Diet Tricks For Your Pet’s Health

Just like a large percent of American humans, American’s pets are overweight or obese.

While a cat or dog might look cute with some extra pounds on him, it is not healthy for him.

Clear The Air knows it is important to keep your pets healthy and avoid and medical risks. One major way you can do this is by monitoring what your pet eats. Here are some helpful tips for maintaining your pets’ diet:

• Provide more smaller meals for your pet rather than one or two large meals.
• Take away the self-feeders. Having food set out for your pets all the time is just asking for your pet to overeat and gain weight. Feed your pet at appropriate meal times.
• If your dog is begging for food, pet him instead. All your dog really wants is attention. Avoid the connection between begging and receiving food. Especially from the dinner table!
• Get some exercise! Providing routine exercise for your dog is a great way to keep his health up and stay in shape.
• If your dog acts hungry, provide a small snack for him. For example, instead of filling a cup of his kibbles and pouring it into his bowl, just give him 10-15 kibbles instead.
• Provide your pet with veggies as a treat. If your dog is like ours, he’ll eat anything! Try giving him some baby carrots, broccoli, celery or asparagus.
• Always provide fresh water for your pets. We suggest having multiple bowls and dishes of water throughout the house. If you have cats and dogs, make sure you provide your cats with small bowls on counters or high up places your dogs cannot reach.

Do you have any tips for feeding your pets? Please comment and share with us at our blog!

Avoid Doggy Destruction – 5 Ways To Keep Your Dog Happy While You’re Away

We all have to work and sometimes our dogs have to get left at home while we are away.

Check out these great ways to keep your dog entertained while you are away and he is home alone from Clear the Air:

1. Lots of walks – It is a great idea to take your dog for a walk before you go off to work. Not only will he be able to go potty to reduce the chance of an accident but you two will get to spend some quality time together. You might want to throw the ball and include some playtime in your walk to tire him out so he can relax while you are at work.
2. Toys – Introducing a new toy while you he is home alone can add some excitement to your dog’s life. A chew toy that your dog has to work out while you’re gone is the best. Try hiding toys for a few days and reintroducing it to him as well. Toys such as a Kong or food cube will encourage your dog to stay active while trying to work at getting the treat out of the toy. Even the laziest of dogs may not be able to resist a toy that gives them yummy treats when they play with it.
3. Water – Making sure your dog has enough water while you are gone is extremely important. A dog fountain provides a constant supply of clean fresh water and many dogs love the diversion that a fountain can create.
4. Sound – When you are out, leave on a CD or tune the radio to a clear station and let it play while you are out. This will not only feel like he isn’t alone but the noise will keep him company as well.
5. Comfortable Bed – Create a comfortable place for your dog to relax. He will most likely want to snooze while you are away and making his spot inviting and comfortable will help keep him a good boy while he’s along.

How To Prevent Refrigerator Odor

Do you ever get something out of the fridge and after you close it your whole kitchen smells like what was inside of your refrigerator?

Clear the Air would like to share some helpful tips to keeping your refrigerator clean and smelling its best. Check out our helpful tips and remember to always have a bag of our Clear the Air Odor Eliminator Bags in your fridge!

• Perform a big fridge cleaning. Take everything out of your fridge and all the items that must stay cold, you can put in a cooler with some ice temporarily. Make sure to throw away any spoiled food and wipe any bottles or canisters that have food leaking out of them.
• Once you’ve taken everything out, turn off your fridge. Take out all your shelves and drawers and wash them in the sink to remove any spilled food particles. Wipe down the inside of your refrigerator with soap and water.
• Now, place one to two of our Clear the Air Odor Eliminator Bags in your fridge towards the back or wherever they won’t get in the way. Turn the refrigerator back on.
• Return the cold food items to the fridge and you are ready to enjoy your refrigerator odor free!

Have questions about using our products? Please call or email our customer service rep. Feel free to comment on our blog with any questions you may have as well!

Whiskers – What Does Your Cat Use Them For?

Whiskers are a very important part of your cat’s body. Whiskers, like hair and nails, fall out and are replaced.

Whiskers are different from your cat’s body hair. They are two to three times thicker than your cat’s hair and are rooted very keep in your cat’s face into an area which is rich in nerves and blood vessels.

