The Litter Box

Cats, like me, who are strictly an indoor cat, obviously need a litter box. If I was allowed to go outside and also be inside, I would still want an indoor litter box. I won’t want to go outside if the weather is bad, or I just may not be in the mood to go outside. My pet parents shouldn’t assume that I will always do my business outside.

I, Simba, prefer a litter box that has a lid over it. That’s how I was trained, and the litter doesn’t get spread all over the floor. My litter box gives me privacy. My pet parents have placed mine in their master bathroom. I have never had a accident around the house, fortunately.

If I was sharing my pet parents with one or more other kitties, we would need a litter box for each of us. That doesn’t mean we won’t share a box, but if one is being used, we have an option.

There are several styles of litter boxes. Some have lids or domes over them. Some have a wide lip that curves inward to prevent the litter from being sprayed out of the box. Some are electric and they automatically clean themselves after we have used it. Some cats have a preference on the type of litter box they like. Some cats have a preference on the location of the litter box.

If you live in a house with more than one floor, a litter box on each floor is a good idea in case your cat gets lazy, or has arthritis and it is difficult to go up the stairs all of the time. I have never had this problem, so far.

Please see www.pawsitivepamperings.com for several styles of litter boxes.

7 Important Components of a Cat Scratching Tree

Cats like cat scratching trees for several reasons, and we’d like to tell you what we like about a cat tree.

1. We like a sturdy base. If, on the first try using our cat scratching tree the tree starts to move or tip, it will frighten us and we won’t want to try it again.
2. We like a cat scratching tree that is tall enough for us to stretch when we scratch.

3. We like to have a couple of platforms on our cat scratching tree so we can lay down, or just sit and look around at our domain. The platforms also need to be big enough for us. If the platforms have sides, it gives us something to lean again, prop our head, or gives us security that we won’t fall off. They are totally necessary, but nice.

4. We like toys that hang or dangle on our cat scratching tree. They’re fun to play with.
5. Tubes or boxes we can walk through or hid in are also fun on our cat scratching tree.
6. We like a variety of fabrics on our cat scratching tree. We like carpet, faux fur,  f aux sheepskin, or any thing soft on which we can sleep. Carpet is okay to climb on, but we prefer sisal rope. Sometimes we catch our claws in the carpet when we climb, but not always. We like natural eco-friendly products such as wood, bamboo, and sisal rope. The backside of carpet is also good to scratch, or even corrugated cardboard.
7. Rubbing catnip on our new cat scratching tree encourages us to use it.

Thanks, pet parents, for giving us a great cat scratching tree. See www.pawsitivepamperings.com for some great products.

5 Reasons Why Cat Scratching Trees are the Answer

Attention Pet Parents of Cats: “We need a cat scratching tree!”, says all indoor cats. You need to know that as a cat, scratching is a very natural instinct for us. We can’t help it. So I would like to tell you why we would like a cat scratching tree, mainly so we don’t get into trouble.

Reason 1: We scratch so we can stretch. When we stretch, we like to dig our claws into a surface and then pull back. The cat scratching tree needs to be tall enough so we can stretch. The surface of a cat scratching tree needs to be one on which we like to scratch. We like to scratch and stretch on sisal rope, carpet or corrugated cardboard.

Reason 2: We scratch to remove the outer layer of our nails. When that surface comes off, it leaves us with a sharpened nail. A cat scratching tree that has a good surface in which we can dig into, helps us to do this.

Reason 3: We scratch because we leave a territorial scent. This is really important if we are an outdoor cat, and it is sometimes important if we live with other cats in our pet parent’s home. When we use our cat scratching tree that has different platforms, we can tell the other cats which platform is ours.

Reason 4: We don’t want to get in trouble by using your furniture or drapes on which to scratch. A cat scratching tree would give us our own space where we can safely scratch.

Reason 5: A cat scratching tree will keep us happy and entertained.

Thanks. Pet Parents for listening.

Look at the website www.pawsitivepamperings.com from which to choose a cat scratching tree or post.

