Care of little kittens

Caring for new born kittens is hard work but we should know about it . They need attention and care around the clock. If you have recently taken in some newborn kittens, you will have your work cut out for you. If the mother cat is still in the picture, she can provide most of the kittens’ needs herself. You can support her by feeding her and leaving the kittens alone during their first week of life. If the mother those kittens is not around or not able to care for her babies, then you will have to take over her responsibilities. This will include feeding the kittens, keeping the kittenswarm, and even helping the kittens go to the bathroom.

The care thatyou give some new born kittens will depend on a few things: the kittens’ ages, whether or not the mother cat is still caring for the kittens, and how healthy the kittens are. If you find a litter of kittens that have been separated from their mother, then youwill need to provide the things a mother cat would, such as food, warmth, and help them with toileting. Take some time to consider the situation before you start caring for the kittens.

Get help from your veterinarian or local animal shelter.Do not feel like you need to provide care for these kittens all by yourself. Caring for new born kittens is more difficult job and you may not have everything you need to ensure their survival. Contact your local veterinarian or animal shelter forassistance. They may be able to provide a surrogate mother to help thekittens get proper nutrition or they may be able to help you with bottle feeding.
Giving food for the mother cat if she is still around.If the mother cat isstill present and caring for her kittens,then the kittens will be better off if you let their mother take care of them.But you can still help by providing food and shelter for the mother cat. Just make it sure that you keep the food and shelter in separate areas or she may not accept either.

Feed the kittens.If their mother cat is not around or is unable to care for her kittens, you will need to prepare their food for them and feed them yourself. The type of food that you prepare for the kittens will depend on how old they are. Make sure that you ask your veterinarian about any special feeding needs your kittens may have.

Provide a place for the kitten(s) to sleep.If the kittens do not already have a place to sleep, make sure that you provide someplace for them that is warm, dry, and away from potential predators. Make sure that the place you choose for the kittens is out of the elements and away from drafts. You can use a box or a cat carrier thatis lined with clean towels or blankets.

Keep the kittens warm.If the mother cat is not around, you will need to provide a heating pad or hot water bottle wrapped in a towel to help keep the kittens warm. Just make sure thatthe kittens can get away from the heat if they become too warm. Check on them often to see if they seem comfortable.Allow the mother cat to help her cats if she is around/able.If the mother cat is still around to help her cats use the bathroom, let her do her job. During the first few weeks of theirlives, mother cats will lick their babies’ genital regions to help them urinate and defecate. Do not interfere when the mother cat is helping her babies like this

Best ways to handle stray cat

Ask your neighbors about cat.
Make every effort to make it sure the cat doesn't have an owner. Outdoor cats establish their own territories that likely include other people's properties, so just because you see them often doesn't mean they don't already have a home. Ask your neighbors if the cat is theirs or if they know who is the owner

Look for a collar.
Before you take an action with a cat you think is stray, check to make sure whether or not they have a collar. If there is a collar, contact the owner to discuss whatever is bothering you about the cat.

Make fliers.
If a cat is making you problems, post signs in your neighborhood to give warning to the potential owner that you may take action. This allows the owner time to remedy the situation. Include a picture of the cat on the flier along your contact information.

Make an online profile for a lost cat.There are so many online resources to help reunite lost pets with their owners. Consider making a profile for the cat you are concerned about and see if someone claims it. The Center for Lost Pets is a great choice for this and recommended by the Humane Society.

Ask the vet to check for a microchip.Once you trap the cat , you can take it to a veterinarian to see if the cat has a microchip implant. Most household pet cats receive microchip implants at their vet appointments. A vet can scan the cat to see if there is a microchip in it Which will direct you to its owner.

Think about your desired outcome.Realize that most cats taken to animal shelters are not adopted and are therefore euthanized, so see if you'd like to keep any of the strays. A limited number of cats can be useful for catching gophers, rats, and mice, even if they won't make suitable pets. Lastly take care of that cat like own cat and be kind with her 

Best ways to know,if your dog is sick

Just like their owners, dogs can become sick with anything from a minor virus to something more dangerous with serious complications. Since your dog cannot tell you what’s wrong, you should keep an eye out for certain symptoms. Always keep that in mind that consult with your veterinarian if you ever suspect your dog may be ill.

