Pets


Its shame that most dog owners don’t realize that dental hygiene
is as important for their dogs as it is for themselves. Teeth
that have been neglected are subject to several types of mouth
disease just like their human friends.

We know that if we don’t brush our teeth, plague will build up
and eventually cause tooth decay. The same thing happens to
dogs. When plaque builds up and hardens, it becomes a coarse
brown substance called tartar. As tartar accumulates, it can
work its way under the gums and cause painful infections and gum
disease. This goes on in the mouths of dogs just as it does in
people. You brush your teeth every day, probably three times,
but your dog depends upon you for his dental hygiene.

Veterinarians recommend that dog owners brush their dog’s teeth
at least twice a week to keep the buildup of tartar at a
minimum. So how do you brush his teeth? Remember your dogs taste
and smell are far different form our own. If you think the zesty
tingle of your favorite toothpaste will do him good, forget
about it. One whiff of that stuff will have hiding behind the
sofa so fast you will never get him near a toothbrush again.
Most pet supply stores carry specially designed toothbrushes and
toothpaste just for dogs. A small investment in this will make
the job much more pleasant for both of you.

Some people don’t have the time or patience to brush their dogs’
teeth on a regular basis. If you’re one of these, you’ll want to
find an alternative. A dog’s natural tendency to chew is a
built-in dental care mechanism. Dog biscuits break into small
chunks when chewed and rub against the teeth, providing a
cleaning service. Biscuits are no substitute for brushing your
dog’s teeth but they are the next best thing.

Dogs that do not receive proper dental care and do not have
access to crunchy teeth cleaning foods run the risk of several
types of mouth disease. These can be as mild as gingivitis (a
gum disease that results in swollen, inflamed gums) and as
serious as a bacterial infection that can spread through the
dog’s bloodstream causing damage to vital organs. You owe it to
yourself and your dog to take care of his teeth or a trip to the
veterinarian may become necessary.

Dental services are available for dogs, just like they are for
people. A dog’s teeth can be filled, capped, and extracted if
necessary, just like a human’s teeth. These dental procedures
can become quite costly. I picked up an old cat at the local
shelter that developed dental problems from years of neglect.
His teeth became infected and a couple of them had to removed
for a bill of just under $600.

The best course of action, however, is to avoid the need for
such services by properly caring for your dog’s teeth. If you
can avoid unnecessary pain and discomfort for your furry friend,
you should do so. Preventative dental care for your dog can save
you money and him discomfort. As side benefit, a dog with good
teeth will have fresh breath too!

Picture if you will…

…A wealthy woman struts down the street of any city, anywhere,
wearing her prized fur coat, luxuriating in the soft feel and
warmth of it against a cold winter day. But did she even once
give a thought to exactly from where her ‘prize’ came?…

Her ‘prize’ is several animals, many skinned alive by humans who
have nothing but money in their thoughts; money which bleeds the
blood of countless and assorted breeds of animal.

While impossible to tell the stories of millions of silent
animals, I can tell the story of one silently suffering victim.

Picture if you will, a raccoon dog in an Asian land far away. An
animal who found himself in the wrong place at exactly the wrong
time.

Our furry friend may have been tempted by the promise of a bit
of food, or may have been captured from the safe sanctuary of
his wild world.

Whatever the case, the fate of this raccoon dog was sealed at
the instant of capture. He will be made into a fur coat for some
woman in another land. Here’s how this, and other animals, spend
their last hours:

After being locked in a tiny cage with no food, water, or
shelter for up to several days, many animals begin to go crazy.
They will run about their tiny confines desperately searching
precious escape. Some will never realize there is no such escape
and will continue to grow more frenzied.

Others will simply give up and stare out of the small spaces
between the wires of the cage, seemingly contentedly awaiting
their fate.

Finally, the real torture begins…

First, the animal will be slung several times to the ground,
resulting in stunning and helping to ensure the animal is
helpless and unable to fight back, or bite his tormentor.

After that is accomplished, some animals will have their necks
broken, or will have limbs or just their paws cruelly hacked off.

