Cattle

Archive for March, 2010

The first time your dog receives a correction from the bark control collar he may react in a way that concerns you. He may yelp or yip or jump slightly. Do not be alarmed by these reactions. His first reaction to the correction will always be his most intense.

After the first few corrections his reaction will lessen. He will eventually just stop barking and remain calm. It is advised that you observe your dog’s reactions to the correction.

You should notice an improvement in your dog’s barking within the first week of training. At this point many dog owners feel that the “problem has been solved”. In some cases this may be true, but in most cases the training is still not complete.

Most, if not every dog, will “test” this new learning experience, i.e., they will increase their attempts to get away with barking. This testing period usually occurs during the second week of training. When it does occur you must remain consistent – do not alter your use of the bark control collar.

Once your dog is trained, you must continue to place the dog bark control collar on him in every situation in which he must be quiet. He may see a new dog or a squirrel through a window for the first time and he may bark. If he is not wearing the bark collar he may get away with barking and his training may suffer a setback. If he is wearing the bark collar, he will stop barking immediately and any setback will be prevented.

Moreover, you may have a need to train your dog to do other things. If you decide to use another type of training tool, be selective with the type you use while your dog is wearing the bark control collar. Generally, it is best not to let your dog wear more than one collar at a time.

Never use a metal choker collar while your dog is wearing the anti bark collar as it may trigger false signals and possibly false corrections. If you must have a second collar on your dog consider the use of a nylon choker collar or other nonmetallic collar.

If you use a leash, attach it to a collar other than the one used for the bark control collar. You should never attach a leash to the collar and you should never pull the bark control collar while it is on your dog. Doing so you may cause injury to his throat.

It was just in the newspaper – how the mailman delivered the post while the owners held back the big snarling dog; meanwhile the little dog dived between them, jumped up and drew blood from the postie’s leg!

Just one of the many reasons why realtors and prospective house buyers alike do not like to view an empty home with a dog in it! Of course he is friendly – and yet …..why take the chance?

Pointing out the problems of showing a home that also houses a pet can often make pet-owners defensive; it is often inconceivable to them that their little “Tootsie” would offend! Even the most friendly of pets can become troubled about strange people coming into their home.

One of the solutions often used is to shut them in the laundry room, which will then make most prospective buyers want to give your laundry room a miss. If they do brave it and open the door, the dog rushes out, maybe too over- friendly at the chance to finally interact with ‘friends’ and plants its paws prints all over their new cream pants.

What’s worse, the dog will not go back in the laundry room and the realtor can’t seem to leave the house without the dog coming too! This type of scenario is not in your favor, as it does rather distract the prospective buyer from remembering the unique points about your home – although they will remember the color of your dog!

It would help if the dog was in the garage or some place where a) there is alot of fresh air and b) where it is not necessary for the buyers to enter. The laundry room will certainly have a ‘doggie’ smell after your pet has roared around it all day, whereas the garage has fresh air coming in from all sides.

This brings us to the smell of the home, another touchy subject. Often non-pet owners will notice a smell in a house that seems associated with a pet. When the dog bounds up to confirm this suspicion, many possible buyers will start to wonder if they will be able to get rid of the smell once the dog has moved out.

Rather than putting your friends on the spot by asking them if your home has its own smell, play it safe and assume that it does. If you have a pet, wash all its blankets and keep them clean. Encourage your pet to sleep outside more often if possible. This clean routine will apply to other pets in the house: guinea pigs and hamsters can also leave an odor in the home, but this does usually go when the cage is removed.

The new type of air fresheners that plug in and keep the air sweet for 24/7 are very effective. However, if they do manage to disguise the smell of a dog, they will not be able to fool anyone who has a real allergy to your pet.

Some buyers have allergies and they do not care if they see an animal or not – they simply do not want to go into a house if an animal even lives there. This is especially true for people with a severe allergy to cats.

In these cases, you have to come clean and be up front with the realtor; even if you have removed all traces of cat. The troublesome allergens just float in the air and are completely undetected by most of the human race.

The prospective buyers will have to trust that if the listing realtor says no animals, he is speaking the truth – so ‘fess up and don’t put your realtor in the dog house.

The cats that we know today have a long history dating back millions of years. Paleontologists discovered evidence of a cat with a retractable claw, Miacis, who lived about 50 million years ago. Most scientists believe that the descendants of Miacis and other prehistoric cats divided into three separate groups nearly a million years ago; the big cats (lions and tigers), the cheetahs, and the small cats (ocelots, bobcats and lynxes).

