Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Home Hazards That Can Affect Our Pets

Is your home safe for your Furr Kids? It might surprise you to know how many hazards there are in a typical home for the pets we love.
Most everyone is aware that anti-freeze, pest sprays, rat poison and the like should be kept where no pet can get to them. And many of us have heard about plants that are poison to our pets such as mistletoe, lilies and poinsettias.
But have you ever considered the following potential dangers to your pet?
1. Electrical cords; pets chewing on electrical cords can receive a potentially fatal shock. This is especially prevalent around the holidays when extension cords are often used.
2. Ingesting harmful foods; chocolate can be fatal to pets.
3. Worn out toys; toys that are worn or badly chewed can begin to fall apart and small pieces of them can be swallowed.
4. Garbage; pets that get into the garbage can may eat bones, coffee grounds, spoiled food, cigarette butts, etc.
5. Chemicals; pets may ingest cleanser, soap, bleach, mothballs, paint, pool chemicals, fertilizers, etc.
6. Medications; many medications intended for humans can be fatal to pets, as can nicotine gum.
7. Open clothes dryer doors; the dryer is a wonderfully warm spot for a cat to take a nap…make sure they can’t get inside.
Other things may not be as obvious as those listed above. I once had a kitten that, unknown to me, swallowed a needle and thread. My first indication was a lump I noticed on his throat. When I got him to the vet, x-rays were taken and the item removed. The kitten and I were both traumatized!
When you are using potentially dangerous tools like power saws, drills, etc., make sure your pet is confined to an area away from your work place. Is your ceiling fan running when your bird is flying free in the house?
Pets usually investigate things with their mouths, and there are many dangers in the average home. Take a look around your house and see just how safe it is for your Furr Kids. A quick check may save your pet from injury or death, and you from expensive vet bills!

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Breed Specific Legislation: Is Your Pit Bull Next?

Breed specific legislation otherwise known as “BSL” has started to sweep the world. Germany, Canada, The United States, France, and England are among the major countries that have enacted some form of breed specific law that restricts or calls for a complete ban on several breeds from existing peacefully within their borders.
American Pit Bull Terriers or anything that remotely resembles a “Pit Bull” are among the most commonly listed breeds in BSL proposals.
Even more horrible is that fact these laws do not even take into consideration the individual dog’s history but instead lumps them all together under one classification.
In most cases this means they are labeled as dangerous. Ultimately forcing the well behaved dogs to be seen and classified along with the dogs that have in fact bitten or attacked someone.
In short, if you have a highly decorated Search and Rescue Pit Bull your dog is seen as deadly as the dog that has been drugged up, abused, and forced to attack.
Breed specific legislation is nothing more then a band-aid law makers have placed over a massive head wound. What I find ironic is they truly feel these laws are going to help the public deal with the Pit Bull dilemma.
When in fact, nothing could be further from the truth and the public is mislead by thinking that if Pit Bulls are banned or restricted this is going to somehow stop irresponsible owners from allowing their dogs to continue to create havoc in the streets.
What will it take before people realize these laws are completely useless and enacting them only serves to tie the responsible owner’s hands behind their backs?
Not to mention it creates the public image their dogs are dangerous and potentially vicious. This creates further problems for the owners because their neighbors become afraid and call for their removal from the neighborhood.
Some might think this is a paranoid outlook on the situation. Tell that to the woman whose Bull Terrier was set on fire in Germany soon after the country enacted its breed specific legislation.
Will you sit back and let this happen?
Even if you do not share your life with the American Pit Bull Terrier or a dog on these breed specific lists, it is your duty as a dog owner to do something about it.

Friday, July 11, 2008

My Needs are Simple and Few!

