On average, Americans will spend between $5 and $15 on toys and treats for their pets this holiday season. Our pets are like family. If you read this blog regularly, you’ll know that I really spoil my two cats. This year, I’ve changed my cat Molly’s diet and spend about $25 a week for her food, I now buy the more expensive kitty litter and I’ve bought a running water fountain for my home in Delaware and my condo in New Jersey. After all it’s important that cats drink lots of water. Cats often get dehydrated because they don’t drink enough water!

So this holiday season, I’ll spend between $25 and $30 dollars for my spoiled little friends. I haven’t decided what I’ll get them yet but they certainly won’t be neglected.

Remember your pets this holiday, after all you could never package the amount of love they give you everyday!

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The most common knee injury in dogs is when they tear one of the two knee ligaments that stabilize the knee joint. Called an ACL injury, it can happen when a dog is running and inadvertently steps in a hole, slips in the mud or is hit by a car, any action that puts tremendous stress on a dog’s knee. Large breed dogs which makes the knee more vulnerable, are especially prone to ACL injuries. St Bernard’s and Newfoundlands for example as well as poor physical condition in obese and elderly dogs makes them vulnerable as well. If the knee ligament is simply ripped, a period of rest may be enough to get the dog back in action but a torn ligament requires surgery to recreate the damaged tissue. Never try to diagnose this problem or administer pet medication on your own. The is a job for a vet. Remember, your pets count!

Great music and lots of holiday favorites on THE EDGEWATER INTERNET RADIO NETWORK!

During the holiday season many pets are adopted without the owners doing the proper research. We’re excited to give a homeless pet a good home. That’s great since so many of these animals are abandoned or mistreated. My cat, Millie was abandoned and left in an apartment alone when it’s cruel, heartless owners moved out on her. She was only about 2 months old. A neighbor heard her cries and found her and took her to a shelter where I couldn’t help but adopt her and give her a good home.

An estimated 8 to 12 million pets wind up in shelters each year.

Before you adopt a pet,consider the following:

If you live in an apartment, do they allow pets (they all should but don’t!)
Do you have enough room in your home for a homeless pet?
Make sure there is enough in your budget to care for a pet.
How will the new pet get along with other pets that you may have?
Research the type of pet you want. If you are adopting a certain breed dog, know the characteristics of that breed before adopting it.
Be ready before the pet arrives. Have that nice soft, dog or cat bed ready along with all of the necessary accessories like food, litter, dog leash, dog collar etc.
Give your new pet time to adapt.
Give yourself time to adjust to your new arrival.
I hear so many stories of people adopting a pet and then returning it to a shelter for one reason or another. This in my opinion is cruel. Know what you’re getting into. It’s not fair to that poor animal who thinks it has a good home only to be returned to the cage in the shelter a few days later!

Six great music on six terrific radio stations on THE EDGEWATER INTERNET RADIO NETWORK!  Lots of holiday music as well!

Just like humans, puppies go through a teething process. Teething is uncomfortable and painful for puppies. Be aware that when puppies begin teething, biting and chewing increases. They test out different textures to relieve the discomfort. Between the ages of three to six months, a puppy with begin to lose their baby teeth. By the time a puppy is eight months old, it should have a full set of a total of 42 teeth, but some breeds have more or fewer. Usually, the larger the dog, the faster the teeth will appear. Dobermans have fewer teeth while Spaniels and Greyhounds tend to have more teeth.

Between three and six months, your dogs teeth should be checked out by a veterinarian to make sure that there are no problems.

Remember, your pets count!

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If you have cats, there’s always some concern about how they will behave around your Christmas tree. I always have to watch mine as they play and sleep under the tree. Just now, my cat Molly started chewing on the needles on our artificial tree. Did you know that real trees are more dangerous to cats than artificial ones? This is because the needles on a real tree are sharp and can pierce or puncture the skin of an overly curious cat, while the pine needles themselves are irritating to mildly toxic if chewed (depending on the species of tree used). Chewing an artificial tree is not healthy for your cat either. That’s why I always chase Molly away when she starts chewing.

A small tree is a safer solution if you have a super curious kitten. These is less of it to come crashing down and cause potential harm to your kitten and your belongings.If you do choose a real tree, also choose a water container for the tree that is completely inaccessible to the cat. If she tries to drink from it, she risks poisoning.For small kittens, wrap tinfoil around the trunk. They don’t like putting their nails into it and it will keep them from climbing the tree.

Be careful and enjoy your holidays. Try some of the great holiday music we offer on THE EDGEWATER INTERNET RADIO NETWORK!

When buying food and water bowls for your cat, look beyond the cute patterns. Plastic scratches easily and tiny fishers can harbor germs. Stainless steel is sturdy, unbreakable and dishwasher safe. Ceramic is another good choice. Be sure to wash out all bowls daily. Cat bowls should be shallow, yet large enough to hold a full cup of cat food. Straight sided bowls are less likely to tip. Automatic feeders help keep you cats feedings consistent while you’re away. If you care for outdoor strays, electrically heated bowls keep water available all winter long. If you want to pamper your older cat, buy her an elevated bowl and watch her chow down in comfort.

Remember, your pets count!

Enjoy the holidays with us. Great music and holiday favorites on THE EDGEWATER INTERNET RADIO NETWORK!

We all enjoy music, why shouldn’t our pets. Certain types of music can provide a soothing experience for your pets. The positive effects of these soothing sounds are confirmed by both animal psychologists and pet owners. The sound of the harp can be exceptionally relaxing for your pets. There are several artists that provide these recordings for your pets. One is Aliana Boone. She says that the harp is considered to be one of the most healing instruments next to the human voice. Boone conducted a study of her own. In 2000, she performed for hospitalized canines at the Florida Veterinary clinic. The hour long performances immediately began to the dogs heart rate, anxiety and respiration.

If your dog or cat is stressed because of a particular situation or maybe, they are high strung by nature, try soothing harp music. If it doesn’t calm them down right away, it will certainly calm you.

This is also a good way to calm your dog down after some vigorous exercise. They will be all wound up after fetching their favorite dog toy, so calm them down with some relaxing music!

Remember, your pets count!

Great music and holiday favorites on THE EDGEWATER INTERNET RADIO NETWORK!

Do you have several pets? Do they ever try to eat each others food? If so, it’s not a good idea to let the dog eat the cats food or the cat eat the dogs food. A little dog food every now and then probable won’t hurt your cat but a steady diet of dog food can make a cat ill. Cats are strickly meat eaters so they need more protein that’s not found in dog’s kibble. Cats also need specific B complex vitamins and amino acids that aren’t found in dog food. On the other hand, a dog’s occasional nibble out of a cat’s bowl probably won’t hurt him but cat foods are high in calories. A dog that eats lots of cat food could become obese. Obesity is a serious health risk for your dog. If your pets try to snatch food from one another, keep them separate when they eat. It’s a good idea to keep your dog’s water bowl and food bowl in a separate room.

Remember, your pets count!

Great music and holiday favorites on THE EDGEWATER INTERNET RADIO NETWORK!