Cat Training » animals

Cat Health Care And Dog Health Care – Know Your Facts

CatTraining — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 21:19:19 +0000

We are all guilty of sometimes overreacting when it comes to our pets, but there are some things that are complete misconceptions and it’s about time we got these out into the open to highlight some of the things people make mistakes with when it comes to dog health care and cat health care. As a nation, we love our pets, but when it comes to looking after them properly and knowing the truth, we don’t always get it right.

Misconception 1: If I have my dog or cat neutered or spayed, this will make it lazy

Neutering your cat or dog does not necessarily impact on its health, but many fear that it does. Some think that neutering makes the animal fat and lazy, but this is only the case if you feed it more. Don’t misconstrue laziness for loyalty though, as dogs and cats tend to prefer to stay close to you when they have been neutered. In truth though, people do fear that neutering and spaying can shorten an animal’s life, but there is nothing to back this up at the moment.

Misconception 2: Dogs know when they have done something wrong

Trust us that this isn’t true. Dogs are like children and they say you should treat an animal like it is a 2 year old child, which is why some dogs do not understand when they have done something wrong. Teach them that something is wrong by pointing to the offending area and showing them that it is bad. Otherwise, they will never know. If you get hysterical then the dog might just think you are happy and not associate it with actually being bad. Never hit a dog though. No pet owner should lay a hand to a dog and think that it is an acceptable part of dog health care; for it quite simply isn’t. The same applies to any mistreating of cats and kittens – this is not good cat health care.

Check with a vet if you are concerned about something not being accurate with your dog health care and cat health care practices. A vet is a good person to talk to as they are adept at dealing with all cat health care and dog health care issues.

The Rise Of The Hairball – Cat Health Care Tips To Help

CatTraining — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 23:02:36 +0000

No cat owner wants to have to deal with hairballs, but they are a common problem with cats. They are caused by a build up of fur and lack of brushing. Cats end up swallowing furballs and this is where the problem starts. Once these lodge in the cat’s throat, choking can ensue. This is an unpleasant thing to have to stand by and watch.

Cat health care is all about looking after all aspects of your cat. Look out for a build up of fur. Great advice is to make sure grooming your cat forms a part of your daily routine. Grooming is great and it helps seal the bond between owner and pet. Make sure you do it gently so the animal becomes more relaxed and it will sit in your lap all day as you groom it!

Since some cats out there have very long and thick fur, it is important that you check with the vet if anything specific needs to be done to look after it. Anyone with a Persian cat will know how stunning it is to look at, but the long fur is more likely to make hairballs. You can’t stop the cat from licking itself, as they all do it, which is why hairballs are such a problem. Luckily, dogs don’t suffer with this hairball problem, as they don’t clean themselves by licking the fur. Cats have to lick their fur to keep clean which is why they end up with copious amounts of hair in their throats!

Once the hairball gets into the digestive system, the cat will start trying to cough it up. When the choking starts, the cat’s owner will get a bit nervous about how they are supposed to handle the situation. The cat must finish coughing up the hairball, so keep an eye on it. Look out for any worrying signs and just make sure the cat is okay after coughing the fur up. Luckily, there are some things available to help treat hairballs, so speak to the vet for more information.

Caring for Cats – the easy way

CatTraining — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 22:49:43 +0000

You’ll want a nice deal of commitment so as to have a cat as they do need some care (though not as much as dogs!) and can live as previous as 15 years (or even longer in some cases).

Cats need feeding (daily), care and ‘play time’ on a regular basis. You will conjointly have to require into consideration, before obtaining your cat, that you’ll have vets’ bills to get annual vaccines, worming and if treatment is required for any illnesses. These bills can typically be terribly pricey, however you’ll purchase insurance for pets – it might be a sensible plan to ‘search around’ to urge the simplest deal.

Before getting your cat, you should purchase bowls for food and water, a collar (if you wish the cat to wear one), a bed (or pet quilt), a few appropriate toys, and a few food.

A kitten should be fed throughout the day four times with a little amount of food each meal, reducing to three times on a daily basis at three months previous, then at six-8 months 2 meals per day. Older cats (over twelve months) should solely be fed twice within the day (usually morning and early evening).

