The Win Report

When you have to leave town, you have to think of where to leave your pet. One option is to leave him under the care of pet accommodation. Before you do so, consider the following pros and cons.

Pros of Pet Accommodation

• Trained staff provides professional attention to your pet. In case of emergency, they will know how to administer medicine while they wait for you to return home.
• If your pet takes medications every day, a pet boarding kennel may be the best place to leave your pet while you travel.
• Pets, especially dogs, need daily exercise and good nutrition. A well-run pet boarding kennel will offer exercise time and be willing to work with you if your pet is on a special diet.
• You’ll be able to travel knowing your pet is unlikely to escape into the streets.

Cons of Pet Accommodation

• The best ways to keep your pet healthy in a pet boarding kennel are to keep vaccinations up to date and to make sure the kennel requires all animals to be properly vaccinated.
• Your pets may become stressed because they are away from home. You’ll need to carefully consider your pets’ personalities before you choose a pet boarding kennel.
• Pets who become nervous around other animals may not like staying at a pet boarding place.
• If your pets are used to being fed and exercised at specific times, they may become stressed if the pet boarding facility’s schedule doesn’t match their daily requirement.
• Some pets have behavior issues that don’t mesh well with the environment of a pet boarding kennel.
• Boarding your pet doesn’t come cheap. Special services, such as leashed walks, administration of medication and baths, cost extra.

If boarding your pet is not an option, for health or other reasons, consider these alternatives by asking a friend or neighbor to watch your pet in your home or hiring a traditional pet sitter or taking your pet along on your trip.

Quite the opposite, sugar gliders require very little in the means of extra equipment, or renewable items. Unlike many animals where the purchase of the animal is actually only a small part of owning them, with the sugar glider the reverse is true. Once you have the initial equipment, which is also not extremely expensive as all pet housings go, there is very little need to buy more things in the future.

It is certainly possible to buy more, and bigger items, and if you see fit to buy grand condos and expensive toys for your sugar glider that is definitely your prerogative and it’s unlikely your sugar glider will complain about it, it is not necessary.

Sugar glider’s diets are relatively simple regardless of what you may have heard to the contrary. Simple fruits and vegetables that you normally buy for your family will make up about 75 percent of your glider’s dietary needs and are not expensive or hard to find.

Since sugar gliders are relatively ‘exotic’ pets the one thing you may have to buy online is a good, well-balanced pellet to provide them with the other 25 percent of their diet which is proteins and vitamins. This is not difficult to find, however, and Pocket Pets has a great complete feed called ‘Glide-R-Chow’ that is easily shipped and stored in its bag in your home.

The average cost of owning a sugar glider including its food, bedding, and other items is about four dollars a month. This is hardly a large expense in the pet world. Of course you will hear some say how you need to buy this, or that, for your glider’s happiness, but it is simply not the case. YOU are the main ingredient in keeping your sugar glider happy, and some simple food items and sanitation practices are plenty to insure their health.

The holiday season is hard on dogs and cats. Their schedule is disrupted, strangers fill their homes, some of those strangers have strange dogs and cats with them. It’s all very stressful.

Well mannered pets faced with the stress of the holidays can suddenly bite or scratch … or forget their house manners.

Help your pet (and you) enjoy the holidays by following these simple tips:

• Never allow strangers to grab for him

• Never allow children to maul her

• Never offer his bed to strange dog or cat

• Do give her a safe place to go hide

• Do schedule time to offer individual attention and reassurance

• Do watch the doors… he could bolt in the confusion and become lost.

• Do be sure she’s wearing an ID tag - just in case.

• Do feed him away from the crowd… and NEVER allow strangers to approach him while he’s eating … especially children.

And on the subject of eating: all those rich goodies are not good for your pet. Buttery, sugary, spicy, or greasy foods can cause intestinal distress. Chocolate can even be fatal, as can raisins and grapes. So, as much as you and your guests might enjoy slipping a few treats to Rover or Fluffy, resist the temptation and make sure your guests do likewise. You really don’t want a trip to the vet in the middle of your holiday celebration.

*A note of caution: Be sure the leftovers are safely put away before you retire for the night. You know where the cat can go. Dogs can get there too if the smell is enticing!

P.S. Several of my cat and dog friends have asked me to include one more don’t: Please don’t make them dress up like Santa or a reindeer (or anyone else.) They really hate it!

Marte Cliff is a Freelance Copywriter with a passion for pet welfare. Fund raising letters for animal rescue are one of her specialties. Visit her at http://marte-cliff.com and sign up for a free monthly advertising ezine. Marte also offers a no-obligation critique of your present advertising.

Cats are notoriously independent and have a mind of their own. Can you really teach a cat new tricks?

Cat owners often think that their cat is just too moody to listen. Some owners feel their cats are un-trainable simply because they are arrogant. The fact is many times pets don’t obey because they don’t understand what you want from them. So, if you have tried to train your cat, you may not be doing it right.

Good Kitty

Training your cat takes time and patience. It takes more of that then it does with a dog. A sure fire way to get results is to use positive reinforcement. Whatever you do, don’t scold your cat because she is likely to just misbehave when you aren’t looking. Instead, praise good behavior.

Any cat can learn. It is wise to first start when the pet is young, about eight to ten weeks old. But, the pet will do well at any age.

To Get Started

How do you get started? The first thing to start with is training your cat to come when called. Hold your cat’s favorite treat and call his name. You’ll want to make sure he’s in a good mood. You’ll also want to make sure there isn’t a lot of noise either. Distractions will slow down the cat or confuse him. Decide on one command and use it solely. The command should be short and easy to say. For example, come kitty works well or here kitty will work too.

