| Free Kittens ? |
A free kitten may end up being valued for exactly what was paid for it. Who wants to pay to have a free kitten evaluated by a vet, tested for Feline Leukemia Virus, parasites, treated for respiratory infection and given their vaccinations? Who wants to pay for the kitten to be spayed or neutered at 3 or 4 months old? Usually it's a chore to take care of the litter box issues and canned cat food can be costly, so now it's an 'outdoor cat' and kibble becomes the food of choice. As early as 6 months old a female kitten can be pregnant. And that's how this all started. |
| How old does a cat get? Some record breakers have lived to be over 30 years old! Feral cats have a life expectancy of about 5 years A well cared for house cat can live to be 17 years or older these days Especially if neutered |
| Cats were born to be free right? That may have been true a couple hundred years ago, but that was long before toxic pesticides, cars, the chemical exposure potential and countless other threats we have these days. Feline Leukemia Virus continues to spread and evolve; more diseases than ever before plague our cats and animal cruelty aimed at these beautiful, innocent animals is frighteningly high. Letting your cat roam free is like letting your 3 year old go to the mall alone. Not a very good idea. What about other wildlife when your cat gets out? |
| Need help getting your cat spayed or neutered? It's available here |
Cats are true carnivores. They receive no nutritional values from anything other than meat or fish. Commercial products advertising cat foods with greens or vegetables are marketing for the human, not the cat. Veterinarians who happen to sell high priced, specialized cat foods are usually just joining the marketing aspect of pet care; many vets do not have the understanding of nutrition specialized for different species because it’s simply not a big medical school focus. Another thing that people commonly believe is that cats need or can freely have dairy products like milk and cream. The truth is that cat’s don’t have the ability to process dairy and while they may enjoy it, they shouldn’t have it. In fact, in many cats it could cause severe allergic reactions. In kittens it can cause life threatening malnutrition (their body doesn’t get the nutrients it needs, but is constantly full from the milk; the kitten can suddenly fall seriously ill or be discovered lifeless). For more comprehensive information on feline nutrition, by a vet who specializes in this research and offers findings and suggestions freely, check this site: www.catinfo.org |
| Pet Food Truth |
| Being omnivores (like we humans, they’ll try just about anything), a dog’s tastes don’t always have common sense behind it. From cotton balls to shoes, dogs present every day at veterinarian offices around the world with something in them that shouldn’t be. In some cases it’s just plain poison and that’s significantly dangerous by itself. Emergency clinics and vets are the places to rush your companion in cases like this - wasting not a moment of time. Never let money be an issue when it comes to this life. The clinic or vet will most certainly work something out and not turn you or your dog away. Treatment first and foremost! If your dog has swallowed something sharp - this too is an emergency. Pins, needles, blades, broken glass, whatever it is - rush to the vet/clinic and have this addressed immediately. The damage a sharp object can do to the throat, stomach and intestines is serious. Getting it out before it travels too far or does as much damage as is might, is vital. Swallowing something that will block up the drain in your bathroom sink will have the same potential in your dog. Socks, underwear, some dogs are regular vacuum cleaners. If you get your pet to the vet before the object leaves the stomach, an endoscope may be able to retrieve it and save you the cost of surgery or even the loss of life. Please see this link for more about the seriousness of this particular type of object PetColumns Other objects here: Dog Ate What? What's Next? (This link explains symptoms, risks and management) |
| Ruby (left) was rescued after a SWAT raid at her drug den home. When we got her she was thought to be a 4-6 month old pup, but it turned out that she was just severely malnourished and her growth stunted. She was closer to a year old. She also had the worst mange we've ever seen. Every inch of her was sore and oozing, not a single hair left on her body. This is Ruby's picture after about 6 months. |
| Ruby has been placed in her forever home with two children and another dog. In spite of her abusive start in life, she is a loving, gentle and very sweet companion. She continues to thrive. |
| Whether you can smell it or not, whether it’s from a dog, cat or anything else, the only odor that’s permanent is that which is deep within cushions, wood or any other porous materials that cannot be tossed into a washing machine. When animal (including human) urine is in the wood framework or foam cushions of furniture, I’m afraid the furniture is a lost cause. Even when repeated washings and cover-ups may desensitize your perception, the animal (for sure) can detect it - as may other people who aren’t around it all the time. As for the areas you can deal with, like carpets, varnished hardwood floors, fabrics (that can be washed) etc., it’s as easy as having 4 ingredients on hand. 1. Borax, 2. Baking Soda, 3. White Vinegar, 4. Hydrogen Peroxide. For a powder to sprinkle on carpets when the odor is not urine and is just superficial, use ½ and ½ baking soda and borax. Once you are sure the area is color safe (Borax and hydrogen peroxide may remove some color) - rub it right into the fabric/carpet, let it stand (overnight is best) and vacuum. For a solution to use for spot cleanings, ½ and ½ baking soda and borax with plain warm water (mix well until all powder is dissolved and you may be able to use it in a carpet cleaning machine, but be forewarned, it could clog if not mixed well). For spot treatments that need to soak through, using the ½ and ½ mixture as outlined above with a catalyst of either the white vinegar or hydrogen peroxide (this will foam up a lot) works wonders. Just be careful that the area is colorfast - hydrogen peroxide may have a lightening or color changing effect. If there is urine in your carpeting it’s going to take more than superficial treatments. You need to pull the carpet up and either cut out and replace the padding underneath, or soak the padding with the solution - and let it dry (using fans may be helpful since the padding is often spongy). |
