Cattle

Archive for the ‘Cattle’ Category

I have read in forums and books that hamsters are very fragile and sensitive animals and here are 3 things to consider before buying a hamster.

1. Are you committed to take care of it?
2. Will you love it?
3. Do you have the ability to take care of it?

1. Commitment: Having a hamster requires you to be committed in taking care of it. It needs fresh water and food every day. Besides that, depending on the hygiene of your hamster, you have to wash its cage regularly (about once every 1 or 2 weeks). It is a long term commitment of about 2 to 3 years and you have to ask yourself if you really want to do this. Thus you must be prepared and excited to take care of this little ‘baby’, that you are about to buy, for 2 to 3 years.

2. Love: Other than needing a lot of attention from you to take care of its basic needs, a hamster also requires love. Showing it love means doing things like talking to it, taking it out to play and feeling happy when you see it.

At the beginning of my article, I mentioned that hamsters are very sensitive animals. I read from a book that hamsters are able to sense the feelings of others when they are nearby. For example, if you do not love to play with your hamsters and feel that it is a burden, your hamsters will be able to sense it.

On the other hand, if you are happy to see your hamsters everyday and look forward to interact with it more, your hamsters are also able to sense it and it will help their growth and mood too.

3. Ability to take care of it: Having the ability to take care of your hamsters is a very important factor you have to consider. You know, although these rodents are known to be relatively robust and healthy, they may fall ill at times. You will have to bring it to the vet and the charges may amount to quite a bit. Other than that, you have to provide it with a good home and nutritious food which requires constant replenishing.

Part of many cat’s personalities is independence. Since most cats can fend for themselves, are very good hunters, and cautious by nature they may not be very social. Or in pet terms, they just don’t care if you want them to do something; they do what ever they want.

This really irritates some people to no end. They want to have a pet that responds to their directions. For the most part, my advice for those people is to get a dog. But cats can be social or friendly with a little training. I’m not absolutely sure they may really mean it but they will at least act like it.

Two things all animals respond to are food and affection or positive reinforcement. Many animals will not respond to punishment or physical discipline, especially cats. So the best method I’ve found is to bribe them. Many cats who are prone to hissing or even threatening to strangers do so because at one time or another they were mistreated. Cats aren’t very trustworthy to begin with and any memory of a bad situation just confirms their belief that all strangers may pose a threat.

I’ve spent a lot of time rescuing abandoned or feral cats and in order to catch them and find them a home you need to gain their trust. Food and patients are your only means of trying to restore that trust. Some who were recently abandoned are pretty easy; cats who were born feral are a lot tougher. Sometimes it takes up to 6 months of constant work to bring them around. A few never adapt depending on their age and natural disposition.

But if you have a cat that is aggressive or hides when company comes, you have a cat with a social problem. Some may not even have had a bad experience; they are just suspicious of anyone. You may never completely eliminate the problem but you can make some serious progress. It does take a little work and effort.

One of my best tricks is to get the stranger to offer the cat some food that they especially like. Obviously you need someone to help in this type of training. And you may have to take it in very small steps. The food is offered to the cat, if they still don’t calm down or if they still run away, set the food down in a neutral area. Not to close but not to far away. Over time the cat will come out or stop the aggressive behavior, inch by inch.

The room needs to be quiet, no sudden movements by anyone, and once you put down the food you need to pay no attention to it or the cat. The food has to be irresistible and I try not and feed the cat for a few hours before the training exercise. Most of my experience shows that on the first few times you may have to put the food down and back away at least 20-25 feet, giving the cat a clear escape route. Slowly but surely you move the food closer to the person.

Once the cat starts taking the food right in front of the person, they need to slowly try and pet the cat. No fast or sudden motions, and just one or two strokes to start with when petting. Once the cat starts recognizing that they will get food and attention from a stranger, they will start being friendlier.

