Is Your Cat Overweight?

Is your cat overweight?  Are you gone for most of the day at work and notice your cat lying in the same position he was when you left in the morning?

Here are some helpful cat exercising tips to us on your furry feline companion.

Purchase Cat Toys – You can either make cat toys or visit The Country Feed Store to purchase cat toys that will encourage your cat to get moving.

Laser Pointers – Shining a laser pointer on the floor and wall will almost instantly encourage your cat to get up and “attack” the laser light.  Remember, cats are naturally curious and are easily tempted to catch something that will peak his interest.  You can also use a flashlight if you do not have a laser pointer.

Boxes or Paper Bags – These are easy inexpensive toys that cats just can’t leave alone.  It will provide entertainment for your cat especially while you are away at work.

Hunting for Treats – Placing treats or a few of your cats kibbles in different places each day will help encourage your cat to get up and move around to hunt for his food.  Your cat is naturally a hunter and bringing this out in him will help him exercise naturally.

Exercising your cat is not difficult, along with helping him to lose weight; it makes a big difference to his overall health and happiness.

Pudgy Pets – They May Be Cute But Their Health Is In Danger

Pudgy pets are unfortunately a common occurrence nowadays.

Pet obesity is a surprisingly common problem in America – who can turn down those sweet begging brown eyes?

Unfortunately, we are killing our pets with kindness by giving them what they want and more.

The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention noted that 94 million animals – 53% of adult dogs and 55% of cats – are classified as obese or overweight according to veterinarians.  However, many people seem unaware that their pets are overweight thinking their pets are fine how they are.

Obesity is now the leading health threat of pets, according to the founder of APOP, Dr. Ernie Ward.  This is quite simple when obesity in pets is compared to that in humans.  Obesity causes many problems such as arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer and kidney disease.  Not only will this easy to fix problem end up costing you hundreds to thousands of dollars in vet bills, it will also lower your pets life span.

The best way to defend your pet from obesity is to use a measuring cup.  Most of the time, pet owners scoop up an unknown amount of dog or cat food for their pets and allow their pets to “free feed”.  To assist pet owners, you can visit www.petobesityprevention.com/pet-weight-translator to find your pet’s optimum weight.

Just like humans, the best solution to preventing obesity is to exercise more and eat wisely.

Day #8 of Helpful Tips For You And Your Pet – Learning Dogs Body Language

Learning a dogs body language will not only help you learn more about your own dog but will also help with any interactions with new dogs you meet.

Day #8: Learning Your Dog’s Body Language

This is especially helpful if you are new to dogs and something helpful to teach your children so they know when a dog is comfortable to have you around and when he is not.  Always make sure to use common sense when dealing with dogs and remember this is only a guide.

I Feel Relaxed and Mellow – A dog’s posture will be calm and relaxed, just sort of standing around.  However, you should always ask the dog’s owner if it is OK to pet their dog.

I’m Scared – A dog’s tail will most likely be tucked between his legs and his hackles will be raised too.  Keep away from a dog with posture like this.  He may bite, even if all you are doing is trying to help him.

Play With Me! – A playful dog’s tail will be wagging and his forequarters will be on the ground but with their rear end in the air.

I’m A Little Timid – A shy dog will probably roll over on his back to show he is submissive.  It is important if you see someone else’s dog doing this to ask if it is OK to pet him as the dog might be a little frightened too.

I’m Protective and Aggressive – When a dog is protecting, his hackles will be raised, his teeth will be showing and his tail may be all fluffed up.  Do not run away from the dog, stand still, be calm and don’t make eye contact.

Day #7 of Helpful Tips For You And Your Pet – First Aid For Your Pet

Day #7 of Helpful Tips For You And Your Pet – First Aid For Your Pet

At least once in your pet’s life, he or she is going to become ill, or have a run in with something dangerous.  We’d like to provide some helpful First Aid Tips for your pet.  This might be helpful to print out and post on your refrigerator or inside a kitchen cabinet to have for reference.

Day #7: First Aid For Your Pet

Before we share these tips with you, you should always consult your veterinarian should anything harmful happen to your pet!  He or she knows what is the absolute best for your pet and no shortcuts should be taken for your furry friend’s health.

However, we do have some suggestions and tips that can help calm your pet before your need to take him to the vet should he run into any of these scenarios.

–Cuts, bites, puncture wounds, etc. should be gently cleaned with warm water.

-If you think your pet may be experiencing heat stroke, move your pet to a cool and quiet area offering plenty of water.  Symptoms include uncontrollable panting, collapse, blank stare and sometimes unconsciousness.  Remember to never leave your pet in a parked car when it is warm out!!!

-If your pet experiences a car accident, he or she will probably be in shock.  Keep him quiet, warm and stop any bleeding that may happen.  Immediately take your pet to the vet using a blanket or board to get him there.

