Jan
15
Filed Under (Pets) by Catherine V. Testaratti

There is a common problem among puppies or adult dogs that are submissive and it is spontaneous peeing when excited or scared. We are learning that these problems are easy to fix by following a few of the steps below. Remember to always be consistent when training or working with a dog to rid them of their bad habits.

If your dog is experiencing this disorder that causes unnecessary peeing, then he might suffer from submissive/excitement issues. After a clean bill of health from the vet that there are no other medical problems that might cause this problem, then we can move on to the submissive/excitement peeing issue. Here are some things that you can try with your dog.

If you dog does not pee when you are in the dominant position like looking in its eyes or greeting it face to face, then it’s probably an excitement issue. However if your dog pee’s when it’s in trouble or when you are bending down to greet him in a dominant position, then of course it is submissive. Luckily, we can fix both of these problems.

First of all, never yell at your submissive dog because it leads to insecure behavior. Train your dog to roll over, shake or sit up and reward her with praise and a treat. Submissive dogs need more kit gloves, no yelling, get to their level when engaging and as always pet them by scratching under the chin; never on top of their head.

If there are accidents with the peeing, don’t respond, just clean it up. But remember to praise the dog when they pee in their appropriate spot. Rewards and positive affirmation are always the best medicine.

Puppies are typically known for excitement peeing, especially during the first year. But older dogs are known for this as well. Excited to have visitors or the excitement of your arrival from work can trigger peeing. Just remember that there is no need to respond to the accident, just clean it up and praise the puppy when they are successful.

Puppies are known for peeing while playing. They just can’t contain themselves with all the excitement. Because of this we recommend that you do all your playing outside to eliminate any accidents on your expensive rug.

High energy greetings upon arrival home can also set off the excitement peeing. If you arrive home and the dog is excited and jumping around, we suggest you ignore him until he calms down. Keeping the excitement to a minimum can help correct the peeing problem.

Most dogs greet you at the door with an overwhelming excitement. Do not encourage this behavior, instead ignore the dog and only greet him when he is calm. Therefore you are sending him positive affirmation that calm is better than excited, eliminating the excitement peeing.

Have an Animal that you Love? Visit Catherine’s favorite Pet Supplies for Dogs online store that uses nature’s highest quality ingredients. They have the most wonderful Natural Organic Dog Shampoos on the market.

Jan
08
Filed Under (Pets) by Christine Pinkston

Whether you are concerned that your cat may have gotten pregnant or you are thinking about breeding your cat, you will be amazed about the information you need to know to help your cat stay healthy.

While younger cats have a more difficult time getting pregnant than older cats, you will find that the cat pregnancy length, the time between mating and birth is actually quite standardized.

As a general rule, a cats pregnancy length is between fifty seven to seventy days long. The average days a cat is pregnant is around 64, give or take a few days, and that puts it around 9 weeks.

There are many signs to keep a look out for when you are trying to figure out if your cat is pregnant. The first and most likely sign you will notice is the absence of your cat going into heat. An unspayed female cat will generally have a cycle she will follow for going into heat and it will be from between ten to fourteen days.

If she suddenly stops giving the signs of having gone into heat, there is a good chance that she might be pregnant. The first physical sign that you are likely to see is that her nipples will have a swollen, slightly tender look and they might turn pinker in color.

A pregnant cats appetite will also increase as her body is looking for more nourishment. Your cat may also vomit a few times. Any more then that though and you should either call or visit your vet to make sure your cat is not having a problem pregnancy.

In the fifth week of pregnancy, around 35 days, your cats stomach will begin to get swollen from her kittens growing larger. From here, her stomach will continually get bigger until she has her litter.

Take some time and familiarize yourself with the process of pregnancy in cats; this might be important for you and the health of your pet!

If you are wondering how to tell if your cat is pregnant then chances are good you have a pregnant cat on your hands and you will need to get information on how to care for her. One thing you should consider is feeding your cat homemade cat food. Learn how to tell if your cat is pregnant and how to feed your cat homemade cat food.

Jan
07

Often it has been seen that whenever a cat owner opens the door, the cat runs out of the home. Probably the cat is just curious to have a look at the outside world. If that is your problem, then you should probably consider cat leash training. Cats are considered to be very stubborn and thus the question is quite obvious, can you leash train a cat? The answer is yes, cats can be trained on leashes. The trick is doing it the right way. Most cats (not all) can be leash trained with patience.

