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Buying a new cat or a kitten can often be an impulsive action. Once you see a new cat, more especially a kitten, it is hard to resist their charm; this makes it important you answer a few important questions before you finally make your choice.

Cat or Kitten?

First establish whether you want a fully grown cat or a kitten. Kittens are obviously cute, cuddly and playful but they can be stressful and make great demands on you as an owner, they will initially require a lot of your attention and time so if you are not able to give them this full attention from the start you should consider getting a more mature or adult cat.

Older cats are invariably already domesticated and will have some established behaviour patterns. Ideally you should try and discuss with the previous owner details about the eating habits, disposition, toilet behaviour and any other habits the new cat may have.

Male or Female?

There is a widespread belief that male cats are usually more independent and females are more friendly and loving towards their owners, however there is little difference in behaviour between the sexes once they have been neutered. Unless you intending to let your cat breed, neutering is advisable as this will result in a better pet with less “anti social” habits which are associated with cats used for breeding.

Pedigree or Non-Pedigree?

An important advantage of pedigree cats is that you can usually easier to predict the sort of cat you are going to end up with, especially how it will look and to some extent what temperament it may have.

If you intend showing or using your cat for breeding purposes then you should buy a cat that has a proven pedigree.

Their will obviously be more factors you will need to take into consideration and there is a wealth of useful information to help you, this can come from magazines and books, friends and other cat owners, the internet or your local vet.

Steve Hill is a webmaster from Birmingham, he has interests in a number of websites including:

stuttering
alternative therapies
dvd replication

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Hill

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They’re cute and adorable, and kittens will meow and pounce their way right into your heart from the minute you get them home. However, there’s a lot to know to make sure that little ball of fur is safe in your house. There are a few kitten care tips that will give you piece of mind with your new pet.

First, remember that the best kitten care tips come from people who know how to adapt. Before you bring your new pet home, it’s suggested you visit your local home improvement store and select some safety products. Remember, products that protect babies protect cats too.

One of the best kitten care tips you can get if you live in a high-rise is about windows. Remember, most kittens will be fearlessly curious and some window ledges present the best possible test of their balancing skills. All windows should have security in place to prevent accidental falls.

A few kitten care tips can seem a little strange until you consider the reason behind them. The experts warn about certain household chemicals like carpet cleaner and bug-control products that could be toxic and absorbed through a kitten’s paws.

Other kitten care tips include the purchasing of certain products to keep your new pet safe. These include items such as: an alcohol-free spray to stop your kitten from chewing, sticky adhesive strips that go around plants to stop digging, and electric outlet plugs to prevent electric shocks.

As soon as they get old enough, kittens should also have a soft collar and identification tag for even excursions into the backyard. Don’t tighten it too much. You should be able to slip two fingers through for it to rest comfortably on an older kitten.

For more information on kitten care, visit Caring for Your Kitten.com. You’ll find a humorous and helpful blog that supplies great kitten care tips and humorous kitten photos and video. You’ll also find the Caring for Your Kitten eBook that supplies over 40 breed profiles of cats and useful first-kitten information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Valerie_Mellema

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Adopting a dog from an animal shelter is very rewarding for the new owner, as more and more dogs are put to sleep if they are unable to find a home after a certain length of time. You are rewarded in the way that you have saved a dogs life, and additionally rewarded the animal shelter by helping them feed and look after the other dogs, and also that they have managed to save a dogs life and find it a new loving home.

When you purchase one from a shelter, it should have had the necessary injections, be checked for diseases and parasites and the new owner should be informed of the dog’s temperament and past history. This should come as standard.

The dogs at a shelter are not always strays and abandoned dogs, but quite a high percentage are handed in by the dog’s owners, for many reasons. This is beneficial for the new dog’s owner as they have more information about its history, whereas abandoned or strays have no history.

New owners should be informed of the dog’s behavior with children, if it is a noisy dog, and also whether or not the dog needs training, and if so pointed in the right direction for a dog training school.

Animal shelters provide a valuable service to the community by helping to keep the streets free of abandoned pets, and are mainly funded by the public, but the majority is voluntary. Adopting a dog, not only saves the life of one dog, but also allows space for another off the streets, potentially saving another dog’s life in the future.

