How to choose the right pet food

Choosing the right pet food is a crucial task for any pet owner. The wrong food can lead to health problems for your pet, including obesity and malnutrition. There are a few things to keep in mind when choosing pet food to ensure that you are providing the best possible nutrition for your furry friend.

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First, consider your pet's age, breed, and activity level. These factors will all play a role in determining how much food your pet needs and what type of food will be best for them. Puppies and kittens, for example, have different nutritional needs than adult dogs and cats.

Second, take into account any special dietary needs your pet may have. For example, some pets require grain-free diets due to allergies or sensitivities.

Third, read the labels on pet food carefully. Make sure that the food you are considering meets your pet's nutritional needs and does not contain any ingredients that could potentially be harmful to them

How to Avoid Pet Marking Behavior in Your New Home

Check any list of the biggest stressors in life, and you’ll find moving. The bigger the move, the more stressful it is. International move? Off the charts. And if you think it’s tough on you, just imagine how your pets feel. You can’t expect them to simply take it all in stride. They may act out once you arrive. So let’s talk about how to avoid pet marking in your new home.If you’re planning an international move, at least you can understand what’s happening. You dog or cat sees that things are different, and they can feel your concerns. They’re concerned, too, because their daily routine may be disrupted. There are a number of things you can do to prepare dogs and cats for a lengthy move, including preparing them for an unfamiliar journey by airplane. But you want to think farther ahead, because you may see negative behaviors after the move.

The worst of these, from a human perspective, is marking. To avoid pet marking in your new home, you have to understand what’s behind it. Marking isn’t a matter of having accidents indoors, it’s about your pet laying claim to his new territory.

You arrange your furniture and other belongings in your new space, and – presto! – you’re at home in your new home. Dogs and cats define their territory with urine. It contains pheromones and other chemicals that speak volumes to other animals. To you, it just smells bad. You want to be understanding, but let’s face it. No one wants pet urine around the house. So what can you do?

First of all, know that not immune cats and dogs are more likely to mark, although spayed or neutered animals may do it, too. (The reason for this is that urine tells others among the species which animals are available for reproduction. So for intact animals, marking serves two purposes.)

Let’s talk about dogs

Dogs instinctively mark key areas within their territory to show what belongs to their pack. They tend to mark indoors when they feel insecure. Your new residence may or may not smell like a former pet resident, but it definitely doesn’t smell like your dog. Yet, he may want to fix that by marking the house and/or your belongings. (He’s marking you, too, so other dogs will know you’re his property.)

Let’s talk about cats

Cats do not appreciate change. So they may mark out of spite as much as insecurity. Since they are not pack animals, in the wild they mark to warn off other cats from encroaching on their territory. Indoors, cat marking often takes the form of spraying on walls or other vertical surfaces, rather than urinating on the floor, etc.

Help them feel at home

Give your pet plenty of time to get used to their air travel kennel before you move. Line the carrier with a small blanket or something else of yours or theirs. If it smells and feels familiar to them, they will be less stressed during their flight. And they’ll continue to have that “home” when they arrive at their destination. Bring a favorite toy and their regular food with you, so those details will immediately remain the same, too.

Spend time with them in your new home, playing and just hanging out. That will reassure your dog his pack leader is still in place, and reassure your cat her favorite lap is still available. Make sure they have plenty of opportunities to go outside, or that the litter box is fresh and accessible, so there is no reason for accidents. If you’ll be away for an extended period, put them in their kennel to help avoid pet marking in your home. 

Be alert to potential marking desires or attempts, but never punish your pet for this behavior. For one thing, after-the-fact punishment is pointless, because they won’t have any idea what they did wrong. Yelling at them or rubbing their nose where they urinated will make them feel worse – alienated from you as well as stuck in unfamiliar territory. So stick with reassurance and cleaning up.

Clean it up, or it will continue

When pets can smell their marks, that encourages them to re-mark those areas. So clean up immediately. This is especially important with fabrics or other absorbent surfaces. Do not use hot water or steam, as it can set the urine enzymes instead of removing them. Do not use ammonia-based products – that’s self-defeating because ammonia is the primary component of urine itself. You can buy products specifically formulated to neutralize pet urine.

You can also try to keep your pet away from formerly-marked areas (to avoid repeat performances), or turn the tables and use those area to feed or play with them.

what makes a cat purr noise ?

Cats are different from all other animals in the sense that cats have the unique ability to purr. 

