Pet of the Week
These are two kitties that were saved, brought to a cat shelter, and adopted out to fine homes!
It's easy to get your pet into the Pet of the Week feature - here is what you need to do!
They Need Our HELP!!
Is there anything more precious than a kitten? Probably not. Well, maybe a whole litter of kittens! But the reality is that there are thousands and thousands of kittens born every year with nothing but a very bleak future to look forward to. At the best, they might find an area that they can live outside and find meals here and there from compassionate people. At worst? A short life filled with disease, abuse and an early death. Too many kittens are born unwanted.
Please spay and neuter your cats (and dogs). They will live longer and have happier, healthier lives.
AHA! Alliance for Humane Action
Weight Loss Pills (?) For Dogs?
Is Fido fat? Does your best four pawed canine friend, need to go on a diet? It seems unbelievable, but a weight loss drug has been developed for dogs. Sentrol, the name of the new medication, works in two ways. It makes the dog feel full so he or she is less likely to want to eat, and it also blocks fat absorption.
The thinking behind this drug is that as Americans gain weight, so do their pets. Food equals pleasure according to some, and therefore if we are loving our dogs enough, they may very well be overweight. And an overweight dog has the same health issues as an overweight person.
What I don’t get is the whole reasoning behind this. The dog may not feel full and want to eat, but he can’t really call and order and pizza, or stand in front of the refrigerator for hours grazing on this and that left over from a previous night’s dinner. And he certainly can’t buy a healthclub membership so he can work off his extra pounds.
Part of the responsibility of owning a dog (or any other pet) is feeding it properly so that weight isn’t a problem. And much of the fun of having a dog is that you always have a partner to go for walks; no matter how much a friend might not want to go out on a cold and gray day, you can count on your dog to walk with you.
Perhaps these pills will have some use for dogs with medical conditions that cause weight gain. But for the vast majority of the dogs who need to drop a few pounds, the answer can be found in owners who feed responsibly and play with abandon.
FDA Approves Weight Loss Drug For Dogs
Prevent Pet Loss: Identifying Dogs & Cats
Is your four-legged friend, whether it be a cat or dog, your treasured best friend? Then surely you have protected your 
FurBaby with the means to locate him or her, should, Heaven forbid, Socks or Rover get lost. A missing pet is one of the worst scenarios possible for those of us who live in a world of “meows” and “bow-wows.” (I have never actually heard a dog say “bow-wow” but it is the common translation for a bark, so we’ll just go with it.)
My cats are strictly indoor residents so the risk of them getting outside and becoming lost are slim. But it has happened. One of my good friends had a beautiful purebred Maine Coon cat escape through the smallest opening possible near an air conditioner. Seven days later we had all but given up hope. The hundreds of “Lost Cat” posters she had put up finally paid off one evening, with a late phone call, that resulted in Trevor returning home. He had lost weight, brought along a few hundred of his new flea friends, and had ear mites. But no matter. Trevor was home and some good meals and minor vetting had him in tip top shape in no time at all.
My Pembroke Welsh Corgis are only outside on a leash. Again, the risk of them becoming lost is minimal but leashes can break. Dogs that are in a fenced back yard can come up with the most cleaver methods of escape as well; Houdini would have been impressed at some of the escape antics I have heard about.
So how do you prevent this problem? How do you do everything you can to avoid that sinking feeling the first night that you go to bed not knowing where your lovable best friend is?
This problem not only applies to all of us with our beloved pets, but is an issue for purebred dog and cat breeders. Animals that make regular appearances in the show ring, or that are used for breeding, can be at high risk for kidnapping. This is not only an emotional issue, but a financial concern as well for the professional breeder.
Four basic tips that are the smartest ways to begin with identifying your dog, or cat, are featured by Cesar Milan, The Dog Whisperer. These tips are easy, inexpensive and can save lots of tears and worry. They can also save your pet’s life.