This author is a long time keeper of dogs, and has put together a very informative resource site on dog training that can be located at http://www.abc-dogtraining.info

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As dogs are pack animals, it is important to understand that they are always aware of their position in the pack. This pack will encompass you, your family, other pets and of course all the dogs in the household. The Alpha dog or pack leader is seen by your dog as the leader and protector of the whole pack, and it is therefore crucial that you take on this role. Your dog will be healthier and happier if it feels secure in it’s pack, knowing that his leader is doing their job and keeping everyone safe.

The first step to doing this is to know which signals your dog will understand. You will need to consistently communicate “alpha signals” to your dog in a compassionate and respectful way. This does not entail being aggressive, overbearing or bullying your dog! It is simply a matter of learning the language that a dog understands and using the correct signals. Mixed signals and inconsistency will confuse your dog, making him think that the pack leader is not effective. Your dog will be stressed and feel that it is encumbered upon him to try to take over as alpha to stabilise the pack. If he does this, it is not because he is being “bad”, but that you have given him the wrong signals.

So what are these signals and how do you communicate them effectively? Firstly, the pack leader always eats before the other pack members, so you MUST eat your dinner completely and clear the table before giving your dog his bowl of food. He should see you eating and understand clearly that he can only eat once you have completely finished. Then make him sit before placing his bowl down for him and allowing him to eat. If you have been in the habit of feeding your dog before your dinner, or even during, this may take a while for your dog to become accustomed to. Be aware that any fuss he makes while you’re eating is part of his learning process. You are giving him new signals, new information about the pack and you must let him understand this. He may need time to assimilate this new information, so be firm but patient.

Secondly, you should always lead your dog, especially through doorways and narrow passages. NEVER let your dog push past you or in front of you. The pack leader in a dog pack would never allow a subordinate dog to push past or “lead” the pack, and therefore neither should you. Use a leash if need be, but always ensure you enter doors, rooms, gates etc. in front of your dog. Neither should you let your dog run up stairs in front of you. This allows him to run to the top and look down on you, displaying classic dominant behaviour. The key to this is NOT to punish the wrong behaviour - it is too late to do that - but to not allow him to exhibit alpha behaviour in the first place. Use a leash, close doors, give a short, sharp shout, whatever your dog responds to, but remember to be firm, kind and respectful. You are talking to your dog, not trying to bully him into submission. The key for all these techniques is repetition, consistency and patience.

Read more of Justine Kay’s dog training articles at her comprehensive site Dog Training Tips

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The 10 Greatest Puppy Training Tips of All Time
According to Dog Training Experts

10) When trying to settle a puppy into a new home, providing them with a warm hot water bottle and placing a ticking clock in the room where they sleep will help to replicate the body heat and heartbeat of their litter mates and can really help them to relax in their new environment.

9) When taking your puppy to the Vet for its first inoculations, health checks etc, it is good practice to sit with your puppy on your lap and not have him or her on the floor. Apart from being able to comfort and re-assure the puppy easier in this position you must also consider the fact that there may be a number of sick animals in the surgery and your puppy is vulnerable if they come into direct contact with infectious animals that may also be in attendance at the same time as your pup. Make a very deliberate effort to ensure your puppy’s trips to the vets are as fun as you can make them. Don’t allow your puppy to think you are nervous or concerned, instead make a game and even take a toy to amuse the puppy with whilst they sit on your lap.

Always ensure from the earliest possible moment that your puppy is given his or her own, private sleeping place that is not used by anyone else in the family or another pet. Your puppy will benefit from short periods left alone in his or her ‘den’ with you always returning to reward the pup when he or she is relaxed and quiet.

7) Try to make sure your puppy is entertained adequately for short but regular intervals during the day. Long periods of being left unstimulated may lead to destructive or disruptive behaviour later in life. Little games playing ‘fetch’ with the pup’s favourite toy will have the beneficial affect of stimulating the pup, increasing his or her bond with you and allowing the pup to expend short, sharp bursts of energy.