Dog Halters Help

It’s me, Haley again, and I wear a dog halter because I am more obedient when I wear one instead of just wearing a collar. I would show you what it looks like when I’m wearing it, but it wouldn’t show up because mine is black. Below is  a picture of one in case you don’t know what they look like.

When you think of a halter, most people think of one for horses, but they make them for dogs also. The dog halter was a little uncomfortable to me at first, but it didn’t take long for me to learn to like it. Besides, I also learned that if I wanted to go for a walk, I had to wear one because I didn’t always want to walk the way my pet parent wanted me to. Sometimes I wanted to run or chase or sniff something that was not on our path and I would jerk on my leash. The dog halter has stopped me from doing that.

I also use my dog halter when I go to my agility training. If I don’t wear it there, I am not as obedient as I am supposed to be.

The dog halter fits around the back of my head and around my nose.  I also wear a separate collar.   The halter doesn’t prevent me from drinking, playing with a toy, or accept a treat. It isn’t like a muzzle that covers my nose completely.

My leash is attached to the dog halter under my neck.  When I try to bolt when we walk, and the dog halter gently tells me that it wasn’t a good idea to bolt. My pet mom has to be careful when she pulls on the leash because it could hurt my neck.

It didn’t take me long to get used to the dog halter; in fact, it is fairly comfortable. Dog halters are really good for  dogs who have lots of energy because we have a tendency jerk our pet parents too hard when we just wear a collar. The dog halter directs my head, and where my head goes, so does my body.

Dog halters are a great way to control large and/or aggressive dogs. Visit www.pawsitivepamperings.com for a dog halter.

8 Things to Remember When Fitting a Dog Collar

I’m Chevy and I would like to talk about how to fit a dog collar around a dog’s neck. We want to wear them, we should wear them, and they should be comfortable for us to wear. There are 8 things pet parents should remember when they buy dog collars. I will tell you how they fit my dog collar to me.

1. First, my pet parent put a cloth tape measure around my neck to measure my neck size. Those metal tape measures hurt, so I’m glad she used a cloth tape measure. My pet mom placed it about half way between the base of my head to the top of my shoulders.
2. She then added 2” to that length so it would fit properly when the dog collar was buckled around my neck. If it’s too loose, I can slip out of it, and if it’s too small I could easily choke. If my pet mom had decided to get a big one and let me grow into it, the excess length could have been a safety issue for me.
3. There were many for my pet mom to choose from: leather, nylon, chain, jeweled, spiked (they are too dangerous…they can permanently injure a dog), decorated, etc. She chose a leather dog color for me. She also had to choose the right width. A wide dog collar is good for a dog with a long neck; narrow widths are good for average to small dog’s necks.

4. The leather ones feel good, but it may stretch a little bit after a dog wears it for a while. The nylon webbed collars come in different colors and they are also a good choice. Dogs don’t like the spiked dog collars. We think they are cruel. In my picture I am wearing a blue nylon webbed collar.
5. If you have a young puppy, about 8 weeks old, that is the best age to start training a dog to wear dog collars. I was older when my pet parents adopted me, and it was a little foreign to me at first, so my pet mom just left it on me a couple of hours a day until I got used to it.
6. As little dogs grow into bigger dogs, we need a new dog collar. They are really uncomfortable when they are tight. We cough and choke a lot if they are too small.
7. When they put the dog collar on me, they tested it to see if it was the right fit. She could comfortably put 2 fingers between me and the collar and she knew then that it was the right fit.
8. Some pet parents remove the dog collar when they put their dog in our their crate, especially if they have a dog tag that could get caught in the crate wires. Then again, some experts believe that a dog should never have their dog collar and ID removed from the dog’s necks. They feel it is for our protection should we get lost. I guess you can decide if you want your dog to keep it on or take it off.

Thanks for looking at the nice dog collars on the website: www.pawsitivepamperings.com.

Dog Obesity Is Unhealthy

This is Chevy again, and I want to talk to pet parents who like to over feed their dogs. Dog obesity is quite common in older dogs, neutered dogs, and dogs that don’t have much exercise. Some pet parents keep feeding their dogs because the dogs keep asking for more food, like me. I’m a Lab, and traditionally, Labs like to eat.

