Reasons For Cat Eating Disorders

Finicky Eaters: It’s very rare to see a cat would pass up food for no apparent reason. However, there are a few finicky cats out there who are so choosy about what they eat that they end up being malnourished and underweight. These cats can become this way for a variety of reasons, but is typically the fault of the owner.

Cat owners get lazy and they buy the same old cat foods—canned after canned or pack after pack—until one day they realize that their cat isn’t eating the food anymore. The cats simply got sick of the same old food day after day. One way to counteract this problem is to cycle different flavors of cat food during the week, as well as try out different brands of cat food periodically.

Medical Issue: If your cat still refuses to eat despite all the various methods and is looking very thin, chances might be a medical problem which may be unknown to you and you may have to seek veterinarian help. But before you head to the veterinary clinic, check if your cat’s ribs if they are clearly visible. If they are, you would want to consult a veterinarian as soon as possible.

Trash Eating: If your cat isn’t eating the food you bought but still remain her usual weight, then most likely she is eating trash bin food. The problem is easily solved if you cover your indoor trash bin with lid on and secure it if necessary.

What if your trash bin is outdoor and is securely covered? Yours maybe, but what about others? Cats, by natural, are explorers who practically live outside the home if they figure a way to get out when you aren’t around at home. The solution to this is to make sure that your cat has totally no excess to outside the home without your supervision. So check for any possible areas (e.g. ventilation windows) that your cat could easily squeeze through to the outside world.

Although eating trash food may not seem like a major problem, but there is a good likelihood that your cat may eat something that is bad or toxic food or pick up fatal diseases while scavenging. So don’t wait until your cat got sick to do something about it.

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• Responsible Pet Ownership: What Is Expected of You?

Here are some of these common sounds and their body language and the probable meaning as we interpreted them:

• Making Cooing Sounds: Feeling contented and happy
• Teeth Chattering: Watch out! It’s a warning! Often followed by a bite or a fight
• Low Rumbling Sound: A warning of danger to fellow cavies
• High-pitched Squeals: “Help!” (to owner); “Leave me alone!” (to potential predator, during medical treatment, etc.)
• Repetitive Squeaks: Begging for food
• Stretching: Feeling relaxed
• Head Stretched Forward: Curious but watchful
• Jumping, aka “Popcoming”: “Whoopee!” – a sign of happiness
• Rigid Stance, Not Moving: Playing dead to escape from an enemy

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• Guinea Pig: Peruvian

Do You Have What It Takes To Be The Best Guinea Pig Caretaker?

Characteristics Of Guinea Pig

• Life Span: Guinea pigs have a lifespan of six to eight years, depending on heath and care.
• Guinea Pig Breeds: There are short-haired and long-haired varieties. Peruvians, Abyssinians, Shelties, Coronets, Texels, Alpacas and Merinos are some long-haired breeds.
• Show and Pet Quality Guinea Pigs: The most obvious difference between a show-quality and pet-quality cavy lies in the facial features. Only a show-quality cavy would have a “Roman” nose, petal-like ears, and a solid body resembling a small teddy bear’s.

Housing Guinea Pig

• Housing Maintenance: Change cage linings twice weekly, feed daily, and supply fresh water daily too.
• Pairing: Guinea pigs are social animals, it’s best to keep more than one. Do not, however, cage two mature males together as they will fight; quite often one of both get seriously injured.

Diet Requirements For Guinea Pig

• Diet: Healthy eating means fresh pellets as the staple diet, lots of hay, and some fruits or vegetables. Vitamin C is essential. Avoid cabbage and lettuce to prevent colic.

Guinea Pig Grooming Needs

• Long-haired Cavies: Long-haired cavies require daily or at least thrice weekly grooming, as they need more grooming to prevent tangled hair. They also require twice monthly bath to prevent foul smell. Alternatively, you could trim your long-haired cavy’s coat down to lessen the grooming burden. However, you have to do this trimming once every 6 to 8 weeks.
• Short-haired Cavies: If you drag daily grooming routine, you may want to opt for a short-haired breeds as they require very minimum or no grooming at all. Of course, it’s good to give them once monthly bath to keep them smelling fresh and health.

Guinea Pig Behavior

• Body Language: They communicate through body language and a range of sounds. (Stay tune for the next article on guinea pig’s behavioral language.)

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What You Can Expect Once You Take Over Pet Ownership

Dogs

• Cost of Food: $5 to $20 per pack (for small breeds).
• Grooming: From $35. Long-haired breeds require daily brushing and regular visits to the dog groomer.
• Amount of Attention: Dogs need daily walks. They also need their owners to spend quality time with them. They can get bored and lonely if left alone for too long.

