Animal Shelter

Save Your Furniture Without Declawing Your Cat

Rusty

Some people with indoor cats safeguard their furnishings by mutilating their beloved pets. It’s a fact, declawing is mutilation. Unlike a fingernail, a cat’s claws are attached right to the bone. When the claws are removed, the last bone and joint in every toe are also removed. Once you amputate your cat’s toes, you ruin its balance and agility. You alter the way your cat walks.

No one wants their furnishings wrecked by their cat, but there is another approach to cope with the dilemma. Think for a minute – why do cats scratch home furniture and climb draperies in the first place? It is because cats retain some of the instinctual behaviors they employed when they were wild animals. Cats that reside out doors climb rocks and trees and scratch the bark. That is natural behavior for cats. Cats don’t claw furnishings because they are nasty, they do it simply because they are cats.

The very best technique to prevent Fluffy or Bosco from ruining your Chippendale is to offer an alternative , a cat tree with an integrated scratching post. A very good cat tree will be sturdy and tall enough to simulate the experience of climbing a genuine tree. It would have integrated hiding places and certainly ought to have a built in scratching area. Sisal rope wound around the “trunk” of your structure works really nicely even though other materials also work well.

It is ideal to get your kitty accustomed to utilizing a cat tree and scratching post while it’s young. It’s easier to do than to attempt to get an older cat to adjust its habits. In any case, offering a normal option for scratching and climbing will make both you and him happier. Don’t mutilate your little buddy for for your own convenience.…

Dog Shelter

Fluffy Bedding is Dangerous to Small Animals

Rusty

Fluffy Bedding is a cotton wool like material distributed as a nesting material for pocket pets. It comes in numerous colours and under various product names. It is sold as a harmless, cozy place for your pet to curl up and sleep, unfortunately it is not safe in the least.
Many deaths and injuries have been caused by this product. The material used does not breakdown if consumed, and it is very easy for your pet to become entangled in it. It may tighten around limbs, cutting off circulation. if the animal is not able to get his limb free, it can cause damage to the tissue causing the limb to swell up painfully. In a short amount of time the limb will turn black from tissue death potentially spreading infection throughout the body. In an attempt to escape from the pain, your pet may chew the limb off which could result in death from blood loss, shock or infection.
The bedding may also become wound around his neck strangling him. If your hamster delivers a litter in the fluffy bedding, it could result in the passing of the litter.
Hamsters have cheek pouches which they use to carry food and bedding to their nests. The bedding can become trapped in the pouch, causing an impacted pouch. An impacted pouch will frequently become infected making eating and drinking painful. Impacted pouches require a trip to the veterinarian for treatment which may include a surgical procedure.
If the animal swallows the bedding material it will not break up in his gastrointestinal tract and may cause an obstruction. This requires a surgical operation to correct, however, if not discovered soon enough it will result in death.
What can I use for safe bedding material?
A simple way to tell if the bedding/nesting material you are using is safe is to place some in water. If it breaks apart, the way bathroom tissue does, then it will also break down if consumed and is easy to tear should it become wrapped around your pet. As a matter of fact the most harmless, risk-free thing to use for nesting material is plain, unscented bathroom tissue. Your pet will have fun ripping it up, fluffing it and hauling it around the cage. It is warm and soft to sleep in and is also inexpensive and easy to obtain.…

Adopt a Dog

Things To Consider When Purchasing A Dog Bed

Rusty

We all want to pamper our loyal companions, and that’s why the dog bed has become such a popular piece of “furniture” in so many households around the world. Once upon a time, the dog bed may have been nothing more than an old blanket thrown over in the corner of a room or perhaps an old rug. Now, the dog bed has evolved and taken on shapes, sizes and styles that none of us would have imagined 20 years ago!

There is just a huge array of styles to fit the needs of both the dog and the master. There are dog couches, donut beds, orthopedic dog beds, U shaped beds, personalized beds, heated dog beds, designer beds and the traditional round, rectangle and oval dog beds. Each style typically comes in several different sizes for small to large dogs. I’m sure there are more styles available, but this gives you some idea of the options you have.

Along with “specialty styles” comes “special prices”. You can get a plain round bed at discount stores at a decent price, but a specialized bed at a pet store, isn’t going to be cheap. Expect that anything unique is going to start in the $60 range, and the sky is the limit from there.

So what is the benefit of having a bed for your dog? Bottom line is that most people simply want to give their special friend something nice to rest or sleep on. Asides from that, many people feel that training their dog to sleep on their own designated dog bed, will keep their dog off the “human bed” or other furniture in the house. It’s a way to give your dog their own special place, much like a dog crate. In fact, many people put their dog bed inside of a dog crate.

So you think a dog bed is a great idea, you’ve found one you like and you’re ready to make a purchase. Here’s something to keep in mind. Not all dogs think having their own bed is such a great idea. It’s conceivable that you’ll spend $100 or more on a fancy new dog bed, only to find that your pet won’t lay on it! Or worse yet, you buy the bed then come home one afternoon to find the bed torn to smithereens and scattered throughout your home or apartment! Yes sadly, these situations do happen and there is no refund on a ripped up bed.