Four Tips on Dog Identification
Global Pet Finder – GPS for Your Dog or Cat
March 7th Recall of Cat Vitamins
The Hartz Mountain Corporation is voluntarily recalling a second specific lot of Hartz Vitamin Care for Cats due to concerns that bottles within the lot may have been potentially contaminated with Salmonella. Hartz is fully cooperating with the US Food and Drug Administration in this voluntary recall. Hartz recalled a specific lot code of Hartz Vitamin Care for Cats last November due to similar concerns. Both lot codes were manufactured for Hartz by UFAC (USA) Inc. in 2007, and were removed from distribution last November. However, bottles from the second lot had been shipped to customers prior to their having been removed from distribution.(FDA)
The Hartz Mountain Corporation Recalls Vitamin Care for Cats Because of Possible Health Risk
Finding a Vet
If you have just relocated to a new town or have acquired a new pet, you need to find a vet. In a perfect world. you would have found one and have already met him or her before you need their services. But the world is rarely perfect and usually an emergency is what makes a person find a vet.
How do you find a vet you can work with, respect, trust, and afford? The best way is word of mouth advertising; nothing beats the recommendation of a friend. But a little more information can be nice.
Vet Locator is the site for you. You can locate a vet easily and in advance of needing one. You can also use this site to find one quickly when you don’t have the time to research and talk to different vets. If you have a pet emergency, you need that animal clinic now.
For people needing particular services, Vet Locator can also help you find vets specializing in holistic animal care and who will come see your pet at your home. That is great for parrot owners or people who are unable to leave the house easily.
I ran a test of the site, entering my town’s zip code and found my very own vet’s office! It really is a wonderful site and resource. Check it out and by the way, if your animal clinic isn’t listed, let them know about this site. You can only help other pet owners!
Pet Health – We All Have Questions
Sometimes taking a pet to the vet is a tough call. You might not be sure the visit is necessary and in today’s economy it is important to spend our money wisely. But if Fido or Fluffy need medical attention, then of course, bundling them up and going to the vet is important and what you should do.
Other times, you may have gone to the vet but it isn’t improving like you had expected. A second opinion might be a good idea. Perhaps just getting additional information to discuss with your current vet is what is in order.
A Web site is now available for these kinds of questions. “Ask a Pro,” is a site that will help you give your pet the best possible care and help you with your budget as well.
When you visit the site you will notice a lot of questions and answers. These are answers from veterinarians to give you food for thought with definitive facts and possible solutions. I found myself exploring the list of topics (indexed on the right) and touring the entire site.
Take a look if you have a concern or question about pet health. And be sure to bookmark this valuable resource!
Consider a Budgie – An Adorable Little Parrot
If you have never had a budgie, or as they are commonly known in American pet stores, a parakeet, you are missing out on a lot of fun. They are busy, playful, intelligent little gossips and as members of the parrot family, albeit very small members, they have an opinion on everything. They can learn to talk, and often talk well. They crave companionship and will bond readily to their owner. And they are affordable.
One of the biggest hurdles many people have is knowing how to care for a new little feathered friend. Most people acquire a budgie, or parakeet, and have a very limited profile of information. It isn’t enough to dump seed in the bird’s cage every few days and replace the water when it comes to mind. As a little parrot, there are some specific needs that a parakeet has. They are easy to meet and when you learn what your little bird needs, you will find that caring for him or her (or both) is a lot of fun, for both you and the bird.
But you do need to know more than the pet store is going to tell you about. That is where this Web site comes in. ParakeetCare.org is one of the most thorough sites on budgie care that I have seen. It has all the information you could possibly 
need to start out including dietary needs, healthcare for birds, taming and training, and information about cages and toys. This is an invaluable resource for a bird owner that is new to the world of budgies.
I was very impressed with the section on healthcare. As a bird owner in the past (everything from canaries to macaws) I know how important it is to keep an eye on a bird’s health. They display very few symptoms if they are ill, which is a holdover from being in the wild; a sick bird is usually a predator’s victim therefore they are experts at hiding an illness. The section on bird health at ParakeetCare.org is very helpful and even an experienced bird owner would benefit from reviewing that section.
It has been awhile since I have owned a parakeet. I enjoyed the ones I had and I had fun watching them raise their little families while I was breeding them. I recommend them as pets, particularly if you are thinking of investing in a large parrot; it is a great way to learn about the parrot family and have a wonderful little companion to talk to and who will likely talk back! And when you get your ‘keet, be sure and check out ParakeetCare.org for some very useful information and have a great time visiting the site!
