First Coast Pet

Archive for December, 2008

Does your cat have a kidney problem? Then you are not only going to need to learn more cat information in general so that you can comprehend the animal better but as well you are going to need to produce a proper feline kidney diet.

By changing your cat to a feline kidney diet you are making sure that your cat is receiving all the nutrition they require to strive. A feline kidney diet needs to include special vitamins and minerals than you do not generally get in a regular feline diet because there are kidney problems.

Where to begin

To understand what is going to help your cat and what dietary changes it will require you need to understand the cat. Cats are naturally carnivores, and the greatest way to formulate a feline kidney diet plan is to make sure to comprise foods that the cats would eat out in the wild, as this is where they initially come from.

The next step is where it gets tough. You are going to need to understand how to read a pet food ingredient label, so you can make sure that you are selecting the correct food for your cat. The current labeling system for pet foods is gravely deficient in functional information and looking at the list of ingredients will tend to give an imperfect picture of what is in fact in the food in terms of the quantity of each ingredient.

Even though you may have heard different, the majority if not all of the so-called prescription diets that are sold in veterinary hospitals are not formulated for most favorable health of a carnivore. A lot of of these products include corn, wheat and soy which really have no logical place in a cat’s diet even though most people incorrectly think this because this is believed by so many people.

Diet is the brick and mortar of health, and so if you want your cat to live a long healthy life, you are going to need to make sure that they are eating all the right foods. Not only do you need to provide them with a proper feline kidney diet but as well make sure that they are drinking enough water and getting enough exercise.

You will want to do as a great deal investigation of your own, so that you can find out more about cats in general and as well about your cat in particular, what their health problems are and what you can do to obtain care of them and get them to a most favorable condition of health.

While Feliway Spray sounds like a way to repel cats, it is truthfully a pheromone scent created to stop cats from urinating in inappropriate places. When your cat decides to elminiate outside the litter pan, you do have a issue, since cat pee is one of the more awful pet odors. Feliway uses the facial pheromones to stop litter box issues, but also Feliway Spray has a useful relaxing effect for soothing nervous felines.

How Does Feliway Work?

Feliway Spray is is constructed from the feline Pheromones augmented by an ethanol compound. These exact same facial pheromones are used in a constant manner by all cats in order to show their territory. Other animals in the area can recognize such pheromones from a distance and learn of claimed areas. Felines won’t to spray to mark territory when it’s already been marked, so this will cut down on inappropriate urination. Kitties place these pheromones onto objects by rubbing their cheek or foot pads against them. If you’ve ever had your little friend rub their cheek against you, now you know specifically what was really happening. When people say their moggies own them, that’s most definitely the case. Feliway essentially duplicates this effect.

What Will Feliway Fix?

• Peeing outside the litter area
• Spray marking of territory by non-spayed/neutered pets
• Helps calm those who are stressed out
• Can stop constant squabbling
• Helping bring in cats to new places

Common view by relieved people who tried it on the web are that it’s a incredible product. Keep in mind however that these inappropriate urination can result from external factors, so you recognize that Feliway for cats isn’t a wonder solution though it should prevent the symptoms. Cats can act in a confusing manner that we sometimes don’t grasp how to correct, but it’s a definite bet that Feliway will help.

I saw Cat Ownership 101: Secrets of Buying & Raising Cats a short while ago and was curious to take a look, so I bit the bullet and ordered the book.  It turned out to be a awesome buy, and certainly at $9.99 was little risk.  It is an easy reading but well thought out study of what you have to grasp about cat buying and raise a cat.  Most everyone makes critical mistakes when choosing a kitten as pet and turn out sad when it encounters problems.  A little research in advance of the fact goes quite a long way towards paving that onward road with wonder instead of troubles.

The book starts off with a survey of some of the most encountered cat breeds.   Do you hope for a energetic cat that will go like gangbusters 24 hours at a time?  Do you want an affectionate cat that likes to be cuddle?  Do you want a timid cat or friendly one?  After this is a overview of the upsides and downsides of male, female, neuter or no, long hair or short, pure bred or mixed, and the important question of buying a kitten vs buying cat.  This summary will put you on the road to selecting the cat breed that’s right for you.