In between, there are more beatings, punches, kicks, and the
full body weight of a man on their necks.

Just when the animal seems to be mercifully dead, their
tormentor steps off the neck and the animal resumes its’
tortured and slowed breathing.

The tormentor begins to slice away at the animal, starting from
the hind legs and making their way up to about half their body.

After several minutes, or hours in some cases, the hind paws are
tied together and the animal is hung upside down and allowed to
swing at random.

It’s at this time that the animal is skinned- alive…

Once the skin is slit from the hind legs, it is simply pulled
from the body; pulled until the skin at the top of the head
releases its’ final shred of grip.

Some animals scream in extreme pain and fright. Others are so
badly injured that they are unable to utter a sound; they suffer
in the worst kind of silence there is.

During this process, the people doing this may laugh, joke,
talk, or even scream at the animals for some unknown infraction.
Perhaps they are upset because the animal is not suffering
enough… Or maybe it’s because the animal is not quite ready to
shed its’ skin.

Without any shred of doubt, though, the people behind this
completely inhumane and utter cruelty do not feel anything
remotely resembling compassion for these animals.

When the skin is finally torn from the body, the body is thrown
onto a pile of countless other skinned animals- some still
alive, albeit barely.

Those which are still alive are so weak from their torment that
all they can do is lie there- their bodies jerking in the
inevitable death twitch.

In the following video, at about minute five, there is one
animal that seems intent on knowing exactly who did this to him.
He tries so hard to raise his body up, but he’s only able to
turn his head.

That is enough for him to give a long, intent gaze upon either
his tormentor or the tormentor of another.

The animal then involuntarily flops down and is only able to lay
there- completely skinned and covered in his own blood- to wait
for death… death which is sure but so agonizingly slow.

This process is repeated the world over too many times to count,
every day, for one reason: money.

I, for one, cannot even begin to comprehend who would knowingly
and happily wear a fur coat knowing what happened to the source
of the coat.

We do not do this to our children, our pets, and for the most
part- other people.

So why do some cultures permit this type of torture? How can
humans actually commit to this type of behavior, knowing they
are inflicting maximum torture and horror against innocent
beings?

If you love your fur coat, feel free to continue to wear your
coat. Maybe the souls of the animals you are wearing are not
gazing intently upon their former skins from their new world and
asking you why…

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Kong to Feather ticklers. We have an amazing assortment of Pet
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Mario Jaramillo

How Does Your Dog Think?
Ever wonder what your dog thinks about? or how he thinks?
Maybe his thoughts are like Polaroids -separate
pictures of important events both positive and negative. But
your dog isn’t as good as you are at linking the pictures together
in cause and effect. That’s because he’s not human. He’s a different
species. Duh!!Sometimes dogs focus on the wrong variable in a
sequence of events. Here’s an example.

I train dogs for a living and during a meeting of trainers last year
one trainer told a story of a dog who responded to commands wonderfully
one week and would cower in fear the next week. Why? What was going
through little Momos’ mind? One of the trainers had an idea. Let’s
examine the person training the dog. Was everything the same week
to week? Well not exactly. When Momo trained well,the trainer was
wearing White tennis shoes. The next week when Momo was afraid, the
trainer was wearing different shoes-Black ones. A little investigation
of Momo found he was a rescue dog who had been regularly beaten by
his former owner with a newspaper. And what did Momo take a picture
of while he was being beaten? BLACK SHOES. End of Story. You
want to train Momo? It’s easy,use good techniques and don’t wear
Black Shoes. Being a canine and not a human being little Momo
didn’t realize that what he should have been afraid of was the
human jerk with the newspaper and not the shoes he was wearing.
But for Momo the White shoes were right in front of his face and
that’s what he took a picture of. If you want to train a dog
or change his behavior you first have to know a little bit about
how this critters mind works. As always I’m here to help you
enjoy sharing your life and home with that wonderful creature-
your dog.

About the Author

I am a dog trainer for a pet retail chain in Denver, Colorado.

