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Strange Facts About Cats

Did you know cats sleep an average of 16-18 hours per day? Or that cats respond better to woman than to men? These strange fun facts and more are below...

from ThePetsCentral.com

Volunteer Work: Fostering a Dog

Being a Foster Care provider to a dog in need takes a considerable amount of time, dedication, patience, and genuine caring. It is perhaps the biggest commitment one can make in volunteer work; it is not a job for everyone. Yet the fulfillment and sense of purpose you receive in knowing that you helped one more dog find its way into a safe, happy home is overwhelming each time you successfully place a dog.

©2010 Tim Dawson Photography.


People who foster dogs are there to help, teach, care for and love a dog, but at the same time must manage not to "bond" too strongly with him and jeopardize the chance for a successful adoption when the right person comes along.

Foster care providers spend a great deal of time and energy learning about and loving those dogs that need guidance and shelter until a new home is found for them. Typically the dogs that will require foster care are those that need help the most: elderly dogs, dogs with behavioral problems, dogs that are not used to living indoors, dogs with health problems or a mother and her litter, or dogs that are dangerously close to being put down in a shelter - all of these are often in need of a temporary home and care in between being rescued and going to a new permanent home.

What does it take to foster a dog?

To have a successful foster care home, there are certain things you'll need to know about and have on hand to create the most positive atmosphere for both you and the dog. Some of these include:

• A true love of dogs
  
• Endless patience
  
• Time to work with the dog
  
• Some money to cover food costs; rescue groups often pay medical bills
  
• Basic supplies: food, toys, a leash and collar, dishes
  
• A crate or dog-proof, uncarpeted room for house training
  
• Someone who is home a great deal of the time
  
• A securely fenced-in yard
  
• Knowledge of canine training and behavior
  
• Current vaccinations on any pets you already have
  
• The ability to say "no" to any potential adopters who aren't a good match for the dog

Active Cats at Night

It’s not an uncommon problem among cat owners: Just as you’re settling into sleep you’re awoken by the thundering of cat paws racing around the house, jumping over furniture or batting at toys. Or, less subtle cats might spend the night meowing on your bed, nipping at your toes, or walking on your face. Dr. Jane Brunt, executive director of the CATalyst Council and past president of the American Association of Feline Practitioners, offers tips on how to keep our otherwise nocturnal cats on the day shift.

 Listen to the Podcast from the AVMA

Keeping Pets Calm During Fireworks & Thunderstorms

Prepare for July 4th... Along with the fun and sun, the summer months also brings with them loud noises, such as fireworks and thunderstorms, which often trigger a fearful reaction in pets. Unfortunately, some pets express fear by being destructive, excessive barking, or other anxious behavior such as cowering, drooling, or shaking. To alleviate the stress, consider following these five tips...

Provide a Safe Spot

Whether it's a closet or a crate, it's good for dogs and cats to have a go-to place for relaxing or hiding away. A closet or crate, when your pet seeks out such a space, can provide a safe and secure feeling, much like a den. However, if a crate or closet creates more anxiety, it should not be used. Very often, a crate is more effective is your pet has grown up using a crate since they were young.

Never leave pets alone outdoors, even if tethered or in a fenced yard. Keep pets on leash or in a carrier if they must be outside. Dogs, especially, may escape and become lost or injure themselves chewing or choking on their leashes. Keep small pets indoors, preferably in a room without windows, and horses in their stalls. Keep I.D. tags current so the pet and owner can be reunited if loud noises cause it to run away.

Counteract the Noise

Distracting your pet with the TV, radio—classical music works well—or other "white noise" is will work to combat sounds of thunderstorms, fireworks and the like. Just make sure your alternative to the fearful sounds is not being played at a deafening decibel too. This may inadvertently add to your pet’s stress level.

Use Desensitization

There are some pets that are able to overcome their fears by listening to CDs or audio recordings of the loud noises during times of calm. Play it at a low volume while plying your dog or cat with positive stimuli, such as treats and affectionate petting. Slowly increase the volume over a period of weeks until it reaches the levels your pet would encounter in real life.

If things are becoming overwhelming, seek professional help. A veterinarian can advise about giving a mild sedative or tranquilizer to calm the fears of an over-stressed dog, cat or horse. There are also board certified veterinary behaviorists that are skilled in handling these types of situations. In the end veterinarians want the same thing you want — for your pet not to suffer.

Today is Take Your Dog to Work Day!

Dog lovers and worker bees, Friday, June 22, is your day: It's Take Your Dog to Work Day! So reach out to your boss and let him or her know that Fido will be joining your morning call. Here are a few tips to help prepare your office…and win over your co-workers.

Be Considerate
Talk to your colleagues and cube-mates before the big day. Are they scared of dogs? Do they have allergies? We know dogs are cute and cuddly, but alas, they aren't for everyone. Consider bringing a baby gate and fashioning a makeshift playpen or ex-pen to keep your dog away from those who aren't fond of the fur kind.

Brush Up on Your Manners
Go over Sit, Stay and Come, and you should be off to a great start. Please note, if your little furry one still hasn't quite gotten the hang of the whole manners thing, you may want to hold off on bringing her into the office until she's honed her skills.

