Friday, May 30, 2008

Give your cat a bath

Cats do a pretty good job of keeping themselves clean, but they do occasionally need a bath. With most cats, bath time can be a lot of work. Here are some tips that might make bath time easier.

Before you even begin with the bath, you may want to consider trimming your cats nails to reduce the risk of getting scratched, and get all of the supplies you will need ready in advance.

Once you are ready for the bath, the first thing you want to do is remain calm and positive. Your cat can sense your emotions, so it is important not to give your cat a clue of what is about to happen. Fill the bathtub with enough lukewarm water to cover your cat’s paws and now you are ready for bath time!

Gently put your cat in the bathtub while holding on to the back of your cat’s neck. Try to give your cat a little free rein in the tub so she doesn’t feel trapped, but without letting her escape.

It is recommended to apply a lubricating eye ointment to prevent irritation to the eyes. First, take a scoop or a cup and gently pour it over your cat until her fur is wet. Then apply a cat shampoo and rub it into her fur (avoiding the eye area). Once she is completely shampooed, rinse off the shampoo by scooping water over your cat, or holding your cat under the facet. They also make a facet attachment (as shown in the picture) which makes rinsing the shampoo out much easier, (which I highly recommend!).

Once the shampoo has been completely rinsed out, gently pat and rub your cat with a towel to dry her off.

I have never had a lot of success using the bathtub, between squirming cats and sore knees, (I won’t even mention the sore back!) I started using the laundry tub. This actually turned out to be a much less painful process for both me and my cats.

Please share any bath time tips that have worked for you or funny bath time stories with us.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

What type of birdseed should you use?

Q Laura from New Jersey wants to know, What's the best birdseed to put in your birdfeeder when you are not sure what birds are around where you live? Is it dependent on the location you live in the country (North Eastern U.S. vs. South Western U.S. for example)? Stores sell "wild bird seed", but it this good for all types of birds?

A The birdseed that you use depends on what type of birds you are trying to attract. The most common types of bird food are; wild bird seed, song bird food, fruit and nuts, thistle, suet, and nectar. While there are other bird foods, these are the most common and you can attract a lot of birds to your yard using these types of food. I consider the wild bird food to be a generic type of bird food that appeals to a large variety of birds and is a good way to get started feeding birds. Once you learn what type of birds are in your area you may want to expand and start offering different types of food. The more varieties of food you offer; the more birds will visit your home.

One thing to remember is to be patient. Attracting a variety of birds to your yard can take a while. The number of birds coming to your yard will increase over the years if you are consistent with filling your feeders. We moved to a new house a few years ago and I had to start over with attracting birds to our yard. After 4 years in our house, my husband swears that we feed birds from all of the neighboring counties, so persistence does pay off. Keeping a bird identification book handy also helps you learn what type of birds you are attracting and you can put out food that you know they will like.

Don’t forget to provide your birds with a water sources, such as a bird bath, this will also make your yard more appealing!

Friday, May 23, 2008

Savings on dry cat food

We want to feed our cats what is best for them and what better way to do that than using a $2.00 off coupon for Friskies Sensory Delight cat food! With the cost of groceries going up, this will help you stretch your dollar while providing high quality food for your cats.

Click here to find out how to get your $2.00 off coupon!


Thursday, May 22, 2008

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Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Hot Spots

Our dog has allergies and constantly suffers from hot spots; also know as moist dermatitis or by the medical name of pyotraumatic dermatitis. Hot spots are a localized skin inflammation and/or infection, which can be superficial on the skin or a deeper infection and are caused (and made worse) by biting, licking and scratching.

The signs of hot spots are redness, oozing, itchiness and pain, accompanied by hair loss or matted hair in the infected area.

As always, when your pet has an infection a vet trip is in order. Normal treatments of hot spots are;
Shaving the area
Cleansing the area with cool water and a gentle skin cleanser
Medications, such as an antibiotic, steroids, topical spray and special shampoos

Our dog did not react well to the steroids, and the topical spray seemed to take forever to give our dog any relief, which left us looking for other options. What worked the best for us was Bactine. At the first sign of a hot spot we would spray the infected area three to four times a day. In most cases, the hot spot would be dramatically reduced within 24 hours. We also found that our dog did not like the taste of the Bactine and therefore did less biting and licking, which helps the healing process.

Hot spots can be very painful for your pet, so discuss your options with your vet to see what works best for your pet.

Please share any other home remedies you have for treating hot spots?

Friday, May 16, 2008

Senior moments

As we age, we all get senior moments, but did you know your aging cats get them too?

My parent’s cat, Callie, is 20 years old and has started having senior moments. She will walk into a hallway and sit down and start crying. Then she looks around like she forgot where she was going. My parents, being ever so attentive, watch for her and try to anticipate where Callie was going. When she cries, my parents will pick her up and bring her to her litter box or to her food and water depending on the direction it looked like Callie was heading. My mom jokes that it was like taking care of a baby; there is a different cry for her needs and my parents seem to have Callie’s cries down pat.

Just like people, there are signs of an aging cat. Some of the changes in behavior that you might see is meowing (mostly at night), changes in eating and drinking habits, increased sleeping, disorientation or forgetting where the cat was heading, and changes in litter box usage where the cat is not using the litter box all the time like she used to. These are normal signs of aging, but you should always take your cat to the vet to make sure there is not a medical problem causing the changes in behavior.