Cats groom themselves, but employing a soft brush on the cat, particularly the long haired variety, will facilitate to chop down the amount of hairballs in the cat’s abdomen, which are caused by them licking / grooming themselves.

If you choose to own a cat-flap fitted to your door in order {that the} cat will come back and go as it pleases, you may have to coach it to use the flap. You’ll be able to use tit-bits to entice the cat to travel through the flap, when it’s absolutely open. Start by gap the flap totally, simply showing the tit-bit, then next time close the flap a little bit and persevere doing therefore till the cat realises {that the} flap will open with a small push of the head.

Cats like to sharpen their claws on most household furniture! Suites, corners of walls (thick paper), carpets. Invest in an exceedingly scratch post – there are a number of to decide on from. When the cat starts to scratch, lift the cat and place him/her next to the scratch post, they can soon get the message and use the post rather than the furniture.

If you are concerned about your cat going missing, or it being concerned in an accident, you can have a micro-chip (approximately the size of a grain of rice) inserted into the back of the cat’s neck. The chip contains information, which will facilitate to spot the cat as belonging to you.

It’s often said that ‘a cat looks once itself’. This can be clearly not extremely true, however they do have a a lot of freelance nature than another domesticated pets. That said, they still create ideal companions once they ‘allow’ you to be their friend.

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Caring For Cats

CatTraining — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 22:49:42 +0000

Cat lovers need not feel down in the mouth regarding protecting their pets from serious disease. In fact, their cat’s mouth could be a smart place to start. A recent study shows that cats with common kinds of oral disease have a better rate of testing positive for more serious diseases.

The good news is that with early detection and proper veterinary care, cats with serious diseases like feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), the feline version of HIV, and feline leukemia virus (FeLV) will live long and healthy lives. Having cats tested may be a key issue in slowing the spread of those diseases.

An estimated thirty one million cats within the U.S. are at risk for FIV and FeLV. These diseases are spread from cat to cat (they cannot be unfold to individuals) and are highly contagious. Since cats with FIV and FeLV typically have no visible symptoms and many cat house owners don’t seem to be aware their cat has been exposed, it’s vitally vital to possess cats tested. Treatment typically consists of a nutritional diet, closer monitoring and additional frequent visits to the vet.

The study, conducted by veterinary clinics around the country, found one in every eight cats that had some type of oral disease also tested positive for FIV, FeLV or both. Cats with oral diseases are four times additional doubtless to own those conditions than cats without.

“This study encourages testing cats that have gingivitis and different oral diseases for FIV and FeLV infection. This provides veterinarians valuable new information in their efforts to fight these contagious viruses,” said Dr. Jan Bellows, a diplomate of the Yank Veterinary Dental College and the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners.

Cat house owners ought to work with their veterinarian to determine an everyday schedule of comprehensive wellness exams, including dental screenings and FIV/FeLV testing.

The Yank Association of Feline Practitioners says a cat ought to also be tested for FIV/FeLV:

• When sick, regardless of previous negative results. Signs of illness could embrace changes in behavior, grooming and eating habits.

• When cats and kittens, no matter age, are newly adopted.

• When cats live in households with unknown infection status. Infected cats who do not have symptoms will still transmit the viruses to uninfected cats.

• When cats have had potential exposure, whether or not they snuck outdoors or got in a very fight with a cat of unknown infection status.

• Annually, especially for cats that fight or live with infected cats.

The Yank Veterinary Medical Association recommends cat owners visit their veterinarians for a wellness exam twice a year.

Cat Furniture

CatTraining — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 10:31:51 +0000

I keep in mind dreading the day I found the proper couch to travel in our appartment. Binx was never explicit with what he liked scratching on and I realised that if I bought this couch, that it would end up trying sort of a shreaded pin cushion during a matter of hours not days!

Just entering into a new appartment (or having been there a long time) introducing your kitty to his new surroundings will be quite tough and you want to stay him inside for regarding every week to a few weeks till you are satisfied that he’s happy to know where home is and he’s settled himself before deciding to let him outside. While he’s within for those one to 3 weeks, if you are unfortunate enough to not be ready to stay home and watch your kitty 24/seven, you will possible to come home and realize the couch has been attacked or worse, I used to come back home and notice the base of my bed had been attacked!

