healthy kitten is making sure it’s comfortable in its new home, and that you are spending enough time playing, grooming and training the new kitten. Your kitten will grow up in no time, and you’ll have a fun and lovable cat if you put in the time and effort when it’s young.…

Caring For Your Kittens

There is no doubt that kittens are absolutely adorable but they also require proper handling and care, especially in the early days to avoid both cat health problems and cat behavior problems. Whilst they are not really difficult to look after, they require certain attention to specific areas. This article examines some of the things that you need to take note of before getting a kitten.

Visit to the Vet

Before bringing your kitten home or immediately thereafter, make sure that you schedule a visit to the vet. It is important to check your kitten for major as well as minor cat health problems and also discuss with your vet its vaccination schedule. This will ensure a healthy cat in the long run.

Creating a Place for the Kitten

Similar to any new member of your family, kittens too require their own space in your home. It is important that this chosen place is comfortable, fun and safe for the kitten. Shopping for a bed for your kitten to sleep on or toys to play with is equally important when bringing home your new pet. Apart from ensuring that they enjoy their surroundings, new toys should be able to keep them occupied and not encourage them to attack your expensive and precious furniture.

Feeding Your Kitten

Kittens eat solid food at about four weeks of age and hence you can start with ready made cat food that is available over the counter. Make sure that all the necessary ingredients for good health and growth are in the chosen cat food. You can supplement her diet at times with minced meat or fish or even chicken but it is important to understand that this does not give kittens all the nutrition it requires.

House Training Your Kitten

Kittens are often litter trained by their mothers but in rare cases when you get one that is not, it is important to start litter training immediately. Signs such as sudden panic, vocal outburst, digging in bed or paper display the need to go to toilet and should be carefully considered when litter training. Praising your kitten for using the litter box correctly will help in training your kitten faster.

While these are just a small selection of things that you need to do to get involved in caring for your kittens, we hope that it’s a good starting point for new cat owners. Remember that you will have to cat proof your home before bringing home any kittens so as to minimize any damage to your furniture. Good luck!…

Is there any pet more remarkable and intriguing than a cat? They are independent and have a busy life, even if you’re not at home all the time. Use the things that this article will teach you, and you’re going to have a cat that is happy and healthy throughout its life.

If you have a male cat, it is important to have him neutered before he goes into heat. When male cats start maturing, they will begin to spray around the house. It smells like ammonia and is hard to remove. Having your male cat neutered can help to prevent this from happening.

Never have your cat declawed. Many people misunderstand declawing, thinking it is the simple removal of a cat’s nail. This is not true. In fact, the veterinarian must remove the top knuckle along with the claw during the procedure. This can result in arthritis pain later in life and many behavior problems, such as biting. There are many alternatives from scratching posts to glue-on claw caps that can protect your belongings from a cat’s claws without resorting to such a harsh surgical solution.

An inexpensive rubber welcome mat helps keep cat food off your floor. This is also a great tool to keep your cat from tracking litter out of the box. Black rubber mats cost about three dollars at dollar stores. Put your cat food dish on one and your litter box on another.

Cats love to much on grass and plants such as catnip. There are plants however that are poisonous to cats. Chrysanthemums and holly are beautiful and common around the Holidays, but can be very toxic to cats. Other plants that are toxic or lethal include lilies, rhubarb and daffodils.

Do not use medicine meant for a dog on a cat. This is especially important for topical medicines. Cats do their own cleaning, and if a dog medicine is used on a cat, your pet can ingest it. There are some medicines that work for both cats and dogs, but only use them if the vet says it is okay.

Create a tablecloth for the feline. Certain cats prefer removing their food from their bowl and putting it on the side to eat it. Sometimes, this results in food outside the bowl that you have to clean up. It’s easier to clean up this food by purchasing a placement and inserting it under your cat’s food bowl, or you could simply cut some fabric and make it into a tablecloth so you can easily pick up the food and throw it away.

Pet

Use petting to check on your cat’s health. Petting isn’t just a way for you and your cat to spend time together, but it’s a great way to find anything abnormal on their body. You can pet them to feel for bumps, lumps, or sores. This is also a great time for you to check their ears.

Do not use medicine meant for a dog on a cat. This is especially important for topical medicines. Cats do their own cleaning, and if a dog medicine is used on a cat, your pet can ingest it. There are some medicines that work for both cats and dogs, but only use them if the vet says it is okay.

Help keep your cat’s fur soft and healthy with regular cleaning. While your pet might object violently to a dunk in the bathtub, there are other options. Many pet stores sell feline cleaning wipes. These convenient disposable wipes reduce allergens and remove oils and dirt. Some are scented with chamomile, which helps to calm your cat. These are especially useful if you have an older or injured pet that cannot groom itself properly.

