Cattle

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As you begin to read through this informative article, give each point a chance to sink in before you move on to the next. Cats are born with claws, the same way that humans are born with fingernails and toe nails.

Cats need claws in order to mark or scratch a specific place or territory that they have been in. Humans need finger nails to, scratch themselves or others, or for opening a letter envelope. Cats basically stretch their agile bodies in order to prepare their muscles when they dig their claws deeply into wood perhaps or a tree, and then they pull back from their hold. Scratching is a basic physiological need of cats. To claw or declaw, that is the question!

So do cats need to be declawed? If cat owners truly care for the welfare of their cats, they would have to think twice on declawing their cats.

Declawing, what is it?

Declawing is done by taking away all the front claws of a cat. In a way this procedure is equal to the amputation of all the finger tips of a human being. For cats this surgery is painful and, for someone who is walking on all fours, terribly unnecessary.

Though the recovery of declawed cats may only take a few weeks or so, its physical and psychological effects could last a cat’s lifetime.

The following are the possible results once a cat has been declawed.

Ouch, ouch and ouch:

Immediately after surgery, declawed cats suffer severe pain, though it is quite impossible to gauge how much pain they are experiencing. Declawed cats could be considered as amputees. Cats usually try to go on with their cat lives even with pain unless the pain eventually becomes unbearable. Although they may look and act normal does not mean they are free from aches.

Complications after the surgery:

After the surgery, declawed cats usually experience one of the following post-surgery effects: presence of abscess, feelings of lameness, claw re-growth. Based on studies performed on declawed cats, it has been found that twenty five percent of them develop various complications. The same result has been found on cats who went under tenectomy. This is also a form of surgery that is currently being offered as an alternative to declawing. It is called this because only the tendons extended on the toes are the ones amputated.

Stiffness of the joints:

Cats that are declawed experience stiffness of the joints since the tendons that manipulate the toes retract because of the surgery. As time goes by, these same joints freeze and ultimately they will no longer be able to extend their toes.

It has been thought though that cats really do not miss their claws since they also “scratch” continually even if they no longer have anything to scratch with. However, this act is really the cats’ way to stretch those frozen joints.

Catarthritis:

Believe it or not, research shows that declawed cats immediately shift the weight of their bodies to the back and onto the larger pad in the front of their feet, away from their toes. The result is still evident despite giving these cats strong anti-pain relievers. If such an effect continues after declawing, the cat will ultimately stress its own joints in the leg, its spine and eventually suffer from arthritis.

Cats who cannot claw, bite:

Since the natural instinct of cats is to claw especially when threatened or scared, in the absence of claws cats are forced to resort to another form of defense – their teeth. Declawed cats that are aggressive naturally are more prone to biting.

Declawed cats have no “nine lives”.

There is a serious risk of death for cats that are declawed. Death could be brought on by the anesthesia they received, or any complications in surgery or hemorrhage.

Declawed cats that resort to biting run the risk of being abandoned by their owners. These cats could then be put in a shelter, and since they turn to biting, the probability of being adopted becomes slim. Usually un-adoptable cats are put to sleep or they are used to train dogs to fight usually as bait.

In summary, cats are extremely and highly trainable to be taught to use a post for scratching instead of common household furniture, rugs or curtains. Though declawing cats is one of the options a cat owner can take, it is basically an unkind and a very animal-unfriendly thing to do.

It all depends on the cat owner whether Kitty is more (or less than) valuable than that expensive Italian rug – the choice is theirs. Understanding this article is a good way to fully appreciate the complexity of this subject.

In order to be a pet sitter, you really need to have a good understanding of what types of situations you can handle regarding the care of someone else’s pet, and those that you cannot.

There are a variety of ways that pet sitters will care for someone else’s pet. Sometimes they will visit a few times a day, staying about 30 minutes while they care for the pets basic needs. Other pet sitters will stay overnight.

Regardless of how the pets are cared for, it’s important to be aware that pet sitting does not always go as well as planned.

