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Reasons to Get a Pet

March 17, 2011 by

It’s hard to separate people from their pets, but why do people decide to be pet owners in the first place?

Actually, there are many reasons to get a pet. Perhaps you are lonely and want companionship. Pets make wonderful companions for people who don’t live close to family or friends; or for people who prefer the company of beings who will love you unconditionally. Some pets make better companions than others. For example, if you are lonely you may find the company of a dog or cat to be more exciting than the company of a fish.

Another reason to get is pet is because you want to teach your kids responsibility. Kids can learn a lot from having to take care of a pet. They learn not to be selfish and how to care for someone other than themselves. Even small children can help with basic tasks such as filling a pets food or water bowl.

Protection is another reason to get a pet- in particular a dog. Some breeds are better watch dogs than others so it is important to research breeds before you go and buy a dog. Also keep in mind that dogs need to be trained. You can’t expect to get a dog and sit back and relax. If you have certain tasks you want it to complete, you need to be prepared to train it to do so.

If you love animals, this can be another reason to get a pet. Some people get great joy from waking up and seeing their favorite animals faces. If you are not lucky enough to work in an environment with animals, having a pet of your own can be the next best thing.



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How to Socialize Your Puppy

February 16, 2011 by

Socializing is a critically important step in the dog-raising process. While the process itself is pretty easy, it tends to be one of the most difficult things for people to do for their dogs. Making the effort now will ensure that you won’t have an aggressive dog in the future. Your dog may be aggressive towards people, visitors, children, or other dogs if you do not socialize your dog.

Part One: People

Take your puppy everywhere you can. Take him to a local park and invite children and adults to play with him (chances are, you won’t have to ask—people LOVE puppies and will probably be asking you if they can play with him). This is also helpful in your jumping-up training, if you ask people to not touch your puppy until he is sitting or lying down. Have him meet everyone you can: young children, babies (gently and supervised, of course), older children, teens, adults, the elderly, etc. Keep these interactions as positive as possible and have everyone give your puppy treats and affection. If someone is treating your puppy aggressively or negatively, gently remove your puppy from the situation immediately. The key here is gently. You don’t need to grab your puppy roughly or harshly, just scoop him up and walk away.

Part Two: Dogs

Dog interactions are tricky because dog introductions require structure, and not all dog owners are prepared for that. Try to gauge the dogs you know. Which ones are friendly and non-aggressive? Which ones are well-behaved? Which dogs will give your puppy positive experiences? Find these dogs and invite them over, so your dog gets used to having other dogs in his space. Go over to non-aggressive dogs’ houses.

Part Three: Visitors

You need to invite people over so your dog gets used to having visitors on his home turf. The more people come over, the more your dog will be okay with outsiders in his normal space. Some dogs aren’t aggressive at all unless someone is in “their” space.

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Pets and Rehab

February 4, 2011 by

A pet is supposed to be a best friend, but they are rarely treated as such when an owner is suffering from an addiction. When we ponder the depth and reach of addiction, we commonly don’t stop to think about the silent parties that are affected the most by the actions of an addict. In many cases, it is the pet that suffers when living with an addict. If there were a way to communicate with these pets, it could be known just how much neglect, abuse, and mistreatment they truly suffer.

Often, the abuse of a pet is not considered when comes to an addict, only the people the addict harms are thought of. However, each year a significant amount of pets are abandoned or even neglected to the point of death due to the improper care they receive at the hands of an addict. For example, there are many pet owners who are diligent when it comes to feeding and taking care of their pet, but when the addiction takes hold, so does neglect and all care comes to a halt. Pet owners who are addicts also go on binges and leave the pet on their own for days at a time. Subsequently, pets become underweight and malnourished. Pets also suffer by being exposed to unsanitary environments.

If you know someone who is affecting their pet in a negative way because of their addiction, then it is your duty to confront them and try to offer assistance. Getting them to treatment program through the use of a website like Rehab-International.org can help you to find the very best care facility possible. You can also find many places that care for pets as well as the owners and help to start integrating pet care into the treatment immediately. Help is a must, especially when a pet is involved.

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Missing Friend – What to Do When a Pet Runs Away

January 19, 2011 by

If you’ve ever had a pet run away, you know how anxious and worried everyone can get – especially if it’s a pet you and your family love. Some pets have natural homing abilities, but others can become disoriented if they find themselves in an unfamiliar place.

If your pet is lost, there are a few things you can do to bring your pet safely back home. The important thing is not to worry or panic – it won’t get Felix or Fido home any faster. Imagine that your cat or dog is enjoying his citywide sojourn, which is usually the case.

The first and most obvious thing to do is look. Look in the obvious places: nooks and crannies in your own home, your own yard, and your own neighborhood. Put flyers up at intersections around the block. When pets wander, they usually don’t wander far.

