Pet Evacuation Planning is Necessary

My pet mom recently went to an emergency preparedness expo, and one lecture she attended addressed the issue of pet evacuation in case of a disaster. There was a lot of information so she will share it over the next several blogs. She hopes you will find it helpful in case you are faced with a disaster. I am sure glad she went to hear the presentation because it will keep me safe if we have an event where we live.

Since the hurricane Katrina, the PETS Act 2006 was established. The Act means that all local and state agencies that provide for evacuations shelters or any disasters, they also need to have an emergency preparedness plan for pet shelters also. Don’t ever leave your home without taking your pets! They won’t survive well so don’t leave them behind. Being an indoor cat, I Simba, don’t want to be left behind. I will be scared when they take me somewhere with them, but it will be better than staying at home.

As with yourselves, first and foremost, remember us pets need to have emergency supplies also. We need to have enough food and water for us to last a minimum of 3 days. Actually, disasters, and the relief that goes along with the disasters, may take 1-2 weeks before they can get to us, so it is better to plan for more than less.

You need to make a plan, and practice your plan. We pets need to practice with you. We won’t like it, but we need to know what is going to happen.

You really need to make 2 plans, actually. One plan is if we stay at home and we can’t get out to the store; the second plan is if we have to evacuate.

Also, make sure your pets have enough medication to last. I’m not on any meds, thank goodness, but many pets are. So store food, water and meds for all of your pets in waterproof containers. Be sure and rotate them or check them every 6 months. Make them available to be grabbed quickly if we need to leave. Being emergency prepared will save lives!

More information tomorrow.

Dogs Alone in the Car

I know that you love to take your dog with you when you leave the house and your dog loves to be with you. I also believe that it can be a protection to you to have your dog in the car with you, regardless of their size. Dogs do deter trouble. However, I don’t think it is safe for your dog to be left in the car while you are out of the car for an extended period of time – the time length would be dependant on the weather.

To leave a dog in the car, even with the window open, is not always safe for your dog. I think it is great that your dog wants to go for a ride with you. This is great companionship. But how can it be classified as compassionate and kind to let your beloved pet stay in a locked car for hours? It doesn’t matter that you kept the window open a little bit, especially if the weather is very hot. What if the dog needs a drink – desperately, or go potty? It won’t be pleasant for you to get back in the car if an accident has happened.  As a suggestions, the dog water bowl below is an anti-spill  design.

Take this test. If you can sit in the car for a while, with the window down slightly,  if that is how you would leave your dog, (you determine the length of time), in the heat or the cold, and you are comfortable, then it would be comfortable for your dog.

Now, I would like to mention a totally different safety issue. If you decide your dog should ride in the back of a pick up, you are exposing your dog to dangers; your dog could be injured or killed. If you hit a bump, if someone hits you, if you have to swerve fast, or any other possible situation, your dog could have great harm come to him. Think about it! What real protection does he have?

Suggestion: Try to rig a rope from one side of the pick up bed to the other and secure it very tight, and up near the cab. Attach a shortened leash between your dog and the rope. Give the dog enough leash slack so he can lie down.  This would help retain your dog in the bed of the pick up if something should happen.

My only concern is the safety of your dog. I hate to see an injured animal. I know some may feel that my concerns are not warranted. That may be. I just want to bring awareness to possible dangers for your pets.

Please visit www.pawsitivepamperings.com for any dog products you may need.  Thanks for visiting out blog.

Dirty Cat Dishes and Dog Dishes are Disgusting!

As a pet parent, I have a pet peeve – excuse the pun. I don’t like to see a dog or cat eat out of a dirty cat food dish or dog food dish. By dirty, I mean a dish that has caked, dried-on food. This is especially important if  you feed them canned food because it really is awful when the food dries and then you add more food on top of it.

I certainly wouldn’t want to eat off of a dirty plate, a caked-on-food plate; even if it was my plate and I had left food on it.

Our outdoor cats deserve the same respect. They get clean dishes for their food and water each day. There are a couple of cats that usually come and eat the cat food on our back deck. We only give them dry food, but occasionally the raccoons come up on the deck late at night and eat any left over food, if I forget to bring the dishes in. Just the smell of the scent of a wild animal that is left on the cat dish when I wash it is awful. It has a vial odor!

Any indoor cat or dog deserves the same consideration. We clean Simba’s cat food dish and water dish daily, and he is the only one who eats out of his dish.

Occasionally ants will come into our homes and they head right to the cat food dish or the dog food dish, which ever is closest to their entry. They mainly go to those dishes because there must be a scent that draws them to the dishes.

Can you imagine the diseases that could come from such a dirty dish? Might I suggest you have 2 cat food dishes or 2 dog food dishes? Put the dirty dish in the sink with water and a little soap and let it soak a while, and use the second dish to feed them. Soaking the dish will make the clean up much easier.

Please keep your cat and dog dishes clean.  Even cat and dog water dishes can become contaminated, so please keep them clean also.

On our website, www.pawsitivepamperings.com, there are several cat and dog dishes from which to choose. Thanks for caring about your pets, and keeping their dishes clean, which will keep your pets healthier.

Placement of the Litter Box

This is Simba sharing some ideas about where to place your cat’s litter box. As pet parents, if you can find a quiet but convenient place to put it, that is the ideal. I don’t want my litter box where everyone can watch me, or where it is really noisy. I also don’t want my litter box where there is a lot of traffic, like kids, or dogs, or people.

If you have a special area or room, she might like that. I don’t have a special room; the whole house is my domain. However, if your cat does have a special room, the litter box could be in one area of the room, far away from her food and sleeping area.

I don’t want my litter box where a door can be closed and I can’t get in or out. My pet parents are always considerate. My litter box is in the master bathroom, but they never close the door tight. I can always squeeze in through the door if I need to.

Some homes have a quiet, enclosed porch. If there is a cat door in which your cat can access the porch that would probably be a pretty good place to put the litter box.

My litter box has a lid on it and it is placed so I can easily get out. Don’t place your cat’s litter box where it is inconvenient to use, or facing a wall where a quick escape would be impossible. Putting it in a basement where they never go is not a good idea either.

I will be a good kitty and use my litter box as long it is not next to my food, where I sleep, or in any noisy area where kids or dogs will harass me.

Do not punish me if I have an accident, like rubbing my nose in my potty. I won’t relate the punishment with the crime. If you have a cat that doesn’t use the litter box like they should, there are several articles on the internet that you can research, or check with your vet. Maybe your cat has a urinary tract infection, or is feeling abused or neglected. Maybe she is sick or has diarrhea. Try to find out what her problem is and not spank her or hurt her in anyway. She really doesn’t want to be a bad kitty.

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

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.