Photos courtesy of ParakeetCare.org
The Day of the Flea Attack
Do you have all of your materials? Be sure you have everything you need. This is a big job and it is a lot easier to do it once than to have to redo it because of mistakes. Keep in mind that although it is a big job, it is a necessary one and you will be relieved when it is out of the way. Don’t forget fleas carry diseases as well as make your pets miserable so you are helping alleviate several problems.
Isolate one room of the house and put all of your pets into that room. I prefer to use a bedroom that is adjacent to the bathroom. Pick the room with the least amount of furniture and knick knacks. Avoid rooms that are used to store books, papers, fabric, yarn and so forth. The fleas that are currently inhabiting your pets will be going into that room so limiting the places they can hop off and hide is a good idea.
Now clean your house. Everything except the room the pets are in and of course, skip the bathroom for now. Vacuum like you have never vacuumed before. Every square inch and use the attachments to get into places that nothing can get into. Fleas are just about smaller than nothing and they can find those places you don’t think about. Do the curtains or blinds with the brush attachments. Do the tops of books on the bookshelves. Vacuum the corners of the rooms all the way up to the ceiling and get those cobwebs you have overlooked. Pull furniture out and get in the furniture with the attachments and under with the regular vacuum.
If you have baskets of yarn sitting around that you are either using or have for decoration, you need to get the fleas and flea eggs out of them too. Don’t destroy your yarn. Just shake them well and go over what you can with the brush attachment. If you have small area rugs that can be washed, get them into the laundry. If they are large vacuum them thoroughly and then vacuum under them.
Artificial flower arrangements are notorious for hiding flea eggs so clean them according to the manufacturer’s instructions. I usually turn mine upside down and wash them in cool soapy water, and then rinse. That will wash away any of the flea eggs. Decorative pillows are the same way. Either wash them or vacuum depending on their construction.
Use the list I provided previously to help you organize your cleaning:
- Have a vacuum available that uses bags; a bagless vacuum is not going to do what you need right now. After you have vacuumed, take the bag out of the vacuum cleaner (do this outside) and dispose of it. Leave the vacuum outside for awhile so that the cold temperature can kill any fleas or flea eggs that might be clinging onto the surface or interior of the vacuum cleaner.
- Have your washer and dryer empty, with plenty of room to put laundry that is waiting to be washed; be sure that the dirty laundry is well away from the areas of the house your pets are in. Start washing things as you clean; don’t stack them up for later. Start with pillows, rugs, and anything that is washer safe. Keep it going and when you take things out of the dryer take them out of the bathroom and replace them in the cleaned room.
- Large plastic garbage bags you can close tightly. Use these bags to dispose of any garbage that could have fleas or flea eggs in it. If the vacuum bag has to be changed more than once, the first filled bag can go in here. Get rid of everything you can; it is a good excuse to get rid of the junk that has been collecting. You would be surprised how many flea eggs can live in a stack of magazines so ask yourself if you really need to keep them.
- One bottle of room flea spray. You can use a fogger if you wish, but again that is a high concentration of insecticide in the air, even after four or more hours. The room flea spray is easier to contain. Spray the areas that you have vacuumed that are harder to get to and are more likely to attract sleeping cats or dogs. Think of areas such as behind the television stand or entertainment center. Those are perfect hiding places for flea colonies. You don’t want to saturate things with a spray. Use it to mist the areas. Avoid eating areas and remove pet food bowls during this process. And or course be sure all food products are put away. This is a good time to put the pet food dishes in the dishwasher too! If your pets are like mine, spray under the refrigerator; the warmth there attracts sleeping pets. Same thing with the front door and the window sills; cats are infamous for sleeping on the window frame ledges and there are lots of little areas there for fleas to hide in. Give those a quick spray and you can clean the windows the next day to remove the spray from the glass.
- A flea comb made for cats or dogs, as appropriate and other grooming tools such as a normal comb and brush for your pet. This is a personal preference but I recommend it because it physically removes fleas from the animals body. The more that are removed, the less you have to try to remove in the bath. Since cats and baths aren’t my favorite combination, I’ll do anything to make that job easier! It also removes dead hair and makes the bathing process easier for both cats and dogs. It has the added benefit of letting you know just how bad the flea problem is in your house.