My dog sister likes to run and play, and dog food is not a high priority to her. Dog food, dog treats, human food, any kind of food, is what I like. I like to eat! If it is edible, I will try it. However, I shouldn’t have eaten so much because I soon became over weight.

My pet mom talked with my vet. The vet gave me an exam and found I was healthy and that my dog obesity was due to over eating and not a disease. He told my pet mom to mix my dog food with half canned green beans to help control my dog obesity. I liked it and I began to loose those extra, unwanted pounds. I am no longer obese.

It isn’t good for a pet parent to just cut back on dog food because dogs just wouldn’t understand. We would think we were being punished for some unknown reason, and we could be starving and not getting enough nutrition. Adding the green beans gave me enough to eat and still loose weight. Pet parents can also control dog obesity by adding more fiber or carbs like carrots or apples, or give us low calorie dog food, which we may or may not like. Pet parents need to make sure that we are getting very nutrition dog food also.

Another thing to help curb dog obesity is to take us for a walk, or play with us. We need to start out slowly, if we are too overweight, increasing our exercise a little each week. Some reports say that dog obesity currently ranges from 25% to 40%.

Carrots or apples are also good treats instead of high caloric dog treats. Or you could give us ½ dog biscuit instead of a whole one, we wouldn’t know the difference.

Just please help us not to suffer from dog obesity. We don’t mind if you check with the vet first, we just want to be healthy.

On www.pawsitivepamperings.com there are really good nutritious dog food and dog treats.

Dog Food Labeling

Hi everyone. My name is Chevy and I will be writing once in a while on this blog. Today I want to talk about dog food.

I love food. I like dog food. I like human food. I like dog treats. I like to see what is on the kitchen sink that looks good to eat so sometimes I sneak a peek by standing on my hind legs. If I find something that looks good, and I take it, I am in big trouble! I don’t do that much any more. I do like almost anything that is edible, however.

My pet mom looks for certain words on commercial dog food labels. Some important phrases or words she wants to see on the labels say “natural”, “complete and balanced”, or “organic” ingredients. She also want to see that it is AFFCO approved. (See http://www.affco.org for more information). My pet sister Haley and I like to eat what our pet parents eat also but we don’t often get their food. We have special dog food just for us.

I was gaining some weight so now my pet mom puts green beans in with my dog food. I like green beans, they are good for me, and it is food, so I eat it.

If my pet mom had time, and liked to spend more time in the kitchen, she might fix the dog food for Haley and I with fresh meats, vegetables, and fruits. However, not everyone has the time or desire to make dog food, so some of the commercial dog foods are okay with us. Sometime she mixes our dry dog food with canned dog food.

Haley and I never want dog food with meat by-products because those products are not even good for humans. Also, wheat and especially corn don’t always digest well in our stomachs.

To find some really good quality dog food, visit my pet aunt’s website: www.pawsitivepamperings.com.

 

Dog Treats for Haley

Hi, my name is Haley. I am a black, short haired, mixed breed. I think I have some pointer genes because I get really excited when I see a squirrel run across the top of the back fence. When I run and hit the fence hard, that scared squirrel really takes off.! My pet parents couldn’t train me with dog treats to stop doing that because I just don’t like dog treats.

I am treated very well in my home, but I have a very strange character trait. Some people may even think it is a flaw in my character, but I really don’t like dog treats. I know that probably sounds a bit weird, but I would rather be praised or have someone to play with me than get a treat.

Pet parents love to give us dogs treats when we do something right. They are usually training us to do something and they want to give us a reward. My vet and groomer like to give me dog treats as a reward. I take them politely but I don’t eat them.

One day at the vet’s office, my vet gave me a dog treat. I took it politely, and then I walked over and place it in the corner of his office and left it there. Thanks, but no thanks. The vet laughed.

Another time I was I in the backseat of my pet parent’s car. I saw the pet treats and I thought my pet mom was going to give them to me. I didn’t know they were for my dog sister. Anyway, I got those treats and put them between the car door and the backseat. I then put the seat belt over them, and then anything else I could find I put on top of the car seat. I didn’t want the treats. Thanks, but no thanks. My pet mom laughed.