My dear owner,
Thank you once again for giving me shelter. (Lick, slurp, lick, slurp) Aside from food, shelter and love, my needs are simple and few! Since I am dependent upon you to provide for me, we should discuss my basic needs. I can lend you the canine insight that you may lack as a human, particularly if I am your first canine companion pet.
Of course, I require a steady supply of food and fresh water, and while I long for the same quality of culinary delight that you routinely enjoy, I know that's an unrealistic expectation. As long as you feed me something that's nutritionally suited for my species, I'll happily devour whatever little morsels of people food you throw my way. I'm not particularly fond of that stuff that comes from the tap, but it'll do in a pinch. I draw the line at drinking from toilets.
Splish splash
In addition to my regular veterinary care, I'll need a flea and tick collar at a bare minimum. How would you like those critters crawling all over you? Please help me to prevent them from crawling on me.
If you want to show me off for company, how about you pick up some grooming aids so I can look my sexy best? I SO look forward to weekly shampoos. Who needs rubber duckies when you get to splash at humans at bath time? I understand that humans multitask, and I love those massages with the grooming gloves, so we could watch TV together while you give my coat a nightly massage. I cannot vacuum after myself (but maybe you could suggest that as an advanced course at obedience school), so you might want to pick up some of those hair pickup tools for yourself.
A bowl of my very own
I could use a doggie bowl or two, something simple, yet elegant, perhaps something with my name on it. It's not that I mind sharing your everyday bowls, but it would be nice to have something that's all mine when it comes to feeding and watering troughs. I'll need one for food and one for water, and an everyday pattern will suffice—no need for an expensive china pattern.
Collars and other jewelry
I look forward to our walks together, but it's just too tempting for me to stray when you walk me without a leash. I think the government suits must be on to us doggies, since they've enacted those pesky leash laws everywhere. So, if you want to continue spending this quality time with me, you'll need to find a leash that fits me properly, is strong enough to hold me, and is the proper length. If it's too long, I'll trip all over myself, but if it's not long enough, I won't have the room I need to roam. I know that there is a dizzying array of leashes available, but please use a little discretion and choose one with the right "look" for my breed so that all the other doggies don't make fun of me. They can be so darn cruel!
Creature comforts
I was told that most humans have jobs, so I understand that you'll be spending time away from me. If you could see your way clear to leaving a few creature comforts behind, it would really help. First, I don't want to hog your people furniture—it's too big for me anyway. I could use one of those nice, comfy doggie beds. Floors are meant to be walked on, not lounged upon. I know that there are a number of places that I should not go when you're gone, so spray that indoor repellent, and I'll learn the first time. I'm a quick study—something about Pavlov!
Dogs in toyland
Toys will help me pass the time, assist me in my development, and most importantly, distract me from the fact that you're not here. I could have some REAL fun if you'd get me my very own cat, but I realize that is not likely. Here is a list of things that I would really, really enjoy if you cannot get me my own cat:
- A nice supply of those rubber, chewy thingies
- Squishy, squeaky, talking toys
- Rawhide chews, dental chews, anything that I will mistake for a bone
- Treats, treats, and more treats – a never-ending supply of treats
Special occasion gifts
You humans have your porches, your patios and your tree houses. I would give my doggie eye teeth for my very own dog house. You could have Santa deliver it in time for the holidays, or you save it for a birthday treat. Either way, it'll give me my own little hideaway and protect me from the elements, should you take temporary leave of your human senses and leave me outside while you run one of your many errands. If you can't swing the canine estate just yet, maybe we could negotiate a doggie door?
Above all, I require the same devotion and attention that you expect from me. Treat me right, and I'll be your best friend for life.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

So You Want To Own A Ferret?

You’ve seen them in movies and on TV shows, and the local pet store usually has some for sale. They seem to be intelligent and cuddly. But what do you really know about owning a ferret?
Ferrets live an average of 6-8 years, although some can be as old as 10. They tend to sleep a lot (about 18 hours a day!), but when they are awake they are very playful and fun to watch.
The domestic ferret is not to be confused with their wild cousins, the Black Footed Ferret, which is an endangered species. Never take a ferret from the wild to keep as a house pet.
Many people have the misconception that ferrets stink! Although they do have a slightly musky odor, it is not an offensive scent, and occasional bathing helps with this. Most ferrets sold in North America for pets have also been descented and neutered before sale, and this aids in cutting any odor they might otherwise have.
The name ferret is derived from the latin furonem, which means "thief." If you’ve ever owned a ferret, as I have, you know the name is well deserved. They will steal and hide anything that appeals to them, especially if it is shiny and easy to carry off.
There are many good quality commercial ferret foods on the market. It used to be a common misconception that you could feed ferrets a quality cat food, but research has shown that a quality ferret food is recommended. Ferrets require a diet high in protein (34 -36%) and one that contains about 20% fat. The source of the protein should be animal protein…vegetable protein is not adequate for a ferret’s metabolism, as it is indigestible to them.. Be sure to read the labels at your pet food supply store to ensure adequate nutrition. You can give your ferret treats such as apples, raisins and bananas or there are commercial treats available at your pet food supply store. Treats should be given sparingly, and are a great incentive for training purposes.
A ferret should have a cage that is large enough for them to move around in. They are very active animals when awake, and it is likely you will want to confine them to a cage when you are not home.
Ferrets can be trained to use a litter box. Here are a few suggestions:
1. Initially, keep the litter box in the ferret’s cage. Generally a ferret will use the box, and can be rewarded with a small treat when they do so.
2. After the ferret is used to using the litter box in the cage, you can gradually move the litter box further from the cage if you wish.
3. When you ferret is out of the cage, take them to the litter box frequently and reward them when they use the box with lots of praise and perhaps a small treat.
4. Ferrets back up to defecate or urinate, so if you notice your ferret backing into a corner when out of the cage, take them to the litter box.
Ferrets love to play! They will play with almost anything, so it’s very important that the toys they have available to them are safe. Things that are sharp or have small parts that can be swallowed should be avoided. Soft rubber toys are not a good choice as ferrets have sharp teeth and will destroy them quickly. Most of what a ferret plays with ends up in it’s mouth, so it’s much like “babyproofing” your house. Suggestions for ferret toys:
1. hard plastic balls
2. hard rubber balls
3. things they can crawl into…commercial ferret “tubes”, or a section of PVC pipe at least 3” in diameter
4. paper bags and cardboard boxes
5. rattles, teething rings, etc (toys made safe for human babies)
6. small stuffed animals
Remember…they will steal anything, so make sure you “ferret proof” your house. Oh…I forgot….When I bought my first ferret, I was told they do not climb. They are very good climbers, as I found out.
After reading all this, if you have decided you still want to own a ferret, Good For You! They are delightful, entertaining pets. I will never regret having a ferret as a FurrKid at one point in my life.

