Did you know that rabbits are the third most surrendered pet at your neighborhood shelter? All too often rabbits bought as Easter pets soon become neglected and abandoned. Please share, help save lives.
4 Reasons Why Your Cats Won't Use Their Litter Box
It’s always heartbreaking to learn that a cat was surrendered to the shelter because he or she wouldn’t use the litter box because there are medical reasons or perhaps a competition with another pet in the house that causes a cat to not want to use the litter box. It is only in rare cases that a cat would choose to not use a litter box for no good reason. Here are some different factors to consider if your cat begins to stray away from the litter box and what you can do to help:
Medical
If a cat suddenly stops using a litter box, get them checked out by their vet ASAP. This could be a sign of a medical condition such as a UTI, cystitis, diabetes or thyroid issues to name a few so ruling out any medical issues is the first step.
Behavioral
If medical reasons have been ruled out, it’s time to start looking at factors in your own home. Changes in a cat’s environment, even if they seem minor to humans, can completely alter a cat’s use of the litter box. Things such as a new baby in the home, changing the location of the litter box or even a new type of litter can all be reasons for a cat to reject their routine.
Adding additional litter boxes in different locations, cleaning the accidents thoroughly with a neutralizing enzyme such as Nature's Miracle, adding Cat Attract litter to the litter box, and using Feliway diffusers (a synthetic pheromone) are excellent and cost effective remedies. Another important tip to remember is most cats prefer their box very clean before they use it so cleaning it frequently will encourage your cat to go back to that space.
Location
Location of the litter box can also play into a cat’s comfort in using that specific box. If their box is placed next to a noisy appliance or in a location they have trouble accessing that could deter them from using it and finding a place more convenient and comfortable instead (like your new rug or favorite pair of shoes).
Multiple Cats
In a multi-cat home having multiple litter boxes is a must. Some cats prefer to not share a box or may prefer a very clean box so having multiple litter boxes helps avoid potential issues. This may mean using different litter for each cat or using covered and uncovered boxes depending on the preference of each cat. Another critical issue can be not only other cats but dogs as well. Making sure your cat has a litter box away from where a dog could chase or frighten them allows your cat to feel comfortable in that location.
If these suggestions fail to work and feel that surrendering your cat is the best option please reach out to your local veterinarian, pet sitter, or shelter staff for further advice.
6 Purrfect Hairball Remedies to Make Your Cat (and You!) Happy
Do you feel like you've tried every remedy known to man to prevent your cat from having to go through uncomfortable hairball symptoms like coughing, gagging, hacking, and vomiting? In my home and in many of my client's homes over the years I've had to clean up many hairballs and, believe me, it has never been pretty so I did some research to find simple remedies to combat this issue head on! Here's what I've found and I certainly hope they make you and your cat happy!
Canned Pumpkin
This orange vegetable can help hairballs pass all the way through your cat’s system. Mix in one to two tablespoons plain canned pumpkin to your cat’s food each day or a couple times a week. You can add it as is, but for cats with a sensitive stomach, warm up the pumpkin. The natural fiber in pumpkin keeps your cat regular and assists pushing swallowed hair out with bowl movements.
Olive Oil
A teaspoon of olive oil every week or so should do the trick. Oil throughout the digestive system will help your cat eliminate hair in its stools and aid in digestion. This should cut down on stomach aches associated with hairballs. Other oils, such as mineral oil, corn oil or saffron oil can also help.
Butter
A teaspoon of butter will work like the oil. Melt it in the microwave and drizzle over your cat’s food once a week.
Cat Food
As a precautionary measure or if hairballs are a persistent problem in your cat’s lives, feed a hairball formula food. Hairball formula food helps hairballs to pass out the other end while improving hair and skin health and reducing shedding.Grooming
Brush your cat daily to decrease the amount of hair that is ingested. To remove as much loose hair as possible, wipe her down with a damp cloth in the direction of hair growth after brushing. Assisting with grooming is especially important for long haired cats and older cats.
Petroleum Jelly
You can trick your cat into relieving his or her own problems by applying a bit of petroleum jelly to a paw. Your cat is sure to lick the jelly away, lubricating the digestive track. This will help make feces elimination more comfortable, thus removing hair in the cat’s digestive tract. Do this once a week or so.
Which of these remedies have you tried and what were the results? Are there any other remedies that I forgot to mention here that you'd like to add? Please leave a comment below! Thank you!