My pet mom and I were out in the front yard one day. I was being very good so my pet mom gave me a treat. I was polite, I took the treat….then went over and put it behind a rose bush. Thanks, but no thanks. My pet mom laughed again.

The chew bone above, however, I love.  I lay down in the evening and chew and chew.  It is so contenting to be with my pet parents and enjoy this particular treat.

Now, I don’t want to discourage anyone from giving their dogs treats, but make sure they like the treats or you will be wasting money. Some dogs like chews, some like biscuits, some like carrots or apples, some like semi-moist treats, I just don’t particularly care for most treats. I would rather squeak my dog toy or chew on the chew bones above.

If your dog is normal and she likes treats, please visit this website: www.pawsitivepamerings.com. They have lots of good dog treats.

Cat Carrier for Safety

I’m am indoor cat and I seldom go outside. Once in a while I sneak outside if the door is open, when my pet parent is talking to a neighbor on the front porch; or if it is a nice day, I occasionally get to go out on the back deck to enjoy the sun when my pet parent is out there. This adds up to maybe 5 items a year.

Last month, I, Simba, got sick. My pet parents put me in a cat carrier. I could tell this was not going to be a good day!

I had seen the cat carrier in the living room next to my bed, but I tried to ignore it. I’m almost 12 years old and I didn’t remember seeing one of these things before. I hadn’t been to the vet in several years.

The cat carrier was nice with an old towel on the bottom. I put my 2 front feet inside, looked around, and backed out. I thought it looked too small for me to fit. I just didn’t look like a place I wanted to be. The next day, all of a sudden, I was gently put inside this contraption. I was not a happy camper!

Then it moved with me inside – up, up and in the air! I was trying to figure out what was going on. The next thing I knew I was outside and then was placed in a car and sat next to my pet dad. My pet mom was driving. The car motor started but my meowing drowned out the motor noise.

We traveled for about ½ hour. When we stopped, I was being removed from the car and flying in my cat carrier again, next to my pet dad, as we went into a large room – the vet’s office! Things did not look good!

While I was placed on the floor, I was not meowing because I was trying to figure out what these 2 strange animals were. I heard my pet parents say that I didn’t know what a dog was. That’s what they were! I was glad I was in my cat carrier for protection.

I didn’t carry on with the ‘panic’ meow on the way home too much. When we got into the living room, they placed me on the floor and opened the door to the cat carrier. I slowly walked out, and dashed down the stairs and hid!

The cat carrier was nice, and I was protected, but I definitely did not like being confined!! And after over $450 worth of tests, my vet said I was healthy and okay. I have felt good ever since.

There are several cat carriers on my pet parent’s website: www.pawsitivepamperings.com.

Introducing Simba

Hi – My name is Simba. I am almost 12 years old and have been pampered by my pet parents since I was rescued from a field when I was about 2 months old.

I am a beautiful golden tabby male. My pet mom says my symmetrical markings are gorgeous! I have golden eyes. With all of my gold, I should be worth something, since gold is going up.

I get to sleep anywhere I like to. I especially like to sleep on the back of the living room sofa, and sometimes I sleep on the back of the swivel rocker because I can look outside before I get sleepy.

I really like to sleep on the recliner with my pet dad. I sleep either on the living room recliner or the family room recliner, it doesn’t matter to me. Sometime my pet dad is reading, and sometimes he takes a nap with me. When we are in the family room, I sleep while my pet parents are watching funny movies.

I like my life a lot! I get fed when I want, get to sleep when I want, I get petted pretty often or as I want it, and generally I am really well cared for! I don’t have to go outside and get in fights with the neighborhood cats, or look for food, and I don’t have to deal with the weather. I am living luxuriously in a climate controlled home.

I will be writing this blog with the help of my pet mom.

If you look at my pet mom’s website, you will find some great dog and cat supplies. The site is www.pawsitivepamperings.com. Thanks for helping her out. She really cares about us and tries to have only the best products available for us.

Have a great day!