-Pets can often get stung by a bee or wasp.  If you see the stinger, take it out.  Then wrap the affected area with a cool damp cloth.  Usually your pet will recover somewhat quickly from a bee/wasp sting but if he doesn’t, call your vet immediately.

-If your pet has been burned, apply cold water to the affected area and call your vet.

-If you think your pet may be been poisoned, CALL YOUR VET IMMEDIATELY!  Your vet will be able to coach you over the phone while you get your pet ready to visit the vet.  Try to find out what poison your pet ingested, how much was ingested, when it was ingested and so forth.  The ASPCA has a 24 hour Animal Poison Control line you can call at (888) 426-4435.

–If your pet seems to be experiencing eye problems, consult your vet.  There may be something lodged deep into your pets eye that needs to be removed by a veterinarian.  The sooner you visit the vet the better – eyes are extremely delicate in animals too and you don’t want your pet losing his eye or going blind.

Day #6 of Helpful Tips For You And Your Pet – Is Your Dog Suitable for Pet Therapy?

Although studies have shown pets help us lead healthier and happier lives, anyone who has a pet probably already knows this.  Have you ever thought about bringing this joy you experience with your pet to someone else in need?  Pet Therapy is very common in convalescent homes as well as children’s hospitals, centers for youths in distress and more.

Day #6: Is Your Dog Suitable for Pet Therapy?

If you are interested in having your pet be a Therapy Pet, there are a few things you should first consider.  Not every pet is suitable for therapy and there are many volunteer organizations that will screen both the volunteers and the pets.  Your future therapy pet should include these qualities:

-Your therapy pet should love attention from anyone.  Plain and simple, he or she should simply love being around people and the attention they provide.

-Make sure your pet gets along with other pets.  He or she needs to be well socialized and able to tolerate other dogs, cats and even rabbits.

-Your pet must be well mannered and know basic commands such as sit, stay, down and come.  They should most importantly know the word “no”.

-Making sure your pet responds okay to loud, strange or sudden noises and all types of handling is key to making sure your pet is ready to be a therapy pet.

Your pet will go through a screening process to ensure he or she is ready to be a therapy pet.  Pets have a calming and loving quality about them that others in a tumultuous state of life can benefit from.  Check your local organizations to see if your pet should be a Therapy Pet.

Day #5: How To Avoid Jealous Pets

Day #5 of Helpful Tips For You And Your Pet

Check out our Helpful Tips For You and Your Pet.  Today we are talking about Jealousy with new and resident pets.  We have previously touched on bringing new pets home and the steps you take to introduce them to new pets.  Now we will be discussing dealing with jealous pets and the best way to go about making sure everyone is happy!

Day #5: How To Avoid Jealous Pets

You have brought a new addition to your family, a cute little fluffy puppy.  However, your older dog isn’t so sure he is OK with this new “friend” and decides he doesn’t want to have anything to do with you,  your family and the new pet.  What should you do?

-Continue to give large amounts of attention to your first pet(s).  While it is easy to get caught up in the cuteness of your new addition, your current pets will feel put out and naturally will become jealous.  Make sure you spend a lot of time reassuring them they are still very special to you and still a part of the family.

-Don’t force the new and existing pet together.  As we discussed previously last week, you need to give your new and old pets their time to get used to each other.  Make sure you allow them to gain confidence to decide when they’d like to face their new housemates.

-Separate your pets when feeding.  Use separate food and water bowls and keep them separated while eating, feeding them both at the same time.

-Lastly, make sure to always keep an eye on them until you are fully confident they will get along.  Remember this takes time and being patient is important.  When you leave the house, keep dogs in separate rooms so they cannot interact without your supervision.

Check back for more helpful pet tips to come!

Day #2 of Helpful Tips For You And Your Pet

We are happy to announce Day #2 of our helpful pet owning tips.  Each day we will have a new helpful tip for you and your pet to keep in mind.

Day #2: Spay Or Neuter Your Pet – Various Health Benefits

Question, would you kill a happy, healthy, loving pet?  If you answered “no”, they spaying or neutering your pet is unquestionably essential.

Spaying and Neutering surgeries are safe when done by a qualified veterinarian.  Believe it or not, when your pet is spayed or neutered, there are various health benefits as well.  Below are some of the benefits a spayed or neutered animal will experience.

Benefits of Spaying Female Pets:

– Reduce or eliminate possibility of disease in the reproductive system.

– Eliminate sexual discomfort, distress or distraction making your pet happier and more content.

– Prevents pregnancy and the many complications arising from pregnancy and delivery.

– No more heat cycle.  You will no longer have to listen to the sounds of your female cat in heat while she is trying to get out and find a mate.

– Prevents unwelcome males from trying to seek out your female pet in heat.