Currently declawing is definately out of the choice, the only alternative choice left was to appear at is Cat Furniture for your kitty. For starters a cat scratcher particularly if you have an interior kitty! Currently I was terribly warey how Binx would take to the current new carpeted object sitting within the lounge, and it had been quite lucky I had bought him a Cat Nip plant!

Your kitty will probably go nutty over Cat Nip, but not all cats react the same means to it. If your kitty is not taking any notice of his new scratching pole, and continues to be using your couch, break a few leaves off the Cat Nip plant and proceed to rub it everywhere the carpeted pole. It took some days of sniffing for Binx to actually get any interest within the pole, however once your kitty gets the thought or if need be, show kitty how it should be used initial, and praise him every time he uses it properly!

Make positive the pole is secured down properly as a result of it may topple onto kitty whereas he’s using it, and it will just scare him off using the pole for sensible! I had ours wedged underneath the TV Cabnet and currently the Low table and removed the bell attached to the high of the pole as it seemed to scare Binx everytime it jingled behind him! And guess what – He has not touched our new couch, ONCE!

Cat Fights

CatTraining — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 10:31:50 +0000

Feral or unferal, your kitty may get snarled in one of those if they’re in explicit an out of doors cat. Indoor cats if by themselves are clearly not as prone to the current risk, unless they notice themselves outside, or a stray visitor inside.. however two or additional indoor cats can have their “bad” days as well.

If you permit your cat to roam outside in the large wild outdoors, I seriously suggest you’re taking kitty to your veternarian from a young age and begin obtaining him vaccinated! And create sure this is often done every year no questions! This is often necessary if you don’t need your kitty to get infected by nasties like Feline Aids (FIV) which is transmitted through blood while fighting. This additionally protects your kitty among a ton of different completely different diseases out there like Feline Leukemia
(FLV). It’s conjointly highly advisable to urge him (or her) neutered. Unspayed males can fight feirsly for a female if she is in heat, which can leave each cats in tatters and spayed males will notice themselves in the center of one thing they do not perceive if an unspayed males get the incorrect idea…

Cats fighting outside in the dead of night time can be quite of a shock, as typically they can sound shut to a kid shreking or yelling, and it is definately the last factor you wish to hear when your attempting to sleep in the dead of night! My final manner of getting rid of cats engaged during a fight is to turn the hose on them, as noises will not startle them hardly as they’re concentrating an excessive amount of on the other cat!

For indoor cats, clearly water everywhere the carpet is unwanted therefore I find sometimes putting a massive object between the 2 that can cut of eye contact with both cats, if they are engaged in a very fight, don’t get in their method as cat bites can not only hurt, however are a lot of possible to become infected than dog bites. Use a chair and turn the other way up and use the back of the chair and gently slide the chair between the cats, this will startle them and stop them from fighting. Offer the cats ‘time out’ by putting one in an exceedingly closed room for a short period of time.

A smart tell-tale sign if a cat is frightened, the hair can stand up everywhere the body and when the cat threatens or is prepared to attack, you may see the hair arise in a very slim band along the spine and tail to create him look bigger, and this is often conjointly a sensible time to urge out that hose or chair!

With the common lifespan of an outside solely cat if they’re feral or unferal, is solely concerning three years! Which is why if you love your kitty and want him to possess a healthy live, keep him indoors and he will live a whopping sixteen years longer!

Not only will you profit from keeping your kitty living longer indoors, it can save you expensive veternarian bills for infected scratches, broken teeth, torn ears, and thus on by these nasty one-on-ones.

Cat Claw Survival Solutions To The Rescue!

CatTraining — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 10:31:49 +0000

Cats will be sick tempered and mean on their worst days, however even the most annoying problems have a remedy somewhere. If your cat is clawing your furniture, your carpet, and your legs with the identical ferocity, understanding the how and why behind the behavior will facilitate your redirect your feline friend’s clawing instinct to be expressed in less harmful ways.