This odd sound a cat makes is akin to the vibrations of a automobile motor running on idle, While most people are aware that cats purr, they may not have a clear understanding of why a cat will purr. So, to dispel a few myths as to why cats do this, here is a brief overview of what purring is as well as its purpose.

Oddly, despite many decades (if not hundreds of years) of veterinary medicine study, it has never been understood how cats are able to make a purring sound. The biology of a cat is not far removed from many other mammals. Yet, cats have the special ability to purr while other animals are completely unable to do this. Why do cats develop the ability to purr when others do not? Most likely, it is the natural evolutionary development of a trait necessary for survival. Specific evolutionary traits are common among all animals and with cats purring is among several behavioral traits that these pets have embodied.

For example, have you ever wondered why cats like to perch atop high places? This is a survival mechanism that has allowed cats to survive through thousands of years through evading predators. By being perched high, cats can easily scan movement in a very expansive perimeter. This way, they can spot encroaching predators (and potential prey) almost immediately. Such traits have become ingrained in cats over the years as a means of self-preservation. Purring is a similar derivative of such behavior.

Why do cats still do this when they reach adulthood?

When cats where first integrated into people's homes as pets, they were not completely sure what to make of their human owners. Cats are not pack animals and prefer to be solitary. However, they do certainly appreciate the human that opts to care for and feed them. Now, cats have a very strong memory and can recall their time as a kitten. As a result, they will look at a human being as a surrogate mother. As such, when the cat's owner allows the cat to sit on his/her lap or pets the cat, the cat will start to purr. This is a sign of happiness, safety, and contentment in the presence of an owner. Once again, the cat is conveying the message that it is ok. Any why should it not be? It is in the presence of a loving owner that cares for the cat's every need!

When a cat is born it is both mute and blind. This makes its ability to communicate with its mother difficult. So, when the kitten is distressed, it will not be able to let the mother know it is sick or ill. Conversely, the kitten cannot tell its mother that it is doing well through meowing or through its behavior. As a result, cats developed the ability to purr. By purring, the kittens convey to its mother that it is fine and doing well.


So, when you hear your cat purr, you can rest assured that your cat is happy, safe, and displaying affection towards you. Consider it a cat's version of a term of endearment.

Tips for caring about your Pet While on a Long Distance Move

Long distance moving brings with it many stressful issues - the packing, the organizing, and the goodbyes. And if there are pets involved, it may be a sophisticated add-on to the difficulty of relocating, but in the end when you have your pet with you safe and sound, you will know that the trouble was worth it. After all, your pet is also a member of the family and it is never an option to leave it behind.

Most four-legged pets love to travel, but in case of a long distance move, it is ideal that you prepare and plan ahead. Here are a few tips to be considered while taking your pets on a long distance move.

• The first thing you can do is to prepare your pet for relocating. Take your furry companion for short trips. Try leaving your pet in the car while you do your daily tasks. This way your pet will get adjusted to being alone in the car. This will later be of assistance to you, as there will be situations when you will have to leave your pet in the car for short periods while on a long distance move.

• Don't forget to pack your pet's food, water, bowls, toys, and pillows. Your pet is likely to be better off with its belongings while on travel.

• Take your pet to a vet a few days before the move and get a full physical check up done. Also ask your vet if any special vaccinations need to be taken for the new place to which you are shifting.

• Make sure you know the route you are going to take for your long distance move. By doing this, you can book a hotel/motel for the night's stay and make sure they allow pets. In addition to this you can also make a list of veterinarians in the nearby area, in order to reach them quickly in case an emergency might arise.

• If you are moving to a different country, it is better to check on how the culture treats them - if you are used to taking your pet with you everywhere you go, the same policy may not be welcomed in another country. You might have to make additional expenses - since you can't take your dog with you, you may have to pay a dog-walker or dog-sitter, or put the dog in "day care." So, make sure you enquire.

With all these tips considered your relocating procedure with your pets is guaranteed to be least stressful.

Dog Mange (Itchy Scratching)

This is caused by a mite that tunnels into the skin and causes an allergic reaction. This causes intense itching. The dog spends most of its time mutilating itself. There is no respite to the itch until the mite is killed and the allergic reaction to the mite settles down.

Usually, the dog is chewing its legs and scratching its abdomen and ears. Small scabs are usually present on the skin. This mange is extremely contagious and will have been contacted from an infected dog or fox. Dead foxes on the road can be a source of infection also.

Hair loss is a feature and an intense itch is associated with this mange. All dogs can get this at any age. Vets diagnose this with a skin scraping to look for the mite.

