If you’re like me, you love your cat and are always looking to keep her occupied with new toys.  Keeping your cat occupied is important to her health. She’ll get more exercise which will keep her trim and fit.  Plenty of toys to occupy her time will help prevent bad behavior such as clawing on the furniture.  Certain toys could be harmful to your cat. Avoid string, rubber bands, thread, needles and twine.  These things are not safe. If any of these things get lodged in her intestines, surgery may be the only thing that will save her.  Items like buttons, small pieces of plastic, aluminum foil are also dangerous because they can get stuck in your cats intestines and cause blockages or preforation. Bottle or bottle caps that previously contained cleaners are toxic. Do not let your cat play with them.  Cats enjoys stuffed mice, balls fishing poles and other stuffed items. These are safe and encourage your cat to play. One last piece of advice, do not use your hand as a toy. Your cat will get in the habit of scratching and biting it.  This will cause aggessive behavior which you don’t want especially if you are having guests over. Cat toys are available everywhere. Choose the right ones. Your cat will love you for it.

Merca is a staff bacteria that is resistant to common antibiotics. It can start as an abcess or skin infection but it gets more serious as it gets into the bloodstream and organs.  It’s important that you know that merca impacts both humans and pets and can be passed back and forth. If it shows up in your pets, don’t assume that they are the only ones that are affected. Armando Howett, Coordinator of the veterinary public health program at Ohio State University advices both doctors and veterinarians to work together to screen, treat and manage the illness in the household. Good hygene is your best prevention. Wash your hands and keep wounds covered to prevent infection. If you notice any symptoms on your pet, don’t assume that over the counter pet medication will solve the problem. Get your pet to a vet right away and be aware that the infection can spread to you.

Socializing your puppy is kind of like teaching a child to swim. You start by sticking his toes in the water not throwing him in.  Gradual preparation is also necessary for puppies as they learn to navigate new experiences. Karen Sweata,a veterniary behaviorist at the VCA West Los Angeles Animal Hosptial says that puppies go through a socialization period that is actually a window of opportunity where puppies are open and easily influenced about all of the experiences that they will encounter later in life. When your puppy is between four and fourteen weeks of age, start to familiarize him with the objects, people and places that he will encounter later in life. Take him out and let him be around people and other animals. This prep phase will help him avoid developing fear and anxiety as an adult. So put on his fancy fleece dog coat and take him out and show him off!

Millie, our adopted cat

Some people are content with owning only one cat. If you are a cat lover, cats can become addictive. You have one but wind up adopting several. Is owning more than one cat right for the cat that you already own? Let me tell you about my story. I went to an arts and crafts fair in Ocean City, Maryland about four years ago. Before we got into the fair, we stopped by the pet adoption booth in front. There were so many cats waiting for adoption. There was one cat who seemed so sad. This cat was about four months old and had been abandoned by it’s  owner.  While I was strolling through the fair, I kept thinking about  this little cat. As we were leaving, we stopped by and saw this little cat staring at us. W

e then got into the parking lot and before we got into our car, we stopped and decided to go back in and adopt her. Her name was originally Katrina but we changed it to Millie.  Since I already had a cat, Mollie, I never thought there would be such a problem. There was, a big one. Mollie would not accept Millie and was furious that I had done this to her. She growled at me especially when Millie was around, spit at us and would hiss and swat Millie. It took many months. Mollie eventually warmed up but to this day, she will not accept Millie. She tolerates her but does things to ensure her seniority in the household. She blocks entrances so that Millie cannot get into a room. At one point, she even blocked the litter box which caused another crisis. She would eat up all the food so that Millie would be left with little or nothing. Most of these things have been resolved but I still need to watch them. If you have a female adult cat and adopt another female, chances are you will have the same problem that I have. If you have a male and adopt a female, the situation may not be as bad. If you adopt both as kittens, you won’t have any problem and they will probably grow up being best friends. There will be a little more work with multiple cats so you may want to get several litter boxes or even a couple of self cleaning litter boxes which will save you some work. I’m glad that I adopted my second cat, Millie. She has a much better life than she would have had. She knows that she is loved and is very spoiled. We just have to watch out for her big sister!

Mollie, our older cat

For years antibiotics have been used to destroy bad bacteria in a pets body.  Today lots of veterinarians are looking for ways to promote the growth of good bacteria in a pets body using nutrition. Sherry Sanderson, an associate professor at the University of Georgia says that prebiotics are nondigestible ingrediants that are added to the pets diet. When they reach the large intestines, they act as a source of nutrition for those large intestinal bacteria and promote good bacteria to thrive in the large intestine. The good bacteria produce energy for the cells that line the intestines and help with the production of nutrients. One of the most common prebiotics found in pet food is fiber. This is listed on the label as  crude fiber or b pulp. Feeding your pet foods that will maintain his health will help you cut back on the cost of pet medication down the road!

I once bought a condo where pets were allowed. I had a small dog who did bark when someone would enter the outside hallway. There was a man in the next apartment that did everything in his power to get my small dog evicted. After many months of arguments and meeting with the board, the man decided to move. Good for me and my dog! This isn’t always the case.  If you have a pet, don’t even consider moving into a co-op.   The rules are sometimes so strick that it’s it’s a wonder that they allow children!  It’s plain to see why I am not a fan of co-ops.  When a landlord wants to evict a tenant because he has a cat or a dog, it is very important that the tenant finds an attorney knowledgeable in landlord -tenant matters and in legal defenses in pet based eviction proceedings. I know of someone who owned a dog in a rent stablized apartment in New York City. When the dog died, he got another one. The replacement dog got an eviction notice! The man hired a very good attorney and he won. He was able to keep his dog. I know of another incident where pets were allowed. Then the rule changed and tenants living there for many years were asked to get rid of their beloved pets. This seems unbelievable. People can be extremely ruthless and cruel and sometimes do unbelievable things! Always have a knowledgeable attorney. If the rules regarding pets are unfounded and ridiculous most judges will rule in your favor. You could do everything right, follow the rules by walking your dog in the designated areas, cleaning up after your dog, always keeping him on his dog leash then all of a sudden you get an eviction notice.  I would never get rid of my pet. I would rather break my lease and move. We really have to become a more pet friendly society!

What are the reasons for your dog’s repetitive behavior?  It’s not uncommon for your puppy to chase it’s tail but tail chasing or tail licking should not consume a large portion of your dogs time. Valarie Tines is an Animal Behaviorist from Fort Worth, Texas. She says that this can be the one behavior problem that is most likely related to pain or neuropothy or even just mild itchiness. She also says that if this is not the true underlying cause, there’s a good chance that there’s probably an underlying neurophysiological disfunction that’s causing the problem. If you see him licking or chasing his tail and you cannot stop him, ask your vet to examine him.  If no underlying injuries or allergies can be found, anti anxiety pet medication may be prescribed.

You’re sitting on the couch watching a football game with your dog. Then all of a sudden the room is overwhelmed with a foul smell. You look around to see if anyone else entered the room.You know that  the “stink bomb” did not come from you. You look over at the guilty eyes of little canine friend. He’s the culprit! One of the primary causes of flatulence is table scraps. Another cause could be the source of carbohydrates in the dogs food. Dr. Catherince Michell, a Veterinary Nutritionist at the University of Pennsylvania says that people have to take a close look at what they are feeding their pets and cut back on the table food that they are giving their dog. In some cases, a complete diet change may be necessary. If this doesn’t work, talk to your veterinarian about liquid drops that you could put on his food to cut down on gas. Unfortunately pet medication will not help in this case.