So why IS your cat clawing everything in sight?

Here’s the jawdropper: a cat’s claws never stop growing. Let me repeat that: They NEVER stop growing. When I found that out, a big light-weight went off in my head. Simply sort of a pet hamster that constantly desires to knaw on wood to stay their teeth from growing too long, what cats are literally doing once they sharpen their claws is removing the outermost layer of their claws. O.K. Kitty Cat, we tend to finally get it!

Therefore what to try to to? What to try and do?

The primary thought bubble that forms is to scoop kitty up for a little declawing action at the closest vet’s office. But before you’re taking such a drastic step, remember that once those claws are gone, they’re GONE. Take away those claws, and you’re doing away with your pet’s primary kind of defense. Even if you have got an indoor cat like I do, probabilities are, eventually, a window of opportunity is going to open up just long enough for your cat to slide outside and be at risk of attacks from other animals and people.

O.K. Therefore currently you recognize why your cat is really using you as a scratching post. Let’s move far from the word “using”. During a way, it’s reasonably flattering. That doesn’t build it hurt any less. Let’s get your cat to branch out. It’s time to urge a REAL scratching post, therefore that your pet can get into the habit of using it rather than YOU, whenever those claw sharpening impulses might strike.

Thus how do we have a tendency to get kitty to interrupt her bad habits and begin to use the right place where she will scratch to her heart’s content?

The solution lies in you.

That is in fact, IF you’re your cat’s favorite person within the family.

If therefore, then attempt hanging an editorial of clothing that belongs to you on your virgin scratching post. The thought is to make the world smell familiar. A day or 2 should be enough for your cat to become accustomed to its’new scratching outlet.

Don’t need to part with something from your wardrobe? Time to urge a little sneakier then. Catnip will be your secret weapon. Sprinkle catnip over the scratching post and watch what happens. This one could be even worth breaking out the video camera for.

This next possibility sounds a very little weird, however believe me, it WORKS!

Try sprinkling the post area with powdered chicken bouillon. The concept is to urge the cat to feel friendly enough toward the scratching post to attack it.

Whereas your cat is creating the transition to a designated space for scratching, there are many ways that to form your cat’s favorite scratching areas a ton less attractive. This can help ease the transition from the old spots to the new.

Sprinkle recent lemon juice over them. Cover or wrap the areas in aluminum foil. Remember what it felt like when your fingernails went down the chalkboard? Ever strive it again? Cats can experience the same factor and be deterred from using the areas. Finally, clean the areas well to eradicate any cat odor. This will go a protracted manner toward removing the aura of familiarity that makes the habit of using the space. Additionally, just keep the doors closed to create those places inaccessible to the cat.

Currently that you recognize a lot of concerning the how and why of your cat’s clawing instinct and behavior, take these straightforward steps and you’ll soon see a resolution to the cat clawing issues in your household. With a very little time and patience, your cat’s claw sharpening activities should be restricted to its’favorite spot: the scratching post!

About Saltwater Aquarium Fish! – Beautiful…

CatTraining — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 10:31:46 +0000

Saltwater aquarium fish are amongst the foremost stunning of animals placed anywhere in the world. A variety of saltwater aquarium fish will be housed in your marine tank provided you know what they need in terms of care, like feeding, setting, competitors and house to grow.

Any marine enthusiast will tell you that fitting a marine tank is tricky and therefore is selecting the correct saltwater aquarium fish! This is as a result of it’s easy to create mistakes with the sorts of fish you choose. It’s usually best to start out your marine tank with a few hardy and cheap fish. The bulk of saltwater aquarium fish are collected from nature instead of captive raised thus don’t waste that gift by creating mistakes that result in the death of your fish.

Damsels are a great saltwater aquarium fish to start out off with. Damsels are hardy very little creatures and will survive in poorer water conditions than several different marine species. They’re not fussy concerning their food and won’t value you the earth. Unfortunately damsels are quite aggressive. You’ll easily keep one or two of those powerful saltwater aquarium fish in a tank but don’t try any more than that.

