Tag Archives: cats

Feline Body Language, Pt. 1

After writing about how to introduce pets to newborns, I started thinking about pet body language. By reading that we can most easily determine our pet’s moods, and thus intervene before a potentially negative situation could become worse. Also, we all wonder from time to time what our pets are thinking, and interpreting body language is about the closest we can come to learning that. Amy D. Shojai, author of over 20 books on pet behavior, recently posted two articles on website Paw Nation on what various positions and sounds indicate about feline and canine moods and thoughts. First I … Continue reading →

Introducing Pets to Newborns, Pt. 3

Today I conclude my examination of how to introduce a household’s pets to newborns. On Monday I looked at how expectant parents can prepare their pets for the infant’s arrival; today I’ll outline the steps you can take after the baby is born. When it’s about time to bring the baby home from the hospital, first take something with the newborn’s scent on it, like a burping cloth, back to the house. This is most effective for dogs but can also help cats with the adjustment. Pets will then find the baby’s scent familiar once the infant itself arrives. You … Continue reading →

Introducing Pets to Newborns, Pt. 2

Last week I started a series on how to introduce your newborn children to the household pets. I stressed that the most important thing you can do to make the transition as smooth as possible for all family members, human and animal alike, is to make sure pets still receive some exclusive attention. Today I’ll look at some other things you can do before the baby arrives to help prepare your pet. Both expectant and new parents have several options to prepare and properly train pets to be around babies. The nine months of pregnancy afford you invaluable time to … Continue reading →

Introducing Pets to Newborns, Pt. 1

I am currently babysitting the newborn of a friend until the baby is old enough to go to daycare. The baby will only be at my house for six days, but this is a good opportunity to begin training my dog in how to behave around infants once the time comes for me to have a baby of my own. My dog behaved better than I feared when my friend arrived with her newborn. Our previous experiences with Chihiro at the houses of friends with babies indicated that she might constantly try licking the baby’s face, something she does with … Continue reading →

Is Age Important When Buying Pet Food?

A recent survey conducted by polling company Ipsos Public Affairs on behalf of Iams found that most people consider ingredients the most important factor in what type of food they buy for their pets. The pet’s personal preference was frequently the second most popular factor, followed by price and then recommendations from friends or veterinarians. What’s got many pet websites and news agencies in a tizzy is the least most considered factor when people purchase pet food: age. Not the age of the food, but the age of the pet. Only one in ten people said that the age of … Continue reading →

Finding the Right Fit

It’s one thing to purchase a digital camera with the intention of simply documenting your family’s Kodak moments, but it’s quite another when you are trying to make a living by selling your shots. My grandfather was a professional photographer. His portrait studio was located in Hilo, Hawaii, and for years he was able to turn his passion for photography into a healthy profit. However, it took him years to find his niche and make a living by taking pictures. If you are looking to make a career by taking pictures, you need to have some business savvy, as well … Continue reading →

How Often to Immunize Dogs and Cats

Now that both of my pets are two years old they don’t need annual immunizations anymore. However, because some veterinarians still push for yearly shots, it’s tricky to determine which your pets need and when. Although some states still require yearly rabies vaccinations (and you should check to see if that’s the case in your state), the truth is that as long as adult cats and dogs receive their rabies shots on a regular schedule, after their shot when they turn one year of age they only need the immunization, at most, once every three years. Cats and dogs need … Continue reading →

The Best Animals on the Internet

I thought I would use today’s blog to have some lighthearted fun to send us into the long weekend. I’m highlighting my favorite animal videos and stories that I’ve found around the web. They’re not long enough to warrant entire posts like the times I’ve talked about dog and capybara best friends or countries-crossing cats, but altogether they’ll make for an amusing way to start off the weekend early. The first video I want to share—my absolute favorite animal video online—features two adorable otters. They might be good friends or maybe they’re sweethearts, but they spend the majority of the … Continue reading →

Those Dreaded Allergies

After a year of having severe allergy problems, including a persistent cough, that followed my seasonal allergies and never went away, I finally went to the allergist. There I heard the news that every pet owner dreads: I’m allergic to one of my animals. My exchange with the doctor went something like this: he told me I was allergic to cats. I said that was strange, because although I’d been having problems I currently own a cat and have lived with one at several points in my life. I’d been told I had other severe allergies, so I guessed my … Continue reading →

“Psychic” Pets

A recent poll reported by Newser.com and conducted by The Associated Press and Petside.com concluded that many American pet owners believe that their pets are psychic or have a sixth sense on some level. The actual details vary depending on what questions people were asked. According to the poll, 2/3 of American pet owners believe that animals have a sixth sense about bad weather, and 43% of the people polled say their pets can predict bad news. Owners of both cats and dogs claimed that their feline or canine pets warned them either about poor weather or upcoming bad news. … Continue reading →