Monthly Archives February 2018

Kitten-proofing your home

[print-me] When bringing a kitten home, there are a few easy steps that you can follow to keep your little bundle of fluff safe in their new environment. It’s best to take a look around before you bring your kitten home. The real secret to kitten-proofing is to look at your home through the eyes of a cat. Find everything that looks like a fun toy, and if it’s something harmful, get rid of it or make it safe. Having her home prepared for her arrival will make the transition much easier for all of you! Look around your house
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Cat Toys For Fun and Enrichment

[print-me] Cats, like people and dogs, benefit from keeping fit and active, both mentally and physically. Exercise is essential for your cat’s mental and physical health because it relieves stress and boredom, improves circulation, builds muscle tone and can prevent or reduce behavioral problems. So, we need to get our cats up and moving, and there’s no better way to coax out their natural instincts to stalk and chase prey than by engaging them with toys. Types of Toys for Fun and Games Wand Toys A wand toy can be as simple as a stick with a thin piece of
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Cat to Cat introductions

[print-me] If you’re bringing a new cat into your home, be patient. The introduction must be gradual. Following the initial introduction, it can take some time for a relationship to grow. It can take months or even years for some cats to develop bonds with other cats. Although some cats certainly become close friends, others never do. Many cats who don’t become buddies learn to live peacefully with one another, while others become fast friends. Sadly, it’s difficult to predict whether or not any two individual cats will get along. There are no reliable guides for deciding the best matches
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Cost of Owning a Cat

[print-me] When you think about the annual cost of care for your cat, there are several things to consider. Cats can live an average of 10-18 years, although some cats may even live into their twenties. Below are general price ranges for the things your cat will need over the course of his/her life. Food Most cats are fine with a typical feline pet food that you can buy at specialty pet stores or even grocery stores. It is important to pay attention to the ingredient list on your cat’s food because often times, you get what you pay for.
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Bringing your new cat home

[print-me] Congratulations on finding your new best friend! Here are some tips to help guide you through the first few days after bringing your new cat home! It’s important to remember that your new cat could be frightened and confused, even if they were happy and outgoing when you met them at the shelter. Cats like routine and to have control over their environment, so it may take them a few days to feel the safety and comfort that they felt in the den they had created for themselves at the shelter. For these reasons, we suggest that you set
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(Re) Housetraining your adult dog

[print-me] Remember that you and your new dog need some time to learn each other’s signals and routines. Even if he was housetrained in his previous home, if you don’t recognize his “bathroom” signal you might miss his request to go out, causing him to eliminate indoors. Therefore, for the first few weeks after you bring your new dog home, you should assume your new dog isn’t housetrained and start from scratch. Establish a Routine Take your dog out at the same times every day. For example, first thing in the morning when he wakes up, when you arrive home
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Puppy Socialization

[print-me] In bringing home a puppy, you are also opening up a new world to that puppy. Getting it socialized with a wide variety of people, places, sounds and things will be huge in their development. It will help the puppy to be confident and unafraid as it approaches new and strange things throughout their life. The most critical socialization window occurs before the age of 12 weeks, and that window is considered to be closing by 5 months. The puppy will gain confidence quicker and easier if it is socialized during this time frame. Keep in mind that socializing
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Housetraining Your Puppy

[print-me] Housetraining a puppy requires time, vigilance, patience and commitment. Following the procedures outlined below, you can minimize house soiling incidents, but virtually every puppy will have an accident in the house (more likely several). Expect this—it’s part of raising a puppy. The more consistent you are in following the basic housetraining procedures, the faster your puppy will learn acceptable behavior. It may take several weeks to housetrain your puppy, and with some of the smaller breeds, it might take longer. Establish a Routine Like babies, puppies do best on a regular schedule. Take your puppy outside frequently, at least
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Cat to Dog & Dog to Cat Introductions

Many dogs and cats get along very well, especially if they’ve grown up with each other or have prior experience living with the other species. When bringing a new dog home to meet your resident cat, or bringing a new cat into your home to meet your dog, there are a few steps you can follow to make those introductions as successful as possible. First impressions are important, so you’ll want to set up introductions carefully so that both animals feel safe and have a pleasant experience getting acquainted with one another. Good canine candidates for living with cats: Puppies
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