Filed under: pets
Cats are a wonderful feline addition to the family. The record of domesticated cats dates back to long ago when Egypt was the dominating power in the world. As well as being more independent than dogs, cats provide years of affection and enjoy their social family life. We provide a healthy environment, a litter box and good food in return. Unlike the canine family members, cats do not need to be taken outside everyday in the nasty cold and rainy weather. Cats simply use an indoor litter box. The litter box simplifies a cats need to go potty. But they also tend to be relatively odoriferous and need to be often cleaned. One solution to this stinky job is the self cleaning cat litter box.
Litter boxes can be purchased in all sizes and shapes. Sand was first used as a litter material for the box and this was soon replaced with more absorbent clay based litter. This did very little to aid with cleanup and there still was the odour emitted all over the home. Self-clumping litter was later developed using media such as diatomite or zeolite. Faeces and urine would clump together and could be removed with a scoop. Cleanup was still a smelly procedure. Deodorizers such as baking soda were added to the litter to help absorb the smell.
The next thing to the problems of litter box cleanup and odour came from developing the automatic cat litter box. This newer technology removes the smelly issues of cleanup and drops the dirty materials into a disposable tray. The trays can be dropped into the bin and replaced. Not only does the self-cleaning litter box remove cat wastes automatically it also provides a healthier and cleaner environment for the family pet. The simple technology uses an automated arm to scoop up the wastes and drops them into a collection container that can easily be dropped into a refuse container. Development of automation has even been taken a step further. Some automated cat litter boxes can be connected to a water waste line and the cat waste is flushed each time the box is cleaned. This is full automation of a once unfavourable job of cleaning up after the feline member of the family.
Self-cleaning litter boxes do cost more than the simple cat litter tray. The advantages are that it eliminates the unpleasant task of cleaning out the box once a week and dealing with the odour. It provides a healthier environment for the pet and for the rest of the family.
Filed under: pets
Canines: they are often thought to be man’s best friends. Because they are regarded so highly in today’s society, more and more people are finding that it is essential to provide a safe, yet comfortable home for their pooches. Some countries, for example, even require pet owners to provide their pets with adequate, protective shelters, whether inside the house or outside. One way that individuals can keep their pets safe, whether in the home, or outside, is by purchasing an excellent, yet affordable dog kennel. Thus, dog kennels can provide owners with a feeling of joy in knowing that their pets are protected and comfortable, while simultaneously providing the pet with enjoyment.
Outside dog kennels are doghouses that are placed outside of one’s home. Usually, these types of kennels are bigger so that they can provide a lot of room for the owner’s pets, while also providing a safe haven of protection and happiness where the pet can move around and lie down to sleep. For example, most outdoor kennels are made of chain link fencing materials, providing stability for the house. Individuals interested in buying an outside kennel need to have an idea of where they are going to place it in their yards, though. Outdoor kennels should always have a roof on top; roofs provide: protection from inclement weather, a barrier to block damaging rays of light from the sun, and a stable environmental temperature to which the dog can easily adapt. Generally speaking, the more costly the outdoor kennel, the greater the quality; but remember that this is about keeping your dog safe and entertained, so it is really worth it!
Inside dog kennels are usually smaller, made of a chain link material, plastic, or wired fabrics. They, too, should be large enough for the dogs to move around in and lounge, so that when they lie down, they do not knock over their food bowls or water bowls, causing them to “bathe” in their foods, while resting. Plastic, indoor kennels are usually not strong enough for large dogs, and, thus, it is generally advised to purchase wired materials or chain links.
Some dog kennels may be placed inside and outside of the house. These types are considered “portable”, and they should provide the same stability, safety, and comfort in any environment for which the dog needs them.
Filed under: pets
Gone are the days that we can spend much time in our homes to lounge around and play. Most of the time, we now spend our days out in our offices doing stuff we need to accomplish. Gone are our childhood days of play and fun. We can only glance at cute kitten pictures we spent our early years with and that’s the time we travel back to days of old when the smell of freshly showered grass appeal much to us and the rays of the sun are a welcome kiss we lovingly accept. We usually spend our days then, running around with our kittens, playing with them all day long.