Its best to start with damsels and then add a lot of aggressive fish later, If you want to accommodate saltwater aquarium fish that are more keep, you need to take your damsels out before adding more timid types of saltwater aquarium fish. Blue and yellow damsels are 2 species that are less aggressive than others.

Mollies are an alternative starter saltwater aquarium fish. Mollies that are used to salt water allow you to begin with cheaper fish while you learn how to create positive the salinity of your tank is correct for a lot of sensitive creatures. On the other hand mollies are raised and bred in captivity therefore you won’t get much real experience in keeping them. Get them used to the tank by permitting saltwater to drip into the bag for about half-dozen-eight hours. When the bag becomes full take away some water. Once the tank cycles you can keep the fish in the tank.

Clownfish are cousins to damsel fish and are a fairly hardy saltwater aquarium fish. They are not that straightforward to acclimate to a marine tank, though. They are additionally quite territorial but aren’t probably to be aggressive to alternative species. They don’t have to possess an anemone to survive. If you do get one bear in mind that they have water that’s terribly clean and high quality lighting.

Blennies or gobies are fairly hardy and little and shouldn’t be a drawback for the opposite saltwater aquarium fish within the tank. They’re character fish but they are tiny and thus would possibly get lost in terribly huge tanks with bigger saltwater aquarium fish. They are a sensible alternative to assist control algae but if you have a fish solely tank they may not be simple to stay fed.

Tangs are a hardy saltwater aquarium fish which are a little sensitive and tend to contract marine ich (conjointly know as “White Spot”). They eat algae therefore once you grow some you might attempt to introduce some tangs.

Triggerfish or lionfish are a perfect saltwater aquarium fish for a tank that will eventually contain massive aggressive fish. But they can be costly if you create mistakes. It would possibly be a sensible idea to ‘practice’ on fish that are each cheaper and easier. You’ll would like to feed them lots of shell fish and other sea creatures to stay them healthy.

Angels and butterflies are very sensitive and tough saltwater aquarium fish to keep. They need special diets more often than not thus they’re not that easy to worry for in a very tank. The same goes for batfish.

Once you gain more experience keep conditions in your tank stable you can add a few different styles of fish. Select from hawkfishes, grammas, dottybacks, basslets and wrasses. However create sure to search out out concerning how to require care of them properly as a result of some aren’t as easy as others. But they are a abundant easier bet that angels and butterflies.

So that saltwater aquarium fish should beginners avoid? You ought to not attempt angelfish, butterfly fish, pipefish, seahorses, long-nosed filefish, blue ribbon eels, stonefish, and Moorish Idols plus mandarin fish till you actually know what you are doing.

What concerning invertebrates? Contrary to common belief invertebrates are well fitted to mini or micro-reef tanks. Several invertebrates do well in non-reef tanks. For the novice aquarist the hardy species are best. These embody shrimps just like the cleaner shrimp, blood shrimp or peppermint shrimp and coral banded shrimp. As is the case with saltwater aquarium fish, continue the hardier shrimps to begin with.

Anemone crabs are another possibility you might strive along together with your saltwater aquarium fish. And why not add some ocean urchins and starfish that are quite well matched to beginners with a couple of month’s experience? They differ in size, form and color and a few are toxic therefore take care! Sea urchins and starfish eat detritus and algae and other little bits of food therefore they will help to keep your tank clean and your saltwater aquarium fish healthy.

Anemones aren’t really suited to beginners. They have special lighting and top-notch water conditions thus if you can’t foot the bill for the lights stay away otherwise you’ll live to regret it. Invertebrates you ought to avoid embody tridacna clams, flame scallops, Octopi, Nudibranchs, or any hard or soft coral and sea squirts. Just like the saltwater aquarium fish listed previously these invertebrates have special feeding and living requirements.

When you select saltwater aquarium fish, you need to bear in mind that they’re a touch more expensive then the freshwater varieties. For that reason you should be sure with them and try to stay them alive. When fish are captured and moved from the shop to your home they’re liable to induce stressed, especially since most of them are taken from the ocean mere days ago. Therefore make positive you’ll properly care for your new friends before you bring them home!