All the dog races could be attacked by this virus especially for
the Rottweiler race, Dobermann, Golden Retriever and Labrador
Retriever. The sign of the Parvo illness that most specific was
to vomit and diarrhoea was bloody that happened repeatedly. The
other sign was tired, did not want to eat and the fever. When
vomiting and diarrhoea took place continued then the dog will
got dehydration and lost the weight without the existence of the
exact control then the puppy could not survive. The diagnosis
Parvo the Virus could be carried out by seeing his clinical
sign, or that more modern was with used kit diagnostics parvo
with sample from dog feses.

this was several tips that could be done to prevent the
infection Parvo the Virus:

-the Mother of the dog before being mounted must be equipped by
his vaccination, so that the young dog got maternal immunity
that enough of his parent mother’s milk.

-the Environment of the dog residence must be always maintained
by his cleanliness.

-need attention fot Nutrition and the nutrient for the puppy to
increase his body resistance.

-the young dog was 3 months old better not contact with the
other dog that not yet clear the status of his health.

Got Fleas?
By Nell Liquorman
Author of Keep Fleas Off

Still using all the chemicals you can find to combat those fleas? Have you done everything outside of trying to shoot the fleas off the dog? You are not alone, there are an estimated more than 50 million households with pets, and yes, most are not just fighting the war against these pesky parasites, they are losing the war. Most people do not realize just how devastating the losses are. If only 10 per cent of these pet owners are treating the yard for fleas, can your imagine the amount of harmful chemicals that is getting into the ground water? These chemicals make their way to the sea where they have been found in fish and the seabirds that feed on fish. Clean water is a valuable resource, we cannot afford to destroy it. Think about all the chemicals put in our water now just to make it “safe to drink”; if you want to believe that it is.

Bathe your pet with a so-called flea shampoo, and you leave behind a petrochemical residue that can be unsafe for the pet and the household. If that is not bad enough, the pet will lick himself and yes, take an oral dose. Go into any grocery store and head for the pet care aisle. If you smell the flea products in the store, you are experiencing a nose full of their off-gassing. Face it, chemicals off-gas.

Perhaps, you think that flea powder is a better choice. Guess again! After holding your poor animal down long enough to sift this disagreeable stuff into his fur, he is going to shake off as much of it as possible, and who could blame him. This fine dust will migrate into anything around, the carpet, the furniture, and maybe even your own hair. It is sure to get up your nose. Maybe this is the universe trying to get you to stop this harmful practice. At any rate, now the flea powder is further out into the pet’s fur, clearing the way for the fleas to continue to travel the skin on the pet, biting him and leaving behind debris. At minimum, you have fouled the environment, and you probably did the powdering inside your home. Since we have all probably done it, don’t beat yourself up, at least not the first time.

Flea collars are another dangerous choice that we have all made. The poison is right there on the collar for the purpose of rubbing off onto the pet. Will it rub off on anything else, like the hands of a small child, or even your own? You bet! Does your pet sleep in his collar? In your bed? What do you think is happening here? Essentially, we are just rubbing heaven knows what kind of chemicals all over us when we sleep with a pet that is wearing a poison necklace. Should you quit associating with your pet? Absolutely not! Pets are a valuable part of our lives. They offer companionship and teach us a lot as well.
Just show them more respect and stop using those awful flea collars.

Continuing your sojourn through the parasite jungle, the veterinarian’s office is probably going to be your next stop. Aha! The flea dip. It has to work! Well, why not, it contains a contact killer, and because you got it from the vet you will assume it safe. Maybe it will kill the fleas that showed up on the pet today. Of course, submerging him in this poison means that some of it will be absorbed into the pet’s skin. Cats are especially sensitive, and dips have been known to kill some. It makes many sick. If it poisoned or weakened your pet, would you know what to look for? How many hours would you need to monitor your pet? When you pour out the dip, where does the poison go? So many questions, so many freaky answers. This should steer you away from flea dips.