Cats have whiskers on their checks as well as shorter ones above their eyebrows, on their chin and on the back of their front legs. A cat’s facial whiskers are good for navigation, mood indication, and measuring an opening.

Whiskers help a cat feel his way around and are so sensitive they can detect the slightest directional change in a breeze. This helps a cat at night slink away through a room and not bump into anything.

Whiskers serve another purpose besides acting as guidance, tracking, and radar systems – they also serve as a kind of barometer for the cat’s moods. But if you see the whiskers suddenly bunch up and lay flat against the cat’s face — that may be a sign that the cat is scared.

The whiskers also make it pretty easy to tell when a cat is startled or excited, because every hair on its body will be standing on end, including the whiskers, which will point almost completely forward.

If the cat is happy, curios or content, his whiskers are more relaxed and can even be pushed forward. Perhaps when playing “chase the toy” with a cat, you’ll notice its whiskers are pointing forward. This is probably its “game face,” a sign that your cat is in hunting mode.

Whiskers on a cat are primarily used to help a cat judge whether or not he’ll fit through an opening. A cat’s whiskers are roughly as wide as his body – being used as sort of a natural ruler.

Whisker tips are sensitive to pressure. You’ll most likely see a cat stick his head in and out of an opening before he puts his body in it. By doing this, he judges the width of the opening to see if he can fit.

Whiskers are a vital part of a cat’s mobility and sense of security. Without whiskers, cats would not be able to achieve the great acrobatic feats that are so awe-inspiring, or protect themselves from dangerous situations.

What other facts do you know about a cat’s whiskers? Please comment on our blog to share with us!

The Pros And Cons Of Five Odor Removal Methods

This is a summary of the most common odor eliminators. I saved the best until last!

Masking Agents: These are typically fragrance cakes, candles, plug-ins and sprays.

Pros:Acts immediately, who does not love the yummy smell of a good candle.

Cons:Often is so strong that it is worse than the offending odor. Not great for people with allergies or sensitivities, not long lasting.

Contact Odor Control: Enzyme based products, also called live bacteria or biodegeneration. These come in liquid and sprays.

Pros:They work quickly on airborne odors when sprayed.

Cons:They must come into contact with the odor source to work. So if there is urine on carpet, you must pull up the carpet, padding, and soak the floorboard, padding and carpet for the product to work. May take a few hours to get rid of the surface odors. Since they are liquid they are often messy to work with.May be harmful to pets or children if touched or eaten.May stain the material one uses it on.

Ozone Machines: These machines are often used in hotel rooms.

Pros:Because of safety issue we will only mention cons.

Cons:Poor performer unless used at very high levels where they are extreme health hazards, especially for people with breathing issues and around pets.We suggest you investigate the safety of these machines before using them at The California Air Resources Board and Environmental Protection Agency.

Time: Most odors will eventually go away with time.If odor is from a dead rat carcass it can take two weeks to over two months to dissipate.

Pros:Free

Cons:Who can stand the odor for any amount of time?

Anions: These work by a natural affinity of attraction between the odor molecules and the anion. The odors are pulled into the anions like a powerful magnet and then the odors are neutralized. Earth Care Products are an example of this type of odor eliminator.

Cons:Takes 2-24 hours to work. Some are hazardous to ones health if swallowed depending on the manufacturer.(however Earth Care is safe, even if swallowed.)

Pros:Eliminates odor does not mask odor. No perfume smell, great for people with allergies or sensitivities. Does not have to come into contact with the odor producer, so if there is urine on the carpet, simply sprinkle on top of carpet wait 48 hours and vacuum up.Earth Care is safe to use around children and pets, even if eaten. Earth Care is all natural and safe for planet earth.

Road Trip – Get Rid Of RV Odors!

Summer is here and it is time to get the RV out for your family summer vacation!

Clear the Air would like to share some tips on keeping your RV fresh and clean smelling without introducing toxic chemicals to your surroundings.

Tobacco smoke, kitchen, road kill, skunk, gasoline, smog, “doggie”, urine, mold/mildew, bathroom, and holding tank odors are common odors that stink up our RV‘s. Air fresheners just mask the odors and often smell worst than the offensive odor, RV detailing is expensive, and shampooing often just spreads the smell around.

