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Choosing Your Pet > Cats
Choosing Your Pet > Cats
Working couples and retirees, as well as other families and singles, have discovered that cats are wonderful companions. Their entertaining antics and affectionate behaviors have endeared these animals to millions of owners. Cats come in all colors and with all kinds of coats--short, long, or curly. Some cats are quiet and appear somewhat independent, but all cats need and want attention. Also, most cats can adapt to a variety of environments. As with dogs, there are purebreds and mixed breeds.
Each cat breed has certain characteristics. Although every cat is unique, certain breeds tend to be more inquisitive, lively, placid, vocal, or gentle than others. Veterinarians, cat-fancy clubs, pet stores, and cat shows are good sources of information about the personalities of various breeds. When selecting a kitten, use similar criteria as selecting a dog. The kitten should be neither too shy nor too aggressive. A healthy kitten actively seeks affection from people. Cats are easily housebroken and fastidious, and they don't have to be walked. For these reasons, many apartment owners and condominium associations allow their residents to keep cats.
A cat's air of independence does not mean that it can take care of all its own needs. Cat owners have important reponsibilities such providing food and water, social interaction, and changing the litter box regularly. Remember, cats have only one life, not nine! To prevent life-threatening diseases and enjoy a healthy life, your cat will require regular veterinary medical checkups and vaccinations as well. Ask your veterinarian about the common signs of feline illness.
Working couples and retirees, as well as other families and singles, have discovered that cats are wonderful companions. Their entertaining antics and affectionate behaviors have endeared these animals to millions of owners. Cats come in all colors and with all kinds of coats--short, long, or curly. Some cats are quiet and appear somewhat independent, but all cats need and want attention. Also, most cats can adapt to a variety of environments. As with dogs, there are purebreds and mixed breeds.
Each cat breed has certain characteristics. Although every cat is unique, certain breeds tend to be more inquisitive, lively, placid, vocal, or gentle than others. Veterinarians, cat-fancy clubs, pet stores, and cat shows are good sources of information about the personalities of various breeds. When selecting a kitten, use similar criteria as selecting a dog. The kitten should be neither too shy nor too aggressive. A healthy kitten actively seeks affection from people. Cats are easily housebroken and fastidious, and they don't have to be walked. For these reasons, many apartment owners and condominium associations allow their residents to keep cats.
A cat's air of independence does not mean that it can take care of all its own needs. Cat owners have important reponsibilities such providing food and water, social interaction, and changing the litter box regularly. Remember, cats have only one life, not nine! To prevent life-threatening diseases and enjoy a healthy life, your cat will require regular veterinary medical checkups and vaccinations as well. Ask your veterinarian about the common signs of feline illness.
Selecting A Puppy
Selecting A Puppy
A new puppy can be a terrific addition to a family, but with the fun comes responsibility for its care and well-being. Consider and prepare for your puppy's needs before you adopt! Pick a puppy that is active, friendly, and inquisitive. Avoid the one that appears to be afraid of everything or snarls at people. If you select a timid puppy because you feel sorry for it, be aware that such puppies may be fearful throughout their life. Fearful dogs sometimes become aggressive and bite. Balance is the key, so look for a well-rounded animal. The temperament of a puppy's relatives may be an indication of its future behavior. If you are getting a puppy from a breeder, ask to see the dog's parents. Request the names of owners of related dogs. Contact these owners for information about their dogs' behavior and health patterns. A dog's training is an important factor in determining future behavior. Healthy puppies learn quickly. Frequent contact with people early in the puppy's life enhances its adjustment to the human family. Six to 10 weeks is considered an ideal age to acquaint a puppy with its new home. Do not engage in rough games with your new puppy; this may encourage aggression. If you decide on a puppy be prepared for several months of housebreaking and initial medical expenses.