Monday, July 7, 2008

The Truth About Declawing

There seems to be an alarming trend to have cats declawed...whether it's due to personal convenience, apartment house rules and regulations, or simple lack of knowledge on the part of responsible pet owners.
There are many fine vets out there that actively discourage declawing, but there are also many who perform this surgery on a regular basis while never completely informing the pet owner what this really entails nor explaining the possible dangers of the procedure.
If people were more informed, perhaps this trend would reverse itself.
Declawing a cat is a major surgical procedure, performed under general anesthesia. It is actually amputation of the last joint on each toe, not a simple removal of the claw itself as many are led to believe. The following article explains the procedure of declawing.
Cats walk on their toes, unlike most mammals who walk on the soles of their feet. Their musculature, joints, tendons and ligaments are all designed to distribute their body weight to their toes.
The claw is not a nail like human fingernails or toenails. It is actually a part of the last bone in a cat's toe. If you were to "declaw" a human in the same way a cat is declawed, you would be amputating all 10 fingers at the last joint!
I found this description of the surgery in a veterinary textbook: "The claw is extended by pushing up under the footpad or by grasping it with Allis tissue forceps. A scalpel blade is used to sharply dissect between the second and third phalanx over the top of the ungual crest . The distal interphalangeal joint is disarticulated (disjointed), and the deep digital flexor tendon is incised (severed). The digital footpad is not incised.” This clinical explanation sounds horrific, doesn’t it?
There is a real possibility of complications after any major surgery, and declawing is no exception. There is the possibility of hemorrhage, infection, extreme pain, bone chips, possible regrowth of deformed claw, back, muscle and joint problems, damage to nerves, abscess and possible lameness. If the claw does regrow, it is often deformed and yet another surgery must be performed to correct this problem.
In addition to the possible physical complications, often there are behavioral problems following this surgery. The cat can become withdrawn, distant, fearful and/or aggressive, and often start biting, as this is the only means of defense left to them. Occasionally the cat will stop using the litterbox, because immediately after surgery it was painful to scratch in the litter box, and now they associate that pain with the litter box. Because of the amount of stress the animal experiences after this procedure, they may become more prone to other diseases, as stress tends to compromise the immune system.
The animal is in extreme pain following the surgery, and rarely do veterinarians offer any sort of pain medication for the cat.
There are alternatives to having your cat declawed...such as claw covers, scratching posts, regular trimming of the claws and behavior modification.
Many countries have banned declawing as an abusive practice which causes unnecessary pain and trauma to the animal. A veterinary textbook by Turner and Bateson on the biology of cat behavior concludes a short section on scratching behavior with the following statement: "The operative removal of the claws, as is sometimes practiced to protect furniture and curtains, is an act of abuse and should be forbidden by law in all, not just a few countries."
Unfortunately, declawing is not banned in the United States at this time. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) says it is their policy to “recommend considering such surgery only if concerted behavior modification efforts have failed and euthanasia is pending.”
Declawing a cat is an abusive practice. Being informed of a procedure and possible complications should be the goal of every responsible pet owner.