1
Watch for excessive drooling or bad breath.
Excessive drooling or bad breath can be signs that your dog might need some teeth extracted. In order to prevent many dental problems, try to train your dog so that he allows you to brush his teeth. Look for the following symptoms in your dog that might cause of dental problem:
Watch to see if your dog is eating less.
Notice if your dog is sensitive to you touching his muzzle.
You may also visibly notice your doghaving trouble chewing.

2 Listen for excessive coughing or honking.If your dog is coughing, it might not be a reason to worry. However, coughing that lasts for any longer than a twenty-four hour period might be something more serious. Get any severe coughing in your dog checked out by your veterinarian.
Coughing problems can disrupt yourdog's sleep.
Coughing in a dog can be a sign of anything from minor bronchitis to heart worms, have a professional examine your dog.
Pay attention to changes in your Pet's behavior.Just as humans may act differently when they don’t feel well, you may notice changes in your dog's behavior if it’s not feeling well.
Changes may include, but are not limited to, increase or decrease in appetite or thirst, hyperactivity or noticeably lowered energy levels.
If you notice changes in your dog's behavior, visit your veterinarian.
If the irritation seems to relate to petting a specific spot, take note, it may be where your dog is injured or sick.

4 Keep a close eye on any sores or lumps.Dogs can develop ingrown hairs, cysts, and other skin blemishes,so not every small lump or bump is animmediate cause for concern. However, the below symptoms should be seen by a professional..Lumps growing in size.
Lumps becoming deeply attached totissues.
Oozing or bleeding sores.

5 Take your dog’s temperature.
Canine’s can run fevers just like humans . If your dog facing fever, especially in conjunction with other symptoms, visit your vet as soon as you can.
A temperature of 103 is high. Take your dog to the vet as soon as possible.
A temperature of 104.5 requires immediate medical attention.

If your dog is barking a lot,just read this and learn how to stop dog barking

Barking is a natural form of communication for dogs and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. First need to identify why your dog barks goes some way towards finding a way to restore quiet.Barking is completely normal dog behavior and stopping nuisance barking will not mean your dog won’t bark at all. They will still let you know ifthere is an intruder, the aim is just to get the barking to a more manageable level. there are many reasons for dog barks , so it is necessary to sit back and try to determine why your dog is barking. Some dogs bark for attention, out of boredom, at people or birds and some bark because they are stressed or anxious.

A dog barking due to anxiety needs a different approach to a dog who is bored.For this reasonbark collarsare considered by veterinary behavior is to be a costly investment for something that most likely will not work long-term and may even be harmful.

 exercise, chewing, company and stimulation can assist.Behavior Therapy If you have a problem barker make an appointment with your veterinarian. Many vets have additional qualifications or a special interest in behavior, so it is worth asking whether one of the vets has a special interest inbehavior. Often there are health conditions that could be exacerbating the problem, such as dementia, pain, vision or hearing problems.Dogs also bark if they are anxious, so medications can be used in the short-term to help your dog learn some coping skills. They need not be permanent. While there are some excellent dog trainers, there is little regulation in the industry, so skills and methods can vary. Ask your veterinarian to recommend someone if they can’t help.Keep a Bark DiaryIf you are not sure what your dog is barking at or if he seems to be barking at everything, keep a bark diary.

You may start to see a pattern, for example he barks at 3pm when kids are getting out of school. It might be useful to ask your neighbours to do this also, so you know when he is barking when you are not home. Your neighbours also then know you are attempting to resolve the problem.There are also voice activated recorders available, phone/tablet apps to monitor your pet and many different home security monitors you can set up via webcams to see what your dog getsup to while you are out.