The average pet owner is pretty sure that a flea spray for misting the pet on a regular basis will not only work, but is a real easy solution. Coating the outside of the hair doesn’t work because the fleas will travel under it along the skin where the blood cells can be reached. Use this method, only if you want a toxic cloud that will float above the pet for you to breathe, or maybe, it will make its way into your air conditioning ducts and be well distributed throughout your home. Remember that these sprays contain poisons. If we breathe them in, our bodies can store them. Many people will think that this is just the price that must be paid, after all this is a war on fleas! The bigger question here is: “Do you really want your home to become a toxic waste site?” The residue spewed into your environment is going to stay there until someone cleans it up. And depending upon how you go about the clean up, you could just be making it worse, especially if you are using chemicals for the cleanup. Unless you are a chemist, don’t assume that it is safe to mix one chemical with another.

Of course, you could always use pet meds, that is, medicine for the fleas that the pet must take. That hardly seems fair! Would you be able to tell how bad your pet feels from the side effects? At one time or another we have all taken a medication that we found to be disagreeable. The problem here is one of communication. The pet cannot tell you that the medicine does not suit him.

So, now you are ready for the weapons of “vast destruction”. You go for the big guns. You will start using the poison to the back of the neck. That ought to take care of them, if the fleas come along first, before little hands. Of course, the liquid can be absorbed into the skin of the pet getting into his blood stream and going to all parts of his body. Most hearts and livers don’t really require poisons. How about yourself, did you absorb any? Did you breathe in any vapors? Does the product continue to emit vapors? If you can smell it, maybe you already know that the vapors are there. Keep in mind that many of the spot treatments contain chemicals that are known to be neurotoxins. Like most of the population, you did not read the label, nor would you recognize the names of any neurotoxins. And you probably would not know that neurotoxins can affect the brain. Your pet may develop a twitch from a neurotoxin. Don’t you wonder if the same thing could happen to you? While the pet is in the most danger from this, the person applying it is not home free! This stuff can rub off and be distributed anywhere in the environment of the pet, affecting any life form in this environment. It is important to realize that the difference between poisons to kill fleas and poisons to kill higher life forms is simply the size of the dose. Since our bodies can store and accumulate poisons from the environment, we have no way of knowing what could be in store for us as a result of exposure to these poisons.

Recently, there were more than 28,000 sites, on just one search engine, on the internet related to pesticide poisoning from flea products. No matter what the reasons were, the poisoning happened because the products were available, and a reasonably logical person thought them safe for use. We readily accept whatever we are used to seeing. Harmful flea products are in the mainstream of our lives. Just go to any big food store, home improvement store, drug store, pet food store, and yes, even the Walmart, and you can find an arsenal for combating fleas.

Until 1990, I used everything available for flea control. After many bad experiences, I realized that I was declaring chemical warfare on my pets, my home, my yard, the environment, and on myself as well. Knowing that this had to stop, if I were going survive, I set out to find a pesticide-free way to keep fleas off my cats. My first step was to eliminate everything that had not worked for me in my war against fleas. So, I had to forget all the flea products that I knew about. Living in Florida, meant combing off the fleas every hour if the cats went out on the screened porch, but I did it, in addition to wearing out a good vacuum cleaner. After a couple of years of trial and error, I developed a simple, cheap, and safe method that is so effective that the cats seem to be “invisible to fleas”. Not only am I happy to be able to keep fleas off my cats, but I feel good about giving up my life of crime against the environment.

There are many sites on the internet where you can find out all the names of the harmful chemicals used in flea products. Anti-pesticide groups offer a lot of valuable information, as does the NRDC (National Resource Defense Council) and the CDC (Center for Disease Control). Even some animal rescue organizations post warning against certain products. Personally, I think that the terms KEEP OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN and WASH YOUR HANDS AFTER HANDLING should give us the clues we need. Plain and simple, do not use these products, there is something unsafe about them. Trust me, the manufacturer is not just adding this information to make the label larger. There had to be a law somewhere that forced them to put these warnings on. Restrictions of this sort don’t surface until harm has been done, and until a lot of action has been taken by environmental groups. Your best course of action is to do the research yourself. Do not wait for the mainstream (corporate) media to inform you about what to use to keep fleas off your pet. The information that they decide you should have is influenced by advertising dollars from the chemical industry.

