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Comment: Share your own advice and experiences about keeping your pets happy and healthy
Sunday, May 04, 2008
National Pet Week is May 4-10. We thought the best way to honor pets and their owners was with some good information about mistakes even the best cat owners make.
The source of this information is www.Petlane.com and the lessons 937/513pets.com cat lovers/owners have learned over the years.
Extras
Mistakes we make with our cats
• Thinking fat cats are cute or even comical. Fats cats are more prone to getting diabetes and other ailments.
• Assuming cats cannot be trained to scratch on appropriate surfaces. There are some great products and methods to help keep a cat away from particular surfaces.
• Believing physical punishment is a good way to teach a cat to behave. Cats do not get this. They are not prissy or nasty; their brains are just not wired to understand this. So, in other words, it's just mean.
• Thinking senior cats do not like to play. Older cats appreciate play time just as much as younger cats. Usually it's us owners who forget about our older animals.
• Believing indoor cats do not get bored. Indoor cats actually do not receive the stimulation their outdoor counterparts do. They need us a lot more. Playing with your cat for short bursts about 10 minutes at a time several times a day will do the trick.
• Believing that declawing is just like trimming a cat's nails. The truth is declawing is 10 separate amputations of the third phalanx up to the last joint of each toe. Some pet owners find this procedure horrible. Others find it necessary. You will have to decide yourself, but with the full knowledge of the procedure.
• Mistakenly believing a house does not need to be cat-proofed. Oh, it does. Cats will explore every nook and cranny of their home. If you have fragile items a cat might break, they will. We know of a cat who knocked the sugar bowl over and rolled the owner's $5,000 hearing aids in it.
• Not understanding that no two cats are alike. It is important you understand the basic traits of any particular breed before acquiring a cat. Some cats are cuddly, some independent, some actually a bit more like a dog. Figure this out before bringing a cat home and complaining that it isn't affectionate enough. (Also, give it time for that. Some take years to warm up)
• Wrongly believing it is safe for cats to walk on surfaces that have been cleaned with chemical based cleaners and then lick their paws. Cat owners should be using all-natural home cleaners for the safety and health of their cat. Chemical cleaners can make an animal very sick.
• Incorrectly deciding that cats don't use their litter boxes because they are angry. About 99 percent of the time when a cat doesn't use his or her litter box, it is because you didn't clean it or the cat is ill. Clean the litter box first, then report the activity to the veterinarian right away.
Comments
By Megan
May 5, 2008 10:51 AM | Link to this
Dogs love to be with you all the time and while the rules in your house may let the dog on the couch, be careful how he gets down. I have a maltese who just had surgery to fix his torn ACL for the second time (different legs). This is the same injury a lot of sports players get. Just because they are a little lap dog doesn’t mean they should be jumping up and down or on and off the couch. Be careful with them and if you do let them on the couch or bed, train them to use doggie stairs.
By ddog5000
May 5, 2008 7:22 AM | Link to this
Great advice! Thank you. I guess I’ll go walk my small dog now.
By ddog5000
May 5, 2008 7:19 AM | Link to this
Great advice! Thank you for this valuable information. Guess I’ll get out and walk my small dog today.