The main purpose of a leash is to control the erratic behavior of your pet while outdoors. Cats are taken on leashes so that they don’t run away from you and cause public nuisance. Once a cat escapes it’s very difficult to catch him, because they are very agile and able to get through small spaces easily, not to mention their jumping abilities. In some areas, it’s illegal for a cat to run free. It’s also potentially dangerous, despite your cat’s fine instincts. There are cars, large dogs and rabid squirrels to contend with that your cat might not be able to escape.

When it comes to cat leash training, it’s helpful if your cat is already accustomed to wearing a collar. That way you’ll avoid the extra steps involved in collar training and you won’t need to start from scratch. If your cat does not have a collar, then probably you are going to have a tougher time to complete cat leash training, but it’s still not impossible.

The first step is to acquaint your cat with the leash that you will be using. The best way to do so is to place the leash at a place where a cat spends most of its time. The bed or feeding bowl is a good place. Put on the leash or harness just before the cat is ready to take its meal. Make sure that the leash or harness leaves a space of two fingers when placed and does not make the cat uncomfortable. If the cat is comfortable with the leash consider yourself lucky as cats generally do not like foreign objects placed on them.

Kitty training, especially training your cat to walk on a leash, is a lengthy process. During the training period, you need to have lot of patience. Keep an eye on the reactions of the cat all the while. If you try to force your will on the cat, you are bound to lose, so do it with patience. You can also entice your cat to cooperate by giving him treats.

The next step is to walk your cat with the leash on within the house. Praise him if he takes it easily and give him some motivation by offering food or a toy. If the cat is not responding favorably, repeat the above mentioned steps till he gets completely comfortable with the idea of a leash.

Cats are very independent animals and like to stay that way. It is often said that humans do not make cats their pets; it is the other way round. Cats use humans so that they can get food and shelter. For this they have adapted themselves in such a way that we feel affectionate towards them and take them as pets. You need to use these attributes in order to coax your cat to walk on a leash.

Leash training is just one unusual form of cat training. Visit Cat Toilet Training to find out why and how you can easily teach your cat to give up its litter box and use the toilet instead!

Jan
03
Filed Under (Pets) by Catherine V. Testaratti

As many of us probably already know from experience, there is a common bone and arthritic condition that larger and giant dogs are prone to. This condition can present itself early in a pup’s life, especially between the ages of 4 to 10 months. This abnormal growth of bone, cells or tissue can be managed but it requires a vet’s intervention.

The Dysplasia abnormality can lead to your dog becoming lame if not treated. There is a type of condition similar to this that affects males more than females. Typically this condition is found in the larger breeds like Labs, Rottiweilers, Chows and other giant breeds.

The specific type that affects more males than females is when you find a bone fragment in the inner surface of the upper ulna. The ulna bone is just below the elbow joint in the foreleg. This would be the only situation where there would be a gender difference for this condition.

Not all large dogs will show symptoms when they are young even if they are affected. If your dog shows signs of forelimb lameness that can also be irritated by exercise, which then turns to stiffness, this could be a sign of elbow Dysplasia. Also, when the dog extends or flexes his elbow or the dog will hold the affected limb away from his body.

The cause of this condition is not only genetic but can be caused by nutritional or developmental issues. It is important for you to get your pup to the vet for a medical examination. The vet will be able to make a diagnosis after a series of tests to eliminate other causes for the symptoms.

Initially your vet will want to take a variety of tests to determine if your dog is actually suffering from Dysplasia. The symptoms that are associated with Dysplasia can also indicate a variety of other ailments; therefore x-rays and other tests will be completed prior to making a diagnosis. There is a good chance that surgery will be needed if the diagnosis is Dysplasia.

After surgery, keep the dog’s limb iced down throughout the recover process to avoid excessive swelling. Control your dogs weight, keep him from being very active in the beginning but remember to encourage some mobility. Also, the possibility of medications might be involved in your dog’s recovery.

If you monitor your dogs diet you can help prevent the onset of Dysplasia. Keeping them from rapidly growing by managing their diet can help. If you have a dog that has been diagnosed with Dysplasia, it’s best that you do not breed them.

Large dogs are prone to this condition so it’s not anything to be overly worried about. However, if you purchased your dog from a breeder, better to let them know about the condition. Dogs with Dysplasia can live long happy lives; just remember to keep up with their yearly checkups.