Our kittens enjoy it as much as we do. They also love to stay outdoors with us. Unknown to us, the outdoors actually pose danger to them. The other way also holds true, they can pose danger to the environment.
Children today, as we were before years back, may benefit from running around the ground but if kittens regularly do so, they run with much risk, some of which are the following:
1. Poison. There are various poisonous matters that your cats or kittens can run into in the backyard. Rat poison, chemical lawn or plant treatments, antifreeze, gas, oil and other toxic elements may be present in your grounds. These poisons can’t be eluded by playful cats, not even when you are watching over them play in your lawn.
2. Diseases. Letting your kittens roam also means letting them be subjected to diseases that are life-threatening like Feline Distemper, AIDS, and Leukemia. They may also catch Rabies, Bobcat Fever, Toxoplasmosis and cat lungs diseases.
3. Parasites. Your kittens may be infected by fleas and ticks. Sure, you’ve made precautions to protect them from fleas and ticks but the worse problem is if they accidentally eat a fleas or ticks -infected animal.
4. Pet Fights. When they play outside, they may end up fighting with other pet kittens. They may be injured during the process. Or they can be attacked by other bigger and more aggressive animals.
5. Vehicular Accidents. By that I mean they can be hit by a vehicle. Being so free outside of the house may mean crossing over roads. Kittens are too small that drivers may end up not seeing them on the road. Vehicular accidents may require surgeries and rehabilitations. These medical operations will cost you much.
These pet hazards are all present outside of our homes. We may have enjoyed playing with our kittens when we were young but now that we know these can be dangerous to their health, we might as well enjoy looking at pictures of kittens and cats playing in the backyard than actually have them playing outside. Besides, pictures can tell us enough stories by themselves. So let us let pictures take us outside our playground to play with our pets.
Filed under: pets
If you’re tired of looking at the same cat litter mess you should check out the styles of designer cat litter boxes available today. These adorable and unique styles will easily charm their way into your home. In fact, many of them are designed to be miniature homes. You can purchase these model cat box homes in styles such as a farm, a cottage a barn or even a log cabin. They are constructed of molded polyethylene plastic so they are extremely durable. The units come with a removable roof for easy cleaning of litter.
You can also buy specially designed cabinets that are used to conceal cat litter boxes from sight. These cabinets are constructed from the same high quality wood you would find in regular pieces of home furnishings. The item has a square cut out of the side which allows the cat to discreetly enter and exit the cabinet to do its business. Along the same lines is the pottery box. This is a cleverly constructed piece that uses a large pot as the base for the litter. The unit comes complete with an attractive plant you simply insert into the top.
There are also several dome units that come with a spiral front staircase. These have an elegant design that completely encloses the actual litter area so you won’t see any unsightly mess. They are available in assorted colors such as rich purple and titanium white. The various styles today give pet owners a choice when using items for their cats litter needs. With so many designer products to choose from you don’t have to put up with an unsightly box of litter sitting anywhere in your home or apartment. Some items such as furniture pieces are so stylish you could place them in a living room or den and have them blend in perfectly.
Filed under: pets
If you are desperately trying to housebreak your new puppy or are preparing to purchase or get a new young dog, puppy pads may be the product for which you are searching. These marvelous products protect the floor or carpet from those puppy accidents. The majority of these types of products have an absorbent layer over the top of a protective layer of plastic. This allows for the waste to be collected on top of the potty training pad, while moisture is kept from reaching the floor. These little handy devices are generally specially scented so that your young animal will seek them out when it is time to do his or her business. These liquid friendly mats unfold to cover a large enough area to give your pet some room to maneuver, but are compactly packaged and easily portable until they are ready to be used. This is convenient when taking your little pup with you to help him or her work off that youthful energy.