Treating scabies can be achieved by buying a spot-on product called Revolution (selamectin) and applying it fortnightly to the skin on the back of your dog's neck. The itch itself will still need to be addressed.

There is also another type of mange called Demodex but it is unusual for this to cause a severe itch. Bald patches in a young dog without an itch is a feature of this Demodex type of mange. Demodex occasionally causes an itch when a more intense allergic reaction develops. This is called "red mange". It seems that dogs that have Demodex mange have an immune system that isn't able to keep these mites under control. Demodex mange is also seen in older animals with immunosuppression from cancer or hyperadrenocorticism.

Save on Pet Food

Owning a pet these days can be more expensive than you think. Outside of the price of vet bills there are also other considerations out there that you should consider. Have you ever thought about how much pet food costs? If not, you should. Depending on the size of your pet and how much they eat you could end up spending hundreds of dollars a month on food for your animal. The good news is that there are ways out there to save when in the market for pet food. By being a smart shopper you will be able to see significant savings add up over time.

Check the website of the manufacturer. Often times you will be able to purchase pet food direct from the maker. In these instances you may be able to get it for a slightly cheaper price. Since you will be buying direct there won't be a markup from the grocery store. The thing to remember when buying pet food online is that there can be a shipping fee associated with buying the food. If the pet food costs an arm and leg to ship it will not be worth it.

Notice when a certain type of pet food goes on sale. The easiest way to do this may be to check the website of your favorite grocery or pet store. On a stores website they will have information regarding items that are on sale. When you see items that you need for your pet that are on sale it is a good idea to stock up on them. Stocking up on them at one time will cost you a little bit more upfront but will save you money over the long-term. If your pet eats a type of food that will not perish then stocking up and storing it in your house may be the way to go in an effort to see long-term savings.

Scour your local circular for pet food coupons. These circulars will be delivered to your mail box every so often and contain valuable savings tips and coupons. If you see a coupon for a pet food that your animal likes make sure to clip it out and save it. Be mindful of the expiration date on the coupon as you may have to use it within a certain period of time. In most cases a coupon will only be valid once per customer. If you can get your hands on a few coupons you can make multiple trips to the store during the period when the coupon is valid in order to realize your savings.

Bad breath treatment for dogs and cats

Treating bad breath in dogs and cats is important because it often indicates a larger problem such as dental plaque or tooth decay. In fact, bad breath or bad breath is a common complaint of many pet owners. Having a pet with bad breath can embarrass pet owners during family events, parties, and special gatherings.

what are the reasons?

Malnutrition in dogs and cats can be caused by poor nutrition. If pets are inadvertently fed a diet that includes spoiled food, bad breath can result. More commonly, pets that feed on kitchen scraps can develop bad breath because the food is sometimes left for an hour or more before the pet eats it.

Even pets that are fed a diet of dry pet food or a mixture of dry and wet pet food can develop bad breath. If cats and dogs do not receive dental care, plaque can build up on their teeth. This is known as calculus buildup, and it is this buildup that can lead to breathing problems.

The presence of decaying teeth can also lead to bad breath. Tooth decay is often the result of poor pet dental care. If a decayed tooth is not treated, it will not only continue to cause bad breath, but can also lead to health problems for the pet.

Sometimes bad breath is caused by a pet insisting on eating things they shouldn't eat. Eating coprophagia or faeces is very common in dogs. While this behavior may not seem normal, some studies have indicated that dogs eat feces as a way to identify which animals produced it. Coprophagia has also been blamed for poor nutrition and basic health conditions. Whatever the reason for indulging your pet with a little poo, it can lead to terrible breathing when it occurs frequently. Unfortunately, it is known that coprophagia has become a regular behavior in canines, and therefore it is very difficult to treat even with constant effort.

Bad breath can also be caused by an underlying medical condition such as kidney or liver disease. If your pet shows other signs of physical disturbance, it is very important that you visit your vet. Furthermore, if you have tried to treat your pet's bad breath but don't see any signs of improvement, you may want to visit your vet and get a complete physical exam to determine your pet's health status. Of course, I always recommend a holistic vet.

Treating bad breath in dogs and cats

In addition to preventing your pet's unwanted breathing by feeding your cat or dog a proper diet, it is important to provide dental care. A number of dental products are available for cats and dogs to prevent tartar buildup and bad breath. To avoid toxins and harmful ingredients, it is important to use a pet dental care product that is made with natural ingredients. Look for a dental care product made with grape seed extract and grapefruit seed extract for best results in preventing plaque build-up, oral infections, and bad breath.