Have a Pet that you Love? Visit Catherine’s favorite Pet Supplies for Dogs online store that uses nature’s highest quality ingredients. They have the most amazing Natural Organic Dog Shampoos available.

Jan
03
Filed Under (Pets) by Catherine V. Testaratti

Many new dog owners are totally unaware of the needs of their pet. They feel like they need to feed them, let them out in the yard and give them a little love and that’s all. Well, there is a lot more to it then that.

We humans forget that we can not treat our dogs like people, and most of the time this is what is causing our problems with our dogs. We get a new puppy; they are so cute so we let them sleep with us like a baby. This creates the first of many problems.

As we try and put the cute puppy that’s growing and taking over the bed out of the bed and room, we are now faced with whining and scratching the door. Now another problem is created and no one in the house is sleeping. Well except your husband and kids because we know they can sleep through anything.

Sometimes these dogs that bark continuously when they are not with you are suffering from separation anxiety. One easy solution is to put the dog’s bed in the room with you or a family member. Moving the dog’s bed or crate into a room where he is sleeping with a family member should fix the problem.

As we mentioned above, crating a dog is a solution for sleeping problems. Dogs do feel safe when crated and you will be surprised how fast this works. Some owners feel bad for the dog, but don’t.

If you have a dog that you just can’t cure of the separation anxiety issues, some vets suggest getting the dog a friend. Getting another dog can give the anxious dog a companion and tends to help relieve the separation issues. They will play during the day while you are at work and tire themselves out.

Exercise is a key part of a dog’s day and should not be avoided even if they have a yard to run in. Walking the dogs for about 30 minutes and give them some socialization which they enjoy, just as we do. Hyper dogs really do need to be worn out and playing with them in the park is a good way to do this.

During the day while you are at work, your dog is usually home sleeping. Then when you return home for the evening, the dog is wired for sound. Keeping your dog active is the key to a peaceful nights sleep.

Younger more active dogs are in definite need of exercising. As dogs get older, they will slow down but you still need to take them out for walks and socialization. Being a responsible pet owner will provide your dog with a happy and healthy life and afford you a good night’s sleep!

Have a Pet that you Care For? Visit Catherine’s favorite Pet Supplies for Dogs online store that uses nature’s best ingredients. They have the most amazing Natural Organic Dog Shampoos available.

Jan
01
Filed Under (Pets) by Catherine V. Testaratti

As pet owners, our primary responsibility to make sure we are doing our part to keep our pets healthy. Sometimes that is not such an easy task. Diet is a main source of their health but with so many different types of food available, how do we know what’s best for our pet?

With our pets now being part of our family, we are more concerned about getting their needs met. With diet being a major factor in that, we will share some good facts to know. Of course, some dogs might require special diets so check with your vet for their opinion.

Something that we don’t think about is that dog food for dogs have certain requirements. Being the carnivores that they are, we forget that they also need vegetables and grasses as part of their diet. Get familiar with what your dog’s dietary needs are to make sure that they are being fed a healthy diet.

Back in the days before us humans got involved with prepackaged dog food, a dog’s diet left up to their own devices would consist of something a lot different. They would be eating their own catch of prey, uncooked of course with a little grass and some seasonal fruits and berries. Today we scream and holler if they even remotely look like they are heading out for the kill.

Within society today, it is intolerable for dogs to hunt for their fresh prey to eat. We have domesticated them to a point where they are dependent on their owners for their food. We certainly do not see our sweet little dogs as the hunter’s they were originally born to be.

Another thing to consider when choosing a dogs diet is the breed of your dog. In addition to breed, the function of the dog in regards to working can influence the nourishment your dog needs. Lap dogs have a different dietary need than a working farm dog or a dog breed that is from the North Pole.

There are commercial brand foods that are good for dog but be sure you buy the premium top brands. These brands are tested on dogs and they are monitored throughout various stages of their lifetime. The important thing is that they are manufactured with the right dietary needs for dogs.

Some of the downsides to commercial processed foods are that they do contain preservatives that will break down some of the nutritional value of the food. Additives are usually added to meet certain nutritional requirements as well. If you are uncertain about the food, your vet will usually carry good premium brands so check with them.

Just remember that you must supplement your dogs diet with meats and vegetables if you are only feeding them dry food. Whatever you decide to do about your dogs diet, make sure that you couple that with exercise and lots of love. Dogs are truly man’s best friend and they deserve to live happy healthy lives as well.