| Odor Removal |
| It IS an emergency when: (Not in any specific order) Gums are pale, ashen, grey, yellow (any one or more) Bleeding from the mouth, nose, eyes or rectum after possible ingestion of a toxic/poisonous plant or substance. Loss of balance when walking; inability or refusal to get up; difficulty or discomfort upon laying down (not able to stay laying down). You know your companion – trust your instincts every time! It is far better to go to the emergency clinic and find out everything is ok, than to skip the visit and lose your companion. You can live with the extra expense, but can you live with the guilt of not doing the right thing? |
| On this page : odor removal pet food truths flea solutions for free emergency symptoms stuff your pet eats that they shouldn't declawing myths & much more So explore and scroll down. |
| Some types of mange will naturally run its course on its own in several weeks. It was probably these types of mange that owners thought they ‘cured’ with home remedies. Mange might be mistaken for ringworm (not a worm, but a fungus) in some cases. The treatment for ringworm (an anti- fungal cream usually applied twice a day) will not cure mange. The reason a vet really needs to see a dog with possible mange (other than it could spread to other animals and throughout the family?) is because a skin scraping/biopsy is necessary to determine the type of parasite it is. Treatment for one does not necessarily eradicate the other(s). For more about mange, symptoms and treatments, see dog mange |
| The Dog Ate WHAT? |
| Be Flea Free |
The first step in really eliminating pesky fleas is to start outside your home. Fleas do not thrive in wet conditions, so keep the area mowed and well watered. Set up your sprinkler system to go off every other day long enough to really soak the area. Winter weather will also usually eliminate fleas from the outside. Next, treat your pet by just washing them in any mild shampoo or dish soap such as original formula Dawn. If you choose, a baby, no tears shampoo is good too. Lather up your pet, but avoid the face. If you see fleas go onto the face, just pick them off and drop them into the soapy water. Let the lather sit for 10-15 minutes. Then rinse a couple of times in fresh, clear water and repeat every 2-3 days to break the flea life cycle. For the inside of your home - forget the bug bombs, flea sprays, powders and carpet treatments. They don’t really work and can be dangerous click here and click here Vacuum daily to remove flea larvae and eggs from the carpets. Wash bedding or other fabrics where pets frequent, every couple of days. This insures that you not only remove the flea eggs, but the larvae and adults. You’ll need to change the bags every 2-3 days. Flea collars, flea powder, etc. in vac bags do not kill fleas. If you have a bagless you should empty the container out into an airtight bag (or flush it if you’re sure it won’t clog plumbing). Flea adults are prolific little pests and drop round, smooth eggs that typically hatch in carpeting, bedding and clothing - where the larvae can find a meal of skin flakes, dander and such. The adults need a blood meal (dog, cat, rodent, human, etc.) to keep on making more. By following the steps outlined above, you should be able to naturally rid your home and surrounding area of fleas in about a week to ten days. Diligence and persistence are necessary, but isn’t it worth it? All natural, the least expensive option with the highest long-term success rate. If you want to pay for a flea product, the vet prescribed flea treatments are by far the only truly effective methods of immediate care (you can try the costly over the counter brands, but we’ve never found that they really work). You may as well just pay the higher price and be done with it rather than buying the over-the-counter products over and over. If you use the vet prescribed treatment, you still need to eradicate them in your home or you’ll just be having the pet treated again when the original Rx wears off. |
Did you know that a cat should
be about 1 1/2 years old
before being bred?
Cats that get pregnant sooner
than that may suffer severe
complications. The kittens
may be small and fail to thrive.
Sometimes the young mom
doesn't survive giving birth
be about 1 1/2 years old
before being bred?
Cats that get pregnant sooner
than that may suffer severe
complications. The kittens
may be small and fail to thrive.
Sometimes the young mom
doesn't survive giving birth
| Declawing - myths Aside from the United States, no other first world, progressive, knowledgeable countries routinely perform declaw surgeries (many have deemed it illegal). No matter which type of surgery is elected, declawing is the mutilation of your animal's paws, oftentimes resulting in phantom pain for the life of the animal. In fact, medical protocols are in place to help treat this kind of pain which may be displayed by inappropriate urination, defecation and other behavior problems that may occur sporadically or regularly forever. Would you opt to slice the tips of your fingers off at the first joint rather than just clip your fingernails? |
| When the Humane Society takes a stand about something, I would think it outweighs anything a 'for profit' practice might be trying to tell us. See here |
Dogs and Cats 4AnimalCare.org
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Did you know that legally, our pets are
considered no more valuable than their
replacement price?
This is one reason dangerous products and advice
runs rampant.
Deep pocketed businesses are rarely sued.
considered no more valuable than their
replacement price?
This is one reason dangerous products and advice
runs rampant.
Deep pocketed businesses are rarely sued.
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