A new puppy can be a terrific addition to a family, but with the fun comes responsibility for its care and well-being. Consider and prepare for your puppy's needs before you adopt! Pick a puppy that is active, friendly, and inquisitive. Avoid the one that appears to be afraid of everything or snarls at people. If you select a timid puppy because you feel sorry for it, be aware that such puppies may be fearful throughout their life. Fearful dogs sometimes become aggressive and bite. Balance is the key, so look for a well-rounded animal. The temperament of a puppy's relatives may be an indication of its future behavior. If you are getting a puppy from a breeder, ask to see the dog's parents. Request the names of owners of related dogs. Contact these owners for information about their dogs' behavior and health patterns. A dog's training is an important factor in determining future behavior. Healthy puppies learn quickly. Frequent contact with people early in the puppy's life enhances its adjustment to the human family. Six to 10 weeks is considered an ideal age to acquaint a puppy with its new home. Do not engage in rough games with your new puppy; this may encourage aggression. If you decide on a puppy be prepared for several months of housebreaking and initial medical expenses.
Breed Selection
Dog Breed Selection
There are two types of dogs--purebred and mixed breed. The 124 recognized breeds are grouped into seven categories: hound, working, terrier, toy, sporting, non-sporting, and herding. There are thousands of mixed-breed combinations. Each purebred or mixed-breed dog has a unique personality. Dogs originally bred for a specific purpose tend to retain these characteristics. These dogs may require additional training and patience. Selecting a specific breed does not guarantee a particular behavior, but choosing offspring from animals with desirable temperaments does increase one's chances of getting the best pet. Mixed breeds can be as beautiful, intelligent, loving, and companionable as purebreds.Veterinarians, breed-specific books (usually available at libraries and pet stores), and dog shows are excellent sources of information about individual breed characteristics and needs.
There are two types of dogs--purebred and mixed breed. The 124 recognized breeds are grouped into seven categories: hound, working, terrier, toy, sporting, non-sporting, and herding. There are thousands of mixed-breed combinations. Each purebred or mixed-breed dog has a unique personality. Dogs originally bred for a specific purpose tend to retain these characteristics. These dogs may require additional training and patience. Selecting a specific breed does not guarantee a particular behavior, but choosing offspring from animals with desirable temperaments does increase one's chances of getting the best pet. Mixed breeds can be as beautiful, intelligent, loving, and companionable as purebreds.Veterinarians, breed-specific books (usually available at libraries and pet stores), and dog shows are excellent sources of information about individual breed characteristics and needs.
Creating A Pet Friendly Yard for your pet
Creating A Pet Friendly Yard for your pet
Yards can be a shopping center or candy store for pets. Pets often find materials that will harm them. Sometimes objects are forgotten by good intentioned owners. Other times, pets make their own mischief. It is important to ensure that your yard is secure, well maintained, and free of debris, trash and toxic substances.Creating a pet friendly yard is necessary for your pet's safety and well being. Your budget will thank you for taking the extra effort to patrol your yard from your pet's perspective looking for enticing tidbits that could unknowingly play havoc with their delicate bodies.
Plants "More than 700 plants have been identified as producing physiologically active or toxic substances in sufficient amounts to cause harmful effects in animals," advises the Humane Society of the United States. "Poisonous plants produce a variety of toxic substances and cause reactions ranging from mild nausea to death. Certain animal species may have a peculiar vulnerability to a potentially poisonous plant."
Plants, trees, and shrubs of all shapes and sizes have the potential to be toxic to pets. Animal bodies can be sensitive and each pet will react differently to ingested materials. When planning your backyard planting projects consider safe alternatives to favorites that could harm Fido or Fluffy.
How to Grow a Beautiful, Yet Dog-Safe Garden by geriatric veterinarian Ellen Friedman suggests eliminating foxglove, monkshood or aconitum, lily of the valley, snowball bush (hydrangea buds), and tobacco plant. Pet reactions to ingesting these substances can include irregular heartbeats, nausea, convulsions and seizures.