In conclusion, the dog bed is a great gift for your companion and can be a good way to train your pet to sleep in a particular area of your home. They come in a wide variety of shapes & sizes to fit the needs of any dog. As these beds have become more popular, prices have increased as well. Some good deals can be found on plain beds at the discount stores, but when you start shopping for something unique you can expect to pay a premium price. Your dog will have no idea how much you paid for the bed, so don’t blame the dog if you come home and find your $150 bed torn to pieces and scattered throughout your home! Some dogs accept a bed and some just think it’s a toy you bought them to chew up.…

General Articles

How to Choose a Kitten As a Family Pet

Rusty

How to Choose a Kitten As a Family Pet

A kitten will grow into a cat that can live up to 20 years. Choosing a kitten should not be a quick decision, take time to consider your options carefully. Do not rush to pick the cutest kitten you see or in fact the first kitten you see. Try to use your head rather than your heart.

It is best to see where the kitten has been raised. If at all possible see how it interacts with the mother and the rest of the litter before making your selection.

You need to consider two main areas when selecting a kitten, these are its health and it’s personality. Not all kittens from the one litter will be the same.

Health

It is important to select the healthiest kitten from the litter. Do not feel obliged to select a kitten from the first litter that you see, have a look at several litters if you possibly can before making your selection. It is possible to get a vet to thoroughly check a kitten, but they will charge to do this and you may not want to pay for this several times over for several different kittens. You should be able to make a healthy selection if you consider the following pointers to good health –

Active, lively, inquisitive and alert

Feeding well with shiny coat and clear eyes with no discharge

Clean ears

No sneezing or coughing

Clean rear end

Straight legs and steady on its feet

Personality

It is easier to judge this if the kitten is still with the litter. The main things to think about are as follows.

Make sure the kitten is not wary or cowering, this means it has had little human contact and can be hard to establish a connection with. You may need to put in a lot of work to overcome this behaviour.

The kitten who comes to you first may be dominant and may be aggressive and harder to control.

A sensitive kitten may appear cute but it may not enjoy the company of small children and may not mix well will any other animals in the family.

Summary

You must never make a decision by just looking at a litter of kittens; this process can not be rushed. You must spend time handling the kittens to assess both their health and personality. This is a new member of your family and needs to fit into your family dynamic so make sure you afford the time to consider a decision which you may have to live with for many years to come.…

General Articles

A Story of a Cat Which Has a Weight Loss Problem

Rusty

A Story of a Cat Which Has a Weight Loss Problem

Smiles, laughs, a round of cocktails go around, loud murmurs; a sophisticated and sleek sexual energy vibrates from the crowd. Women dressed in tight fitted, short styled pieces of fabric disguised as dresses. That is just another typical night for the connected, young and rich community in the South Beach area. If animals were able to use money, would they flaunt it upon their person and equate their social worth from it? The true reality is that animals have no use for money but perhaps food is the animal’s sinful indulgence.

Across the way the alley corridors are dark, gloomy and fashionably dingy. The clammy, humid air carries a stench of last night’s vodka and French fries. A huge roach scurries rapidly under a random door. Emerging from under large garbage dumpsters, located in the back of a local restaurant, glares a back alley black fat cat. The cat’s body was massive, his teeth healthy and sharp, his eyes strong and eerie, his belly full and fat. He slyly moves along in a matrix motion. He joins the ranks of a community of cats that seemingly mirror the human population in size.

Most residents of South Florida would venture to say that Miami Beach must be the leading city in having the fattest cats in America. Their diets consist of an array of ethnic cuisine from the most loved local restaurants on South Beach. The fat cats in South Beach are a local attraction for the tourist as well as acknowledged and respected by the natives and business owners of South Beach. People love to feed the cats on South Beach just as well as the cats seem to love to entertain the masses for a treat. As we slowly poison and endanger a worthy treasure for the South Beach community by feeding our resident cats to death, a city wide cat weight loss program is desperately needed. Even if you do your part as a concerned resident you will not be able to save every cat on the streets of South Beach. What you can do is practice healthy habits the next time your path crosses with a fat street cat.

If possible provide fresh drinking water for a needy cat. Water is essential for a healthy digestive system for a cat. If you ever offer food dry food is not recommended. Dry food rarely provides all the nutrients a cat needs and is loaded with carbohydrates and sugars. A creative option to feeding your local stray cat is diet food. Check with a local veterinarian about the differences in brands. Remember cats need meat protein and are designed to get water from their food. Donate a cat toy at your local pet shelter. Cats need an active physical regimen to alleviate their natural instincts of displaying aggression. A healthy amount of physical activity that a cat can receive from several segments of play time is the best combatant against cat obesity.…

Pet Adoption

Feline Liver Disease And Feline Diarrhoea Treatment

Rusty

The Webinar Vet has had a great experience in our first feline series which we held in conjunction with Hills. This was a 200 series of veterinary webinars which thanks to the kind sponsorship of Hills was free to all delegates.

