Declawing traditionally involves the amputation of the last bone of each toe. If performed on a human being, it would be like cutting off each finger at the last knuckle.
Why people declaw cats
People often mistakenly believe that declawing their cats is a harmless “quick fix” for unwanted scratching. They don’t realize that declawing can make a cat less likely to use the litter box or more likely to bite.
People who are worried about being scratched, especially those with immunodeficiencies or bleeding disorders, may be told incorrectly that their health will be protected by declawing their cats. However, declawing is not recommended by infectious disease specialists. The risk from scratches for these people is less than those from bites, cat litter, or fleas carried by their cats.
Sarah’s Pet Care does not discriminate based on breed. Pitbulls, Rottweilers, Dobermans, German Shepherds — we love and welcome them all, provided their temperaments and behavior are appropriate for our services. Read on for a fascinating and myth-busting article about the much maligned pitbull terrier …
Pitbulls Used to Be Considered the Perfect “Nanny Dogs” for Children — Until the Media Turned Them Into Monsters
The much maligned pitbull
Despite their reputation, the United Kennel Club doesn’t recommended using pitbulls as guard dogs because they’re too friendly with strangers.
For most of the 114 years since the American pitbull terrier was first recognized by the United Kennel Club, the breed was rightly seen as the perfect “nanny dog” for children because of its friendly nature, loyalty and stability. As the ASPCA notes, the pitbulls were “once considered especially non-aggressive to people.”
Take careful precautions for safe air travel with your pet.
Traveling can be highly stressful, both for you and the four-legged members of your family. But with thoughtful preparation, you can ensure a safe and comfortable trip for everyone.
The ASPCA urges pet owners to think twice about flying their pets on commercial airlines, especially if they plan on checking them in as cargo. Unless your animal is small enough to fit under your seat and you can bring him or her in the cabin, the ASPCA recommends pet owners to not fly their animal.
Kittens need each other to learn appropriate behavior.
MEOW Cat Rescue of Kirkland, WA explains why (www.meowcatrescue.org):
If you’ve ever raised a litter of kittens or adopted a pair of them, you know how much they play together. Some of this play is painful, as confirmed by the yowling and complaining that occurs. The kittens bite and scratch each other, sometimes quite hard. All the while they are learning from one another that this behavior is not the best way to make friends. If they’re lucky enough to have a mom cat around and she hears the ruckus, she will often give a warning “that’s enough of that” to the kittens and they settle down.
In order to become well-socialized cats, kittens need to learn appropriate behavior from one another. A human is not a substitute for a feline companion. You can provide attention and love but there is simply no way you can replicate the play behavior of the species. If they don’t learn limits in their play as youngsters, they often develop inappropriate playful aggression. In other words, it may be cute when a kitten attacks your ankles when you walk by or playfully nips at your fingers while you’re playing. It will be much less cute, not to mention annoying and painful, when your cat is full grown.
Here are some common misconceptions about dogs and cats, courtesy of onlynaturalpet.com . . .
1. A warm or dry nose means a sick dog
Regular fluctuations in the temperature and moisture of a dog’s nose are normal. Canine distemper used to be a prevalent virus which caused a thickening of the nose and foot pads. A cold, wet nose indicated the dog didn’t have distemper. Today distemper is uncommon due to vaccinations.
2. All cats are loners
Many cats love company and spending time with their humans. It’s not unusual for a cat to follow you around and try to ‘help’ with whatever chores you’re doing – from typing emails to wrapping packages.
See catinfo.org for the full version of this great article by Lisa Pierson, DVM.
Meaty, wet food is best for your cat!
Why are we feeding our cats a carbohydrate-laden diet?
In their natural setting, cats—whose unique biology makes them true carnivores–would not consume the high level of carbohydrates (grains, potatoes, peas, etc.) that are in the dry foods (and some canned foods) that we routinely feed them. You would never see a wild cat chasing down a herd of biscuits running across the plains of Africa or dehydrating her mouse and topping it off with corn meal soufflé.
In the wild, your cat would be eating a high protein, high-moisture, meat/organ-based diet, with a moderate level of fat and with only 1-2 percent of her diet consisting of carbohydrates. The average dry food contains 35-50 percent carbohydrate calories. Some of the cheaper dry foods contain even higher levels. This is NOT the diet that Mother Nature intended for your cat to eat.
Here are Seattle Parks’ rules for off leash areas, courtesy of the Citizens for Off-Leash Areas web site (http://www.cola.org)
Dog Owners
You are liable for damage or injury inflicted by your dog(s) (SMC 18.12.080).
You must be in control of your dog(s) at all times (SMC 18.12.080).
You must muzzle dogs that exhibit dangerous or aggressive behavior; biting, fighting, and excessive barking are not allowed (SMC 9.25.024).
You must leash your dog when it is outside the off-leash area; you must carry a leash for each dog while you are inside the off-leash area (SMC 9.25.084 and 12.18.080).
You must clean up after your dog(s) and deposit feces in the containers at the site, and you must visibly carry scoop equipment (SMC 9.25.082 and 18.12.080).
You must closely supervise young children.
Bring food into off-leash areas at your own risk.
Leave bicycles outside off-leash area.
Unattended dogs are not allowed in off-leash areas.
Owners who see unattended dogs or other rule violations should call Animal Control at 206-386-7387, Extension 2.
Healthy, natural litters are better for everyone and for the environment.
There are a multitude of kitty litters to choose from, but many contain toxic chemicals and respiratory irritants, as well as cause harm to the environment. Fortunately, there are some great, natural, healthy options, listed here courtesy of www.onlynaturalpet.com:
CORN-BASED LITTERS (such as World’s Best):
Safe, Flushable and All-Natural
• Made of whole-kernel corn, a renewable, biodegradable and all natural material.
• Corn is edible so it will not cause harm if ingested by your pet.
• It is safe for kittens, infection-prone cats, and cats recovering from surgery.
• The flushable formulas are septic tank and plumbing friendly.
• 99% dust free so it won’t cause the respiratory problems for cats and owners often associated with clay and silica litters.
• Better for the environment than clay because it is grown as a renewable crop, not extracted from quarries that permanently scar the earth.
Controls Odor Naturally
• Micro-porous structure quickly absorbs ammonia and urine odor without perfumes or chemicals.
• Clumps well and is “scoopable” almost immediately after your cat leaves the box.
• Moisture quickly combines with natural starches in the corn to solidify and neutralize odor.
Great for Self-Cleaning Litter Boxes
• Will not stick to the bottom of the box or gunk up mechanical litter box cleaners.
Helps Prevent or Remedies Litter Aversion Syndrome
• Studies have shown that World’s Best Cat Litter’s soft “dig”-able consistency and odor-trapping qualities improve litter box aversion in a majority of cases.
LOS ANGELES – February is National Pet Dental Month, and the veterinarians of VCA West Los Angeles share their tips, facts, and advice for caring for your pet’s dental health. Oral care is critical for your pet’s overall health and happiness, so here are 10 tips to maintain proper care:
Pets have a remarkable ability to hide dental pain; their desire to eat far outweighs pain they may have in their mouths and thus, we can’t easily tell if they have a toothache or pain from an abscess. – J.J. Rawlison, DVM
Brush your pet’s teeth as often as possible and use an oral rinse to rub on gums. Additionally, get your pet’s teeth examined professionally every six to 12 months. – Robert Rizzitano, DVMRead More »10 tips for proper pet dental care