Levi and Bijoux Enjoy In-Home Pet Care
Don't let Levi's lazy posture fool you into thinking that he was miserable having a pet sitter take care of him while his parent's were away! He was, in fact, happy to lounge on his very own cat tree rather than stay in an unfamiliar kennel boarding facility and his sister,
Bijoux, felt the same way!
Under my care they relaxed while I filled their food and water bowls, scooped their litter box, and gave them plenty of belly rubs during each visit!
If you live in the Dover, New Hampshire, area and are in need of a caring, professional pet sitter please consider hiring Teacher's Pet Sitting Service to take care of all of your cat's needs!
Maisey's Sweater Collection
As a professional pet sitter I've been asked to do a lot of things to make sure my buddies are comfortable so it was of no surprise to me to be asked to make sure Maisey got changed into a clean and dry sweater after she did her business!
After admiring her in her lavender sweater at the beginning of the visit I took it off and then chose a new one from her
collection! These sweaters are all handmade with a lot of love by her mom! Aren't they precious?
Here she is looking cute in pink,
yellow and gray,
blue,
and bold stripes!
Which one is your favorite?
Rufus and Maebe Enjoy the Benefits of In-Home Pet Care
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| Maebe, my Daisy, and Rufus pose after walking in downtown Dover! |
Have you ever thought that in-home pet care keeps your pets from the socialization that kennel care provides? Maebe and Rufus have been delighted to socialize with my dog, Daisy, for 30 - 60 minutes per visit since Friday while their parents are out of town! In addition to befriending a new pack member they have consistently met neighbors, other dogs, and store owners along the way and this fun combination has
tired these precious pups out! The other great thing about in-home pet care is that pets get to relax on THEIR couch in between visits which is so much nicer than them trying to relax on an UNFAMILIAR floor or bed at the kennel!
Let me provide you and your pets with the peace of mind that is well deserved! Leave your pets in the comfort of their own home and let me give your pets the same level of care they receive from you!
For more information about my services, please visit www.teacherspetsitservice.com today!
If you live outside of the Dover, NH, area you can easily locate a professional pet sitter on the Pet Sitters International website!
2 Reasons Why Ajax Loves His Backpack
Hi Folks!
Do you remember me? I'm Ajax, the kinda nervous fella who has been getting walking lessons from my patient friend, April, and her pup, Daisy for a little while!
What you probably don't recognize is this fancy Outward Hound backpack (less than $20) that I started wearing a few times all on account of my mom and April thinking I needed a job to do (carrying weights is a V-E-R-Y important job you know!) while I was out and about!
April also thinks the backpack serves as a kinda security blanket that calms me down when I see and hear cars (I H-A-T-E CARS!!!) and I think she's right because as soon as she puts the backpack on me I calm way, way down!
I'm telling you FUR real that this backpack has helped me go further and further down the road with more confidence than I ever had before!
Does your dog have a backpack? If so, what does he/she love about it? Please comment below!
Del Was Full of PURRsonality This Weekend!
This past weekend Del showed me he could be serious,
hungry,
playful,
curious,
and sleepy at various times during each visit!
If you have a cat who lives in the Dover, New Hampshire area who has a lot of PURRsonality (who doesn't?) please consider giving Teacher's Pet Sitting Service a call! I will go to great lengths to make sure your cat receives the same loving care he/she deserves at each visit!
Doing Laundry Is a Treat for Daisy!
Doing laundry has never been something I look forward to until yesterday when a very pleasant laundry attendant named Amber invited Daisy inside!
At first, Daisy was a little spooked by the sounds of whirling clothes and rolling carts but with some reassurance from me and
and some coaxing from Amber to walk to the counter to get a
treat Daisy soon realized that the laundromat is a safe place to be!
As with everyone who meets Daisy, Amber was instantly smitten with her and soon enough she taught Daisy a new trick which was to
coax her into taking a milk bone from her mouth rather than from her hand! As you can see from the picture above, Daisy was confused by this request but eventually she caught on
and then got a sweet kiss from her now favorite laundry attendant!
Needless to say, I won't be doing laundry by myself anymore thanks to the kind people at 75 Broadway Laundromat in Dover, New Hampshire!
Does your laundromat allow your dog to "help" with your laundry? If so, what has that experience been like for you and your dog?