Clear The Air Odor Remover Bags can simply be hung in your RV and they will completely eliminate all these odors. Clear The Air draws in odors like a powerful magnet. The odors are adsorbed, and neutralized without any fragrances.

Clear The Air is made from an all natural mineral, is non toxic and biodegradable and safe for Planet Earth. It is also safe around children and pets even if eaten. It does not have to come into contact with odor producer to eliminate the odor. Clear The Air does not cover up odors it literally “clears the air” leaving the air fresh and clean.

Directions To Eliminate Odors From Your RV:

• Hang or place one bag in bathroom, and one in kitchen area, each bag covers approximately 100 square feet.
• Leave windows open for air circulation.
• Do not set bag in direct sun.
• If there are strong odors in your RV you may also want to sprinkle Clear The Air Odor Eliminator for Carpets and Furniture on all upholstery and carpet. Leave down overnight and vacuum. All odors will be completely eliminated.
• The bags will continue to eliminate new odors for up to 3 months. Each bag will cover approximately 100 square feet, some air circulation is best.

The Cat’s Meow: What Is My Cat Telling Me?

Cats are great at communicating and use their entire body to tell you how they feel or what they want. Some may not be too inclined to vocalize their opinions through a meow, while others may be a chatty Cathy.

Every kitty is born with their own baseline noisiness – some breeds are chattier than others such as the Siamese. A large amount of meows in cats is likely due to human behavior. If a cat meows because he wants to be fed, he will keep meowing until he gets food. If food is never given when he meows, he would be less vocal.

It is possible to talk to your cat more to encourage him to talk back. Reinforce him meowing by giving him something he wants, such as to open a door or giving him a treat. If your cat talks too much, teach him to do something that doesn’t involve meowing, such as walk in a circle, to get a treat. If you give your kitty attention each time he meows, he will know a meow is the key to getting noticed.

Keep in mind, excessive meowing can sometimes indicate pain, anxiety or another medical issue. If you are in doubt, consult your veterinarian.

The following are some reasons why your cat meows:

• Illness. The first step is a thorough checkup by your veterinarian. Numerous diseases can cause a cat to feel hunger, thirst, or pain, all of which can lead to excessive meowing.
• Attention seeking. Despite what some people think, cats don’t like being alone a lot. Cats often meow to initiate play, petting, or to get you to talk to them.
• Wants food. Some cats meow every time someone walks in the kitchen, hoping to get a bite. And many cats become very vocal when it gets close to their feeding times. If this is your problem, don’t feed your cat when she cries.
• Greeting you. Many cats meow when their people come home, or even when they just meet them in the house.
• She’s lonely. If your pet spends too many hours a day alone, think about getting a pet sitter to drop in during the day, or find other ways to enrich your pet’s life.
• A stressed cat. Cats that are experiencing stress often become more vocal. A new pet or baby, a move or changes to the home, an illness or the loss of a loved one can turn your cat into a talker.
• Aging cats. Cats, just like people, can suffer from a form of mental confusion, or cognitive dysfunction, as they age. They become disoriented and often cry plaintively for no apparent reason, especially at night.
• Cats that want to breed. If your cat isn’t spayed or neutered, then you’re going to hear a lot more noise. Females yowl when in heat, and males yowl when they smell a female in season. Get your pet spayed or neutered.

A Healthy Bird Is A Happy Bird!

How to keep your pet bird happy and healthy.

The crew at Clear The Air loves all animals and we know birds are a popular pet amongst Americans. We would like to share some helpful tips to keeping your bird happy and healthy.

Remember to use Clear The Air’s Pet Odor Eliminator to sprinkle at the bottom of your bird‘s cage to eliminate any odors. Our products are 100% non toxic and completely safe around animals and children even if consumed.