6) Don’t over-train your puppy. Remember, a one-year old dog is, effectively, the same as a seven-year old person. It is a good rule of thumb to keep reminding yourself ‘would I expect a three, four, five or six-year old child to accomplish some of the tasks I am asking of my pup?’ Manners, house-cleanliness and the very basics (including socialisation) are all you should really seek to instil in your puppy until such a time, as they are mature enough to undergo a more formal training regime. Puppies can deceive you into thinking they are ready for training but will ultimately ‘rebel’ against discipline as they get older. Ensuring you have taught your puppy to respond to his or her name, what is and is not acceptable in terms of house-manners and establishing an uninhibited relationship with your pup is more important than any other discipline in the early stages of any dog’s life.

5) OWWWW! Teach your puppy that biting or nipping is not a pleasant experience for you by reacting as if in pain to their playful nips. Rather than scold the dog, let him or her know that nipping is not a pastime that you wish to engage in. Letting out an over-exaggerated expression of pain will more than likely shock the puppy into ceasing this behaviour. You will be glad you put an end to this behaviour early on instead of confronting a ‘playful’ 2-year-old with a full set of adult teeth!

4) Decide early on what is and is not acceptable in your house. If you don’t want your pup to use the living-room sofa as a raised dog bed when they get older then don’t encourage him or her to come up for fuss when they’re young just because they look sweetly at you and are small enough to pick up.

3) Jumping up. All puppies love to jump out when greeting anyone. Rather than reprimand the pup, simply ignore the behaviour and wait until he or she settles down and is not jumping up before lavishing any attention on them. Above all else, don’t encourage the behaviour by patting or praising the dog when they are in the ‘jump-position’ or you may run in to problems as the dog gets bigger and views jumping up as an easy way to receive attention.

2) The puppy’s name will be with them for life, make sure they know it by associating it with all things pleasant and fun. In the same way dog’s cotton on in a very positive way to words such as ‘walkies’, ‘biscuits’ or ‘dinner-time’ they should be given the same association with their own name. Too often the only time the puppy hears his or her name is when they have done something naughty. ‘Jasper, stop doing that!’ ‘Buster, leave that alone!’ It’s tough but try to ensure that you NEVER use the puppy’s name in a negative scenario only positive ones. Instead of ‘Jasper, leave that alone!’ simply, ‘Leave that alone!’ or better yet ‘No!’. And instead of ‘walkies’, biscuits or ‘dinner-time’ try ‘Jasper, biscuits!’, ‘Jasper, walkies!’, ‘Jasper, dinner-time!’ Golden rule. Your puppy should associate his or her own name with all that is pleasant and fun and nothing that is negative. The word ‘no’ is negative and it is enough to cover all undesirable behaviour.

1) From the moment your puppy comes into your life teach him that coming to you when called is nothing short of being the best thing in the world. Puppies can’t resist humans who sit down on the floor with legs spread apart so, while they’re easily persuaded to come by this very simple gesture, make the most of it by using their name, sparingly, but making a huge fuss when puppy arrives. Try it at times when pup is pre-occupied with something interesting and make coming back to you the most enjoyable and rewarding experience in the world for him or her. You will really see the benefits as the dog gets older.

This article was taken from K9 Magazine, the lifestyle magazine for dog lovers and is available
in both digital and print formats. You can subscribe to K9 Magazine or get lots of free dog articles,
features and advice at http://www.k9magazine.com

All content © K9 Media Solutions Ltd & K9 Magazine.

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Every year, many cat owners decide to get their cat spayed or neutered. This decision is made for several different reasons, all of which illustrate why it is such a good idea.

The many problems caused by un-spayed or un-neutered pets each year are part of what has prompted numerous humane societies to require that any adopted animals be promptly spayed or neutered as a condition of adoption. Many of the problems that are listed below would be alleviated if more people took the time to get their pets spayed or neutered.

With that kept in mind, here are the top seven reasons to have your cat spayed or neutered.

1. The most important reason is simply that there are too many unwanted litters of kittens. Millions of cats are euthanized each year. 90% of these animals would be acceptable for adoption into families, unfortunately, there simply are not enough families looking for cats to give these animals a good home. A single un-spayed female cat can produce three litters per year, with an average of four to six kittens per litter.