Have an Animal that you Love? Check out Catherine’s favorite Pet Supplies for Dogs online store that uses nature’s best ingredients. They have the most amazing Natural Organic Dog Shampoos on the market.

Dec
28
Filed Under (Pets) by Raymond Selda

Well how do you remove that nasty cat urine smell? As you obviously know, a cat’s urine has a very horrible smell and getting rid of it can be a really difficult job. Also remember that cats like to urinate on the same area if you didn’t really clean it thoroughly. It’s best to put some muscle into it and make sure the affected area is really cleaned out.

Steps to Remove Cat Urine Odor

Bring out your paper towels and put pressure in the area where your cat urinated. Make sure to use the towels to dry up the area and use enough towels if necessary just to remove the moisture from the carpet. Once you’re sure that the urine is out then can remove any excess leftovers on the affected area.

Next, you want to get your spray bottle and add a solution of water and white vinegar. This mixture will help to eliminate the horrible smell of the urine that can still be present in the carpet. It’s very easy to remove but you have to put in an extra effort in cleaning after spraying to make sure it is dry enough. Just like I said above, this will prevent your cat from urinating in the same spot.

Scatter a crystalline powder like DeScent in the carpet after drying it up. This will help you to remove cat urine smell that are still on the affected area of the carpet. Important thing to keep in mind is that you must make sure that your cat can never again smell their urine so they will stop urinating in the same spot again and again. If you have a male cat then they are more likely to mark their territories.

Remember these steps and you will be on your way to getting rid of that nasty cat urine smell. Quickly clean the affected area so your cat won’t have to pee in your carpet again. If you delay in cleaning your carpet then your cat is going to urinate again and this will only make things harder for you.

It’s time to stop your cat urine odor problem once and for all. You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars and hours of cleaning cat puddles. Go to http://www.squidoo.com/get-rid-of-cat-urine-smell

In the last Ten years there have been many animal healing methods developed. Adding to the older traditional systems such as acupuncture for animals to the newer methods such as the Trust Technique. These animal healing applications are all working to help animals balance energetic levels. In this article I would like to share with you how animal communication can benefit any of these animal healing methods.

There are so many different animal healing methods around today! For example of the top of my head I can list Reiki for animals, Trust Technique, spiritual healing for animal, Mctimoney chiropractic for animals, Emotional Freedom Technique for animals, Body Talk, Body Spin, Acupuncture, Tellington Touch, Bowen technique and the list goes on!

When we take a closer look at the these methods we soon realise that healing animals looks at the animal as a whole being. This holistic approach does not just look at the animal as a physical being but also as emotional and spiritual.

If one of theses areas is out of balance it will affect the other areas. For example the emotion of fear can create tension within the physical parts of any body be this human or animal. Over time this tension can cause all sorts of physical ailments including the internal organs. Clearly the emotional tension or fear needs to be changed, so that it is no longer affecting the body. This is the holistic approach, the ability to look and treat the whole picture.

With animal communication we can understand the different parts of the animal, giving us a much clearer understanding of them.

This communication is not the same as one person talking to another, where the vehicle for our notions is through the use of words. It is more a language of feelings. We are constantly sharing feelings with the animals around us. This can be in the way of affection through to sharing fear states.

Animal communication helps animal healing in a number of different ways. To start with understanding the animals pain helps us to treat it! Also the ability to be empathic is very compassionate, this is it own right is incredibly healing. Especially when we realize that communication is a two way process and is not always about picking feelings up but also delivering feelings. Sharing feeling of peace and comfort can dramatically increase the trust levels between the animal and the human and consequently healing!

Communication relates to all the other animal healing methods by creating a strong feeling of trust and understanding between the animal and the human. This is so important because with out this rapport the animal will not be as open to the healing.

If you are currently working with animal healing then finding out how to communicate with animals is really important. You will already to doing it on some level but consciously learning will open up more detail and trust between you and the animal. Animal communication is easy to learn so if you have not already find out more about it! And let your animal healing be taken to the next level.

James French is one the top animal communicator in Europe. Learn how you can use animal communication to enhance animal healing by visiting his website at Animal Communication or Animal Healing

Dec
22

Holistic cat food is the absence of unnatural ingredients in the food. Unnatural ingredients are not good for your cat so he will definitely benefit from better food.

