Archive for Wildlife
June 3, 2008 at 10:57 am · Filed under Wildlife
You love your new cat, but he’s clawing and scratching all your furniture! The immediate resolution that comes to mind is to have him declawed, but before you rush into this you should think long and hard for declawing a cat is not a simple procedure - it is a major surgery involving surgical amputation of the first joint of a cat’s toe.
Declawing is a painful surgery for your cat. While your cat will get pain medication for his after surgery recovery, the tips of the nerves need time to heal and he can be in pain for weeks or even months until this has happened. This can cause your cuddly little kitty to become highly irritable and aggressive.
Not only that, but the claws are a cats chief chief weapon of defense. Sure, you take every precaution to make sure your cat doesn’t get outside, but what if something happens and he finds himself alone in the elements facing other animals?
There will always be occasions when a cat may be confronted by other cats or dogs. Then, it will find it impossible to strike back, because it has no claws. To use its teeth, it needs to get close to its attacker, which may not happen. A declawed cat therefore become a helpless victim in front any aggressor.
Declawing can also lead to problems in the litter box. Declawed cats sometimes avoid the litter box and choose the softer carpet instead since it is painful for them to dig into the litter. Declawing can also lead to biting problems. Since this is their second line of defense, some cats may resort to deep biting to make up for their lack of claws. Even during play, your cat can no longer scratch as a warning and may be prone to biting now instead.
Claws and toes also provide exercise to your cat. When a cat stretches horizontally on a carpet or vertically with a tail scratching post, it pulls and stretches its muscles by grabbing the carpet or post with its claws. As a matter of fact, the cat’s claws play a large and positive role in its extraordinary muscle tone and agility.
Finally, declawing can cause joint problems later on in your cats life. Cats walk on their toes so the absence of claws can affect all the joints of the leg resulting in arthritis of the hip and other joints later.
But you don’t have to sacrifice your furniture in order to save your cat the pain of declawing. With time and patience you can train your cat to scratch in a more desirable area. Make sure you invest in a scratching post or accessory that your cat likes. Mine loves the simple corrugated cardboard slabs that you can buy in any pet store.
Watch your cat carefully and you will see a pattern of when and where he likes to scratch the most. Put the scratching post in the room where he likes to scratch and wait for him to scratch in his usual place. When you see him starting to scratch distract him and lead him over to the scratching post. Praise him when he uses the post and say “Bad Kitty” when he uses the furniture. Eventually he will start to favor the post - you just have to make him think it was his idea!
Lee Dobbins is a cat owner and animal lover. Visit Cats at the Family Webzone for more tips and info on cats.
April 29, 2008 at 9:08 am · Filed under Wildlife
It used to be the hot thing to dress parent and child alike. This day and age, however, the child being dressed is four-legged and furry. The younger generation is having less children and satisfying their parental desires with pampered pooches. So, there are a large number of people looking to spoil their dogs and themselves by dishing out the dough on designer dog clothes. Just like human clothing, dog clothing designs get their inspiration on runways around the world and lead many different styles and colors to be the in thing this season.
The inventive colors and designs on models in Milan, Paris and New York have found their way into dog clothing boutiques around the world. Designers have only a short time after the human fashion shows to develop their new lines to go along with what the parents will be wearing. “The dog version of clothing must not only match human styles, it must also be functional for the dog” said Onika Carroll, a designer for Elizabeth Austin. All of these challenges lead to a varied array of dog clothing ranging from the cute and simple to the haute couture.
The different styles that are in this season include an assortment of day and evening wear as well as beach wear. Longer dresses and even ball gowns are going to be hot thanks to the popularity of the TV show “Dancing with the Stars”. The good news for retailers is and customers is that there is a wide variety of gowns and dresses to fit anyone’s taste. Colors like pink, lilac and lime green are strong this season, and polka dots and floral designs are prominent as well. Another fashion choice that should be popular is having sequins or appliqués of hearts and butterflies. Pooch parents want their girl dogs to be dainty and their boy dogs to be cool or tough. A very popular print this season for boys and some girls is anything camouflage. The bottom line is, there’s going to be plenty for everyone to choose what style fits them and their baby best.
Grant Carroll proud father of three dogs and co-owner of http://www.littlepamperedpets.com with Dog Clothes and Small Dog Sweaters.
Also visit Elizabeth Austin for Wholesale Dog Clothes and Wholesale Pet Supplies.
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April 10, 2008 at 3:15 am · Filed under Wildlife
Do you dread clipping your dogs nails? Don’t worry you are not alone.. Even though it’s not much fun most dog owners will have to make nail clipping part of their regular grooming.
To clip your dogs nails you will need some basic equipment that you can pick up at any good pet supply store. Don’t try to make do with human clipers. Special dog nail clippers have a different shape and are specially designed to make the clipping as fast and painless as possible. There are other items you can buy to make it easier to trim your dog’s nails too - various products that encourage the blood clotting process are very useful in case of messy clipping accidents.
There are many variations on the best way to clip your dogs nails. In general you will want to start with prolonged desensitization of your dogs feet. This will allow your dog to get used to having his paws handled regularly and will make it easier to have a calm clipping session.
When clipping your dogs nails for the first time its important to ask someone who knows how to do it to show you. You can get many instructions and even some excellent illustrated instructions on how to clip your dogs nails but watching someone else clip your dogs nails will gie you a chance to ask any questions you might have. If your dog has dark nails (as many do) you will want to watch to get an idea of where your dogs “quick” is located. Most veternarians will clip your dogs nails for you and this is obviously the best way to learn.
Starting young increases the chances of having a dog who doesn’t mind having his nails trimmed. Puppies generally won’t need to have their nails clipped but even if you only bring the clippers up to his paws and “play clip then” he will learn that it’s just a normal part of life.
Don’t clip your dogs nails until you are completely sure what you are doing. Not only will your dog pick up on your anxiousness but he will most probably make things difficult for you.
Many people find that one of the best ways to ensure a calm and easy nail clipping session is by walking the dog before you start with the clipping. Tire your dog out well and he might not be able to make as much of a fuss as he’d like.
Some people resort to using tranquilizers to make nail clipping easier for their dogs nd them. This really shouldn’t be necessary with some foresight. Even the simple act of massaging your dogs paws for a few minutes every day to desensitize your dog to being touched there.
Of course the most important thing you can do to make nail clipping easier is to use treats liberally.
Steve Allison is a third generation of professional dog breeders along with his brother Gary. It all started with his grandparents in 1970 with the Boston Terriers and has expanded to Maltese, Yorkshire Terriers, Pugs, Shih Tzu’s and Pomeranians. He is also actively involved with dog rescue and has a website that showcases the puppies they occasionally has for sale at All My Puppies Online Steve is also the co-author of two consumer guides, Carpet Secrets and Moving Secrets Guide