Cats

• Cost of Food: $5 to $18 a pack
• Grooming: $70 onwards. Long-haired breeds require daily brushing.
• Amount of Attention: Cats need relatively less attention from owners than dogs. But even though they do not need daily walks, quality time should be spent bonding with them.

Rabbits

• Cost of Food: Pellets from $5. A bag of hay is about $9.
• Grooming: About $15. Long-haired breeds require daily brushing.
• Amount of Attention: Regular cage cleaning is needed.

Guinea Pigs

• Cost of Food: Food pellets are from $5. Bag of hay about $9.
• Grooming: About $15. Long-haired breeds should be brushed daily.
• Amount of Attention: Guinea pigs are social animals. If you have only one, you should spend more time with it to prevent loneliness.

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• Rabbit: Holland Lop
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• Rabbit Ears: Are You Treating Your Rabbit’s Ears Right?

If you also have a green thumb for growing plants inside your home while at the same time own a “plant-loving” cat, then your job is to make your plants as undesirable as you possibly can to that cat. Here are a few tips that can help you solve the battle between your cat and houseplants.

3 Ways You Could Stop Your Cat From Eating Houseplants

• Foul Condiments: Cats, in general, enjoy chewing on plants. One of the ways to get they off your houseplants is to make them taste or smell terrible. However, do avoid spraying any toxic material on your plants as it may also harm your cat. You don’t have to look far for those foul smelling products. A little vinegar with water or Tabasco sauce is good enough to do the trick—getting your cats off your houseplants. Do not underestimate these condiments; they are so potent that some cats won’t even need to take a taste test in order to be turned off. Just getting close and taking to a whiff of that spice and bitterness will be enough to send them running.
• Scar Tactics: This technique may not work for all cats but give it a go if you don’t want your plants to smell anything like Tabasco or vinegar. What you could do is to make your houseplants look as unattractive as scary as possible. One method is to run aluminum foil wrapped around the sides of the pots and then extend a couple lines of foil rolled up and coiled 3 feet out, like a big bird claw. To us, it looks awkward but to the cats—it’s scary. You can brainstorm and find other ways to scare off your cats that may suit you better.
• Go Up: If the above two methods—having a bitter aroma running through the house from Tabasco sauce or your living room looking like a science fiction movie with all the aluminum—aren’t your cup of tea. Then you have to use the “upgrade” version. Simply turn your houseplants into hanging plants. Unless your house or apartment is loaded with high levels that your cat can get to, turning your houseplants into ceiling plants is probably the most successful technique that can be used to keep your plant from becoming cat food.

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What Is A Clicker?
A clicker is a small rectangular plastic box with a metal button on top that clicks, hence the name clicker. It’s the type of training that the dog decides whether or not it suits him. There have been a lot of success stories with clicker training for dogs and other animals such as cats, horses, dolphins, birds, rabbits, and many other smaller pets. It is a widely practiced training method and does produce results; if carried out properly.

How Clicker Training Works?

Clicker training promotes enforced training, without punishment! It employs the same principle like how we motivate humans to perform for better and consistent results—we’ll be rewarded if we do something good and thus are going to do the same again. Just as a dog would think the same way. Dogs learn through consequences, if they do something and it earns them a treat and praise they are going to want to do it again because they like this consequence. If they do something that you don’t like and they get ignored or said no to in a stern voice they know that they aren’t going to get any treats so are not going to do it again.

Clicker dog training works in such a way it reinforces good behavior. If your dog sits, click the clicker, and give him a treat. The next time your dog sits do the same but don’t say anything to him. Your dog will soon realize that when he sits he will get a treat and hear a click, so when you eventually come to click before he sits your dog knows he is asked to sit.

Punishment Is Not Required!

Punishment is not used with clicker dog training. Although punishment does stop some bad behavior it may also create another unwanted behavior. Punishment should always carried out immediately after (or in some case during the act) the dog has done something wrong so dogs see punishment as a random consequence therefore punishment doesn’t really solve anything.

Recommended Reading:

• Clicking With Your Dog: Step-By-Step in Pictures (Karen Pryor Clicker Books) by Peggy Tillman
• Don’t Shoot the Dog!: The New Art of Teaching and Training by Karen Pryor

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Contrary to what many people think, a green iguana makes a unique and amazing pet. Just like any other pet, you need to learn what is required for your iguana to stay healthy and for you to avoid any frustration that you may encounter down the road. Once you establish a suitable diet and environment for this creature to thrive, the caring and maintenance is relatively simple.