Most people may think it’s easy to be a pet sitter. After all, the only thing you have to do is make sure the dog or cat or other pets have fresh water and receive their daily food allotment and if needed take them outside to relieve themselves a few times during the day.

Yes, it’s true, the life of the pet sitter does seem rather easy. Yet, there are situations that a pet sitter needs to be aware of that could actually become very dangerous.

Sometimes having to care for dogs, especially outside house dogs, can become very dangerous because outside house dogs can be very territorial. Most owners know their dogs well enough to know whether there is any danger for the person who may need to come into their home to take care of their pets when there away.

This is not where the problem is. The real problem comes in when the pet sitter is required to take care of the dogs by entering their yard to provide them with food and water. This is where the pet sitter needs to have extra caution. Before accepting a job where you must deal with outside dogs, you need to make sure they are well behaved and well socialized.

If there is more than one dog, and you enter their yard, the situation could become very dangerous. If you become fearful and the dogs sense that you don’t belong there, they could see you as a threat and even decide to attack.

Trying to cope with a nervous dog, or worse, several nervous dogs can become a pretty scary situation.

Always stress to the owners that it is important for them to be honest with you and tell you how well socialized their dogs are. You may want to ask if any of their dogs have any tendency to be aggressive. Do they jump up on people? Do they get nervous when someone enters the yard? Do they have any problem with strangers coming into their territory?

With some of the larger breeds, you may want to have a test run when the owner is hidden away from the house, yet close enough to help out if needed. You can test to see how the dogs will react when you enter their territory while they think the owner is away.

Before you enter the yard, you need to take note of how the dogs behave. Do they seem nervous or anxious? Or are they thrilled to have a visitor? If your gut tells you it’s not safe, you should not to accept that job.

It’s better to be safe than sorry. Pet sitters really need to understand that it’s not always a good idea to take every job. Before taking on any pet sitting job, make sure you meet with both the pets and the owners. Ask questions about how well the dogs behave, what types of problems the owner may have or have had in the past.

This is not only the time for the pet owners to interview you, it’s your time to interview them as well. Never accept a pet sitting job if you do not feel comfortable with the pets or the owners.

Most times pet sitting is truly a great job to have. Just remember that all jobs are not for all pet sitters. Sometimes it’s best to say no.

It is always difficult to deal with the loss of a pet, but it can be even more devastating to a child. Children often find it hard to understand what happened to their pet, and older children who do understand are often distraught. When you have to help your child deal with this loss, it can be a bit more difficult for you. Not only do you need to help your child with this loss, but you also have to cope with it yourself. It is natural for your child to grieve. To help you give your child the help that they need, here are some ideas that you can use to help your child get through this time of grief.

Encourage Discussion About the Pet

The first thing you can do to help your child get through the grieving process for your pet is to encourage discussion about the pet. Allow them to talk about their pet. You should be open about your pet as well. Encourage them to talk to others about their pet too. Discussing the pet can make them feel closer to their pet, even though the pet is gone. Grieving is all about openness and talking about the pet can be very helpful to children who are grieving.

Share Your Own Feelings

Another important thing you can do to help your child deal with pet loss is to share your own feelings. You need to let your child know that you are upset as well and that you feel the pain of loss and sadness. Sometimes the best thing you can do to help your child is to shed some tears together. They will feel like you are there with them, feeling the same pain, which will help them get through this.

Try to Answer Questions Honestly

You also need to try to answer questions honestly with your children if they ask you about the loss of a pet. Sometimes for smaller children, this can be a bit more difficult. Consider the age of your children and do your best to give honest answers that are age appropriate. It may not be easy, but honesty can help them get through this time, even though it is difficult.

Take Time for a Memorial to Your Pet

Taking time out to have a memorial to your pet is a wonderful idea if you have kids that are grieving over the loss of their pet. Whether you simply have a time of silence in the back yard, you bury your pet, or have them put in a pet urn, a special memorial can help your child have a sense of closure. When you formally grieve the pet, it can help your child get through this process, feeling that they have taken the time out to grieve their pet.