From there we move on into some practical tips and tricks on cat-proofing your house, assisting your cat or kitten adapt to your home and family, easing them into the swing of things cautiously and in a consistent manner.  A cat can freak out with change and newness, so pushing them along into unusual places can have awful consequences for the adjustment period.  You will learn all about what supplies you will need to raise your new feline friend and supplies you ought to purchase to make sure everything is safe.

The next interesting and informative chapter is the feeding and exercising.   From not feeding enough to that energetic kitten to an appropriate food plan for the senior cat and ways to keep them fit, you see lots of wonderful tips listed.  From there segue to cat health care concerns there, where you will learn about the expected conditions that your cats can suffer from, all about veterinarians, shots, spaying, neutering, grooming hints and what to do to keep them happy and healthy.

The next key section of the book goes over expected feline patterns of behavior.  What does a cat’s non-verbal cues let you know about it’s mood?  Non-verbal cues along with vocal patterns enable you to communicate with your little friends, and until they figure out human communication it’s going to be your means of choice.  For what reason do they knead people?  What does clawing indicate?  From here you will be taught how to assist shape why your cats do what they do and help protect them from unsafe acts.

Finally, this book concludes with listings of cat related groups that you might need and a useful dictionary of cat related phrases and acronyms that refer to cats and detailed explanations you would do well to grasp.  All in all, I was very impressed with the book and consider it greatly informative.  I am glad to endorse this convenient and educational book, and it’s without a doubt a frugal find at only $9.99!  Check out the Cat Ownership 101: Secrets of Buying & Raising Cats website for extra details and how to order. It is a simply put but thorough examination of what you need to learn about choosing a cat breed and how to raise a cat that you definitely must read!

A Feliway electric diffuser is a best means to get a continuous stream of cat pheromones into the airways and surrounding areas of your humble abode.  The Feliway diffuser is a system designed to, as it sounds, diffuse into your room the Feliway spray.  Plug in the Feliway Comfort Zone Plug-in to your electrical outlets to help spread goodness for your stressed out feline friends and they will once again be healthy Cats.

A Feliway plug ins is part of a broad spectrum of cures for many common pet ailments relating to cat stress.To be sure, Feliway is a synthetic feline facial pheromone that eases and calms irritated felines.  Locales where your cats sense this pheromone are realized as peaceful and familiar, rather like moving to your happy hideaway in the location of the diffuser.  Feliway plug ins do a great job of preventing ignoring of the litter box, relaxing felines while in the midst of trips or acclimatization to changed locations, when you want to aquaint cats to each other in a cat-crowded household, and generally reducing issues that you typically encounter when so many cats are in too little proximity.  It should be noted that this will certainly contribute to a lessening in the stress level of the humans who may be living with said felines, too.

While you want to use the Feliway diffuser spray on specific, individual locations where your pet has urinated (not, of course, the litter box!), the Feliway Comfort Zone Plug-in is used to provide area coverage for a more general sense of calming and relaxation.  The Feliway diffuser goes into the wall, and you install a bottle of the Feliway.  This works in the same way as plug in air fresheners, except you don’t smell it.  Incidentally, using a spray other than the intended will undoubtedly cause malfunctions with the diffuser, as it is intended to work with that specific spray and not others.

Used to fight urination or spraying issues, the Feliway electric diffuser should go in the room where the urination concern has occurred, and a thorough cleaning of the room accomplished.  Remember, cats can sniff out traces of their pee long after it is gone from your sense of smell, and you want the Feliway plug to prevent that.

For mood difficulties and appetite concerns, you ought to put the Feliway diffuser in the location that felines are most often in.  It ought to be placed in an open area so the spray can adequately diffuse, so be careful not to put it behind furniture or curtains.  It needs to go out in the open.  A Feliway Comfort Zone Plug-in can cover a section of up to 60 square meters.

For problems with feline integration or stress issues in the multi-cat household, you may need to using repeated Feliway diffusers and set them in separate locations where the cats typically congregate.  It is not necessary to cover the complete house with the Feliway diffusers, though definitely the common areas and any locations where particularly agitated ones usually stay should be covered so as to get the largest advantage, with a Feliway plug ins each area.