There were several hundred attendees at each webinar. Many different nations were represented on this free online veterinary CPD.

Our first veterinary webinar was with Professor Danielle Gunn-Moore and was concerning feline liver disease. This was a fantastic veterinary webinar which used case material to discuss her approach to the liver patient. Danielle??s enthusiasm is so infectious and we had so many positive comments from the attendees.

The next two veterinary webinars were given by Martha Cannon, a feline specialist based in Oxford. Martha always gives very practical veterinary CPD and these two talks were excellent. In the veterinary webinar on renal disease she discussed the value of diet as well as other treatments. Cats on specialist renal diets will often live twice as long as those fed ordinary diets after diagnosis of chronic renal disease.

In the second veterinary webinar, Martha discussed feline diarrhoea using clinical cases to discuss possible approaches and then in the third veterinary webinar discussed the thorny issue of kidney disease, such a scourge in the cat. The Hills diet k/d is a very important part of treatment in cats suffering from kidney disease as it protects the cat??s kidney and slows progress of the disease. Indeed cats fed on specialist kidney diets will live twice as long as those who are fed ordinary commercial diets.

Norman Johnstone is one of the most famous veterinary dentists in the world. We were honoured to have him on the fourth veterinary webinar in our five veterinary webinar series, free online vet CPD kindly provided by Hills Pet Nutrition. He talked about feline stomatitis and gave some fascinating insights into the treatment of this nasty condition. Interferon seems to be the drug of choice

Finally Duncan Lascelles from North Carolina State University gave an excellent veterinary webinar on feline osteoarthritis. In one study 95%of cats showed radiological signs of osteoarthritis in one or more joints. Cats suffering from osteoarthritis often had a stiff gait and had difficulty jumping. Duncan discussed the various treatments that are available in cats. Often this disease is missed by owners and vats and hence no treatment is prescribed.

This whole series of veterinary webinars, including a bonus talk on feline diabetes is available at and will contribute 6 hours of veterinary CPD to the 35 hours yearly target that all MRCVSs must accomplish to satisfy The Royal College.

This brilliant series of veterinary webinars was brought to you by Hills and The Webinar Vet, a fantastic online resource for vet CPD.…

Rescue Dogs

Remove Cat Urine Smell And Stains From Your Carpet Quickly And Inexpensively

Rusty

It can be stressful and time intensive looking for ways on how to get cat urine smell out of carpet. The odor in some homes I’ve been in have literally brought tears to my eyes! Not to mention leaving an ugly stain.

Plus it can be a really big pain requiring you to spend money and buy different cleaning products you do not have any idea if it will work.

After learning what works and what doesn’t from working in my own pet service business for many years, here’s what I do to inexpensively, but successfully, to get rid of cat urine smell plus spots from my personal clients carpet.

It’s so simple and easy and requires just two or three actions to accomplish.

Cleaning Up New Cat Urine Stains Out Of Carpet

Step 1 – For any new stains on your carpet, you first need to absorb as much of the urine as you possibly can using newspapers or paper towels. Press straight down on them to get rid of as much fluid as is possible.

Make sure you position the paper towel or newspaper below the carpeting in the event the urine has soaked into the carpet padding.

Use as much newspapers or paper towels as required so that the stain is hardly damp.

Step 2 – Begin using fresh water to clean the spot. Perform the procedure again till the stains have disappeared. Quick and easy!

Step 3 – (You can use this final step if you would like to be certain all traces of cat urine is gone) – Use an enzyme cleaning agent, which is a product that will literally eat all odor producing bacteria, on the area. This will make certain any cat urine residue still left in the spot is eliminated. In addition, the smell is going to be removed by using this process. You can find and buy an enzyme cleaner at most local stores or on the internet.

Clean-up Those Dried Cat Urine Marks Within Your Carpeting

It will require a bit more work to successfully eliminate older marks which sometimes have set in. You most likely need to get all of them out because your pet companion possess a remarkable sense of smell and might want to go to the bathroom on the same place repeatedly if it can smell its urine there.

Step 1 – Utilizing a carpet cleaning machine, remove any chemical products in addition to cleaners you may have used to remove the stains before on the carpet.

Just use clean water inside the carpet cleaning machine because of the fact that any kind of chemical products can reduce the ability of the enzymatic cleaner (which you’ll use next) at getting rid of the stain.

Avoid the use of too much water on the stain, simply because you do not want to increase the risk of the stain going into the padding beneath the carpeting!

Step 2 – Clean the stain by using an enzymatic product until the stain is no longer visible.

Step 3 – Once the cat urine stains has been visibly removed, utilize a black light flashlight in order to guarantee every last bit of cat urine is fully gone. The black light makes all indications of urine glow a purple color. It’s amazing what this little device can show you that your naked eye cannot see!

If you do discover some traces of urine still left, re-apply the cleaning solution to remove it.

By getting rid of every single cat urine spot, and above all the smells out of the carpet, you’ll considerably lessen the possibility of your cat urinating directly on those same spots for a second time.…