These are just a few ideas that you can use to help your child as they go through pet loss with you. Use these tips to help them deal with the loss and make sure that you take time to grieve your pet as well.

If you’re wondering whether you’ll ever find a pet for allergies sufferers, relax, and read on. There are several types of animal, including dogs and cats of specific breeds, which are more allergy friendly than the others. Here are just a few of the pet for allergies sufferers’ suggestions we have for you.

It’s important to remember that it’s not really the hair, but rather the dander that is created when the animal licks itself, leaving saliva on the skin, that really aggravates an allergy. So while hairless pets are a good choice, they might not eliminate the possibility of a reaction. They do, however, make good pet for allergies choices.  

Dogs
Ask any little kid what pet they want, and chances are they’ll say a puppy. But what if you need to find a pet for allergies suffering kids? Well, you’re in luck! There are hairless breeds, like the Mexican Hairless, or the Chinese Crested, that shouldn’t give you or your loved ones any allergy trouble. They may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but they are about the very best pet for allergies, if you have your heart set on a dog.

Cats
Another popular pet, and another pet for allergies, if the correct breed is chosen. Like dogs, there are certain breeds of cat, like the Sphinx, and those with very short or sparse hair, like the Cornish or Devon Rex, that may aggravate allergy sufferers less, and make good pets for allergies.

Fish
Fish are a great pet for allergies sufferers’ choice, however, you won’t be able to hug, or walk your pets! There are some fish however, like Koi, for instance, which live outside or in large ponds at least, and which do tend to interact more with their owners and others.
If interaction is not that important to you, then perhaps even a tropical fish tank could be a good pet for allergies sufferers choice, however, take care to remember that water could cause mold growth, which may aggravate allergies.

Other Animals
There may be other pets for allergies that you could consider – depending on the particular allergies you have. For instance, some people aren’t allergic to fur or dander, but rather to allergens in pet urine or other secretions. If that is the case, one could conceivably own any pet, as long as you avoided contact with the allergen in question.

The truth is, it depends mainly on the allergies you have, which animals you could keep. Also, it would depend on your dedication to treatment, medication or lifestyle changes. If a pet lived outside, and was regularly bathed, and a person with allergies lived in the house, but had minimal contact, that might be ok. If the pet for allergies options listed here are not the solution to the problem, the other option is to undergo immunotherapy, which would, over time, diminish the sensitivity of the person to the allergen in question. What pet for allergies choices really boil down to is personal choice, and what you are prepared to do to own a furry (or not so furry) friend?

There are many places you can buy a kitten from but you should research before choosing the breed. Read the tips below for some more practical advice before looking for kittens for sale.

1. First things first, research the different breeds and choose one which is suitable for you, your family and for your lifestyle. Once you have one find out as much information as possible so you are aware of how the kitten should behave. Your local vet should be able to offer advice if you have any questions about your chosen breed. Plan ahead, when you go to buy a pet, especially kittens as it is so easy to fall in love just looking at it and before you know it you’ve bought the pet. Key point; do your research, don’t make just emotional decisions. OK you have decided which breed you want. Now you have to search for a breeder or one for sale. Depending on your location and the breed you chose, you may have to travel to get your chosen breed and possible several hundreds of miles.
2. Once you go to visit the kitten, have a look at the surroundings. Does it have a good sized area to sleep in, does it have toys to keep it entertained and active. Also have a look at the mother; this will give you an insight into how the kitten is likely to behave when it becomes an adult. Watch for any strange or overly aggressive behaviour.
3. Have a play with the kitten; see if you warm to it. There isn’t any reason why the seller wouldn’t allow adults to play with the kitten however possibly not children if it is between vaccinations.
4. Finally ask if the kitten has had its vaccinations and been fully wormed. They should be able to provide proof from the vet.

Following this advice should ensure you buy kitten for sale from a reputable home/breeder that will grow up to live a healthy life without any major surprises and becomes a welcome member of your family.