If your cat gets a clean bill of health your cat might have CDS (cognitive dysfunction syndrome) which is similar to Alzheimer’s disease. Here are some things you can do to help your aging cat.
* Add more litter boxes, which will make the litter box easier to find and use.
* Provide easy access to the litter box, this might include making sure that at least one side has a low side. This will make getting in and out of the litter box easier if your cat has achy joints.
* Add low stairs or ramps for easier access to some of your cat’s favorite spots, like the bed, sofa or favorite window.
* Serve regular meals to create more structure and routine to your cat’s mealtimes.
* Make dinner time desirable by adding a little hot water to the canned food, which will help enhance the aroma and make the food more appealing. Also provide plenty of fresh water.
* Limit the cat’s living space. If your cat is disorientated, shut doors to unused rooms, which will allow your cat to be more familiar with a smaller living area.
* Try to limit the use of stairs. If possible, keep your cat’s living area to one floor. As your cat gets older, achy joints and loss of vision can make stairs hard to maneuver.
* Avoid major changes. This is not the time to rearrange your furniture or add a new pet to the household. Try to leave the cat’s living areas the same so your cat is very familiar with their environment.
* Increase interaction and cuddle time. As your cat gets older and less active, find gentle ways to play, maybe playing with a string or feather that your cat can bat around without having to run. Spend this time cuddling and loving your cat. It is a great time to strengthen your bond with your cat as her activity level decreases and lets your aging cat know she is loved during the golden years of her life.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Attracting Bluebirds

I have been trying to attract bluebirds to my yard for sometime with little success. I have put up bluebird bird houses and bought mealworm. The mealworms did work on attracting bluebirds, but I wasn’t getting the regular visits that I was wanting. So, I tried a new suet recipe that keeps the bluebirds coming back.

Ingredients


1 cup lard
1 tsp corn oil
4 cups yellow cornmeal
1 cup all purpose flour

Melt the lard and then stir in all of the other ingredients and mix well. After the mixture sets, cut it into portions to fit your suet feeder.

You can also mix in other ingredients that you think your bluebirds will like, such as mealworms, raisins or sunflower hearts.

This mixture keeps the bluebirds coming back for more!

Monday, May 12, 2008

Controlling fleas and ticks

If you have cats or dogs you might be interested to know that Fort Dodge has come out with a new product. It's called Promeris, a preventative for fleas and ticks. The application is simple; the dose is in a clear plastic ampule that you apply directly between the shoulder blades. We have heard this product is supposedly the new wave of the future for flea and tick control. It effectively stops and controls existing flea infestations for up to seven weeks and prevents re-infestations of fleas. Apparently, this is the only product on the market that contains the drug Metaflumizone. Metaflumizone is said to attack a flea’s nervous system by blocking voltage dependent sodium channels which results in paralysis and a timely death. A monthly application is recommended for cats and dogs.

In addition to stopping fleas this drug stops and controls tick infestation. It also prevents re-infestations for up to four weeks in dogs. This product also contains Amitraz. You may know of this chemical from flea dips and collars. Amitraz kills ticks by disrupting normal nerve function leading to reduced feeding and attachment, paralysis and death. Amitraz is an inhibitor of the enzyme monoamine oxidase. We are unaware if this chemical works on cats.

ProMeris is available for dogs in five sizes to accurately dose different body weights and puppies 8 weeks and older. Each size is available in three and six dose packages. ProMeris for cats is available in two sizes to accurately dose cats or kittens 8 weeks and older. Each size is available in three and six dose packages.

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Feed your pets and save money

Your pet’s health is so important, which means we have to feed our pets healthy food to be sure he gets the right amount of minerals and vitamins. A healthy diet promotes overall wellness, but also improves your pet’s coat, bones and immune system. Iams has come out with a Healthy Naturals pet food with a variety for both dogs and cats, and Iams is veterinary recommended! Click here to get a $5.00 off coupon for either dog or cat food!

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Attracting birds to your yard

For the greatest variety and number of birds, try a variety of feeding spots and feeders. Start with one or two feeders and increase the number as you learn which foods and feeders the birds prefer. Place the feeders so you can watch them easily from a convenient window. Also, when the feeders are in sight, you'll see when they need to be filled or cleaned.

Hang feeders near shrubs or trees so birds have nearby cover and an escape route from predators such as sharp-shinned hawks. In extremely windy areas, choose sheltered locations for the feeders.

Then sit back and enjoy the view!

Stop your dog from jumping

Every time I came home, our German Shepherd, Brutus, greeted me by jumping on me. While this might not be bad for smaller dogs, Brutus weights 100 pounds and can easily knock me over if I’m not prepared for his jump. While I am as excited to see him as he is to see me, I don’t like being jumped on and I like him jumping on guests even less. Realizing that jumping is a natural way for a dog to greet you, it doesn’t mean that you cannot teach him new behavior with a better way to greet you.

There are several ways you can teach your dog not to jump. The training method I like to use is to teach my dog what to do, rather than what not to do. To do this I simply taught Brutus that I wanted him to have all four paws on the floor to greet me and then reinforced this with a reward of a warm welcome when he greets me correctly. If he did not greet me correctly, his warm greeting is postponed until he behaves correctly.

When I come home, I give Brutus the command of “down.” This command tells Brutus that I want all four paws on the ground. This command works whether Brutus is jumping to greet me or thinking he is going to be a lap dog (all 100 lbs of him). The command of “down” means, in every situation to put all four paws on the ground. Always reinforce good behavior with a reward, whether you use a treat or praise him, make sure your dog knows he behaved correctly. This will encourage continued good behavior.

Use any command word that works for you. Many people use the command of “off” to keep the dog from jumping and use the command of “down” to have the dog lay down. So, use what ever works for you. I use a different command to have Brutus lay down, so the “down” command for not jumping works well for our family.

What tips do you have for keeping your dog from jumping on you?