However, if a day goes by without any reports, bring your campaign into Phase II and go public. Announce the search using your real-life and technological social networks, such as Facebook and Craigslist. Bikes, cars and other stolen merchandise have been recovered by the use of social networks – the same goes for pets. Let your friends and their friends know your pet’s last whereabouts, supply photographs, and let the community machine go to work.

Social networks are the new ‘telephone pole flyers,’ but it never hurts to put the word on the streets as well. Put together a ‘missing’ flyer – provide a description, a number and a possible reward. If you love your pet, the amount you’d give to have it back should be immeasurable.

If Phase I and Phase II don’t work, sometimes you just have to wait and let your pet engage its natural homing abilities. Most pets find their way back, but it never hurts to enlist outside help. As the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy says – don’t panic.

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What Happens at the Routine Vet Check Up

December 17, 2010 by
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 20: Cat relate...
Image by Getty Images via @daylife

In order to make sure that your cat or dog is in the top of their health you will have to take them to the vet. Taking your cat or dog to the vet is like taking yourself to the dog. While it might at first seem as if the vet is doing very little for your cat or dog they are actually making sure that they are in the best health that they can be.

Here are some of the things that will happen during a routine vet check up.

Physical. Your vet will require that your cat or dog stand on a table and they will feel them all over. They will check their tail, head, legs, body and feel their ribs and other areas. This is to make sure that there is no swelling or tenderness that is around the cat or dog.

Mouth Check. Your vet will then look into your cat or dogs mouth. They will look at their teeth and see if there are any cracks, dirt, plague or other things wrong with their teeth.

Eye Check. The vet will take a light and shine it into your cat or dogs eyes. They will also do this to their ears and other areas to make sure that everything is checking out okay.

Weight. Your vet will weight your cat or dog and note it in the chart. They will do this every visit as weight is a big sign that there is something wrong or not wrong with your cat or dog.

Fecal Check. This is a test that can be run but is not required. Your vet will take a fecal sample and run it for various items such as ringworm and infections.

Your vet will do a very thoughrough screening of your pet. Should you have any concerns during this time make sure you voice them so the vet can check them out.

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Choosing a Pet

December 7, 2010 by
Guinea pig
Image via Wikipedia

The decision to take on a new pet is a big one. It may be made on impulse, but the results can be far reaching and influence many different parts of your life. Pets can add a lot of fun, love, and companionship to your home, but they are require a good amount of responsibility. If you are planning to get a pet, you should be fully aware of what it will take to raise them well. Pets have a lot of love to offer, and they deserve a happy home in return.

If you are unsure of what type of pet you want, consider whether you’d prefer to have an indoor or outdoor pet. Outdoor pets consist primarily of dogs, though sometimes people keep other more unconventional pets like ducks or goats outside. Outdoor pets provide a companion for outdoor activities. They also tend to be somewhat self sustaining, as they don’t have to be housebroken and usually don’t require constant attention. Noise is less of an issue, although it still can be a concern.

For indoor pets, you have a few considerations. Do you want a free roaming pet or a caged animal? If caged, do you want something that stays in its cage all the time, or a pet that comes out and plays from time to time? Birds can make good caged companions, as can small rodents like gerbils, hamsters, and guinea pigs. All of them can be taken from the cage to play. Other indoor pets like inside dogs and cats roam freely around the house. They need to be housebroken so you don’t have to clean up behind them. Dogs will need to be trained to keep quiet and not go places they shouldn’t, while cats should be encouraged not to scratch things. Your level of commitment to adjusting a pet to your home will affect how well suited you are to an indoor pet.

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Sometimes You Just Want an Alternative Pet: The Bird

December 5, 2010 by
Raggiana Bird of Paradise, Paradisaea raggiana
Image via Wikipedia

Birds make fun and unique pets. They can be very affectionate, friendly, and fun. They can also be extremely independent if given the opportunity to be. Birds may not be as popular as more conventional pets like cats and dogs, but they have their own unique charms. Whether singing, perching, or even speaking like people do, birds make for a great pet experience that can’t be duplicated with any other animal.

If you’ve decided to add a pet bird to your family, your decision making isn’t done yet. There are a great number of differences between different types of birds. Many birds are capable of speaking, while others cannot. Some birds are more social and want or need to be let out of their cages often, while others are more at home staying in the cage. Larger birds tend to be greater responsibility, and they also ten to have much longer life spans. Some breeds of parrot have been known to live for around 100 years. Even smaller birds like parakeets can outlive dogs and cats. Consider the level of commitment you are willing to make to a pet before you buy one.

Birds will require different amounts and types of attention, depending on the type of bird you choose. Birds like canaries and finches are low maintenance pets. They don’t require much other than to be fed and watered regularly. They can just sit there and look pretty. Parrakeets like to fly around and sit on shoulders. They’re small and mild mannered enough to play with easily. Parrots, especially the larger ones, need space, exercise, and attention frequently. Many birds in the parrot family also have special dietary needs, so you need to make sure those are met as well. Birds will be harder to “housebreak” than other animals, if you can even manage, so keep that in mind as well.

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