Now, get down on her level by sitting or kneeling on the floor. Give the command. Make sure your voice is exciting and happy. When the cat comes to you, reward him with the treat. Also, insure that you praise the cat as well. Then, move away and do the same thing again. The goal is to use the same tone of voice and the same command. Work on it for no more than ten minutes. If the cat is bored or frustrated, stop for the time. Try to do this two or three times a day for about a week. Once he gets this command, you can move on to others.

Some things that your cat needs to learn for his own well being are necessary to teach any and all cats. For example, he needs to learn to tolerate a harness and a leash in case you need to travel with him. Also, the cat should learn to use a crate.

Using a Leash and Harness

To do this, you’ll want to start by putting the harness on him. Do not restrain him once it is in place. Praise him for it. Give him a treat for behaving so well. Once he is used to wearing it, attach the leash to it and let him lead you throughout the area. Coax him into following you with treats and praise. Some cats will learn to heel on the leash. But, most will not. All should learn to not panic or to struggle, though when wearing a leash.

The Crate

When it comes to the crate, it can be done a little simpler. Cats like warm dark places so put a comfortable blanket and maybe even a favorite toy of the cat’s inside the crate. Give him praise when you place him in it. Then, leave him there for a few minutes. Let him out within three to five minutes. Don’t praise him when he’s coming out of the crate because you do not want him to think this is the good thing. Make sure to reward him, though whenever he goes in. Leave the cat in the crate a little longer each time. Eventually your cat will be trained well enough to keep him in there.

I hope these simple tips will show you how useful it can be to give your cat a little discipline.

Niall Kennedy is a lifelong pet lover and has worked in several pet sanctuaries. Best Pet Health Information is a resource that brings you information and news, tips and reviews to help you keep your cat happy and healthy. www.Best-Pet-Health.info

Copyright Best-Pet-Health.info All rights reserved. This article may be reprinted in full so long as the resource box and the live links are included intact.

Sea turtles are being protected around the world. National parks
are set up along with farms and other organizations that are
attempting to protect them. Sea turtles are a difficult animal
to protect though because of their migratory habits. They aren’t
the kind to stay in one place, and they only come ashore to
nest. Most males will never come out of the water once they
enter the ocean as a hatchling. The only time they may be seen
out of the water is if they are basking in the sun. Tagging and
conservation is a big part of protecting the sea turtles.
Tagging helps see the patterns where females are nesting, and
helps determine migratory habits.

In Mexico we got to be a part of the protection of the sea
turtles. Down the beach from where we were staying was a park
protecting the sea turtles. The rangers were there and described
sea turtles to us. They told us they were endangered, so they
were protecting them. Also, moving the eggs to a safe
environment would protect them from predators. Only about one in
every thousand that hatch actually survives in the wild, so
getting as many to hatch as possible is a good thing.

We got to hold the turtles, and then went down to the water when
it got dark out. They took the baby turtles down there too. We
all stood in a line where the water just reached us. They gave
everyone 2 or 3 baby sea turtles that we let go into the water.
None of us were able to move after we let them go because not
all of them made it to the water right away. It was a neat
experience to see that many baby sea turtles going into the
water.

In Costa Rica they also have a park that is protecting the sea
turtles. We were able to actually stay at the reserve as
volunteers this time though. The volunteers get to go along on
the beach patrols. Every night all night someone is patrolling
the beaches to make sure every nesting female is tagged, and
that they nest is accounted for. They want to know how many eggs
are laid, and everything about the nesting female.

If the female hasn’t already been tagged, the ranger or a
volunteer will tag the female. This is done with a hand held gun
which is similar to piercing your ear. They always check the
female first with a transmitter to see if she has been tagged
though.

There is a whole sheet of paper work to fill out when a nesting
female is seen. They fill out where she was, the date, the time,
and how she came to the shore. They want to know everything, so
all the paper work must be filled out correctly.

At this park, there is also a hatchery the eggs are taken to.
This is the same type of thing as in Mexico, where they are
giving every turtle the best chance possible for survival.

Dog grooming may sound simple, but it is more involved than just washing and drying your canine friend. There are some important health benefits that can be obtained by either learning the proper techniques or visiting a professional dog groomer on a regular basis. Not only do you address their fur but you also address their paws, ears, and other important senses.

Dog grooming as it pertains to the ears involves periodic cleanings and inspections. Your veterinarian or dog groomer will recommend a saline solution or similar product to help dissolve excess earwax. Make sure you learn the proper techniques before trying this to avoid injuries to their sensitive eardrums. Your vet will show you how to do it and what to look for, especially if your dog has longer hair. These dogs are more prone to ear infections than their short-haired counterparts.

When grooming your dog you will want to inspect their paws thoroughly. Look for any cuts or swollen areas that may indicate an injury has occured. If you find anything contact your veterinarian immediately to help avoid infections or other problems that can occur. And if all looks good, get a good set of dog nail clippers and trim their nails. Use a similar technique to what you do for yourself and avoid taking too much nail off.

If you ever noticed your dog dragging his behind across the floor you should take him to a professional groomer. He is trying to release some fluid buildup in small sacs located under his tail. Groomers can clean or ‘express’ your dogs’ anal glands which will give your canine family member some much needed relief. This type of dog grooming should definitely be left up to the professionals.

Just like with your own body, periodic grooming is necessary to keep your dog healthy. You can do some of the basics yourself especially with a little education. There are many books out there that go into precise details. You should also have your dog visit a professional groomer at least once per year for a good once over. Doing this can go a long way towards him living a happy and healthy life.

James McDonald writes for discount-dog-products.com where you can find many different discount dog products for just about any breed. And additionally, we have many informative articles to help any dog owner with some of the common questions.