Warm Weather Tips for You (reptiles list) and Your Long Haired Cat

August 17th, 2008 admin Posted in pets |

By Chris Jensen

No, cats don’t like water, so rule number one - don’t strap a life jacket on the cat and set it afloat in the pool, it’s just going to make the cat mad! My beautiful long haired boy cat can become very lethargic when the temperature goes way up. His sister, an American short hair does not seem to mind as much, but she also becomes a bit quieter when the mercury passes ninety degrees.

My boy is a Norwegian Forrest Cat and he is definitely designed for cold weather. He has a lot of thick fur that forms an undercoat for his long fur, and that provides insulation against the warm as well as against the cold. So rule number two- don’t try to shave the cat. It doesn’t help them at all and it could end in serious injury for you! Any creature can suffer from dehydration. In warm weather cats need to drink more water than normal, just like us humans.

However, cats can be very fussy about their water supply. Cats like their water to be in the same spot, just where they like it. Cats tend to prefer water that is running and like to drink out of faucets, although I don’t recommend it for them. What works better is a running fountain water bowl, available at almost any store that sells pet supplies. Make sure to change the water daily and clean the fountain once a week. To do this you have to take it apart, but hey, it’s worth the trouble, you do love your cat right?

Another tip about water for the cats- they don’t like odd or unknown things floating in the water, so rule number three- don’t put ice cubes in the cat bowl, they just think there is something that does not belong in the water, and they won’t drink at all!

Last but not least, provide a cool floor for the long haired cat to flop down on. If you have a tile entry or kitchen or maybe even bath, take the rugs up so there is a nice cool floor for the cat to enjoy. It’s really the best place for a long haired cat in the heat of summer. They can stretch out with belly to the floor and enjoy that cool feeling.

If it’s really hot, you can just sprawl out down there with them, but, rule number four- do not, I repeat do not wake them while they are napping! If you do, they are just going to get up and go find a spot away from you and it might not be so cool there!

Chris Jensen is a contributing author of Jetfly Blog. For more related articles and views visit Jetfly Pets & Animals Blog now. Also, for the best up-to-date related online products, check out Jetfly Cat Feeder Supplies Shop for todays current online deals.

The Benefits Of Feeding Your Dogs Quality Dog Food
By Chris Jensen

The number one draw back being the cost difference. Regardless of cost, you should strive to treat your animal as well as you do yourself if not better. The less expensive brands are exactly that: cheap in price as well as quality. Many veternarians have likened some of these dog foods to pouring gravy over cardboard and serving it up to our much loved friends. It will fill the space in their stomachs but it won’t give them the nutrients they need to thrive.

You’ll find that once your pet adapts to the higher levels of nutrients and good calories they tend to eat less of the higher quality dog food than they did with the lesser versions. The long and short term benefits of this upgrade are innumerable. Higher quality foods, including home made dog food recipes which are abundant and easy to find online if you search for “home made dog food”, provide your animal with a shinier coat, clear eyes, normal bowel movements and a generally happier disposition.

Many dogs are allergic to the lower quality ingredients found in cheap dog food. You might find that with a better dog food your pet will have less “itchies” and shed far less as well. Better health decreases the amount of yeast in the ears which some breeds are prone to.

Also once they have the nutrients they need their bodies will be capable of healing faster after a surgery, accident or procedure. Animals learn best when their needs are met. So if you’ve been relying on low quality food and haven’t had much luck with training, changing to a higher quality might be part of the answer. No one feels like producing good work when they’re hungry or living on a diet of garbage. Same holds true with our furry friends.

Own a big and beautiful Saint Bernard. Adopted him after he was hit by a semi truck, no kidding, and walked away with just a scratch. After the stitches were in place his owner decided that he wasn’t what they considered to be “show quality” and dumped him at a shelter. We brought him home and kept him on the generic brand food the shelter had been feeding him.

He had a few raw spots on his legs and back that we attributed to a rash he’d acquired in the kennel. I took him back to the shelter to see what they recommended. A simple ointment was the suggestion I left with and after 2 weeks it had done no good. He had been steadily having loose bowel movements and I worried, took him to my vet and after a few minutes she came out with a diagnosis. He wasn’t getting enough protein from the food in his diet.

Upgraded to the next most expensive brand, thinking that a 180 pound dog would eat me out of house and home. His rashes got a bit better and a couple of them went away. It wasn’t until I bit the bullet and went in for the higher quality food that saw the best results. After 3 weeks his raw and tender spots were completely healed, his itchy ears were under control and his demeanor had calmed immensely.

Now he has a full, gorgeous coat and has gained almost 50 pounds. I am a firm believer that your results are determined by what you put into it. Animals need to have a good diet as much or more than humans do. It’s essential in every aspect of their being and to cheap out on the care you provide them is not only unnecessary and detrimental, but uncaring and neglectful.

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