Visit the NRDC flea product information sites and some Anti-pesticide group sites. They can be real eye openers. While you are looking at their sites, I hope you will take a few minutes to visit the KEEP FLEAS OFF site at: http://www.liquorman.net/keepfleasoff/

I suggest that you download information concerning the flea poisons, and use it as a guide to help protect your environment. After all, we are not just what we eat, but what we absorb through our skins and what we breathe into our lungs. Once a substance gets into your bloodstream, it has access to every cell that you own. One of the few powers, that you still have, is the power to control the environment in your home, USE IT!

About the Author

Artist (clay and glass), origionally from NC, but living in Florida for 20 years. Except for a few years she has always lived with cats.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Derek Croote is a SEO, web design and usability enthusiast. Derek is the webmaster of http://www.saratogalakesideacresassociation.org, a small homeowners association. You can reach him at dcroote@gmail.com.

Interacting with a pet bird outside of it’s cage is one of the joys of living with a bird, but the home that is safe for us, may not be so safe for our feathered friends. The little day to day things that we take for granted can injure or kill a bird in the blink of an eye.

Ceiling fans are so common in homes these days we barely take notice of them. It’s easy to forget they are even on sometimes. If your bird can fly, it can fly into the fan. The spinning blades can easily mean a quick death. When interacting with a bird outside of it’s cage, play it safe and turn off the ceiling fan!

Non-stick coated pans have made clean-up in the kitchen a breeze, but an overheated coated pan releases fumes that are toxic to your bird. Recent studies have shown that even a moderately heated pan can still emit fumes, so just regular cooking can be dangerous. When cooking, make sure your bird is safely in it’s cage to prevent any accidents and when using non-stick pans make sure the kitchen is well ventilated to prevent any fumes from reaching your bird. Want to make life for you and your birds even safer? Toss the non-stick pans…the fumes aren’t good for you either!

Pans, sinks, tubs and toilets full of water might be attractive to your birds, but it doesn’t take much water for a bird to drown. Close those toilet lids when your birds are out playing and if you both need to bathe…take a shower together and skip the bath.

Non-stick coating isn’t the only inhalant that can be dangerous to your bird. You should never use aerosol sprays in any area where your bird may inhale the fumes. If you must use sprays in rooms the birds reside in, remove the bird from the area and ventilate. Once the fumes have cleared out, then it is safe to return your bird to the area. Some bird owners have reported illness or deaths when their birds were exposed to scented candles, perfumes, hair sprays, and even scented lotions! Be aware of the scents you use in your home and watch your bird for any changes in behavior when any of those items are in use.

We all know birds use their beaks to explore and to play. Like puppies and kittens, electrical cords can pose dangers to chewing birds. Never leave a bird unattended in an area where it can chew on cords. Power still runs through electrical cords when the item in question is turned off, so don’t think any plugged in cord is safe.

Getting a birds eye view of your home and taking precaution when your feathered friend is out with you is the best way to make home sweet home a bird safe home.

Jill Richards is the Owner/Operator of
“Have Leash, Will Travel - Pet Sitting” in Aurora, CO and offers t-shirts, sweatshirts, and stickers to Pet Professionals, Animal Rescue Workers, Anti-Breed Ban (BSL) Fighters, and Pet Lovers through
USPetPros.com

Why Some Pet Odor & Pet Stain Removal Products Don’t Work

How often do you get a product that claims to work and you are disappointed with the outcome? As a carpet cleaning expert I see this all the time. It’s not that the companies selling these products don’t think that they’ll work for you, but their success is usually limited to “controlled” situations…let me explain:

Pet odor removal is a tough nut to crack; it’s tough because of the environment and the different elements that are involved with the environment within your home.

Why Environment Matters

The environment matters because when the product companies test these products under “controlled” conditions the product works; therefore they consider it to be successful. Most pet odor and stain removal is not done under “controlled” conditions therefore pet odor removal becomes a hit or miss situation. There is a way to solve this, use a product that has been proven effective for your situation. I’ll give you a resource for that. But first…

What You’ll Need For Success

1. You will need to know the source of the urine odor and where it is located (ALL of it).

This may seem simple, the truth is most pet owners “assume” they know the locations of all the odors and stains; they miss the transparent ones, the odors spots that are naked to the eye, therefore having the right tools is very important for your success.

