You begin to notice subtle signs of your cat aging, but why does this make you feel sad?

Watching your feline friend slowing down, eating less and sleeping more if usually accompanied by a feeling of sadness for us.

Learning how to cope with and understand that you cat’s aging is a natural process, just as it is with people.

Preparing yourself mentally and emotionally are the best tools you can use to cope with the impending loss of your cat.

Talk to your veterinarian about health issues that will arise with your aging cat, signs to look for and discuss final arrangements (what to do with the body and such).

Being prepared and knowing in advance what to expect in the coming months/years and what to do what the day does arrive will help you cope with your loss.

Learn more about this at the website of Animal Medical Center South Boston.

... Read more »

Ideally, chinchillas should be provided daily dust baths, or at least several times a week. A dust bath is necessary for your chinchilla’s health. It will also prevent matting and keep your pet’s fur soft, clean, and in good form.

You can ask your local pet store for sanitized chinchilla dust, or make a 9:1 mixture of silver sand or volcanic ash and Fuller's earth. Don’t use beach sand or builder's sand. In a shallow pan, place about an inch of dust. Make sure that the pan has enough space for your chinchilla to roll over in.

Allow your chinchilla to have access to his dust bath for 20-60 minutes each day. Fecal material and waste should be removed from the dust. The dust may be reused until it appears clumpy. If you have two or more chinchillas, it is recommended to have a separate dust bath for each to prevent spread of diseases or parasites.

Never wash your chinchilla with water. If he does get wet, quickly dry him up by rolling h ... Read more »

Your pet is going to guide you on how to train it, so watch it carefully.

Pets have an amazing way of expressing themselves so that we understand them, what they want, where they want to go etc.

Training your pet is not as difficult as you may think. Allow them to show you what they are capable of and what they are willing to do for that treat.

Watch your pet for signs of disinterest or non-obedience, as they obviously do not want to do what you are trying to get them to do, so maybe figure out a different way of commanding your pet so that you get the desired result.

Animals in general are intelligent enough to be trained to execute simple functions, so try to keep the training as simple as you can and remember that some pets are just not able to be fully trained. To learn about training pets even more, follow this link to the site for the veterinary clinic Millsap.

... Read more »

You thought what most others do. You thought that having a cat would be a great idea, and now you are bitterly regretting your decision.

Getting “rid” of your cat seems to be the way to go, but how do you dump a cat?

Too many people get a kitten or a cat and after the fact, realize that it is a bit of work and a fairly high expense.

So, what happens now?

The amount of cats “discarded” and left to fend for themselves is disturbingly high. Usually thrown outside like a bag of garbage, people just ignore the cat and hope that it moves into a new area, and that someone else might take it in.

But this is not the case. Most cats that are left outside in the wild become victims of wild animals, or they starve to death, not possessing the skills needed for basic hunting and survival.

Animal shelters have reached an all-time high with the amount of stray cats that once were living in a home, with a family. If you want to ... Read more »