Teaching Your Cat How To Walk On A Leash

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) says, Teaching your cat to walk on a harness and leash is a great way to let your cat enjoy the outdoors while ensuring his safety.

There is an old belief that it is grossly unfair to confine such a free-spirited animal to the indoors. Some people believe that cats should never be outdoors.

If you would like to give your cat an opportunity to explore the out-of-doors safely, leash-training them is an ideal way to do it..

Whether your cat is exclusively indoors, or an indoor-outdoor variety, there are times you'll need to keep him confined with a leash. Even older cats can be trained, given patience.

The first thing to remember is that cats don't walk on a leash like a dog. They will want to go in the direction they choose, rather than following you.

Tips on walking your cat on a leash:

1. The key to successful training is do it slowly, about 5 minutes at a time each day. Gradually increasing the time the harness is worn. Let the cat get use to wearing it around the house.

2. At first the cat will not want to move around. After it has accepted wearing the harness, then add the leash and encourage the cat to walk to get something it wants like a food treat or toy.

3. A lot of praise and good kitty also helps in the acceptance of the wearing. The cat has to understand that there is a reward in store for its cooperation.

4. Never drag your cat.

5. Get to know your cat before you to walk it on a leash..

6. The first time you take your cat outside, carry it to a quiet, safe spot in your yard, and gently set it down. Always pick your cat up if another animal comes into your yard.

7. Be aware that your cat will be exposed to some dangers and parasites outdoors.

8. If you have an older cat, you'll still be able to train them to walk on a leash, but it may take a little longer.

9. If you want to take your cat out especially if you are in an unfamiliar location, put it in a harness with a leash to keep it safe.

10. Be sure to attach an ID tag and write your phone number on the harness so someone knows who to call if your cat happens to get loose.

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How To Keep Your Tank Safe During A Power Outage

A power outage may only be a minor inconvenience for you but, for your aquarium fish, it can be deadly.

A power outage is a minor convenience for most people – it simply means that you have to take a break from television, computer, and charging your cell phone. As long as the outage doesn’t last too long there will likely be no damage done. When it comes to your aquarium, however, a power outage can be a major problem. In order to maintain the delicate balance in your tank you need to keep your filtration system and heater running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Whether the outage lasts for a few hours or a few days, there are several things you can do to minimize the damage.

Types of Power Outages

Before getting into the details of how to protect your aquarium during a power outage, it is important that you understand that different types of outages will affect your aquarium in different ways. A localized power outage occurs when the main source of power to the aquarium is disrupted. This could be due to a power strip coming unplugged or a fuse being blown. In some cases the problem is easily remedied – you can just plug the cord back in or flip the switch on the circuit breaker. If the problem is due to an equipment malfunction, like a cracked heater, you may not even realize the problem right away. You may want to consider installing a plug-in alarm that will alert you if the power to your tank is interrupted – this is an especially good investment if you have a very large tank full of expensive fish. It is also a good idea that you use different plugs for different pieces of equipment so they do not all go out at once in the event of a localized power outage.

To read more on this story, click here: How To Keep Your Tank Safe During A Power Outage


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Dog Safety In And Out of The Car - Using A Seatbelt, Harness or Leash

When you get into your car what is the first thing that you do? Of course, you buckle your seatbelt. When you put your young child in the car…you buckle their seatbelt. When it’s time to take you dog out for a trip…to you allow them to run freely in the car…or do you buckle their seatbelt?

If you let your dog run freely, you are not only endangering their life, your life, but the lives of others. A sudden stop can send your dog flying over the seat. Your dog can get frightened and jump on you causing you to lose control of the car. You love your dog and do everything to protect them at home, so why not protect them in the car. Remember, never leave your dog in a hot car.

Four Reasons to use a Pet Safety Belt
A Pet Safety Belt for your dog will help:                                  
                                                                                                           
1. Prevent Car or Truck Driver Distraction
2. Protect Passengers from injury in an accident
3. Reduce injury during travel to pet
4. Help rescue workers by keeping a dog restrained
                           
Walking your dog
Dogs are great walking companions! If you begin walking with your dog, you may soon find that they are ready to walk when you are The great health benefit is that you can combine your walk as a weight loss program!

Your dog  should never be running ahead of you, and should never be leading you. You should always have complete control over your animal. When you get a new puppy, Start attaching your dog's leash the day you bring him home, and venture out together as soon as possible.

Equipment for Walking your dog
Begin by selecting the right leash and collar for your dog. Make your choices not only on your dog's breed, but also on his current size, and behavior level. . Fixed  collars made of nylon are a much smarter choice for smaller pets. Head collars are also available for dogs of all sizes.

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The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore Welcomed Five African Penguin Chicks in October

The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore welcomed five African penguin chicks in October.

“We are thrilled to continue our breeding success every year, and so far have hatched out another five chicks to kick off the beginning of our breeding season,” said Jen Kottyan, avian collection and conservation manager. “We anticipate we’ll have more chicks hatch soon.”