Aggressive cats require very quick reactions just in case. Never put yourself at risk, I’ve seen a cat shred someone’s hand or ankle in nothing flat. And on the scardy cat problems, you need to start eliminating the far away hiding spots. Give them somewhere to hide but keep it close so they can smell the food and get used to new people being in the same room.

Like I mentioned, this may take months of working with the cat. Repetition will get results but you need to be patient with the cat. You are trying to overcome a basic insecurity (that may be justified) and these behavior modifications are slow to stick. And some may never totally overcome their problems but most do improve. I had one especially aggressive feral cat that started out as one mean son of a gun. Within a few months he would come up and rub against people. Now you still had to keep any eye on him, but he wouldn’t beat up other cats (he also used to beat up dogs too) or take a swipe at people who went to pet him anymore.

One of the key factors on finding a rescue cat a home is that they learn how to behave around new people and quickly adapt to their new family. And a cat that will attack people is definitely not a good thing for visitors, human or animal. Positive reinforcement and a little effort can make a huge improvement on cat social skills.

For as long as I can remember, clay based cat litter was the standard. Clay based cat litter was always inexpensive and reasonably effective. The trick was to keep the nasty bits scooped out and change the litter at a reasonable interval. When to change the litter was fairly easy to figure out since the clay would absorb only so much urine. Several cats I have had the pleasure to own over the years were not shy about telling when they thought it was time to clean the litter box.

Prior to the introduction of clay cat litter, owners of inside cats relied on a wide variety of materials. Shredded newspaper, sand, and even plain dirt served the purpose but had some obvious drawbacks. None of these materials was very absorbent and needed to be changed often. As any owner of an inside cat will tell you, controlling the inevitable order from the cat box was difficult.

As with most product inventions and improvements, the inventor was responding to a need. The introduction of what came to be commonly known as kitty litter was not much different. Introduced in the late nineteen forties, clay based cat litter changed the way people, and cats, thought about controlling cat waste. Compared to other soil types, the composition of clay soil makes it naturally absorbent. In its natural state, clay has a very high moisture content, sometimes to the point of saturation. Now this hardly sounds like a substance that would make a great filler for the cat box.

What makes clay based cat litters work is what happens between the time the clay is collected and when it lands in the litter box. Raw clay would be dried, usually in a hot kiln. The process of kiln drying and baking is used in the production of clay pottery and the drying of milled timber. Baking the clay removes a significant amount of moisture. As water is removed from the clay, the volume shrinks and what remains is a substance that is once again capable to absorbing moisture. Its as simple as that and an entire industry sprang up around that one simple fact.

So for almost fifty years, clay based cat litter ruled the cat box. Along the way, attempts were made to add odor control ingredients, including aftermarket products. Since cat urine would turn mildly acidic over time, many folks would combine simple baking soda with the clay litter. The baking soda acted to change the Ph of the urine, neutralizing the acid and reducing odor. Other aftermarket products used combinations of various chemicals, including perfumes and odor neutralizers. These products were easy to use and were just sprinkled into the litter.

Just as we thought the science of cat litter had reached its zenith, along comes scoopable litter. It clumped, it lumped and turned the undesirable chore of cleaning the cat box into something almost bearable. Loaded with deodorizers, this unique product remained in granulated state until being used by the cat. The granules adhere to the urine and feces, encapsulating it in a clump. Using a common litter scoop, the waste is easily removed, leaving the clean litter behind.

The convenience of scoopable cat litter does come with a price. While clay based litter is relatively inexpensive, some brands of scoopable litter can be pricey. The added expense is mitigated somewhat since less scoopable litter is needed to keep the litter pan clean. Still, there are some cat owners who are concerned about the chemicals used to in the production of scoopable cat litter.

In response to some of those concerns, a market has sprung up for scoopable cat litter that uses natural enzymes to control odor. New brands of natural litter stress the low dust and absence of strong chemical deodorizers. Clay is a very rugged substance and will not break down.