Tools you will need for success.

2. One tool very important to your success is a black light.

Many pet owners have heard this and even own a black light; but what most pet owners don’t know is what to do with the stains once they found them with the black light. The black light is to help you locate the source of the odors.

This is the most critical element of your approach. Ok, now that we identify the Pet Odor deposits what do we do?

Many pet owners use a home remedy, grab a pet odor/stain remover or use their favorite carpet deodorizing product. At first it seems the product is working, but after a few hours discovers the odor just got worst! This leads to frustration because the instructions were carefully followed and the prescribed wait time was adhered to, so why is the odor worst?

Here’s why… When you hydrate urine salts (this is what urine is loaded with) it wakes up a sleeping giant! The truth is…It has to get worst to get better…Bummer! Sorry to inform you of this, but in odor to break it done, it must be hydrated, so that pet odor removal product can break it down, digest it and ultimately kill the source.

But that’s what lacking in the store bought products. They don’t have enough (if any) ability to break down the proteins in the urine to get results! But what they do well is hydrate the spot an usually make the odor come back with a vengents, This why it is essential to seek out a product that is specific to this concern, not a multiple use product that only wets the spot, adds perfumes and only ends up driving the urine deep into the pad, unfortunately this virtually dooms the pet owner to long term recurring odor problems.

Perfumes are only temporary cover-up to a deeper problem.

Now Second Critical Tool You’ll Need For Success.

The next tool you’ll need for success is knowledge.

It’s not enough to have a black light, or a product that may give you a slight chance of destroying the odor, you need knowledge to know how to deal with your current situation.

You’re probably wondering “What knowledge do I need”?

Here’s the answer: Pet urine and odor stains come in two varieties the stain you can see and the odor you usually don’t see. Again, you need to know where the source of the odor is coming from; you will also need to decide if you are treating a stain (visible) or an odor area (usually invisible to the eye). Knowing these two will help you decide which product to use.

It is very critical to your success to match the right product with the right situation (stain or odor removal). Most people treat a visible stain with an odor removal product which makes no sense; would you take your pet to your dentist for treatment – it makes no sense? Using the right product is vitally important.

A pet stain must have a pet stain remover. That guarantees results! Treating a urine stain with a perfumed based cleaner will usually yield disappointing results. How many people do you know with a cabinet or two filled with solutions that did not work, how many do you have?

Many pet owners use an over the counter cleaner in addition to a so called odor and stain removal product. This combination doesn’t work; these products are not targeting your specific need.

The major reason pet odors reoccurs is because odor and stain removal products don’t work in your home the same way they did in the test lab. The test lab may have only tested one deposit where your pet may have made many deposits by the time you purchase their product. Another reason the odor reoccurs is that applying muli use product only covering up the problem instead of getting to the root cause.

When the root cause of the odor is not properly handled it can make complete removal ten times harder, those perfumed cover up products push the odor causing molecules deeper and deeper into the fabric thus making it harder for complete removal.

So How Do You Remove Pet Stains And Odor For good?

First get a black light to help you find all the urine and odor spots

Decide if you are working with an odor or stain area

Treat the area with the right products

Then check for success.

If you have the right tools, the knowledge to know exactly what you are looking for and the correct Pet odor and Pet Stain remover you will have success.

As I mentioned earlier I’d give you a definitive source for products and tools that work. Go to: www.petstainremoval.com.

Visit this site if you want results and no excuses.

About The Author

André DeLano is a stainologist for pet stains and pet odor removal. His services are sought after throughout the US and not just from consumers, but other carpet cleaning professional looking to solve their clients concerns.