There are a many different collars available to stop barking. The most humane is theHusher®, which is a soft elastic loosely fitting muzzle, that stops your dog from opening his mouthto bark, but will allow him to pant, eat and drink. It can be left on while your dog is alone, and can be used as a training aid. If you hear your dog barking, say ‘hush’ and show him the Husher® and if he does not stop, put the Husher® on.Punishment is generally frowned upon in the veterinary behavior community, but at least in this case the punishment is not too traumatic and it does help your dog not to do the behavior. In some cases where you have received noise complaints from the neighbours, it can be a quick fix. The citronella collar and shock collar are two devices that punish the bark and are unreliable and can lead to learned helplessness. They can go off randomly while the dog is not barking and even when they work correctly, the dog usually has no idea what he is receiving punishment for.

Understandably, if your dog is barking because he is anxious, this will really add to his problems. Citronella collars require you to buy replacement cartridges frequently, so can be much more expensive than consulting a veterinary behaviorist.ExerciseNo matter why your dog is barking, some general training will help keep hismind occupied and wear him out. A tired dog is a happy dog. Regular walksin the morning can help, even just a fifteen minute walk around the block is better than nothing. 2 walks a day would be perfect. If you work long hours, consider a dog walker, doggy daycare, a play-date with a friend’s dog or asking a someone to visit in the middleof the day.

Chewing causes the release of happy hormones in dogs, so giving your dog something tochewas you leave the house is a good routine to get into. If your dog tends to bury things or is reluctant to chew, just give a small amount of breakfast, so your dog is hungry enough to want to chew. Use something large such as a pigs ear or Kong® stuffed with treats so it lasts for a while. You can also put dry food into an old plastic drink bottle, and let your pet work to get the food out. For some great ideas for homemade chew toys check out this article on The Bark Post.Whenever you branch out with a new toy, please be safe, supervise your dog to ensure he is not going to end up having emergency surgery due to a broken tooth or ingesting part of a toy.CompanyIf your dog is bored, getting a companion may help. Consider fostering through a rescue organisation. That way you are not necessarily committing, in case you end up with two problem barkers! You could also arrange a play-date with a friends dog, or think about booking your dog into doggy day-care.Train Your Dog to ‘Speak’Pet owners always think it is strange when I recommend teaching their dog to bark on command. This places the behavior under stimulus control and with one more step, you can teach yourdog to be ‘quiet’ on command.First, get your dog excited by ringing the doorbell, knocking on a wall or whatever you know will start him barking. Say your command word, suchas ‘speak’ and pair it with a treat. Whenyour dog is consistently barking when you say ‘speak’, you can then say ‘quiet’ and give a treat. Your dog will have to stop barking to get the treat.

Food which are harmful for dogs

Dogs like to eat. The problem is that few of the human foods that we like are simply no good for your dog’s health.Your dog likes snacks, and you like snacks, and you like to share your snacks with your dog. Who can resist those puppy-dog eyes? But, just as your dog can eat certain things that aren’t good for you, many of the things we eat are not good for your dog health. To avoid a sick tummy, a visit to the emergency veterinary clinic or worse, take a look at this list of people foods that your dog should not eat.


1 Chocolate
contains Theobromine – a chemical that is related to caffeine, and it is also found in tea. It is poisonous to many types of animals, including dogs and cats. Most pet parents are aware that chocolate isn’t good for their dogs health, even if they’ve never heard of the toxin itself.Some people will tell you that the risk of theobromine poisoning is overstated, and that chocolate isn’t really all that dangerous, especially to larger dogs. Your Dairy Milk bar has about an eighth of the theobromine compared to a similar quantity of baking chocolate. White chocolate has less still.The danger is calculated by body weight. If your Wolfhound has snuck a bit of chocolate cake or the half-dozen chocolate chips that fell on the floor while you were baking, he’s probably going to be okay. If your Yorkie gorged herself on chocolate bonbons, get her to the vet. If she ate enough of it, it could kill her.

2 SWEETS AND CHEWING
 GUM is a sweetener used in some kinds of candies, chewing gums, and specialty dental products. It’s found naturally in many food plants, althoughcommercial xylitol is usually made from corn husks and Dupont Chemical makes theirs from hardwood.