Prep a Doggy Daypack
Bring food, water, treats, toys, blankets, a leash and paper towels to clean up any accidents. Also, think about whether your job will require you to be away from your pup at any point and how you’ll keep her confined to your workspace.

Dog-Proof Your Workspace
This may mean taping up loose electrical cords and wires, putting markers and other toxic-but-tempting office supplies away in drawers, and removing plants, rugs and breakables.

For more expert tips, visit our Top 10 Office Etiquette Tips for Dogs.

Declawing cats: last resort

Pet doctor: Declawing is painful; try some alternatives

Declawing a cat involves removing the third bone of digits and is a painful procedure performed by a veterinarian while the cat is under anesthesia. Veterinarian Christie Long writes that most veterinarians suggest several ways to curtail destructive cat scratching before agreeing to declaw a cat, including adding scratching posts treated with catnip to the home.

Does declawing a cat cause pain? I have no doubt that it does. Amongst veterinarians and those involved in animal welfare, declawing is extremely controversial, with many veterinarians refusing to perform the procedure and entire cities in California and elsewhere enacting bans against it.

full article here

Keeping Your Cat Young

For those families adding a feline member during Adopt-a-Cat Month this June, keeping your cat young and in good health is a priority. Here are the Animal Medical Center’s top six tips to achieving purrfect health and maintaining a long life for your feline family member.

1.  Give your cat a routine. Research has shown changes in feeding schedule or in caretaker can result in “illness behaviors” such as having a poor appetite, vomiting and not using the litter box. Basically, cats don’t like surprises.

2.  Provide your cat with an interesting environment. Cats need climbing structures where they have a good view of the room and a window with an outdoor view.  The perch should be comfortable for resting.  Leave a radio on tuned to quiet music when you are away.

3. Encourage your cat to hunt. Not outdoors, but indoor hunting.  Use food dispensing toys such as the FunKitty line.  Keeping your cat’s brain active by having her “hunt” for her food will keep her engaged and active longer.

4. Cats may have a “hands off” personality, but when it comes to healthcare you need to be hands on, and the hands should be those of your cat’s veterinarian. Visit your cat’s veterinarian for routine health checks at least once a year and twice a year if your cat is 10 years of age or older.

5. Clean your cat’s teeth regularly. The American Veterinary Dental College and the AMC Dental Service recommend daily tooth brushing and annual cleanings under general anesthesia.

article post here

How to select a dog trainer

Selecting a Dog Trainer

Dogs aren’t born programmed to sit, stay, or heel, but they are born ready to learn, and a good trainer can be an invaluable asset in helping your puppy become a well-behaved dog. In this podcast from the AVMA Media Library, certified animal behaviorist Dr. Suzanne Hetts discusses what you should look for when selecting a dog trainer.

Download here

Pet owners faking service-dog credentials to get pets into eateries, housing

Owners and trainers of service dogs are increasingly angry at pet owners who pass their animals off as service dogs by using phony credentials.

The imposters go to the Internet to buy vests, ID cards and certificates for their dogs. The deception allows their pets to live in restricted housing, accompany them inside restaurants and hotels or fly for free in airplane cabins rather than in cargo holds.

"I don't want to say it's a scam, but it is a scam," said Nick Kutsukos, 72, who runs Elite K9 Academy in Jupiter and has trained service dogs for 40 years. People who fake a disability and/or pretend their pet is a service animal risk at least a fine or, in extreme cases, federal fraud charges.

Getting certification is as easy as filling out a form online, sending in your money and perhaps a photograph of your dog. You can pay from $20 to $300. An owner gets a specially marked dog vest or collar, dog identification tags or ID cards, a certificate, training DVDs, information CDs and other official-looking items.

But none of it is required by law.

full story here

Cats adore, manipulate women

Cats attach to humans, and particularly women, as social partners, and it's not just for the sake of obtaining food.

• Relationships between cats and their owners mirror human bonds, especially when the owner is a woman.
• Cats hold some control over when they are fed and handled, functioning very similar to human children in some households.
• While the age, sex and personality of owners affect these relationships, the sex of the cat doesn't seem to matter.

The bond between cats and their owners turns out to be far more intense than imagined, especially for cat aficionado women and their affection reciprocating felines, suggests a new study.

Cats attach to humans, and particularly women, as social partners, and it's not just for the sake of obtaining food, according to the new research, which has been accepted for publication in the journal Behavioural Processes.

The study is the first to show in detail that the dynamics underlying cat-human relationships are nearly identical to human-only bonds, with cats sometimes even becoming a furry "child" in nurturing homes.

For the study, led by Kurt Kotrschal of the Konrad Lorenz Research Station and the University of Vienna, the researchers videotaped and later analyzed interactions between 41 cats and their owners over lengthy four-part periods. Each and every behavior of both the cat and owner was noted. Owner and cat personalities were also assessed in a separate test. For the cat assessment, the authors placed a stuffed owl toy with large glass eyes on a floor so the feline would encounter it by surprise.

The researchers determined that cats and their owners strongly influenced each other, such that they were each often controlling the other's behaviors. Extroverted women with young, active cats enjoyed the greatest synchronicity, with cats in these relationships only having to use subtle cues, such as a single upright tail move, to signal desire for friendly contact.

full story here