Pet Lover (2026)

01/02/2020

Dog Park Etiquette

3. Pay attention. Once inside, it's your job to keep an eye out for the dogs, not other humans. “Dog parks are really awesome, but they're not about human socialization," Ruch-Gallie says. Always know where your four-legged friend is and what he’s doing. If you see trouble brewing, call him back right away. Know when your dog has pooped so you can scoop, too. Many parks provide plastic bags, but it can’t hurt to take your own.

01/02/2020

Dog Park Etiquette

2. Pause before you enter. A well-designed park will have a double entrance with two gates. Don't whirl through both gates at once. Enter the first gate with your dog on a leash, then pause to look around. If there are 20 dogs swarming the gates or if there’s a scuffle going on, this isn't the time to barge in. A pause will also allow other pooches to get used to yours and not go hyper when he does come in.

01/02/2020

Dog Park Etiquette

1. Take charge. Your dog needs to know that you're the alpha animal all the time. That’s key when other canines are around. Teach your pal to come to you when called. Use a word or phrase he’s not likely to hear at the park. Reward him with extra-special treats during training.

30/01/2020

What Type of Dog Food Is Best for My Dog?

When you are choosing the type of food to feed your dog, first narrow down your priorities:

How important to you is it to feed the most natural, healthiest ingredients? If this is very important, look into natural/holistic foods or therapeutic veterinary diets. Better yet, consider a home-prepared diet (with guidance from your vet, of course).
How much does cost factor into your decision? Natural, grain-free, and holistic diets are usually in the higher price range. However, economy diets are often made with lower quality ingredients. If you are on a budget, you may need to find a mid-level food to feed.
How much time are you willing to spend preparing the food? If you want to save money and have the time, a home-prepared diet may be the healthiest option.

Then, consider your dog:

Picky dogs might do best with canned food or home-cooked diets.
Overweight dogs or those with health conditions may benefit from special veterinary diets or home-cooked diets.

image by Valeria Boltneva

30/01/2020

How Much Food Should I Feed My Dog?

The amount of food to feed your dog depends on a few factors:

Your dog's age (puppy vs. adult)
Your dog's body condition
Your dog's activity level
The calorie and nutrient content of the diet

image by sergio souza

29/01/2020

Tips for Choosing Cat Food

What to look for on the label

- Compliance with AAFCO's requirements for "Complete and Balanced," as evidenced by that wording on the label.

- Named protein source—look for "chicken, turkey, lamb, or beef," rather than "meat."

- On canned food particularly, the protein source should be the first listed ingredient

- Check the expiration date for freshness

29/01/2020

Tips for Choosing Cat Food

Cheaper Brands are False Economy

Many first-time cat owners, in an attempt to hold down expenses, buy the cheapest foods they can find for their cats. This is a false economy for a couple of reasons. First, studies have shown that cats eat as much as they need to get the nutrients they require. Therefore, they might eat twice as much of that generously-carbohydrate-filled store brand to get the nutrients they need in a normal feeding of premium food. Second, the continued feeding of substandard foods over a period of years will heavily contribute to, or even cause, serious medical conditions that will require expensive veterinary care.

For these reasons, the old maxim, "You get what you pay for," is particularly true where it comes to cat food.

29/01/2020

Tips for Choosing Cat Food

Canned food or Kibble?

- While dry food is convenient and can be left out for "free feeding," canned food contains water, and many cats do not drink water regularly.

- Ensure that your cat gets the right amount of nutrients. That "near-perfect" food you've selected might be adding too little (or too much) of certain minerals and vitamins.

- Cats may become bored with the same food day in and day out, and simply quit eating. Face it, would you enjoy pizza morning, noon, and night, for years? You not only would become bored with your diet, but your health would suffer too.

- Cats, like humans, develop allergies over a period of time so it is good to provide variety to head off possible allergies to certain ingredients. Although the incidence of food allergies in cats is rare, cat owners might want to err on the side of caution, particularly if their cats have shown evidence of allergies in the past.

- Prevent "food addictions" that are built up due to a lack of options. The Whole Cat Journal, in its October 2001 issue, cites the case of a cat that was addicted to a particular flavor of a particular brand of cat food, right down to a specific factory and lot number! This kind of addiction can be difficult to deal with when that last can is gone but can be easily avoided by feeding a variety of foods from the start.

29/01/2020

Tips for Choosing Cat Food

Cats' Basic Nutritional Needs
- Protein from a named meat, fish, or poultry source
- Taurine, an essential amino acid
- Certain other vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and fatty acids
- Water

21/01/2020

10-MINUTE GAMES TO PLAY WITH YOUR CAT

Crumpled Paper

Cats love toys that make crinkle sounds. Bat crumpled paper around the floor for your cat to chase, wrestle and catch. Just make sure your cat doesn’t chew it or swallow any paper. When your cat is finished playing, throw the paper away so it doesn’t become a safety hazard.

21/01/2020

10-MINUTE GAMES TO PLAY WITH YOUR CAT

Fetch
Contrary to popular belief, cats do play fetch. A few pointers:

Make sure you choose a toy you can throw all the way across the room and that is easy for your cat to carry in their mouth.
Throw the toy and watch as your cat leaps to chase it. You’ll be surprised to find that, more often than not, your cat will bring it back to you to throw again.
Reinforce this behavior with petting or healthy treats.
If your cat doesn’t bring the toy back, that’s more exercise for you! Simply go pick it up and throw it again.

21/01/2020

Human Food #1: Cooked Meat

House cats, like their big-cat counterparts (lions, tigers, cheetahs) are primarily meat eaters, according to CatInfo.org. Cats are obligate carnivores, which means they are designed to get their nutrition from meat, not vegetables and carbs like their human counterparts.

The protein from meat helps cats have healthy hearts and reproductive systems, as well as good eyes.

When feeding your cat cooked meat, make sure there aren’t too many spices, and always ensure the meat is fully cooked!

Also, never serve the meat bone-in. Small bones can be choked on, so be sure to carefully examine and cut up all meat before serving it to your pet.

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