Once the entire house is done, and it will go quicker with help so bribe one of the kids to help you. This has got to be worth a pizza dinner at least!
Now you can turn your attention to the pets.
Since the pets are in the bedroom next to the bathroom, you can move each one into the bathroom easily without spreading fleas all over the places you have cleaned. Bring them in one at time and:
OR
As you do each pet, put them in a room you have cleaned. The theory here is that a room with no fleas and a pet with no fleas will not further the flea problem. Carry them down the hall and try to get them settled down in a room where they can dry and rest.
When all the pets have been dipped or shampooed, get those towels into the laundry. Clean the bathroom thoroughly for fleas like you did the rest of the house. Then clean the room you had the pets waiting in before their bath and you are done!
Change your own clothes and get them in the laundry. Take all the garbage out if you haven’t yet and finish up any other areas that need to be vacuumed. It sounds silly but run the vacuum one more time in the traffic areas, and then you are done!
Now keep vacuuming everyday and if you need to, redo the entire process in ten days. If your problem is bad, you may have to do this whole procedure two or three times but you will win the battle. And don’t forget to flea spray the yard this spring before the fleas arrive. You can avoid ever having this problem again!
You can collapse now, enjoy the pizza dinner and watch a movie. Lassie, perhaps? Cats and Dogs? Maybe not. How about something that is a sheer indulgence. Whatever you do, you can rest easy knowing you have done all you can to protect your pets and family from fleas and the problems they bring into your environment.
A Strong Offense AKA Fighting Fleas in the Winter
It may sound strange to be writing about fleas in December. After all, fleas are really not a problem this time of year. Fleas reach the height of their infestation, as far as household pets are concerned, in the summer. Hot weather favors flea populations, so why are we talking about fighting fleas when it is freezing or below?
Why? Because this is the time of year we can win and prevent next year’s infestation.
There are many products that are used to control fleas. Commonly available products include flea collars, powders, sprays, 
shampoos and flea dips. There are higher powered products meant to kill fleas such as the drops on the back of the neck and even prescriptions that the animal takes which when ingested by the flea (through a bite) alters the DNA so that the flea cannot reproduce.
Many of these products are very strong and can be detrimental to our pets, which is why it is important to get control and keep control of fleas while using as little insecticide as possible. The less of the powerful products used, the safer your pet remains and the safer your household is overall. This is of particular concern to people with allergies, parents with small children, and people who own pets that are allergic to flea-killing products.
So now that December is on us, let’s take those fleas out once and for all. It isn’t going to cost a lot of money. It will take some work on your part; the more pets you have, the more work it will be. But if done successfully, the flea problem you had last summer, which appears to be gone but is only dormant during the winter, will be a problem that is in the past. You can beat it now and it will only take a few days to a couple of weeks.
- Buy flea shampoo (unless your animal has an allergy to such a product).
- Buy a flea dip (again not if your pet is allergic to insecticides).
- Have a vacuum available that uses bags; a bagless vacuum is not going to do what you need right now.
- Have your washer and dryer empty, with plenty of room to put laundry that is waiting to be washed; be sure that the dirty laundry is well away from the areas of the house your pets are in.
- Basic laundry products: soap, bleach, softener; use whatever brands you prefer.
- Large plastic garbage bags you can close tightly
- One bottle of room flea spray. You can use a fogger if you wish, but again that is a high concentration of insecticide in the air, even after four or more hours. The room flea spray is easier to contain.
- A flea comb made for cats or dogs, as appropriate and other grooming tools such as a normal comb and brush for your pet.
- A ton of clean, dry towels, cotton balls, and a full day’s time to devote to your project.
Now pick your day on the calendar. You are ready to go!
Part 2 of this will tell you what to do to become flea free. If you are quite lucky you will accomplish it in one day; most people take a few days, if you have had a heavy infestation the previous summer, or have lots of pets, it will take up to two weeks. But if you follow these instructions faithfully, the cold weather will be your partner in ridding your house and your pets of fleas!