Another issue to be aware of with the Feliway diffuser is that they tend to get a bit warm in the area of the actual diffuser. Feliway diffuser device is designed such that it’s surface is heated up to assist the spray to mist throughout a room.  Keep it away from the furniture and curtains or draperies, or your moggies joy may be the littlest of your concerns.  It’s always good to be prudent with your Feliway diffuser and your home.

Learning to bite and scratch is a main part of a cat’s development. These accomplishments are especially essential for cats that live mainly out-of-doors, as they provide their sole means of defense. These two activities will also form the main staple of your cat’s leisure time, playing out conflicts with toys, other cats or humans.

If you do not want to be bitten by your cat, the 1st rule of thumb is to train your cat not to bite your hands. If your cat thinks your hands are toys, their little talons and fangs will soon find their way to your flesh.

However, if it is too late for that rule, there are some steps you are able to take to minimize the damage done from cat biting attacks.

First of all, as you train your cat to behave in new ways, you should trim his claws (don’t declaw, as this is severely painful for the cat). This will take a lot of the razor-sharpness away and make your encounters less painful.

Once your cat grabs on to your hand, make your reaction known with a loud and firm, “Ouch!Don’t scream, and don’t pull your arm away quickly or your cat may think it is playtime and follow it again. Remove your hand slowly from his mouth after your determined “Ouch!”

Most of the time, your cat is scratching and biting because he is bored and would like to play. Using focused amounts of play time with a fun cat toy should help relieve boredom.

Aggression is an inherent aspect of your cat’s predatory nature: behaviors like stalking, chasing, leaping, pouncing, swatting, and biting are all common displays, and are always a major component of any play session.

Usually, this does not constitute a problem: it’s just how cats play, and catering to your cat’s predatory whims can be pretty fun. When your finished, your cat will give you a break so you can watch som Animal Planet on Direct TV.

Learning about dog training is the first step you take prior to actually training your dog. Certainly there are plenty of sources one can access, but at times it becomes information overload.

Canine training isn’t really all that hard. An important thing to recall is that most dogs simply want to please their masters. The issue can be communication. Obviously there is a language barrier, and you need to get your pet to figure out what you want.

Canine training can be summed up with just a few tips. Lets take a look at some of the methods that I have used in order to train my dog, making both he and I happier.

Try to avoid the negatives that often come with training. Hitting or striking your dog, either by hand or with an object will only teach the dog to fear you. A stern verbal NO, is OK, but don’t go any further than that, or you risk alienating the animal. Focusing on praise and rewards when your dog acts as he should is the better way to go.

Praising your dog of course reinforces the correct behavior. Loving or petting your dog for acting positive behaviors is of course nice, but experience has shown better results happen when food treats are distributed at the time the behaviors observed. When you really think about it, food motivates almost every animal, so to it works with our four legged friends.

Body language can also influence your dog’s reactions. Many canines can actually can actually sense and read your body language before any verbal communication is given. A technique that works well in doing this is to match a verbal command with a particular movement of either the hand, arm, or even leg.

Refusing to give up is the final key to successful dog training. Sure at times it is frustrating. It would certainly be easier to give up, go sit on the couch and watch your DirecTV, but you need to persist in your training. Your dog is not going to train himself, and training usually takes longer than you want it to. It is so important to keep this in mind when things are tough with your dog. Things won’t always fall into place, so don’t give up at the first sign of trouble.

Training your dog can be both a difficult and rewarding experience. Keeping these brief tips in mind will help you keep on track in your natural dog training efforts.

When it comes to cat health there is a lot of information available out there, even down to the health information of different cat breeds. Possibly the most important cat health information regardless of the breed is the common cat diseases your pet may be at risk of getting. There are a few very common diseases all cats can get and we will explore a couple of them here.

It is vital that you are aware of the potential risks your cat may face so you can be prepared should you notice any symptoms developing. Of all the potential cat diseases there are you should learn more about the two most common before you do anything else.