1. Your Bird’s Home: Make sure to keep your bird indoors inside a cage or small aviary and that your bird is able to find a cool area when the heat rises in the warmer months of the year. If you are moving your bird, make sure to make the adjustment of temperature a gradual one. Birds do not like sudden changes in temperature. Keep your bird in an area with circulating air.
2. Your Bird’s Feed: Purchase high quality bird seed or pellets. Birds also like lettuce and fruit for variety. Make sure not to feed your bird apple seeds and onions. You want to also make sure you have a container for fresh water and another for bath water.
3. Your Bird’s Temperature: Birds can regulate their body temperature through water evaporation like panting, throat vibrations as well as through their feed and the surface of their skin. If you place your bird’s cage in front of a window, make sure the sun’s rays are not overheating your bird.
4. Your Bird’s Health: If your bird has stopped grooming itself, loses his appetite and does not sit on top of his perch, he may be ill. Make sure you take your bird to the veterinarian immediately. Birds, just like dogs and cats, need regular veterinary care.
5. Your Bird’s Friends: It is important to spend time with your bird and let him get to know your voice and face. Birds usually like having another bird for company. In most cases a male and female bird in the same cage will work.
6. Your Bird’s Wings: Your bird’s wings need to be clipped so it will not fly away. If you have your bird’s wings clipped you can take him outside with you. Use caution as your bird will probably try to fly because he is in open air.
7. Your Bird’s Exercise: Exercise your bird by holding them on a stick and moving it carefully up and down so your bird opens his wings for balance. You can also place a treat a short distance from your bird so he has to walk to get it. Also make sure you have fun toys in his cage that will intrigue him and keep him entertained mentally and physically.

How To Eliminate Boat Odor

Summer is here and it is time to get your boat out and ready for the lake, river and ocean!

If your boat has been stored for the winter, you may experience a foul smell in the boat when you take it out of storage. Whether it is from the bilge or just from water sitting in it for a long time, Clear the Air can eliminate any foul boat odor.

Boats typically are filled with powerful odors such as bilge odors, mold and mildew odors, fuel odors, head and holding tank odors, galley odors, smoke odors and pet odors.  In the past boat owners have had to use caustic chemicals, expensive detailing, air purifiers and caustic ozone machines to rid their boat of odors. Earth Care Odor Remover Bags can simply be hung in your boat and they will completely eliminate all these odors.

Earth Care draws in odors like a powerful magnet. The odors are adsorbed, and neutralized without any fragrances. It is made from an all natural mineral, is non toxic and biodegradable and safe for Planet Earth. It is also safe around children and pets even if eaten. It does not have to come into contact with odor producer to eliminate the odor. Earth Care does not cover up odors it literally “clears the air” leaving the air fresh and clean.

Don’t let foul boat odors distract you this summer with these helpful tips:

• Hang one bag in each bilge compartment, the head, the galley, the forward cabin and aft cabins. Some air circulation such as an open hatch is needed. Do not put bag directly in standing water.
• All odors are typically eliminated in 24 hours. The bags will continue to eliminate new odors for up to 3 months. Each bag will cover approximately 100 square feet.
• Do not set bag in direct sun.
• If there are strong odors in your boat you may also want to sprinkle Clear The Air Odor Eliminator for Carpets and Furniture on all upholstery and carpet. Leave down overnight and vacuum. All odors will be completely eliminated.

The Marines Working Hard To Save Tortoises

Check out this great article from the Wall Street Journal about our marines saving the desert tortoises.

Such a great article about our Marines saving the Desert Tortoises! This article is from The Wall Street Journal.

The Few, the Proud, the Tortoises: Marines Protect Endangered Species

TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif.—U.S. Marines are taught to overcome obstacles with a minimum of help. But when some Marines prepared to charge a hill in a training exercise here a few months ago, they were forced to halt and radio the one man who could help them advance: Brian Henen, turtle expert.

The troops were “running up the hill and firing at targets,” Mr. Henen said. “Some of the tortoises like the hill also. The Marines don’t want to hurt the tortoise, so they call us and we go in and move it.”

Mr. Henen, who has a doctorate in biology, is part of a little-known army of biologists and other scientists who manage the Mojave desert tortoise and about 420 other threatened and endangered species on about 28 million acres of federally managed military land.

“There’s a lot of people who don’t recognize the amount of conservation the Marine Corps does,” said Martin Husung, a natural-resource specialist on the base. “A lot of people think we’re just running over things.”

Instead, Mr. Henen often hustles out to remote parts of the Mojave Desert to make sure the threatened desert tortoise, which can weigh 10 pounds and live to be more than 50 years old, isn’t frightened by charging troops.