Because of their portable nature, these protective covers can travel pretty much everywhere with you and the dog. This allows for being able to take you pup along for rides and visits with friends and family. Of course with portability comes versatility, as they can be used in the camper, hotel room, pool area, or even on the newly stained deck. Pretty much any location or situation where you want to direct you young dog to use for the bathroom can be introduced and reinforced by these types of useful products.
While the use of these products will vary greatly from manufacturer to manufacturer, most products of this nature come with fairly simple instructions. Simply locate the area for your little buddy to utilize, and then place him or her on the mat. Once the dog has identified the scent of the area, he will be good to go. So give your new pet a convenient place to call his own and pick up a pack of the floor saving puppy training pads today.
Filed under: pets
There is a lot to think about when you acquire a new dog. Everything from what sort of food you are going to feed it to which vets to use needs to be considered. Owning a dog doesn’t need to be very expensive and as long as the dog is well fed, exercised and has its health looked after it will be happy. However, for many people their dog is a fully paid up member of the family and as such they like to buy pet accessories to give their dog an even happier and more comfortable life.
One of the first things to consider is a dog kennel. Having a place that your dog can call his own can be beneficial in many ways. It is a place where he can go if he is feeling tired or just wants to get away from it all. Dog kennels are also useful places to put your pet if you have visitors who are afraid of dogs or just need some space to get on with things without him being under your feet. There are many different types of dog house on the market and a dog kennel guide will help you decide which would best suit your circumstances.
Other dog accessories to consider are chewy toys, collars and leads and dog bowls. Toys help to keep your pet happy and occupied and reduce the chance of destructive behaviour.
You will also need to remember that dog grooming is an essential aspect of dog care and so you will need to buy a dog brush suitable for your dog’s coat. They will need brushing at least once per week, depending on the length of the fur.
If your dog has very short fur then dog jackets might be a consideration to keep him warm and cosy during the cold winter months.
Filed under: pets
If like me you have a couple of furry friends that you like to take away with you, you will have no doubt found it challenging to find some self catering accommodation that is clean and modern and allows you to take two dogs. There are quite a few holiday accommodations will let you take one dog but taking two is a different matter all together – some rental owners even specify the size of dog and that they have to be well-behaved. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I came across some log cabins in Scotland that allowed pet owners to take up to three dogs, the prices were reasonable and so I thought I’d give it a go. My wife and I packed the dogs and the car and drove six hours hoping we would be greeted by wonderful log cabin.
That was in fact what we were greeted by, the log cabin was simply outstanding it was furnished to a very high level and was set in beautiful unspoilt countryside which overlooked a loch. We really do believe that we wouldn’t manage to find a type of holiday accommodation that is better furnished or better looked after in the middle of nowhere which allows us to take both of our dogs. Since discovering log cabin breaks we haven’t really looked back, every self catering holiday that we have in the UK will invariably be to a log cabin. We found some really nice cabins feature hot tubs on the decking, flat screen TVs and entertainment systems. The kitchens that some of these cabins have, have been better equipped than ours ar home so we really can go all out and cook up some really nice meals we wouldn’t normally do at home.
One of the best things about going to a log cabin on a holiday site is the way they are laid out although some of the developments will have 20 log cabins all of the log cabins are nicely spaced apart and are positioned in such a way that when you look out of a windows can’t see any of the other cabins, you really do feel as though you have the place yourself it’s a wonderful feeling. The way that log cabins have been sensitively positions to the environment means that they have caused a minimum of damage and consequently there is still a lot of wildlife to be seen. Getting up just before sunrise up in the north of England you see a lot of deer roam happily between the cabins – it is a wonderful site.
Filed under: pets
Chinchillas are fun loving animals that could be the source of great fun and joy to their owners. For the sake of keeping the chinchillas occupied when you are busy or not around, it is a good idea to a lot of toys for chinchillas. These could be of many varieties, although an important question you must ask yourself before deciding upon a toy is whether the material it is made of is safe for the chinchilla as they have a habit of biting into the stuff they have.