Without clay as a base, producers of natural cat litter advertise their products as biodegradable and even flushable. While filling the local sewer system with used cat litter would not be my first disposal choice, it is nice to know that it will breakdown naturally.

Should dogs have treats? Will they make your older dog overweight? Are any dog treats really healthy? Are there dog snacks that are dangerous? Where can you find these treats? Could you make your own dog snacks? These are questions you may be asking yourself if you own a dog or are considering a gift of treats for a favorite canine.

There are tons of treats that are especially made for dogs. If your dog eats a healthy, balanced diet there is no reason that your dog can not enjoy a snack or two from time to time. Some dogs have medical issues and should avoid snacking but this is something you can discuss with your vet.

You may have a dog who is allergic to some foods. If this is the case you may still be able to find a treat that will not trigger problems for Fido. Be sure to ask about any health or allergy concerns if you are thinking of presenting a sack or box of treats to a dog that you do not own.

As an owner of an older dog or a dog who is not exercised on a regular basis you may need to limit the treats to special occasions or use them as a reward. When canines age they can experience weight gain just like their adoring owners.

One good place to shop for dog treats is online. You will be able to find sites that feature all kinds of special treats for that wonderful dog in your life. You will want to check out the ingredients of any dog snacks you plan to purchase.

As you may already know, the dog biscuit is a favorite treat of many dogs. Not only can you buy dog biscuits in many sizes you can also find them in lots of various flavors.

If you are looking for something a little more extravagant than the regular dog biscuit you may want to start shopping around for gourmet treats. These treats are made in fun shapes like fire hydrants, cats, hearts and bones. Some even come frosted or with sprinkles.

You will also be able to find cupcakes made just for man’s/woman’s best friend and while you are at it don’t miss the doggy doughnuts, tarts and cookies. There are even muffins, sushi rolls and steak bites. For those vegetarian types you can stock up on veggie treats, too.

Those in the mood for baking their own doggie treats are in luck. Recipes abound and you will be able to make treats that have liver, peanut butter, cheese, chicken, oatmeal, or a tasty combination.

Dog treats are made for the most discerning of dogs. Give your dog the gift of a special treat today and watch those eyes light up and that tail wag!

Beagles are wonderful family companions. But, is it following its beagle training? We know that not all dogs are absolutely obedient no matter how hard you tried to teach them techniques especially using the bathroom in the proper areas.

Some people think that animals are not following instructions to show vengeance in your beagle training efforts. It’s just a misconception! It’s just that, dogs are only capable for simple, direct emotions, such as being happy, sad or scared. They don’t have the mind and the heart to seek revenge for every pain coming from your hand or from every verbal punishment you issued when he accidentally dropped his dirt into your spotless floor in the living room.

However, dogs remember and draw upon past experiences that they associate with current situations. But you should understand that these associations only create an emotion in which they will feel when going through a similar experience.

Just like the previous example, you punish your beagle for dropping his dirt somewhere in your living room area. If you continue to scold him for this behavior, then he may eventually develop bathroom problems. Your dog might think that letting out his dirt will mean punishment from you.

That is why it is important to avoid punishing or yelling at your Beagle when he accidentally drop his thing inside the house. Housetraining problems are usually the result of owners instilling fear in their pets when they go potty on the floor. This causes strain that could possibly halt your training efforts.

The best thing to do is trying not to react to what happened. Just remove your dog from the area and calmly take him outside. Do not let him see you cleaning up his mess. Quietly clean the area using products specifically made to remove animal stains. You can also use an enzyme-containing cleaner, a vinegar or a liquid soap. It is important to remove all the odor so that you dog will not urinate and mark the same spot again and again. Just a tip, avoid using ammonia because its has the same smell as that of a dog’s urine and can stimulate him to pee in the same area.

Despite your best Beagle training efforts, if he is still unable to follow, the best solution is to visit your veterinarian for a complete check up of your dog to find out the reason for his inability to become trained. There might be some health-related reasons for this problem.