Cats come in many shapes and sizes, but the fur coat found on each feline is a big part of how they are classified. They usually fall somewhere in the categories of long-haired, short-haired, or “hairless”. Long-haired breeds include Persian, Himalayan, Maine coon, Norwegian Forest Cat and Ragdoll. Short-haired breeds include American Shorthair, American Wirehair, Siamese, Burmese, Korat and Singapore. “Hairless” cats, such as Sphinx, merely appear to be hairless. The breed actually does have a thin layer of hair covering its body.

Cats first started living with people approximately 6,000 years ago. Ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian farmers domesticated the African wildcats, Felis hybica, a natural hunter, to keep grain storage areas rodent free. Egyptians worshipped Bast, or Bastet, the cat goddess of fertility, happiness and the moon. Impressed with the cat’s natural beauty, Egyptian artists painted and sculpted them, making them cultural icons.

Although ancient Egyptians are known for their love of cats, they are not the only people who worshipped them. In Thailand, Siamese cats were sacred temple cats. In Japan, thse animals kept Buddhist temples free of mice. In Norwegian mythology, Freya (the goddess of fertility) rode in a chariot pulled by two white cats. Cats made their way to China in 5,000 BCE and to India in 100 BCE.

Throughout history, sailors and other explorers helped spread cats across the world. They realized that keeping them abroad their ships was a good way to rid their living quarters of mice. In time, it was considered lucky to keep cats on board.

When cats came to Europe in 900 BCE, they crossbred with native cat found in the British Isles, Felis silvestris. By the middle Ages, however, cats fell out of favor with most of Europe. The Catholic Church connected them and those who loved them with paganism, devil worship, and witchcraft. Superstitious people believed that cats (especially black cats) had diabolical powers. They were feared because of their nocturnal hunting habits, their ability to see in the dark and their “glowing” eyes.

In 1484, Pope Innocent empowered the Inquisition to burn all cats and cat lovers. As a result of the drastic drop in the cat population, the number of rodents increased. Millions of rats carrying fleas infected with bubonic plague spread the Black Death across Europe. When the persecution of cats ended, they began hunting rats again, and Europeans saw the advantage of having these natural hunters keep their towns’ rodent free.

In Victorian times, they were once again warmly welcomed into the home and were seen as loving companions’ pets. Victorian cats impressed artists, writers, scientists, and philosophers of the day. Queen Victoria loved cats, and because of this. Their good reputation was reaffirmed; there it remains to this day.

So you got your eye on that cute little critter in the pet store.  What is it?  It’s a baby ferret.  Baby ferrets are also called “kits”, but don’t be fooled by their good looks, owning one of these fascinating creatures can be a task.  How big do they grow?  What do they eat?  Do they bite?  These are common questions that might come to mind.  If you’re still curious, then read on.

Ferrets are born blind and into litters of around seven or eight.  Their mothers are overly protective as they spend most of their childhood sleeping in a pile and eating.  Born into a world of darkness kits finally start opening their eyes around two weeks as they begin their journey as natural explorers.  Welcome to the world ferret!

Bringing your baby ferret home for the first time might seem easy enough, but you need to prepare big time before you even adopt your new pet.  You should have bought a big enough cage with all of the necessary home fixins ready inside.  The cage should be airy – no aquariums! – and have solid flooring.  There should be a ferret hammock or bed available for your ferret to sleep in.  A few old towels or sweaters make excellent beds!  A litter pan, food, water and a couple of toys round out the list. 

Like adults, baby ferrets need to eat.  But a ferret’s diet is a little different.  They need a diet containing of mostly fats and meat based protein.  You usually can find specialized ferret food in your pet store or online, but a good high quality can food that is made up of at least 30% protein and 20% fat should do.  If you have a baby ferret, you should soak the food in water until it’s soft before feeding.  It’s also a really good idea to start mixing and trying out different foods, so your ferret will not be too finicky in the future.  Ferrets eat in small amounts multiple times a day.  Always have fresh food and water available at all times.  A good food and water dispenser can make it easier for you, but if you do use bowls, make sure that they are really heavy or fastened down so your ferret won’t turn it over.

Schedule a veterinary checkup as soon as possible and have your ferret spayed or neutered by eight weeks and fully vaccinated by 16 weeks of age. 

Be firm with your ferret from the beginning.  Socialize and correct any unnecessary biting, they can play rough, but your ferret will learn quickly.  Scruff train him well, this will be your ultimate discipline tool.  Feed him by hand once in awhile and let him get used to your touch.  Ferrets can get easily distracted; so do not feel like you’re being ignored, you can always bring the attention back to you with a new toy.

Be patient and be firm with your new pet and you will be rewarded with a bundle of joy.