Pet Adoption

If you are looking for a new home for your kitty, consider registering with an online pet adoption agency. Some of these companies screen applicants, so you will be sure that your pet is going into a good home. This is better than selling him to a creep who lurks around Craigslist all the time.

Cats make the best pets. However, you must know how to properly care for them. Keep the advice from this article in mind to become the best cat owner you can be. Educating yourself properly will improve the quality of the time you share with your cat for both of you.…

Safety for Outdoor Cats: How to Keep Your Kitty Safe While Playing Outside

With the new smells, scenery, and areas to explore, it is no wonder that cats love to have outdoor adventures. Although the outdoors can be exciting for a cat, they can also be quite dangerous. In addition to the frightening idea of a feline friend becoming lost, there is also the threat of poisonous garden plants and flowers, bug bites and ticks, and unfriendly neighbours and animals. Although those sound like reasons to keep kitty inside for good, rest assured that there are safety measures you can take to ensure that your feline can have an enjoyable time outside.

Use a Leash and Harness.

If you want to keep your kitty contained to a specific area of your yard, you can equip him with a harness and attach that harness to a leash. Make sure the leash is securely tied in place, and allow Kitty to explore the area as much as he wants (under your supervision, of course). Using a harness as opposed to a collar ensures that your cat cannot easily wriggle out of the collar. Most importantly, this option can save you and your cat from a traumatic choking experience if he gets stuck on something.

Use a Cat Stroller.

If you have a cat that can sit still for long enough, you may be interested in the idea of a cat stroller. Although a bit silly looking, this product will allow your kitty to see the world from the safety of a netted cat carrier with wheels. Although this does not allow your kitty to roam around the outdoors, it still allows him to see, smell, and hear the exciting outdoors.

Build a Cat Run Outside.

Outside cat runs are netted or caged in enclosures that are much longer than they are wide. The style of the cat run can be anything from a long tube, to a large tunnel with toys, hammocks, and different levels to stand on. These runs are great for allowing felines to run and play outside, while being safely enclosed in a specific area of the yard.

Invest in an Outdoor Cat Enclosure.

A step up from the outdoor cat run is a large enclosure that is almost like a second home for the cat. These enclosures feature a feeding area, many play areas, and towers for bird watching. You can even connect the enclosure right to your house via a tunnel attached to a window. This direct access can let a cat wander in and outside as she pleases. If you have the budget and the motivation, you can even design the enclosure to match your outdoor decor.

Ensuring a fun and safe outdoor environment for kitty to enjoy is the key to a happy experience outside. You can be worry free the next time you take your cat outside, because you will know that you have taken the time to create a safe outdoor play area.…

Things to Consider Before Adopting a Kitten

Adopting a kitten is a major responsibility, and is unlike adopting a cat or other adult animals in many ways. Adult pets do not need as much attention and care as do kittens and other young pets. As their foster parent, it is your responsibility to care for them, and to nurture them to a healthy and mature adulthood. Before you get your furry friend, we propose you go through this checklist we have prepared for you. It shows what all do you need before you can seriously consider bringing home a kitten.

How many Kittens

You have to first decide how many kittens you want. Kittens love to play with each other – so of you get two or more kittens, the chores you need to do double, but the fun quotient of having kittens more than doubles. The rest of the factors we have listed depend on whether you want just one kitten, or more.

Time and Attention

Apart from the time you will spend cuddling and playing with the kitten, you will need to take care of their feeding, their litter box and a host of other care related tasks. This requires time. Also, were to happen that you had to leave your home for a few days, you will need to leave the kitten, and your other pets if any, in someone’s care. So if you are living alone, and plan on taking a long trip soon, it would be better if you adopted a kitten after you returned.

Money and Financials

Apart from the adoption fees you may have to pay to adopt a kitten, you will also need to pay for its medical care, vaccinations, general checkup or neutering. You will also need to spend money on cat food for your kitten. So go ahead with the adoption only if you are prepared for a small financial cut from your monthly budget.

Medical and Allergies

Make sure that no one in your family is allergic to cats. You do not want the kitten to be a source of discomfort for anyone, especially when it can easily become discomfort bordering on medical misery. If it a small case of allergenic reaction, anti-histamines may help.

Family and Small Kids

If the kitten is very young, there is a chance that it may get injured while playing with a baby or a child. So before you get a kitten, make sure kids in the family know how to play with a kitten. Also, you should also ask whether everyone in the family wants a kitten. Yes, there are people who do not like kittens as much as you do!

The above factors all add up to this: do you want a kitten and are you prepared to make small sacrifices to keep one? One you are prepared for them, get them!…