PetLvr.com - [The Blog]

With the current financial crisis, if you’re not cutting back on expenses already, it’s likely that you will be soon. Pet parents are feeling the crunch even more than those without pets. It can be hard to justify spending extra money for fancy pet toys, especially when some families and pets are still coping with the aftermath of Ike and Gustav. Of course, to make matters worse, prices are going up on just about everything, and show no signs of coming down any time soon.

Luckily, there are plenty of ways to save money on pet care without compromising your pets’ health or happiness. Making pet toys at home is one way to cut costs while keeping pets happy and stimulated. More →

Dear Petlvr Mailbag …

I’ve got two questions…

Why does my cat insist on tearing up every piece of paper lying around on the floor? He’s 3, far from being a kitty.

Also he is chunky. We got him that way, and have since only fed him what he needs, nothing more, yet he isn’t losing weight. What can I do to help him lose weight? Hes a strictly indoor cat since he is declawed. So I wouldn’t feel great about him being outside.

Dang.. one more. What kind of cat would be best for him in our home? We’re thinking a kitten will keep him running around and busy, perhaps shed some weight too.

Signed: ChicaX from Photo-Projectz

Dear ChicaX,
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Dear Petlvr Mailbag …

Well, the inevitable happened. I had my 10 month old cat scheduled to get spayed, and she escaped and got pregnant 2 weeks prior to the spay-date.

Ugh.

Anyway - I now have 4 beautiful kittens that need homes. I am going to keep one, so I need homes for 3. Do you have any suggestions as to go about finding them suitable and happy homes?

Side note: When they were 2 weeks old, mama cat became ill and after taking her to the vet, I had to hand-feed the kittens myself, so I’m very attached. It’s going to be sad to let them go, but I have to.

- Kitten Chaos

Dear Chaos,
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Every pet looks its best with a healthy, shiny coat. Whether it’s the family cat or a show-ring star, pets deserve proper skin and coat care. Healthy skin and coat can also indicate overall health and wellness, and a sudden change in the health of the skin and coat often indicates an underlying medical problem. For these reasons, every owner should take time to maintain and inspect their pet’s skin and coat regularly. These three tips will help you keep your pet looking and feeling great.

1. Brush Daily (no need to floss)

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Dear Petlvr Mailbag …

Polybore’s cat is terrible at catching mice. It catches them in the garden then brings them into the house and lets them go, alive.

I want the cat to catch and kill mice in the house and garden. Not bring in mice from outside and release them in the house.

Signed,
polybore from the Polybore blog!

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The Missing Pets Bureau says that more than 2,500 dogs and 3,200 cats go missing every week. Some pets lose their way while others are actually stolen. Either way, it becomes difficult to locate where your pet went, but precautions, persistence and patience can help bring you back in touch with the missing pet in your life.

Recently, a cat named Mousie was reunited with his owner, Ira Bauert, after a year since his disappearance. Mousie went missing while Bauert was on holiday vacation. Diana Lewis of the North Devon Animal Ambulance found the cat, and she discovered that Mousie had been micro-chipped in Germany. Temporarily Mousie was nicknamed Herman the German, and he was put in isolation for four months before he could be sent home.

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Sitting patiently by your side, your dog nuzzles your thigh and scooches closer to the kitchen table. His sniffing gets frantic as if he is trying to create a vacuum to suck up your evening dinner. You say “no” in a firm voice, but he can’t resist the smells coming from your dish so a bark escapes from his mouth, which ends in a whine. He looks up at you with those pleading eyes-how can you resist? Just a crumb of bread and taste of hamburger won’t hurt, right? But over time that crumb and taste turns into an entire portion or maybe even a double portion. Before you know it, your dog or cat is too heavy and tired to move and its face is hidden in the rolls bulging from its neck.

Maybe you think you have more self-control than that, but approximately 500,000 pets have become obese, and there has been a 10% increase since the previous year. Although you and your pet receive immediate satisfaction from extra treats, the long-term affects can be lethal to your pet’s well being. Obese pets often suffer from respiratory problems such as asthma as well as other ailments like arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, liver problems, etc.

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A sense of home can be felt in the soft, cotton of a blanket and even in the cozy embrace of a teddy bear. So even though you might have to move to a new home, there can still be a sense of the old, familiar home. Incorporating items like this into your move can help alleviate some of the stress that your pet will experience during the transition. Unfortunately, you cannot verbally explain to your pet what is going on, but you can try to explain it to them by using memorable scents and providing them with food, water, shelter and, of course, love.

When it comes to cats, it can be challenging to make an outdoor cat an indoor cat. The difficult part is keeping them indoors, because they will sneak and try to find a way to return to the outdoors. However, you can try to teach your cat to walk on a harness until it becomes familiar with the new neighborhood. If it’s too dangerous to let your cat roam free in your new neighborhood, consider allowing your cat to venture out onto the balcony or enjoy the view and fresh air from the window. Keep food and water or treats on the balcony to encourage the cat to stay put. Netting or a fence can prevent the cat from jumping off of the balcony. Leaping from high places can result in severe injury and even death, which is why it’s also important to double-check the strength of the screens in your windows and doors.

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As we discussed in my last post, “So You Want to be a Foster Home,” the hardest part of fostering is letting go. For every foster pet, there comes a time when she has gained all she can from foster care, and needs to find a permanent, adoptive home. It’s bittersweet, knowing that you’ve done a great thing by giving an animal a second chance, but having to allow a pet you’ve come to love to move on. It’s important to allow yourself time to grieve, and to celebrate your foster pet’s new home.

Understand the Adoption Process

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Fostering a homeless pet is one of the best things you can do for animals in need in your own home town. Watching an abused, neglected, or abandoned pet blossom and flourish in your home, then go on to become someone’s beloved family member, is among the most rewarding things I’ve ever experienced. However, letting go can be difficult. Fostering is not for everyone. To foster successfully, you need dedication, time, patience, intuition, and the ability to grieve healthily while simultaneously celebrating your former foster’s new home and family.

Getting Started

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