2. Unwanted cats that are not euthanized or adopted are often abandoned and become feral. It is estimated that the feral cat population is as large as the current number of cats that have homes. Feral cats can carry diseases as well as harm the populations of wild rodents and birds. As a result, a large feral cat population can have a damaging effect on the environment. By having your own cat spayed or neutered, you can ensure that your pet will not contribute to the growing problem.

3. Un-spayed female cats go into heat several times a year. By spaying your cat, you can prevent several unwanted behaviors, including spraying, hours of yowling, and you will not have to confine your cat for several weeks out of the year.

4. Male cats that have not been neutered are also more difficult to care for. Sexually mature male cats often feel a need to mark their territory. Also, the mating instincts in un-neutered cats cannot be curbed or controlled, and often these male cats will wander off for days at a time in search of a female that is in heat. Sometimes when male cats wander they get lost and do not come home. By neutering your cat, you can prevent this.

5. It is better for your cat’s health to be spayed or neutered. For example, female cats that are spayed before their first heat will have a reduced chance of mammary cancer, and will be unable to develop pyometra, which is a serious uterine condition that can cause death. Also, an unwanted pregnancy in an already ill or aging cat can be fatal. Male cats which have been neutered have less chance of being injured in fights over females, or of developing prostate problems

6. Spayed or neutered cats are often more friendly with their owners than they would usually be. Not only are the cats more friendly, but as has been mentioned before, there are fewer unwanted behaviors for their owners to contend with. It’s much easier to have a good relationship with your cat when you don’t have to worry about all of the unfortunate situations that come up after your pet has reached sexual maturity.

7. Getting your cat spayed or neutered will save you money in the long run. First, it can save you money by eliminating the need to replace furniture that has been damaged by a female cat in heat, or a male cat marking its territory. Next, since the procedure is fairly cheap, it may save you a lot of money by preventing health problems in your pets.

Something to remember: You should still get your cat spayed or neutered, even if you don’t think that you can afford the procedure. Look around in your area for cheap or even free services.

About The Author

Larry Chamberlain is the webmaster of www.best-cat-art.com and a lifelong cat lover. He lives in London England.

catarticle@best-cat-art.com

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Brush your dog often.

Brushing will stimulate oils in your pets skin & keep it moist & healthy. Brushing will prevent matting of your dogs coat. Brushing is a great way to show your dog attention. Brushing eliminates dead hair in the coat that contributes to shedding.

Maintain the length of your dogs nails.

You can walk your dog often to wear down nails. Clip your dogs nails on a regular basis. If they are cut too short they can bleed & sting. Groomers usually charge a little less than veterinarians to cut nails. If you believe your dog will be aggressive about getting their nails cut it is best to take them to the veterinarian.

Bathe your dog regularly.

Buy dog shampoos & conditioners from pet stores. Do not use flea & tick shampoos unless your pet needs them, they can dry out your pets skin. Be sure to rinse your dog thoroughly, leaving soap on skin can cause problems. Bathing a dog with knots & mats will worsen them, be sure to eliminate these before or immediately after the bath.

When drying your dog use low heat. Dogs are sensitive to burning, keep this in mind while adjusting water temperature. Bathing your dog will cut down on chances of infestations of fleas & ticks. Place cotton in your dogs ears before bathing. Often water in the ears can lead to ear infections. By washing away dead hair, regular bathing reduces shedding of your dogs coat.

Keep your dogs ears clean.

Do this with dog ear cleaner bought from any pet store. Put a small amount of ear cleaner on a cotton ball and swab outer surface of the inner ear. Keeping your dogs ears clean & dry will reduce chance of ear infections & ear mites. You can also buy ear wipes from any pet store to keep your dogs ears clean.

Dog groomers & veterinarians can also clean your pets ears for you. Many longhaired dogs grow hair in their ears that needs to be pulled to prevent ear infections. This hair can be gently pulled out with hemostats. Most people leave this to their groomer or vet.