Penguin chicks will hatch 38 to 42 days after the eggs are laid.

“With African penguins, both the male and the female take turns incubating the eggs,” said Kottyan. “Once the eggs hatch, parents take turns caring for their offspring; they each protect, feed, and keep the chick warm for 2-3 days and then switch off.”

At Penguin Coast, chicks stay with their parents for about three weeks after they hatch and are fed regurgitated fish from their parents.

Zoo keepers will keep a close eye on the chicks, weighing them to make sure they are growing properly.

When the chicks are three weeks old, they’ll be removed from their nest and must learn that staff are the source for food.

It’ll help the chicks acclimate to the daily feedings, health checks and more.

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How To Remove Matted Hair From Your Dog

Your little dogie is  matted…don’t panic! It’s not as bad as it seems. The very first thing that you DON’T do, is use scissors to try to cut it out.  When you pull a dog's hair you will noticed that the skin will move with the hair. For this reason you should not try and cut your dog’s mats off with scissors.  There is a good possibility that you will cut through the skin, which will need to be sutured closed by a Veterinarian

Having two Shih-Tzu’s, I have experienced this first hand. If you have a long-haired dog you can’t wait for their hair to get long like the ones in the dog shows. I quickly found out that the dogs in the dog shows were being groomed every day and several times a day at dog shows.

I tried to keep my Sugar’s hair up in the topknot, but Domino wasn’t having it!  I would brush both of them and they would look cute…for about 10 minutes! Domino would pull her topknot down and I would find her bow in the floor.

After working everyday, coming home and trying to tackle them to brush their hair, I gave up. I started seeing matting on Sugar. I took them to the groomers and they suggested that I get them the puppy cut. I kept them with the puppy cut. I no longer felt the need to see them with the long flowing hair like the show dogs. They liked it, especially in the summer!

If your dog is matted you have a couple choices:

1. If your dog will let you comb their hair, start combing as a regular habit while watching tv and sitting on the floor with your dog. A little at a time. Don’t rush and no pulling. Just slow, methodical combing a little at a time, and before you know it, the mats will be gone. It’s good to start the combing method on puppies. This way as they grow they will get used to the grooming. Never attempt to cut mats around their private areas. Matting in this area should always be removed by a professional groomer.
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2. Finally, depending on the type, and location of the mat, your dog may require shaving.



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How To Remove Matted Hair From Your Cat

Kitty is matted…don’t panic! It’s not as bad as it seems. The very first thing that you DON’T do, is use scissors to try to cut it out. When you pull a cat or dogs hair you will noticed that the skin will move with the hair. For this reason you should not try and cut your cat’s mats off with scissors. There is a good possibility that you will cut through the skin, which will need to be sutured closed by a Veterinarian

You have a few choices:

1. If your cat will let you comb it’s hair, start combing as a regular habit while watching tv and sitting on the floor with your cat. A little at a time. No longer than 15 minutes at a time. Cats unlike dogs will not sit for long periods. Don’t rush and no pulling. Just slow, methodical combing a little at a time, and before you know it, the mats will be gone. It’s good to start the combing method on kittens. This way as they grow they will get used to the grooming. Never attempt to cut mats around their private areas. Matting in this area should always be removed by a professional groomer.

2. You can try and find a professional cat groomer in your area.

3. Finally, depending on the type, and location of the mat, your cat may require shaving.

Helpful Videos:







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Do You Know What to Do if Your Cat or Dog is Choking? Do You Know How to Perform CPR on Your Pet in an Emergency?

I hope you never have to use this, but this information is worth reading. Most of the time when we think about choking or cpr, we think about this happening to a person. However, it can happen to your pet. Would you know what to do in an emergency in the middle of the night if your pet was choking or needed cpr?

This post has several videos, please take time to look at them. I decided to write this post after hearing about a 7-year-old yellow lab, in Wisconsin, named Coda who was rescued from a burning home and revived a group of firefighters using mouth-to-snout resuscitation.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) says, Unfortunately, accidents do happen. When a medical emergency befalls our furry friends, pet parents may find it difficult to make rational decisions, especially if something occurs during the middle of the night. That’s why it’s crucial to have an emergency plan in place—before you need it.

How to Perform CPR on a Dog:




How to Perform CPR on a Cat:

What to do if your dog is choking:




What to do if your cat is choking:




I know that this post is on emergency care for pets, but I also decided to include: How to Do the Heimlich Maneuver on People:



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Dog Food Recalls: Is Your Brand on the List?

We have the best, most complete list of dog food recalls. Fully updated with every dog food recall of 2018.

Petful has been researching U.S. dog food recalls for several years now, and we’ve compiled the following list. Is your dog food on our list? Recalls are listed in order from newest to oldest. (Looking for cat food recalls? Go here.)

To see the full list, click here: Dog Food Recalls: Is Your Brand on the List?






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