Saturday, July 5, 2008

Grieving Our Pet's Death

Our pets give us so much. They entertain us, listen to our secrets, and give us unconditional love. Losing a pet can leave us with a muddle of other feelings in addition to the sadness: anger, anxiety about other problems we couldn’t address because we were so busy caring for our sick pet, and even guilt, especially if your pet died suddenly or of an unknown cause. We may think to ourselves, “My pet trusted me to take care of him/her. Should I have taken him/her to the vet sooner”? Or maybe we are not convinced our pet got the right medical attention. Losing a pet can also bring up pain from previous losses we have experienced.
When we lose a pet, we may encounter well-meaning people who do not understand why we are so upset about losing “just an animal.” They may encourage us just to “get another one." Not everyone is bonded in the same way to their animals, and that’s okay. But it’s not whether our loved one was a person or an animal that determines our “right” to be upset. It’s the quality of the relationship and the level of our love. It’s hard to recover fully from the loss of a long, possibly many-year, relationship in just a few days or weeks.
You’re not crazy to hurt so much. You have had a loss, and you deserve support. It may help to talk about it to people you feel understand and will be sympathetic. Grief is a powerful emotion and is one of the most painful we face as human beings. The good news is that if you get a chance to talk and work through some of the pain, grief is a time-limited process. Over time, the pain recedes a bit, and you can access the happy memories of the love you and your pet shared.
It may help to look at grief recovery as a process of convalescence. The dictionary definition of “convalescence” is “gradual return to health and strength after an illness.” Seeing grief in this way can help us to be patient with ourselves during the process and know that, in time, we will feel better again. Crying, some trouble sleeping, or loss of appetite is normal after a loss. But if you are having physical symptoms that are of concern, please seek medical attention. If you feel you may be “stuck” in grief after a long period of time, you may benefit from professional help.
As Leo Tolstoy said, “Only people who are capable of loving strongly can also suffer great sorrow, but this same necessity of loving counteracts their grief and heals them.”