Bees and Wasps Eliminate or screen around low ground covers, shrubs or plants that attract bees and wasps. Pets interested in the pollen gathering activities can get stung.
Compost Bin "Fence off your compost bin," advises Friedman. "Decaying vegetable matter can send poochy to the vet with a raging upset stomach."
Gates and Fences Make certain all boundary materials are in good repair: eliminate protruding nails, chipped or peeling paint, and gaps that allow or encourage escape.
Grass Cut your grass often. Keep it watered to reduce dust and pests. Remember to rake or use the yard vacuum to pick up cuttings. If you must apply fertilizers and weed killers do so while pets are confined or visiting elsewhere. Always follow the instructions to ensure that treated grass is safe for your pet. Store fertilizers, weed killers, yard and gardening equipment out of reach and away from accessible play areas. Maintain a strict weed removal program since weeds can cause a variety of nasty fanny problems for pets that must potty in them.
Pools, Tubs and Spas Immediately fence or screen these areas. Not all pets are able to swim and those that are may still become trapped under the covers intended as energy savers.
Yard Care Items Tools, equipment, pesticides, fertilizers, weed treatments, repair and building supplies must be securely stored. Remember that anything sharp - no matter its size -- needs to be secured. Glass, plastic, wood, or metal can have edges that could easily slice tender pet skin and paws. Always keep them out of reach of your pets. Curious or bored animals can create their own entertainment. Proper storage gives them less opportunity to get hurt.
Your family veterinarian can provide you with additional suggestions when you share photos of your yard during visits. Walk out your door or through your gate and make your yard pet friendly. Your pet will love you for it!
Sources:
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).
Friedman, Ellen, DVM. How to grow a beautiful, yet dog-safe garden.
Humane Society of the United States. Plants potentially poisonous to pets.
Trethewey, Jenna. Do your dogs ever nibble on the plants outside?
Williams, Caitlin. Pets and backyard poisons.
Creepy, Crawly Critters
Creepy, Crawly Critters
There are many parasites we need be concerned about that can affect our pets. Ticks are one of the most common and frightful. Most people shudder just at the thought of a tick, let alone finding one on their pet or in their house. Unfortunately, the people who study these things tell us we should expect a large increase in the numbers of ticks. Global warming and milder winters may be contributing to the surge of ticks, even to areas they may not have populated before.Ticks are found worldwide, but tend to be found more in areas with warm, humid climates. They are parasites that attach to mammals, birds, and occasionally reptiles and amphibians, and suck blood from their host.
There are four stages in the tick life cycle; each tick requires three hosts and takes at least one year to complete the cycle. Each female tick can lay up to 3,000 eggs in the environment. Egg hatches and forms a larva which is very small, the size of a head of a pin, and it attaches usually to a small mammal or bird. Once it is done feeding, it detaches, and molts in the environment to the next stage, the nymph. The nymph then finds another, usually larger host to attach to and suck blood. Once it is done, it detaches, and matures into the adult tick. Adult ticks then need to find a suitable host. They climb to the top of long grass, bushes, or other plants, and wait for a dog, cat, deer, cow, or any other animal to brush up against it. Once on its host, it again bites the skin and feeds by drinking blood.
There are many different species of ticks, but most, if not all, can carry diseases they can give to their host. Common tick borne diseases are Lyme disease, Babesia, Ehrlichia, Anaplasmosis, tularemia, and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. All of these diseases can affect dogs, and many can occur in cats, people, and other species. The eggs can be infected inside the female tick, so even the tiny larval tick can be infectious.
There are some things you can do to try to prevent ticks in your house and yard. If you live in a more rural area, guinea fowl are great tick exterminators. Just two birds can clear two acres in one year. You can reduce the tick habitat by removing the leaf litter and clearing tall grass and brush. Discourage any wildlife from entering your yard with fences. If you live near woods, create a three foot wide barrier at the edge of your lawn with wood chips or gravel; ticks can't crawl across this. You should check your pets daily and remove any ticks you find.