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Xmas Stocking Fillers for Feline Fanciers

CatTraining — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:32:35 +0000

Desperate for those trifling, but all-important, little” giftettes” to use as stocking fillers? These little items that are usually a boon to late night garages on Christmas Eve can also be imaginative and creative. Chosen with care, the stocking filler can even be more appropriate and appreciated than the so called main present and reveal the depth of your empathy, insight and connection with a loved one.

Now, it’s a well know fact that Christmas gifts for pet lovers, especially cat people, are notoriously difficult to get right. Do you buy for the moggie or for the doting owner?People who regard their animals as human beings and describe themselves as the cat’s “mummy” or “daddy” are clearly mentally ill as well as not being up to speed with where babies come from.The ideal gift would be a straight-jacket obviously, but most of us will prefer something that panders to that anthropomorphic fancy without insulting the flea-ridden object of obsession. Stocking fillers for the special lady in your life (and let’s face it – cat lovers tend to be women) can demonstrate your empathy and support her belief that if she leaves her cat in a room with a spoon, a couple or paperclips and some string, before you know it Tiddles will have made a fully functioning helicopter. Wheras in relality Tiddles will likely just wee on the Bedroom furniture and claw the carpet up a bit.

Gifts for her who maintains “love me, love my cat” come no better than Dr Ivor Kitten’s (really!) “How Clever Is Your Cat Test”.It will establish if the moggie is an intelligent creature of comfort or just a cunning homicidal fur-ball through a series of tests that measure curiosity, body image and intelligence. A free catnip mouse is included to give the mog a bit of encouragement. So if you’ve always suspected that, insanely jealous of your relationship with its “mummy, you’ll wake up one morning tied to the cat’s scratching post, putting Tiddles to the test can at least prepare you for that possibility.Or it can reassure you that there are no darker motives, and all it wants to do is scratch your eyes out if you touch that particular spot on its belly!

Groom Your Cat To Avert Hairballs – Kitty Will Love You For It

CatTraining — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:32:28 +0000

As loving cat owners we hate to judge that our beloved pets are feeling unwell. That be able to be the basic impression when your cat starts making hacking noises. Generally this is the first signs of the cat trying to eliminate a hairball.

If you identify a blob of disgusting stuff on your floor, it is likely to be a hairball. Cats require to do this in order to get rid of hair from within their stomachs to defend them from getting sick.

What is it? It’s a mass of hair and maybe some food from the inside of a cat’s body. When a cat grooms himself, he removes loose hair from throughout his body and it ends up in his stomach. Sometimes, the hair comes together and forms a ball in there. If he can not pass it, it is likely it won’t fracture down but will come up instead.

Most cats have dilemma with removing hairballs. If the cat can not acquire them up, it be able to obtain into the intestines and cause a blockage. This is lifestyle threatening to the pet. If your cat seems to be constipated it may be a sign of a blockage. If the cat is lethargic and his coat is dull and unhealthy looking, this also may be a sign. Watch that he eats as he normally does. If not, you should call and take him to recognize the vet who will then find out if it is a hairball and next he’ll remove it.

You be able to avert this type of trouble yourself though. One of the important ways to do this is to groom the pet. The long haired cat need to be combed and brushed each day to reduce excess hair. If you start to groom him when he is still young, he will study to tolerate it. He may even style forward to being groomed. Any cats will deliver their combs to their owners even. If he doesn’t like to be groomed, utilize a grooming glove instead.

If the cat still seems to have problem with hairballs, you be able to insert dietary aids to his diet. One of these is a dry cat food that be able to help to prevent hairballs. Don’t simply buy the first bag of the formula that you find. Make sure it is still a good quality food for your pet, one that is high in protein and other nutrients. If your cat has a hairball, you be able to store for the gel that be able to be added to the food which will help the hairball to pass. Make assured to consult your vet sooner than using one of these hairball remedies for long periods of period though.

You be able to try several of the more usual remedies as successfully but you must insure they are okay with your vet first. A few will essentially cause your pet discomfort or else will eliminate principal nutrients from his body. These contain such things as pumpkin, mineral oils and even butter. If your cat continues to have trouble with hairballs, consult your vet concerning what you have to do to increase this.