5 ONIONS AND GARLIC
Over the long term or in very high doses, onions cause effect to the redblood cells in dogs and cats.

4 COFFEE
A moment ago, we discussed Theobromine.  Caffeine causes the same kinds of health problems, but worse. In fact, when your body processes caffeine, one of the products is theobromine.

5 ,
Grapes are poisonous to dogs. Unfortunately, we don’t know what exactly the toxin is, or why they cause problems, and therefore it is impossible to predict how many grapesit would take to kill the pet. To be safe, if Rover has eaten any grapes, rush him to the vet, after all better safe than sorry. If the vet can treat him before hiskidneys are damaged, the dog can often be saved.

Tips if you are traveling with your pets for vocation

If you are traveling with family , you might want to invest in a little extra preparation and planning to make the trip better  for both you and your pets.  Each method of transportation presents with different obstacles, but  be careful planning can help you negotiate those obstacles with cookie cutter precision and reindeer fast speed.

First, no matter how you made plan on getting to your destination, the most necessary initial step is making sure your dog or cat is properly and even overly identified.  This means microchipped, collared and tagged and even travel tagged with your destination address and phone number.  Make it sure the collar is adjusted properly, so not too loose and also not too tight.  Double check that your critter’s microchip is still readable and correctly positioned.

 This can be performed by most veterinary offices oranimal shelters.Show your veterinarian a little Christmas cheer by getting your pet in for a wellness check that includes vaccinations if necessary.  This is an necessary step especially if you are going by air or crossing state or country lines.  Your veterinarian will be able to provide you with any relevant paperwork for these occasions.  It’s also a good idea to make sure your pet is healthy enough to travel.  If you thinktraveling is stressful, just imagine whatit can be like for your little pals.  We all know that stress can trigger illness, so making sure your pooch or cat don’t have any underlying health concerns before dumping on the stress will makeeveryone’s sleigh bells ring.Hitting That Wide Open RoadIf your furry friends are taking the backseat on a road trip this winter, it’s going to take more than just loading them up and taking off.  Make it sure they have a safe and comfortable area free from loose luggage, holiday treats,presents, etc.  These not only possess an ingestion risk but also can topple over on them when taking those curves.If your pet(cat and dog) is an inexperienced passenger, awell-ventilated cratewould be the best answer.  This prevents Rover or Fluffy from roaming where they shouldn’t be (the driver’s seat) and also protects them from falling objects.  Some more anxious animals may be more comfortable in a crate, especially if it contains their normal bedding and toys.  Help ease them into traveling by taking them on several short trips in the months and weeks leading up to your vacation so that they can get their ‘car legs’ underneath them.More experienced canine riders may prefer apet seat beltrather than crate. This will provide them with a better vantage point of the winter wonderlandand may make them a more jolly passenger.  Again, if your pet is new to the seatbelt, a few practice runs earlier in the season will make using it easier for you and him. We have also preparedaguide on how to select the right dog restraint.Pets can also travel safely in SUVs or hatchbacks by using apet gatethat keeps them confined to the back of thecar.  The pet gate needs to go from the floor of the car all the way to the ceiling to properly corral them.  If this is your preferred method, don’t stack any luggage back there with them as things can shift during transport.Whatever your method, it is best to never leave your pet free to roam in your car, no matter how experienced they are.  With longer trips and winter driving conditions sometimes being unpredictable, a loose pet can cause unwanted disturbances as you go on your merry way.Also, pack an emergency kit for your pet, just as you would yourself.  This should include food, water, and extra blankets for bedding or warmth.  That way if your trip ends up taking longer than expected or you encounter car or weather troubles, your critter will be safe and cared for.Taking to the SkiesIf air travel is on your list this holiday season, nothing can be more helpful than speaking with your airline prior to the trip.  They will identify the exact paperwork and crate specifications your little buddy will need to quickly clear that holiday security line.If your pup or kitty is riding in the cabinwith you, make sure he is confined in a safe and propercrate or carrier.  You don’t want to be chasing as escapee through a crowded airport.  Also, make sure your crate has proper and easily viewable identification on it in case it somehow gets separated from you.  Keep your pup on a leash whenever he’s out of the crate, which should onlybe for potty breaks.If your pet is too large to fit in the cabin, please consider leaving them at home.  In most areas of the country, it is too cold to have pets in the cargo area and most airlines won’t accept them.  If leaving them home is absolutely not an option for you, make sure you have a proper crate that is large enough for your critter to turn around in and sturdy enough to protecthim from other luggage.  Provide him with absorbent, warm bedding.  You can also provide water by freezing some in a dish.  This helps prevent spillage and your animal might enjoy the entertainment of licking the ice cube.  Over-identify your crate with yourpersonal information as well as your destination’s information.  You should also mark ‘Live Animal’ on there so airport personnel know to handle with care.Pet Hotel versus TravelingFinally, if you are traveling but leaving your furry family at home, there are a few things you can do to make this transition easier.If your pet is going to a boarding facility, make sure they are up-to-date on vaccinations.  This will help prevent contagious illnesses they may come in contact with.  If your pet is new to this type of vacation, consider boarding himfor short stays prior to the main event to get him more comfortable.  It’s a good idea for you to check out the situation beforehand as well.  This will help you make the choice between a stand-alone boarding facility, veterinaryclinic, or someone’s in-home facility.If boarding doesn’t seem to be your cupof hot chocolate, you can always have someone come into your home.  This let’s Rover and Fluffy maintain their at-home comforts while still being cared for on a daily basis.  Make sure you find someone you trust and that comes well referenced.  Again, a trial run prior to the trip is never a bad or naughty idea.Make the most wonderful time of the year even more wonderful and stress-free with careful planning.  If you are traveling with your beloved pet this year, it is especially important to plan to ensure that everyone arrives at their destination safely and joyfully.  Planning ahead means visiting your veterinarian and knowing the paperwork guidelines for clearing airline security.  It also means practicing to make sure your pet can make the trip as comfortably and merrily as possible.