All Iguanas Have Different Personalities

The longer you have your iguana and the more you spend time with it, the more you will see it’s personality unfold. All green iguanas have different personalities. Each one has definite likes and dislikes. They all have moods that can change every single day, every month, and every year. Some iguana owners claim that their pets behave more like a mammal than a lizard. If properly trained, they can be affectionate and even bond with their owners.

Why Iguana Is a Better Pet than Cat, Dog, Fish, or Bird

Disease-proofed: Having an iguana as a pet has many advantages over other types of pets. Iguanas don’t require vaccines, shots or registration tags. They do not get Lyme disease, rabies, ticks, ringworms, mange, or fleas. Unlike cats or other furry animals, iguanas do not cause allergies.

Nuisance-proofed: Unlike dogs, iguanas do not cause destruction around the house when left alone. They do not require constant attention. Iguanas do not need long walks. They don’t go through the garbage can and spread trash all over the kitchen floor. They don’t pee on you neighbor’s legs. They don’t howl at sirens, cry at night, or bark incessantly when a stranger is nearby.

Destruction-proofed: Unlike cats, iguanas will not scratch your couch until it shreds into pieces. They do not cover the furniture with fur and they do not require stinky litter boxes. They do not puke up hair balls or screech when in heat.

Mess-proofed: Unlike a fish aquarium, your home will not turn into a small lake if you knock over an iguana’s house. Furthermore, these animals aren’t messy like birds that throws food and leave feathers around the house.

Sound-proofed: Iguanas do not make any vocal sounds, making them apartment friendly. In fact, many apartment complexes do not require a pet deposit for an iguana because it is considered a “low-risk” pet.

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• Never approach a horse from behind. It may not see you coming, and may kick out in fear. You could sustain a serious injury.
• When offering a tidbit, make sure you present the food on the flat of your palm, fingers level, so the horse nuzzles the food off. If you hold it upright with your fingers, do not blame the horse if it chomps on your fingers by mistake!
• If a horse flattens its ears, it is either frightened or angry. Steer clear, or you could get bitten.
• Do not yell at or kick these sensitive and intelligent animals to make them gallop.
• Don’t yank on or flick the reins violently, as the metal bit in the horse’s mouth can hurt it. Reins are there mainly to guide—you convey most directions by tapping the horse’s sides with your heels, shifting your body weight in the saddle, and giving firm vocal commands.

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When you have found a good candidate, learn everything you can about that dog. Below are some of the things that you can do to find out if he is indeed the right dog for you.

5 Tips On Picking The Right Sheltered Dog

1. Spend some alone time with the dog in the shelter. How does he act around you? Is he shy, aggressive, quiet, or high-strung? Look him in the eyes and then have him look at you. Do you feel any kind of connection taking place? I believe that there is such thing as chemistry between man and animals, and that is what you are trying to find here.
2. Ask questions about the dog’s health. Find out the last time he was seen by the vet. Ask if he has any kind of sicknesses that you should be aware of, such as hip dysplasia or worms.
3. Find out as much as you can about his history. What brought him to the shelter? Was he abused or neglected in any way? Does he appear to display a behavioral problem as a result of the abuse or neglect?
4. If you have kids, find out if the dog gets along with them before you take him home. Have your kids go with you to the shelter and observe how they react to the dog and vice versa. If you do not have children now but are planning to have one, have another child go with you and observe how they behave towards one another.
5. Find out how the dog behaves toward different dogs and other animals. Ask a shelter staff to bring some of the animals next to the dog and observe how he interacts with them.

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Origins:

Size: Appears most delicate and fins, but can weight about 4kg.

Physical Appearance: This cat has exotic—some say alien—looks. Its amazingly fine coat over a long-limbed, long-tailed, slender yet muscular body gives it a near-naked appearance compared with regular-coated cats. The large, high-set ears, oval eyes and crinkly whiskers add to the exotic effect. The coat is wavy but short and extremely soft to the touch. Profile of the head is long and straight.

Characteristics: Cornish Rexes can be mischievous beyond belief! They are intelligent and active, love people, and love being part of the family.

Colors: All colors.

Special Facts: While most domestic cats have an undercoat covered by guard hairs, Cornish Rexes have only one layer of fur. They should therefore be kept mainly indoors, to protect them from both wet/cold weather and harsh sunlight.

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