– Reduces the urge to roam.  It is much less likely you will lose your pet, less likely to contract a disease, get in a fight, get injured or become a victim to cruelty, poison or traffic.

Benefits of Neutering Male Pets:

– Eliminate sexual discomfort, distress or distraction making your pet happier and more content.

– Helps prevent the distracting destructive behavior associated with a male’s efforts to get out and find a mate.

– Reduces the urge to roam.  It is much less likely you will lose your pet, less likely to contract a disease, get in a fight, get injured or become a victim to cruelty, poison or traffic.

– Eliminates testicular tumors and reduces prostate gland problems.

– In cats, neutering stops or reduces marking behavior, also known as territorial spraying of urine.

– Reduces the urge to fight.

Of course overall, the main reason to spay or neuter is to reduce the amount of animals that are euthanized due to overpopulation.  Please, spay and neuter your pets!

Day #1 of Helpful Tips For You And Your Pet

This week and next, we are going to be sharing some Helpful Tips for you and your pet.  Each day we will have a new helpful tip for you and your pet to keep in mind.

Day #1: Protect Your Pet From Everyday Household Dangers

Just like you’d baby proof your house, keeping common household items out of reach from your pets will help protect them from danger.  Rodent poisons and insecticides are the most common sources of domesticated animal poisoning.  The following is a list of potentially toxic poisons that should at least be kept out of reach of your pets, it not completely avoided at all:

• Fertilizer and Plant Food – These are easily accessible and fatal to a pet allowed in the yard unsupervised.
• Cedar and soft wood shavings – Keep small animals such as hamsters and gerbils away from these as they emit toxic and potentially fatal fumes.
• Antifreeze – One teaspoon can kill a seven pound cat.  With its sweet taste, animals are naturally attracted to antifreeze even when consumed in small quantities.  Antifreeze with propylene glycol is available and is safe for animals if ingested in small amounts.
• Chocolate – This is poisonous to dogs, cats and ferrets even when a small amount is consumed.
• De-icing salts – These salts used to melt snow and ice can irritate your pet’s paws and are especially poisonous if licked off.  Ensure your pet’s paws are washed and dried as soon as your pet comes in from the snow.
• Nonstick cooking fumes – Fumes from self-cleaning ovens and nonstick cooking surfaces can be deadly to birds.  Make sure birds are kept away from the kitchen and use caution when using any pump or aerosol spray around birds.
• Painkillers – Aspirin, Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen and many other types of pills can be toxic to animals.  Ensure you keep medication containers and tubes out of reach of pets so they can not be chewed through and ingested.  Also make sure to find and dispose of any dropped pills.
• Chicken Bones – These can easily shatter and choke a cat or dog.  We also have a list of other plants and food items to keep away from your pets listed here.
• Rawhide Chews – While these are made especially for dogs, make sure to supervise your dog while he/she chews the rawhide treat as they can pose a serious choking hazard.

Of course, if you feel your pet has been poisoned, bring him in to your Veterinarian as soon as possible or call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center’s 24 hour hotline at 888-426-4435.

Stay tuned this week to learn about more helpful pet tips!

The benefits of owning a Cat or Dog

There are many benefits of having a pet.  Not only are they entertaining and provide unconditional love, but you your health can also be benefited by having a pet.

Pets can help decrease stress. In a 2002 study at State University of New York at Buffalo, researchers found that when conducting a stressful task, people experienced less stress when their pets were with them than when a spouse, family member or close friend was nearby.

Lower Blood Pressure.  While some studies have found a stronger connection than others, having a pet has the potential to lower blood pressure, especially in hypertensive or high-risk patients, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Eases pain. Believe it or not, pets can be the best medicine, especially when a person is dealing with chronic pain such as migraines or arthritis.  One study from Loyola University found that people who use pet therapy while recovering from surgery may need significantly less pain medication than those who do not.

Improves mood. A lot of the health benefits of owning a pet may stem from the mental and emotional benefits.  They give you a sense of belonging and feeling of being needed, while stroking and handling animals can be incredibly therapeutic for those who are stressed.

Pets help children develop.  Children who grow up in a household with pets benefit in countless ways, especially in their emotional development.  Pets are also hugely beneficial to children suffering from autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). For children with ADHD, taking care of a pet can encourage them to focus on responsibilities through a predictable routine.

Monitors Blood Sugar Levels for Diabetics.  According to the American Diabetes Association’s Diabetes Forecast magazine, a 1992 study found that one-third of the pets living with diabetics (mostly dogs, but other pets included cats, birds and rabbits) would change their behavior when their owner’s blood sugar level dropped.

Prevents Strokes. Although dogs are often touted for their health benefits, cat owners can see gains, too. Felines are just as beneficial to your health as dogs.  If you have a cat,  you are less likely to have a heart attack and even increasingly less likely to have a cardiovascular incident like a stroke.