The cat industries food producers are one of the biggest culprits in the early deaths of our lovable furry family members.

The natural life span of cats is actually twenty five to thirty years but the average cat only lives to be seven to ten years old. The nutritional value of most commercial food for felines is equivalent to Twinkies.

Just imagine what would happen to you if you ate nothing but junk food for the next nine years.

Holistic means that the food is free of all unnatural ingredients. Here’s the kicker though, the manufacturers only have to list what they themselves personally put into the meat.

Here’s what the law says, if at the many stops on the way to the companies processing plant things get added to the meat and meat byproducts it doesn’t have to be claimed. The only things that the producers have to state as being in the food are what they personally added.

Another thing to think about is what kind of meat goes into your feline’s food. Any thing that is not consumable by humans can be put into wet or dry food, from cancerous cow lungs to poisoned pound animals.

When an animal is euthanized at the pound they use poison. Unfortunately for your cat the poison does not cook out when they process the meat. You might unknowingly be poisoning your cat when you feed him.

What can you do?

While there are some safe commercial foods, the best option for your cat would be to use some homemade food and some store bought food. This will give your cat the overall nutrition that he needs to live a healthy and long life.

Feeding your cat homemade cat food is a great way to make sure your cat is living his life to the fullest. Don’t forget about your dog either. Make sure he is receiving homemade puppy food!

Dec
19
Filed Under (Pets) by Nathan Webster

Many people want to own a cat that will cuddle around their feet and warm their laps, a real forever companion. When choosing any pet, it’s best to do some research first. Looking into cat breeds and their characteristics, one can easily see why one of the most sought after pets is the rare mink Ragdoll kittens.

Ragdoll cats were created and defined as a breed in the sixties by Ann Baker. She took several different cat breeds, including the Persian, Burmese and Birman or ‘Sacred’ cats and combined them for their best traits. What she ended up with was the precursor to the modern day ragdoll. The ragdoll has many characteristics that set it apart from similar breeds. And any kitten in a ragdoll breed may be one of the rare mink ragdoll kittens.

There are different types of ragdoll cats. Traditional ragdoll cats can come in solid or pointed breeds. There are also non-traditional ragdolls, in non-pointed or mink breeds. All of these can be bred with several traditional patterns or colours. The rare mink ragdoll kittens show their colour at birth, whereas other ragdolls are usually white and come into their colour as they mature.

Colour point ragdolls will not have any white colouring on them. They are ‘point’ coloured because they usually have a darker shade on their ears, faces and paws. Mitted kittens will have black legs with white feet or boots, as well as having a white chin and ‘bib’ or front. Bi-colour kittens have an upside down V on their faces, with white chin, bib and legs. Any of these colours will show up in the rare mink ragdoll kittens as well.

Pointed patterns of kittens will have chocolate or brown or other colours on their ears or tips. They can also have seal colours. If a kitten is called ‘blue’, that means they have grey colouring, and if they are rosy beige they will be called ‘lilac’. ‘Flame’ kittens are similar to cream coloured kittens, but their cream is just a bit ‘hotter’, like ginger. It is important to be able to identify a kitten’s true pattern as soon as possible, for breeding or show purposes. Thankfully, when a breeder sees the rare mink ragdoll kittens in a litter, it’s easy to tell because their colour stands out almost at birth.

The truly significant thing that sets rare mink ragdoll kittens out from other ragdoll types and breeds are the eyes. Traditional ragdoll kittens will have blue eyes, sometimes looking grey or dark grey. Mink kittens will have aqua eyes, varying shades of blue-green or green-blue. Solid ragdoll kittens can have green, copper, blue, blue green or even mismatched eyes.

It might not yet be apparent why the ragdoll breed of cats are called ‘ragdoll’. Part of this name has to do with their colouring, which seemed at the time to mimic that of the old dolls made of rags that girls used to cherish. The other reason is how they behave. Ragdolls are very docile and loving cats, who often go limp or floppy when held up for display by their owners. They are in general very social creatures and do not enjoy being left alone.

Ragdoll cats are very popular. Rare mink ragdoll kittens found in a litter are a prize find, because their fur is as soft as a lady’s mink stole. The popularity of these cats as a breed and as a family pet is rising. With their fabulous colours and great reputation, it’s easy to see why!

Learn more about rare mink Ragdoll kittens. Stop by Cokls Ragdoll’s site where you can find out all about this wonderful breed.