Train your dog to pick things back

Train your dog to do advanced tricks like find something or bring their food bowl ,We all know those talented dogs who work as assistance dogs and can complete detailed and complicated tasks such as helping their owner do shopping, answer the phone, open the fridge or recognise signs of low blood sugar. While many of these tasks could be beyond our reach, it certainly is possible to train your dog to bring you things back, find people and understand basic words. With just ten minutes a day, you can teach your dog to do this.

The easy way to teach tricks is to clicker train your dog. The idea is that the clicker tells your dog that he is on the right track in learning a skill. It means you can be a distance away from your dog and reward at the spot the behavior you want in a very precise way. You can click a slight eye movement in your dog for example. There is no ambiguity in what your dog is being rewarded for
I will

 Clickers allow you to shape behavior, which essentially means encouraging and rewarding closer and closer approximations to the behavior you want. The clicker should always be paired with a treat, your dog needs to know that whenever you ‘click’ he will get a treat.

always keep in mind training period short to reduce frustration and enhance concentration, ten  minutes is perfect. Remember to always reward after clicking your dog and reward within 3 seconds. The more you train with your dog, the more he will experiment with behaviors during training period to work out what you want him to do. When teaching a difficult command, you can give your dog a ‘jackpot’ of lots of treats and a big cuddle and praise when he finally gets it right.Training should be fun for you and yourdog, so whenever you complete a training session, always end on a positive note. If you are both getting frustrated, ask your dog to do something he knows how to do and reward him for that. Never end on a failure. The following video has some great training advice and features the clicker and how to shape behaviors.

Use the ‘take it’ commands to get your dog to pick up a toy or a thing, then click and reward when he takes a step towards you. You may need to encourage your dog by tapping your side. Click and reward even a slight movement towards you. When he is reliably coming to you with the toy, pair the action with ‘bring it’

Train your cats to use litter box

cIt feels amazing that kittens are as clean as they are. Contrast a kitten with a puppy of the same age and you’ll soon realize our feline friends are a lot quicker to learn where the toilet is.