We have three chemicals that we use on pets that will kill ticks, but only one can be used on cats. Fipronil, found in Frontline, can be used on dogs and cats. Permethrin has been used on dogs, but is very toxic to cats, you need to read labels and if it says "for dogs only", do not apply it to a cat as it will likely be lethal. Amitraz will also kill ticks. It is available for dogs only, in the form of a collar called Preventic. This is very effective but you must make sure the dog can't eat the collar. A new product by Merial called Certifect is a combination of fipronil and a low dose of amitraz. This is for dogs only, is applied topically once monthly, and is very effective.
You should talk to your veterinarian about the tick diseases in your area. There is a test kit your veterinarian can use in the clinic that will test for Lyme disease, Anaplasmosis, and Ehrlichia at the same time your dog gets its annual heartworm test. Your veterinarian can also discuss any treatments or preventatives from which your pet may benefit
Keep Cats Moving and Grooving
Keep Cats Moving and Grooving
Keeping your cat active can help it burn calories and use muscles, tendons and ligaments that may often be seen catnapping. Burning calories is important for your cat. The more your cat moves and exercises, the more calories it will expend during the activity. Exercise will help to off-set the naps taken in your favorite chair and help to prevent obesity.Exercise methods your doctor recommends will depend on your cat's current level of activity, health, age and medical condition. Indoor cats probably need more encouragement and support with exercise. You'll want to consider several methods to get your cat moving and grooving. Then, you'll want to shake up the sequence when you play.
Pet Weight Loss by veterinarian Jan Becker discusses pet exercise for owners of cats and dogs. "Cats on the other hand can be a bit harder to exercise," says Dr. Becker. Get your cats moving with cold laser lights flashed onto objects to interest them - but not in their eyes. Wiggle stuffed animals, move them sneakily to get your cat's interest and increase the attraction of pouncing, sneaking, hiding or batting at the soft toy.
- Rope, shoelaces, yarn and ribbon - Cats typically love to play with long stringy items like yarn and ribbon, but Dr. Becker warns owners to beware of these. Owners must be vigilant of linear products or toys and use these only with supervision. The string can easily get caught or tangled with your cat's tongue inducing them to swallow it. Unfortunately, when this happens it can be "very serious or even fatal, if surgery is not performed to remove the object.
- Flashlights - Everyone in your home has a flashlight for emergency use. Make sure your cat has one too. When playtime approaches, pick up your cat's flashlight, ruffle its coat and scratch its tummy. Move your arm behind you when the cat's awake and shine the flashlight beam two feet away from it. Your cat will see the light and want to pounce on it. As your cat moves toward the light, gently shift the light from place to place.
- Bags - Paper grocery bags and gift bags make crinkly sounds that consistently get cats' attention.
- Boxes - If your cat has a particular box it enjoys, encourage playtime with a small ball to bat from corner to corner of the box.
- Straws - Tying a drinking straw into a knot and dropping it in your cat's line of view can start playtime. Your cat will bat it from place to place, sliding, stretching, rolling and tumbling on floor or bed.
- Socks - Add a bit of catnip, a bell or small ball to a spare sock. Secure tightly and swing or drag gently so your cat will follow. "Catnip will often get a cat running around," says Dr. Becker. Not all cats are affected by catnip, but for those that are, keep in mind that catnip must be used in moderation. For cats, the nip is a stimulant that may cause digestive upsets."
- Bottle caps - These caps are typically received on five-gallon water bottles that arrive at your doorstep by delivery. The caps are larger, a firmer plastic and often times have the plastic neck still attached when you remove them to up-end your water into the household dispenser. Your cat will enjoy batting the cap around a smooth surface.
- Walk on leash - Cats can be walked on leash and will probably "walk you" advises Dr. Becker.
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