pet life archives

     You cannot discipline cats as you would dogs. Cats form social groups by necessity and based on respecting territory, rather than respecting "top dog". Use of punishment will only teach your cat to fear you. It is better to train cats into behaviour that is alternative or incompatible to the problem behavior.     Prevention, or making certain behaviors impossible is another tactic, such as keeping food in containers and breakable, dangerous (or irresistible) objects out of reach. The key is to train your cat away from undesirable behavior as soon and as young as possible, give praise and treats when they demonstrate acceptable behaviour - and to remain consistent! 1. Scratching      Cats need to scratch! It is essential to their need to maintain their main source of defense, sharpen and wear down their claws and to develop strong sinewy muscles. Scratching is also a way for the cat to leave his scent. Destructiv...

           Pets, like people, are sensitive to factors that may result in unwanted behaviours. Poor training, change in routine or environment, or specific instinctual pet characteristics may be some of the reasons why your pet is misbehaving. Contrary to what some believe, pets are "not trying to get back" at owners for any reason. All behaviour is a form of communication. It's our job as owners to try to understand and help our pet overcome undesirable habits. 1. Digging      Some dogs may have a naturally greater digging instinct. Dogs dig out of boredom, so make sure there are toys for your dog to play with outdoors. Extra exercise may help. Always provide a cool shady place for your dog to rest. Dogs dig in cool soil to find relief from the heat. Don't use blood or bone meal to fertilize your garden - the scent may be irresistible. There are some products on the market that create a scent that is repugnant to animals that can be put in a...

           Owners that have a basic knowledge of pet first aid are better able to give their pet a fighting chance in an emergency. Basic first aid skills can help keep your pet alive, alleviate pain and suffering and prevent further harm when transporting the animal to the veterinarian or hospital. Do not panic, protect yourself from injury and prepare in advance      When faced with an injured or severely ill pet, take a moment and assess the situation. Decide if there is danger of further injury to the animal or first aid giver. Ensure that you will not be injured, either by the surroundings or the animal. Determine if the pet needs to be moved immediately.      How you approach an injured pet safely is important. Animals may respond to pain and fear instinctively and react with aggression. You cannot assume a docile pet will not bite. Try to remain calm and speak in a soothing voice. Towels may be used to cover the pet's he...

     Even pets can suffer from stress. Stressed pets live unhealthy lives and are burdensome to their owners. You owe it to yourself and your pet to keep stress out of your lives. There are many sources that can cause stress for a pet. Here are some of them.      You. The pet and its owner have an undeniable bond. If you are stressed yourself, or if you are depressed, unhappy or anxious, your pet will pick up on it. Your pet can sense your emotions through their senses and they will be influenced by it. If the person you love is sad, you'll be sad too. Same thing with your pets.      Sickness. Especially sickness that lasts a long time. If your pet isn't getting better there must be a reason. Stress is one of those possibilities. It could be that the sickness made your pet more prone to stress. But whatever the true reason is, you will have to find out. Place your attention on the situation and be sure to be prepared for any situation tha...

     Does the idea of spending massive amounts of money on the medications that your pet needs leave you with a bad feeling? This occurs quite frequently, but sadly, your pet cannot tell you how they are actually feeling. In order to get the biggest benefit possible you need to be well aware of all of the details pertaining to a home remedy for your pet to ensure that they are safe, no matter what you are trying to do. With a bit of research put into finding the best home remedies you are certain to find some results that are highly effective, yet much friendlier for your wallet.      One of the biggest problems that strikes pets is fleas. These little pests are extremely difficult to get rid of once you have them, but as miserable as they make you it is worse for your pet. A cheap way to rid your pet of fleas and have them smell great with no greasy feel is to use Pert Plus shampoo. This is actually a remedy that is highly recommended by groups such as G...

Have you ever dreamed of what it might be like to retain and train hamsters as pets? The purpose of this journal is to bring clarification to many of the doubts that you may have. For starters, hamsters as pets don't require much space compared to a mutt or kitling. The area that you must set aside in your own home is no more than the size of a ichthys (fish) household. Because they take up such little space, hamsters are very excellent pets for apartment living or for a modest home. Do not underrate, however, the time that you will need to care for your hamsters as pets. The degree of time required to care for them is roughly the same as it would be for a whelp. Hamsters want to be fed and watered each day. Anticipate that the toilets must be cleaned frequently. Every day, the hamsters demand an hour of out-of-cage playtime. Their homes will need to be cleaned on a seven day schedule.  Regarding the monetary requirement, you will discover that hamsters are on par with other pet...

Dog allergy symptoms often tend to be similar, irrespective of the cause of the allergy, and this does not help when you are trying to find out the cause of the problem. However, there are small indicators you should look out for if you believe your dog has an allergy, and that can be used to determine a likely cause. Dogs are no different to humans when it comes to allergies, and dog allergy symptoms are very similar to ours - sneezing, itching, and watering eyes. However, we humans generally have a rough idea of what is causing our allergy, and we also know that we have one, but your poor dog has no idea what is causing that awful itch. He sure can't tell you, so let's have a look at the more common dog allergy symptoms, and how they can be used to perhaps determine what is causing them. 'Perhaps' is used because dog allergies are notoriously difficult to diagnose, but the dog itself might help you. Itching, Redness and Scratching Itching is caused by irri...