Chinchillas love climbing so the ideal chinchilla toys would be sturdy wooden branches, steps within the cage for them to climb up and down, cardboard boxes and wooden blocks. Wheels without spokes also keep the chinchilla busy. Pots and PVC pipes are also good chinchilla toys as they love burrowing and hiding. Sisal ropes are sometimes used as chew toy for the chinchilla. Cuttle bones are good chinchilla toys and are relatively inexpensive too. Wooden boards and blocks tied to ropes usually keep the chinchilla active as they constantly keep trying to climb up the steps while inside the cage. Wheels in flying saucer model or even hammocks are good to provide to a chinchilla when they are inside their cage.
Nut knot nibbles made from natural wood and colors which are safe and roll and chew are other interesting chinchilla toys that they can nibble upon and at the same time play around a bit. The mineral treat cones that look and taste like real ice-creams are also given to many chinchillas to keep them happy and occupied. Chinchillas can become really bored and depressed if they are stuck in a cage without activity and your attention. Hence, chinchilla cages full of toys are a great idea to keep them active and busy all through the day.
Filed under: pets
Choosing the right pet store from which to purchase new fish tank fish will have a huge impact on their long term health. Fish that are sick will be much more difficult to acclimate to a new environment and may die shortly after being introduced into a new tank, through no fault of the aquarist. One of the easiest ways to ensure that your fish begin their lives in good health is to deal only with pet stores that you trust and have a history of satisfied customers. Keep the following tips in mind during your next pet store visit. They will help you buy with confidence and know that you are getting the highest quality fish available.
Tropical fish tank fish are the most common in pet stores. Though they are widely available, they are often poorly treated in a retail environment, and may be forced to live in tropical fish tanks that are too crowded or poorly lit. Never purchase any fish that seem lethargic. Lethargy is a sign of a multitude of fish ills, from overcrowding to sickness, and does not bode well for a fish’s future.
Talk to the employees who tend to the tanks. Ask about the frequency with which the tanks are cleaned. Inquire about the average amount of time that fish spend in the tanks before being sold. Conditions in a pet store are often less than ideal, so it is best to avoid fish that have been living in a store for too long. Additionally, getting a sense of the knowledge level of those that care for the fish is important. Your confidence a store’s employees should inform the amount of confidence that you have in the freshwater fish tank fish they are selling. If you can tell from talking that they know what they are doing, then you can feel safe they’ve been taking proper care of the fish.
Filed under: pets
For many people part of the pleasure of owning a dog is taking it to dog shows. They love the excitement, the competition and that exhilarating feeling of winning a rosette. However, the show itself is an end product. To be able to enter a show you need to have completed months of preparation and dog grooming. Especially if the dog that you are showing is of a drop coated variety. Drop coated refers to dogs with long coats that hang nearly down to the ground, for example, a Yorkshire Terrier or Bearded Collie.
Drop coated breeds are one of the most difficult to keep in top condition as their coats can be easily damaged by excessive brushing, the elements and removal of mats and tangles. It is important to buy a dog shampoo that will not be too harsh on the hairs (as this could strip them of their natural oils, which would make them lose their lovely shine). A good conditioner applied after the dog wash will also help to prevent tangles and add a nice glossy finish in exactly the same way as it does with human hair.
Long haired dogs will need grooming daily in order to maintain a good coat. The most important aspect of the grooming is which dog brushes you use. People vary in which type of brush they like to use. Some prefer natural bristle brushes while others prefer those brushes with a rubber cushion with metal pins attached to it. Both these styles of brush help to prevent breaking and splitting of the hair.
Once your dog has been brushed and washed the final step is to blow dry the coat to ensure that it lies completely smoothly. Dry the hair carefully in sections, using a spray to dampen down any hair that has started to air dry. Use long smooth brushing motions while drying to help give that perfect dog show finish.
Once you have finished with your dog’s coat you will need to focus on its ears and teeth. More detailed information on how to do this can be found in the Pet Grooming Guide.
Posted on May 6th, 2010 by Guest