“When they get scared, they pee themselves,” Mr. Henen said, referring to the tortoises. Since tortoises can go two years between drinks of water, an unplanned micturition can cause dehydration and even death. So Mr. Henen sometimes demonstrates to troops how he soaks the reptiles in a pool until they drink enough water to plod on with their lives.

The tortoise isn’t the only animal benefiting from the limited hunting, high security and trained biologists on many bases. On the Navy’s San Clemente Island, biologists protect vulnerable loggerhead shrikes from hungry rats by installing metal “rat flashings” at the base of trees the birds nest in. In Texas, the Army creates protective nesting environments for endangered golden-cheeked warblers to fend off incursions by brown-headed cowbirds. And at Arnold Air Force Base in Tennessee, the once-endangered Helianthus eggertii, or Eggert’s sunflower, is doing so well it has been taken off the endangered list.

Congress ordered the Defense Department to protect the flora and fauna on its lands under the 1960 Sikes Act. Today, the military works with agencies like the Fish and Wildlife Service, a bureau of the Interior Department, to search for and protect animals, plants and archaeological sites on its bases.

At Fort Benning, an Army base near Columbus, Ga., gunfire and explosions regularly set off fires in the pine trees, said John Brent, the base environmental manager. Oddly enough, this is a boon for the red-cockaded woodpecker, a bird on the endangered species list that has made a comeback there.

The finicky woodpecker typically lives in longleaf pines at least 60 years old. The tree thrives on forest fires. “It needs fire to germinate and grow,” Mr. Brent said.

Outside the base, civilian agencies have long tried to prevent forest fires, and that ultimately hurts the pine population. Elsewhere, forest lands are disappearing amid rapid development.

All of this has the birds flocking to the base, Mr. Brent said. To help welcome the new tenants, Mr. Brent and others have been building bird “condominiums,” Mr. Brent said. For this they cut a hole about the size of a loaf of bread in an existing tree and slide in a cedar box to accommodate a nest. They can only do this once per tree because these picky birds prefer “condos, not townhouses,” Mr. Brent said.

“It’s a well-kept secret” that biologists are drawn to work on military bases, Mr. Brent said. “There’s a chance to do terrific work.”

Last year, the Department of Defense spent nearly $70 million on threatened and endangered species management and conservation, including $16.5 million on the red-cockaded woodpecker and just under $6 million on the desert tortoise.

The outlays let biologists survey habitats, tag and track animals, build hatcheries and provide ecological training to thousands of troops.

At Fort Irwin, an Army base near Barstow, Calif., Clarence Everly bumped along a dirt trail in a Dodge Ram pickup. The former Airborne Ranger is now the natural and cultural resources manager on base.

“Having been in the Army, it gives you some street cred” dealing with soldiers and the chain of command, he said. “You’re not just the environmentalist guy trying to prevent them from doing training.”

He drove out to meet a team of biologists from the U.S. Geological Survey on a 10-acre restricted area where lonely Joshua trees shook in 50 mile per hour winds.

This “is a great resource,” said Christina Aiello, a USGS scientist and Ph.D. student from Penn State University, trying to yell over the gusts of wind. “Blocking off areas, restricting access, it’s safe and secure and there’s no public access.”

She is part of a team doing research on how tortoises interact socially. She said their research is “like Facebook” as they track friend circles in the tortoise group.

Back at Twentynine Palms, Ken Nagy, a professor emeritus in biology from UCLA studying the reproductive habits of the reptiles, held a baby tortoise in one hand, its shell still soft.

They are like “walking ravioli” to predators, he said. A fenced-off section of the base covered by netting helps overcome the high mortality rate for young tortoises in the wild. Mr. Nagy’s program helps protect juveniles from birds and allows for research in a natural habitat.

Other parts of the military’s domain aren’t exactly natural but still offer the animals military-style protection.

On Fort Irwin, Mr. Everly peered through the window of his pickup at some targets in the distance—home to a surprisingly large tortoise population. “In essence, the live-fire ranges are protection for the tortoises,” he said, looking at a patch of ground where bullets often rain down but rarely hit the burrowing reptile. “Nobody goes out there.”

Check out the entire article here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323798104578452941180687984.html?mod=wsj_valettop_email