By Rose Lenk
Find more dog and puppy articles,
collars and information at her website
Dog Collar Direct
http://www.DogCollarDirect.com

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Alternative medicine usually refers to medication or treatment outside the regular western medicine stream. Alternative medicine goes back thousands of years and, in most cases, has been passed down through word of mouth. Most ancient cultures have their own particular healing system. Like humans, animals could also be treated with these systems.

Guidelines for alternative treatments like acupuncture, homeopathy, chiropractic, and holistic medicines have been laid down by the American Veterinary Medical Association. All alternative medicine should be resorted to after consultation with your vet. Remember, natural does not necessarily mean harmless. There are laws in each state as to who can treat an animal legally. Check with the state veterinary medical association to find out what is legal.

There are various treatments available in the United States for pets, including acupuncture. This 3,500-year-old system awakens the body’s own healing processes by stimulating certain points of energy in the body with fine needles. It has been said to have been effective in epilepsy, hip dysphasia, or in the alleviation of pain.

Chiropractic is a system that manipulates and adjusts the spine to restore regular motion to affected joints. There is usually immediate relief, but the pain could come back and more trips could be necessary. With most pets that are not comfortable with hands-on treatments, a gadget called the Activator, introduced a few years ago, allows treatment to be easier on all concerned.

Herbs have been used to cure for centuries. Most animals in the wild use herbs instinctively. Today, a lot of drugs are actually derived from plants, but herbalists believe it is better to take the real thing. Herbs are available in their dried, bottled form in most cities.

Yet another form of treatment that’s quickly gaining popularity is homeopathy. Homeopathic medicines are dilutions of animal products, plants, and chemicals. The more diluted the preparation, the more potent it is said to be. You have to be careful with the diet during treatment. In most cases, processed food should be avoided.

Massage is also useful to improve the immune system. Most pets, however, do not like the feel of strangers’ hands on them.

Whichever system you would like to try for your pet, make sure to inform your vet. Certain medicines could interfere with each other, and systems could be harmful if your pet has certain health conditions. Prevention, here too, is better than cure.

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American bulldogs can be wonderful pets and companions. The American Bulldog is a breed of working dog developed for catching livestock and for protecting property. There are generally considered to be two types of American Bulldog, the Johnson type and the Scott type, named after the breeders who were influential in developing them, John D. Johnson and Allen Scott. These are more commonly known as Classic or Bully type and Standard or Performance type.

Bulldogs have gotten a bad rap over the years. Because of their appearance people often assume they are aggressive. Bulldogs actually have a great temperment and make excellent pets. They are playful and loving, but they will defend their family if the need arises. They are great companions for children. They make great guard dogs because of their menacing features and will turn away most intuders. Something that I have noticed about bulldogs is their ability to sense fear in their companion. They seem to know very quickly if their companion is afraid of something or someone and will try to defend their companion against the object of their fear. This is only a personal observation. Again if you are looking for a pet, I think you would not go wrong with a bulldog.

For more information visit: Wongaa

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Process of elimination is the best way to solve allergies, especially if you have loving pets around.

Living with 9 cats and one dog all my family members were not prone to allergies, possible the minor itching of the eye from petting the cat, but that was solved by washing ones hands.

One evening my husband had this terrible sneezing attack and his body started to itch as well. We’ll Poor Hilda our grey tabby cat was getting the evil eye from my husband. I knew that her days were numbered on our bed. Eventually my husband sneezed himself to sleep with a little help from the over the counter allergy medicine.

The next day I started the process of elimination and checked all the cleaners to see what was in them and found a high content of perfume in the clothes detergent my husband had bought on sale. I immediately went out and bought a perfume free detergent and washed all the clothes and sheets with that. In a matter of a few days the allergies stop. Hilda was back on our bed purring away. So please check out the perfume content in all your cleaners and detergents before finding new homes for your precious pets.

Happy Cleaning

Maria Brittis is a full time mom and Fuller Brush Distributor.
On her spare time she fundraises for the low cost spay and neuter assistance program in South Carolina, Visit her websites: http://www.fullerbrushhome.com and http://www.ilovepets.org

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