The risk of cancer

The common occurance of cancer in cats is not too different from how it affects humans. Unfortunately it also has much of the same effects on their organs and bodies. And some cancers, much like they do in us, will develop slowly while others will develop quite quickly. Medical treatments are fortunately available for some of these cancers and there are more being researched all the time. Diagnosing cancer early is crucial to the success of any treatment.

The risk of rabies

Understanding the risks of rabies and how this may affect your cat's health is crucial information you should know. Rabies is a fatal condition caused by a virus that attacks the brain.

Most people are familiar with rabies having heard about or seen a rabid dog. It is not as common in cats but that doesn't mean it is less serious. Rabies vaccinations are the best way to prevent this disease. They are safe and effective and should be administered by a vet when the cat is still a kitten.

Unfortunately when you are looking out for symptoms of rabies they can easily be confused with symptoms of other diseases. Things to look out for are a change in the cat’s temperament, drooling and any drastic changes to appetite. The best thing to do if you suspect there is a problem with your cat is to take it to the vet immediately. The animal could bite you or a member of your family which is not worth risking.

Information about your cat’s health is every bit as important as knowing about your own health. No matter what pet you have you should make it your responsibility to find out all the information you can about the possible health risks that could occur. To ensure your cat enjoys a healthy and long life learn all you can from experts like veterinarians and trainers.

With the way that health care costs have been skyrocketing, it should come as no surprise that the costs of veterinary pet health care have also been rising. This fact has caused more pet lovers to look into their options for veterinary pet insurance. Even though pet health insurance coverage is nothing new, it is not widely known about and has recently become more sought after.

Insurance for pets has been available in some form or another for about twenty years now. However, many people even today are surprised to learn that pet health insurance can be obtained to protect the welfare of beloved four-legged family members. As the cost of veterinary pet office visits and various procedures have increased, along with the cost of human health care in this country, more and more people are looking at this option as a financially viable and wise way to assure the best pet care is provided when needed.

Veterinary pet insurance can be compared to the types of health care insurance that you might obtain for your family members. Under a pet health insurance policy, the related veterinary expenses are paid for to the limits of the plan that you choose. The cost of such pet insurance premiums vary quite a bit depending on how comprehensive the coverage is in the pet plan. For most families, they find that the premiums are affordable and are easy to work into the monthly budget.

For many people, they want to purchase the best pet insurance that they can so that they feel confident in the level of care that their pet will receive. Pet insurance policies that cover preventative measures or wellness care, in addition to the veterinary pet services that are needed in case of illness or emergency, are considered to be the premier type. Most of these policies will also cover on-going care and long-term treatments in the instance of chronic problems or conditions of disease.

However, you will find that these types of pet insurance plans, which are quite comprehensive in their coverage, come at a cost. You will pay the most in pet insurance premiums for coverage that pays for routine health screening visits to your vet and for the regular vaccinations, immunizations and booster shots. Devoted pet lovers find a great deal of comfort in knowing that their family pets are covered under this type of pet health insurance and are willing to pay extra for this coverage.

There are some ays to lower the expense of your premiums for your pet insurance and still have excellent coverage. One way to do this is to choose a higher deductible for your policy. Another is to choose to purchase a policy that has a co-payment option. You also might be able to get a discount if you pay your premiums quarterly or annually, as opposed to monthly. Most pet insurance companies offer a variety of plans so that you can find the coverage you are comfortable with and still stay within your budget.

Before making a commitment on a specific veterinary pet insurance plan, be sure to learn about optional benefits and coverage that an individual pet plan will provide. In addition, it is a good idea to find out about the track record and the reputation of the various pet insurance companies before sending them your hard earned money. One last thing you can do in your search is to check with your veterinarian to see if they have ever encountered any payment problems or claim issues with the particular company you are considering.

For much more informational value go to this online destination: Discount Pet Insurance and certainly try Best Pet Insurance and more information at Pet Health Insurance In Ontario

With their strong beaks and active spirit, it is not surprising that the birds grow quickly unhappy, as they sit in a cage empty.