This is because they learn by watching the mother and copying each other habits .For those fortunate enough to experience the joy of a litter of kittens in the house, you can expect the Mamacat to do the bulk of the toilet training. All you need do is provide  her the right tools to teach her kittens, and then sit back with a cup of  coffee and enjoy their antics.Thus, simply provide a large litter box with low sides that contains plenty of non-clumping cat litter.

Use non-clumping litter for kittens as they will investigate it with their mouths. When swallowed, clumping cat litter could cause a gut blockage.For tiny cats, lie a book beside the tray to act as a step to help them get inand out. Locate the tray in a quiet corner of the room, but well away from their food and water. Hopefully Mama Cat will pop in to do her business, with the kittens hot on her heels. Then they will watch, and learn.

litter tray cleanliness and kittens.Scent markers from pee and poop help attract the kittens to the tray.Whilst the tray should be kept so clean, don’t swoop straight in but to wait a few hours before spot-cleaning. This helps the youngsters get a stronger sense of what is a toilet area and what isn’t.Homing a Cat and Teaching Good Litter Box Habits What do you do when bringing a kitten or new cat home?Help matters along with a little forethought and planning. This applies equally to homing an adult cat as well as a kitten. The first thing is to find outfrom the rescue or breeder what type of substrate  the kitten is used to. Be specific. example, if they use a clay-based litter find out what the brand is. This is because kittens are creatures of habit and far more likely totoilet in the right place when they recognize the substrate. Go with this for now…you can always change litter further down the line.The other basic  point is to introduce the cat to one room at a time. Set up one room as the cat’s starter home, complete with food, water, bed, hiding place, scratch post, toys, and litter tray. By introducing a limited world, the cat will find her pawsmore quickly. Then once she is confidently coming out to say, “Hello” you can expand her horizons.

You wouldn’t want to eat your dinner sitting beside a toilet, and neither does your cat. Put food and water bowls on the different side of the room to the tray.

Teach  the cat where the tray is, and make gentle digging motions in the clean litter to help the penny to drop.

Train your dog to shake hand with others

Teaching your pet especially dog to shake hands is a great party trick and one that is easily taught. You can even get the kids involved in this training.Most children over the age of 7 years can be taught basic training techniques and in fact many children are more persistent than adults when itcomes to training the family pet
Basic need is ;Patience,1 dog preferably with at least 1 front paw
Small tasty treats that don’t take long to chew (use something high value such as bbq chicken orliver treatsif your dog is hard to motivate, or train when he is feeling hungry)
Just five minutes each day Steps to Teach ‘Shake’hands
Assuming your dog can sit, the first step is to get him in position.
You learn to train your dog to sit in on this blog
2.Hold a treat in your hand and show him the treat (it may be useful to have the remaining treats easy to access in a pouch or pocket), then close your fist over the treat.
3.Hold the treat, in your closed fist close to his foot, about  five cm/2in off the ground.
4.If your dog stands up, ask your dog to sit again.
5.If your dog lifts his paw even a little, or even shifts weight onto the other paw, tell him he is a good boy and give him the treat.6.few dogs will bat at your hand to get the treat, so as soon as this happens open your hand to reveal the treat and tell him ‘good’ or ‘yes’, whatever your signal is for doing the right thing.
7.during this time your other hand should be held out flat to ‘shake. Hand’ when your dog lifts his paw, so you can grab his paw while he takes the treat.
8.Reward him at the spot when he does the correct thing, even if he only lifts his foot a little bit the first time.
9.When he is feeling reliable lifting his paw for a treat, add the word ‘shake hand’.
10.Gradually phase out the treats, so he only gets a treat intermittently once you are sure he knows the trick.Hints and Tips
Just practice for 5-10 minutes every day, any longer and you will both get tired and frustrated.

Always end on a positive note, if you are getting frustrated and your dog is not getting it’, go back to a trick he does know and reward him for that.
Avoid treats that need to be chewed for long periods, or you will spend most of your time watching him eat.
Clicker trainingis another great way to shape behaviors like ‘shake hands’If you have a particularly stubborn dog, this is another way to teach ‘shake’.