Featured Pet tip – Cat grooms owner – cat licking

Cats spend a large part of their day grooming themselves. They do it primarily by licking themselves clean. It is an important and necessary part of their daily routine. Cats don’t need to learn how to groom themselves it is an instinctive behaviour that they spend 10% of their waking hours engaging in. Cats groom themselves to keep clean and to remove any dirt, parasites, or animal remains that dirty their fur after hunting. Any cat that suddenly stops grooming should see a vet ASAP.

Sometimes though, cats seem to groom humans. They lick their owner’s skin with a ticklish intensity that may make us squirm. It often occurs when we are lying down or resting. What is happening, does the cat feel or sense that we the owners are dirty and in need of a good cleaning? Actually this type of behaviour has nothing to do with grooming. It is comforting behaviour that is usually found in cats that were separated from their mothers before 12 weeks. This behavior is linked with the cat kneading its paws (paw pressing) on its owner. This is the same behaviour it used to exhibit when it used to suckle at its mother’s teats.

In general and to avoid other possible socialization problems a kitten should remain with its mother and littermates until at least 12 weeks of age. Any breeder willing to sell a kitten before that age is probably not a reputable one.
© Pets.ca 2004 – See more pet tips by clicking here

Pet of the Month – Cookie

• Name: Cookie
• City: Corner Brook
• Province/State, Country: NF, Canada
• Type/Breed: Unknown
• Date Of Birth: Sept. 2003
• Sex: Female
• Coat Colour: Black and White
• Eye Colour: Brownish
• Can bear children: Yes

Dietary Allergies and 1st Choice Hypoallergenic Diet

(Sponsored article)

With dogs and cats, nutritional intolerance first appears as itching because the animal has been consuming something to which it is allergic. It’s estimated that such allergies among dogs and cats are responsible for 5% of skin problems and 15% of the cases of dermatitis treated.

We don’t really know why pets develop an intolerance to certain foods and it can happen at any age. In most cases, the allergy is caused by a glycoprotein contained in food. Among dogs, the most frequent allergens are beef, milk products, chicken, wheat, eggs, corn and soya.

Among cats, they’re mostly fish, beef and milk products. Just the same, dogs and cats can be allergic to other things, and sometimes have multiple allergies.

To find out if your animal has allergies, consult your veterinarian, because it’s possible that there are other reasons for the itching and scratching. The areas of the body most frequently affected among dogs are the paws, armpits and groin. Among cats, they’re the head, the neck and the ears.

1st Choice hypoallergenic pet foods are specially formulated to respond to the needs of dogs and cats suffering from dietary allergies. Result should be observable within 6 to 8 weeks of continued use.

1st Choice hypoallergenic Formula for cats and dogs are complete and 100% balanced. They require no further additives or supplements.

Did you know that…

• the new source of highly-digestible, top-quality proteins will help reduce the risk of itching and digestive problems.
• the Omega 3 & Omega 6 ratio is perfectly balanced to reduce inflammation.
• the incomparable taste and quality of the 1st Choice hypoallergenic Formula makes it the best-possible food for adult dogs and cats.

Certain pets suffering from nutritional disorders may develop other allergies to the ingredients contained in their new food. For more information on the hypoallergenic products or for the store nearest you, consult our website www.1stchoice.ca or call our Customer Service at
1 866 752-7378

Featured Product – Heart ID tag

This exquisite metal (pewter or brass finish) and virtually indestructible ID Tag features a picture of a Heart in the middle of it. Available in small for cats and small dogs. Also available in medium and large.

Your pet will look sharp wearing one of these custom engraved unique tags.
Our price: $12.99 (Canadian)

Ask the expert – Teaching a dog to play

Question: I recently rescued a German Shepherd/lab cross from the pound. She has been there for at least a year and is around 2 years old. I’m not sure where she was before she was put in the pound. She is very well behaved and besides a few kennel related issues she’s fine. But she doesn’t seem to know how to play. I have a ton of toys here, tennis balls, bones, rope things, noisy things. She just ignores all of them. She also won’t chase balls when I throw them. How do I teach a dog who obviously missed out during puppy hood how to play?

Answer: Here is something you can try. First off remove all the toys from the dog’s environment. Pick them all up and put them away and keep them out of site. What you want to do is get the dog excited about 1 or 2 toys.

Try this exercise 2 – 3 times a day for 7 days. It should work and may well work within just a few days.

1 – Take your dog outside and tie your dog to a post, railing etc.
2 – Get a human friend and a dog toy. Use 1 toy that you can stuff food in like a Kong, an old tennis ball or any of the new pouch toys that you can stuff. Stuff it with food – something the dog loves but that won’t fall out when thrown.
3 – Toss the toy back and forth to your friend while your dog is watching. Make a big production during the toss – you want your dog to witness (and smell) the fun. Do NOT give your dog the toy, just let her watch the fun.
4 – After the 5-10 minutes bring everyone back inside. Take the toy and put it on the fridge or in a place where the dog can see it but not get to it. Repeat for 1 week.

On day seven BEFORE your dog has eaten and is hungry. Take out the toy and go outside with the dog and play fetch. This should solve the problem.

Very quickly the toy should become something the dog loves to play with and you probably won’t need to stuff it with food.

Remember to put the toy away after use to maintain the dog’s excitement.

Good luck! – Julie Sansregret – AHT, Dog trainer
Guides Canins
1313, rue PineRidge,
St-Lazare-de-Vaudreuil, Qué.
J7T 2M7 (450) 424-1469
www.guidescanins.com

Further discussion regarding this topic is available here.

In the News

Got a thing for pugs’ mugs? This gala’s for you

Visualize a procession of adorable pugs, many draped in creative costumes, marching (or running) in a parade in their honor. Or a gaggle of pugs racing toward a finish line as “Chariots of Fire” plays in the background.

Make way for ducklings

Portsmouth Avenue became a danger zone for motorists and wildlife earlier this week when a family of four ducks took up shop near the Dreher-Holloway BMW dealership . Now, local officials are trying to find out whom the ducks belong to, and whether they’re runaways or if they were abandoned.

More articles from Canada and around the world are available here.

Upcoming charitable events:

Please join us on May 31st 2004 for our first gala dinner at award winning Les Trois Soeurs Restaurant including a four course meal, silent auction and door prizes. A $25.00 tax receipt will be issued for each ticket sold. Thanks so much! Terry Price – for info.call 514-217-3647 or go to Rosie Animal Adoption www.rosieanimaladoption.org

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Please Note: Pets.ca provides pet health information on this site as a service to the public. Any diagnosis and/or treatment of specific conditions should always be in consultation with one’s own veterinarian. Pets.ca disclaims all warranties and liability related to the veterinary advice and information provided on this site.