One of the most essential things you should consider when choosing toys or toys are birds of the right size for your bird. Toys that are designed for small birds are not always safe for large birds, as their larger, stronger beaks to break pieces of toys that were designed for small birds.

If you have smaller birds, the Olympic rings and swings are very popular toys. In fact, if the two toys in the cage, some of the more active birds to try to swing in both toys at a time. A few of the big birds enjoy swings, but most of them do not seem very fond of the fluctuations. If there is enough space, stairs with her favorite birds of all kinds of shapes.

Birds do well that start with the toys that can be preened. When preening their toys, they devote less time to remove feathers. If you buy toys preening with strips of fabric made with cotton or linen, keep a close eye on the toys. When one of the strips begin to Fray, withdraw immediately. The cables can tangle around your neck or bird in the toe. Preening toys made of feathers are a little more secure because they do not risk the danger of loose wires.

Play gyms for birds are similar to gyms and games for children are so popular with our feathered friends. You can find small gyms to play with a swing, perch and ladder or you can find gyms with seesaws development for the treatment of bowls and rope climbing.

Large birds and enjoy the maze puzzle toys, especially if your favorite nuts in toys. They also like toys with leather buttons that can not be dissociated or other toys that engage their minds and bodies.  Sometimes you can get some good tips watching Animal Planet on Dish TV.

There are some toys you should avoid no matter what when shopping for your bird. If it is a toy or a reflective mirror surface, the bird can be associated with its mirror image instead of staying Tame and friendly people. Toys with small parts that are not properly attached, such as small, thin clappers in cowbells, are also a bad idea. If your bird removes a small part and swallows, could have fatal consequences. If you buy a toy, which has a Cowbell, please contact us prior to that clapper on the safe side.  No matter what, taking good care of your bird is what its all about.

It’s not as difficult to get started with parrot training as you might think. Whether you just brought your parrot home or have had it for a while, there’s no reason to wait before beginning its training. In my opinion, one of the best things you can teach your parrot is to have a reliable step up response. So by following the instructions in this article, you will be able to tell your parrot to “step up” and it will immediately step onto your finger or hand.

So why is teaching step-up important to you and your parrot? The main reason is that it makes it so much easier to get your bird out of its cage. Another is that parrots sometimes climb up on shoulders whether you want them to or not, so step-up makes it easier to get them off of a shoulder. Parrots sometimes will bite when you try to get them off of your shoulder. A bird that has been trained to step up will be easier to deal with in this situation. And if you ever find your bird in a dangerous situation, the step-up command could literally be a life saver. You also want a parrot that knows how to cooperate with you, and the step-up command accomplishes that goal. So all in all, the step-up command is a great place to start when first beginning to train your parrot.

How to Teach “Step Up”

For many parrots, the step-up command is one of the easiest to learn, especially if you are working with a young bird. You slowly place your hand so that it is in front of your bird at around the height of its feet and in a normal speaking tone, give the command to “step up.” Some parrots will step up automatically when your finger is in front of it. With others, you may need to press your finger gently into its lower abdomen area to put it off balance just a tiny bit. In most cases, the parrot will step onto your finger as you give this gentle push. Be sure to enthusiastically praise your bird when he steps up correctly. Next, continue to practice step-up a few more times by asking your bird to step up from one finger to the other. This is called “laddering” for obvious reasons.

If the Bird Clings to the Perch

Sometimes a parrot will cling to the perch for dear life. What they are thinking as they do this is anyone’s guess, but here is what you can do. Keep your finger in front of the feet as described above, but take your other hand and move it around behind the bird like you are going to scoop it up from behind. What this does is it gives the parrot a choice of stepping up or being picked up from behind, something that most birds do not enjoy. Nine times out of ten, the parrot will choose to step up. Always remember to enthusiastically praise your bird when it does the correct behavior.

Daily Practice is Best

To get the best results, continue to practice step-up with your parrot. It’s really best to practice every day at the beginning. Even after the bird has this command down, you should reinforce the behavior with occasional practice sessions throughout its life. If you practice the step-up command consistently, you will be rewarded with a more cooperative pet and who knows, it might just save its life one day. And just think – you are now on the path to becoming an expert in training your parrot.