Thursday, July 3, 2008

How to Start a Pet-Sitting Business

Everyday someone asks me, “How do you start a pet-sitting business?” I try to answer their question succinctly. But the truth is, starting a pet-sitting business, or any business is not always a succinct process. Following are 21 tips that I know can lead to pet-care business success in any economy.
1. Accept what you don’t know. Not everyone who starts a pet-care business is an expert on every type of household pet. Be honest with clients who call requesting care for a pet you’ve never cared for. Your honesty and commitment to learning from them will go a long way in building long-term trust in you and your company.
2. Commit to learning about business. Unless you’ve run a series of successful small businesses before, you must create a self-education plan for yourself. No matter how much you love animals (and they love you) your business will flounder without attention to the mundane details of accounting, sales, marketing and filing.
3. Have a realistic budget. Set up a realistic budget for running your business. Be honest about how much money you need in order to pay your bills and invest in your business. Many pet-sitting businesses close because the owner did not evaluate how many visits they would need to perform in order to meet their basic financial needs.
4. Evaluate the competition. Make sure you understand what the other pet-sitters in your area are already doing, and what you can do better or more efficiently. If there are no other pet sitting companies in your area, find out what your potential customers currently do to care for their pets when they can’t be there.
5. Set realistic rates. Yes, you love pets and you can’t believe that you can get paid to have fun – that’s what a great many star athletes say too, yet they manage to make millions of dollars each year. You won’t likely be able to draw clients in by charging thousands of dollars for your services, but you won’t be able to serve pets well if you quit in 6 months because you need more money to survive.
6. Listen to pet-lovers. Ask pet owner’s what is most important about their pet’s care. Never imagine that you know everything – a pet owner always knows their pet best. Listen and you will learn how to serve them better.
7. Enjoy the people. I often joke that “Until that puppy can write a check, I work for his Mom!” And it’s true. The people who love their pets are your customers – even if you don’t see them. Check in with them and find out how they feel about your service. Make sure they understand that you are happy to work with them and you appreciate being part of their care giving ‘family.’
8. Make business decisions. You are in business, so treat yourself like a business owner. If you intend to work as a sole proprietor, make a decision to work only with the clients that contribute the most to your bottom-line.
9. Build Alliances. Work with the other pet-sitters in your area. If you need a back-up or you are booked, you need to know the other quality caregivers who service your area. You can ruin your great reputation simply by recommending someone who doesn’t live up to your standards.
10. Build alliances with other small business owners in your area. Who better understands the ‘downside’ of pet ownership than the dry cleaner or housekeeping service in your neighborhood? Their businesses are based partially on the pet-owning clients in your area. Ask to place your cards in their shops, or if you can run put a flyer in their monthly bills sent to their clients.
11. Serve the client, not your ego. It’s a heady experience to feel the power of running a business and sometimes you will think you know what’s best when caring for someone else’s pets. Realize that you need to ride the fine line between educating customers and talking down to them.
12. Be genuine. Everyone wants to work with someone “real.” When people are making decisions about letting a stranger into their home to care for their most precious possession, they want to feel that you are a real human being with an understanding and appreciation of their relationship with their pet. You need to be a business person with a heart – have all your forms and policies in place, but let your personality shine through.
13. Believe in yourself. This is the most important success factor I have found. Define your success by your rules and wake up every day with the knowledge that you can and will succeed.
14. Ignore the naysayers. Plenty of people are going to doubt you when you tell them this is your goal. Don’t listen. Surround yourself with people who believe in you and never stop moving forward.
15. Create systems to work smarter. Everything can be systemized to help you get everything done. Make a list of all your ‘must dos’, ‘should dos’ and ‘want-to-dos’ and determine how often they happen (annually, quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily). Sit down with a calendar and plug in the activities that will accomplish your lists.
16. Network. Just like building alliances, you need to step up your ‘face-time’ in your community. Investigate several networking opportunities in groups that are industry specific (like pet-rescue organizations, pet-sitter networks) and business or community specific (like the Chamber of Commerce, or NAWBO). After visiting several, select the ones that are most effective for your business – both in terms of referrals for new business and for educational purposes.
17. Evaluate. If something is working (or not) for you – find out why. Ask questions of everyone – your happy (and unhappy) clients. Find out what keeps happy customers coming back. If someone decides not to hire you for their pet’s care, ask them what influenced their decision. If their decision was based on an area where you can’t compromise - you won’t provide every other day service for cats – move on. If it’s something you can improve upon - they thought you were too abrupt on the phone – fix it! Get to the heart of what drives your business and take time each day to improve.
18. Set goals and action plans. You must know what your objectives are for you and your business. When you envision your life in a year, three years and ten years, what will you be doing? How will your business be running? Whether you intend to serve ten clients for life, or you want to establish the top pet-sitting franchise in North America and Europe – you need to have a goal and a plan.
19. Find your niche and stick to it. When I started peggiespets.com, I was intimidated by narrowing to a niche. By defining your niche and marketing to them, you are not turning away other business (our niche is big dogs and puppy potty training) you can continue to accept all the business you want that is outside of your niche (ask all the terriers, birds and rabbits we care for!).
20. Strive for success everyday. Never compromise your ideals to meet someone else’s expectations. The reason you started your own business is because of your passion, so always stand by your convictions and work hard to exceed your expectations each day.
NOTE: You’ll encounter people who don’t do business the way you do, and you’ll find clients that don’t live up to your expectations…don’t lecture, don’t get on your soapbox, just politely point them in a different direction.
21. Help someone else succeed. The more you give away, the more you will receive. Whether you are helping another pet-care business get started (with more than 65 million dogs and 77 million cats in American households according to APPMA– there’s room for more pet-care providers!) or you’re helping another person achieve their dream, you will be more successful because you participated!
Follow these tips to achieve your own brand of pet-care business success!

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Our Pets Behavior

Behavior can be a huge iisue with our pets. If each dog and cat owner in the United States took the time to understand the root of their animals'
behavioral issues, our animal shelters would be substantially less populated with strays. Around sixty percent of animals in shelters are there simply because of various behavioral problems. When cats start scratching furniture and dogs begin barking continually, it is quite natural to say to ourselves: I didn't sign up for this. In some cases a pet's behavioral problems can be entirely or almost entirely health related. In some other cases they can simply be a product of our own mistakes as owners. When all is said and done, who would really want to use a litter box that has not been cleaned in several weeks?
Before you do anything else you must overcoming our pets' behavioral problems by using our imaginations...... to get into their minds and to try to understand the world through their eyes. Then we may actually see that we ask an awful from our pets. First of all, we put them into a human-created environment and then expect them to simply forget their wildness and behave in ways that suit only us. Many of the things that we teach our animals go against their nature. We sometimes ask our cats to relieve themselves into small trays when it is only natural for them to do so anywhere in their territory. And we discourage our dogs from barking at our guests or passerby when it is
they are just trying to communicate with strangers who are entering their environment.
If it is not stress or some kind of illness, then we should look at ourselves as owners: are we asking our dogs and cats to behave in ways which are totally impossible under the circumstances that we have provided for them? For example, are we asking our cats to use litter boxes that we rarely even clean? Or are we asking them to keep their paws off the couch when we have provided nothing else for them to scratch for the long hours in which we are gone? Are we asking our dogs to defer their whole worlds to us, while all we offer in return is a few hours a day of our aloof presence sprinkled with paltry playtime and affection?