If you want help or want the fastest, easiest and safest way to get results… Go to pet odor & pet stainremoval for cat urine & dogs and discover how he can help you with your concerns for good! Do it now while it’s fresh on your mind.

petstainremoval.com

andre@petstainremoval.com

No one wants to invest hundreds or even thousands of dollars
in furnishings only to see them ripped to shreds by an
overzealous pet, however beloved. To many people the obvious
answer is to have their cats declawed, but it this really a
reasonable alternative?

Its proponents depict it as a simple and painless operation, but
it is neither simple or painless. Most people aren’t aware that
it’s not just the claws that are removed. Declawing involves the
amputation of the first joint of each toe, and as any amputee
can tell you, the pain persists for months if not years. The
only difference is your cat can’t tell you it still hurts.

This doesn’t mean you have to put up with shredded furniture and
drapes, or snagged carpets. I have four cats of my own, none of
then declawed, and my upholstery and curtains are intact and my
rugs unsnagged. There are a number of steps you can take to
minimize or eliminate the damage.

1. Give them what they want.

Scratching is not just a means of sharpening claws, it’s a vital
form of exercise that tones and strengthens the muscles. Even
declawed cats go through the motions. It’s instinctive. Birds
gotta swim, fish gotta fly, cats gotta scratch. Whatever. So
give them something suitable to scratch on, preferably not one
of those pint-sized carpet-covered pet department abominations.
That only confuses them.

If that’s what you already have, at least pull off the carpeting
and wrap it with good quality jute or sisal rope, half-inch in
diameter, wound tightly and secured with glue. If you sew, you
might try making a slip cover you can easily remove and replace
as necessary. Burlap is good for this, but almost any fabric
with a heavy weave or a textured surface will work. My own cats
are partial to upholstery velvet and corduroy. Ideally the post
should be at least two inches higher than the cat can reach.

Many cats prefer a horizontal surface to scratch on, and take
well to a commercial scratching pad made from corrugated
cardboard.

Whatever you decide to use, spray it lightly with catnip extract
(not synthetic - they WILL know the difference) and place it
near your cat’s favorite scratching spot. Once he or she becomes
accustomed to the new surface, gradually move it to a more
convenient location. These materials tend to be messy, so choose
a spot where you can easily sweep or vacuum around it.

2. Use your good judgement when choosing fabrics and rugs.

Pass up all those lovely but delicate satin and damask weaves or
the aforementioned textured surfaces. These are cat magnets.
Knits and other stretchy fabrics are an open invitation to
snags. Leather and faux leathers are also major no-no’s. Sheer
panels at the windows? Forget it!

Look for strong fabrics with a tight weave such as sailcloth or
canvas. Most denims hold up well, also. For curtains, go with
something like percale or chintz. Most of the curtains at my
house are made from bedsheets, and are not only attractive but
virtually indestructible. For carpeting, a medium or low plush
is preferable to a berber or a sculptured pile. Remember,
minimum texture is the key.

As long as we’re on the subject, think brown. That way when your
cat upchucks on it, and it will, it won’t be such a disaster. If
your cat is still drawn to the furniture, a number of companies
sell clear plastic corner protectors that self-adhere to most
fabrics.

3. Trim the claws.

It’s not as difficult as it might seem, especially if you start
them as kittens. Use a specifically designed animal nail trimmer
and start out slow. Begin by just handling the paws, and
practice extending the claws without trying to trim. The cat
will become accustomed to being handled and will be less likely
to react violently to the actual trimming. After a few days of
this, try trimming, just one or two nails at a time, and only
take off the very tips. If you still find it troublesome, most
professional groomers will do it for a minimal fee.

4. Claw caps.

These are soft plastic covers that are glued onto the claws and
last for up to 4-6 weeks. I’ve never tried them myself, but many
people report good results.

Cats and people have shared living quarters for thousand of
years, and with a little forethought and cooperation we should
be able to maintain a harmonious relationship between ourselves,
our pets, and our furniture.

copyright 2005

Kathie Freeman is the author of Catwalk, a
Feline Odyssey. For more of her articles and short stories
visit Kathie’s Stories and Tails at
http://home.att.net/~kathiefreeman/ This article is free to use
as long as the byline and this source information is included.

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