Peguche is known for their weavings and other textiles.
They had quite a few of cats that I thought were adorable.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Gato en Peguche
Here is a cat I saw in Peguche, Ecuador.
Peguche is known for their weavings and other textiles.
They had quite a few of cats that I thought were adorable.
Peguche is known for their weavings and other textiles.
They had quite a few of cats that I thought were adorable.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
How To Save Money With A New Kitten
If you have just adopted a new kitten who has never had shots before, take her to the vet for the first round of shots quickly. I would do it within 24 hours of adopting. You want a very thorough examination done by a licensed, professional veterinarian who will be able to spot any potential problems or illnesses and answer any questions you may have. However, if you adopted from a rescue organization look at your paperwork carefully as some will include a free initial exam from a nearby veterinary office or from the shelter veterinarian who may even remember your pet. It is important to have a new pet checked out immediately, establish a relationship with a nearby helpful veterinarian, and get the first vaccines so if your kitten has a reaction of any sort the veterinarian will be there to help you and your pet through it.
If your pet adopted from a rescue is sick, before accepting costly treatment from the veterinarian, but before leaving their office or declining, ask for a quick minute to call the rescue. Explain your situation politely, voice the veterinarian’s concerns, etc and see if they offer to help or treat the pet at their facility. Sometimes this phone call can save you hundreds of dollars. Of course, if they don’t have the resources to help, accept care from the veterinarian.
Once you have had this initial exam and vaccines the vet will tell you that you need to come back in three weeks for the next vaccines. Most initial vaccines are really a series of 3 vaccines given two to three weeks apart for immunity against these diseases. It’s extremely important to get all three vaccines in a timely manner because if you miss one, you will have to start the whole series again. However, you can save around a hundred dollars by doing the following two vaccines in each series at a low-cost vaccination clinic. Now is also the time to get your kitten used to healthy food, homemade toys, manicures, grooming, and home dental care.
If your pet adopted from a rescue is sick, before accepting costly treatment from the veterinarian, but before leaving their office or declining, ask for a quick minute to call the rescue. Explain your situation politely, voice the veterinarian’s concerns, etc and see if they offer to help or treat the pet at their facility. Sometimes this phone call can save you hundreds of dollars. Of course, if they don’t have the resources to help, accept care from the veterinarian.
Once you have had this initial exam and vaccines the vet will tell you that you need to come back in three weeks for the next vaccines. Most initial vaccines are really a series of 3 vaccines given two to three weeks apart for immunity against these diseases. It’s extremely important to get all three vaccines in a timely manner because if you miss one, you will have to start the whole series again. However, you can save around a hundred dollars by doing the following two vaccines in each series at a low-cost vaccination clinic. Now is also the time to get your kitten used to healthy food, homemade toys, manicures, grooming, and home dental care.
Stop Your Cat From Scratching
Why does my cat scratch the carpet, my couch, and everything I love, but ignore the cat tree?
This can be one of the most frustrating behavioral issues for a pet parent. You know your cat has to scratch, but why does she have to scratch that? The first thing to do is look at the objects your cat is scratching. Where are they located in the room and what materials are they made of? Often people will buy cat trees or cat scratching posts and tuck them into that weird corner of the room where nobody goes. Unfortunately, your cat probably won’t go there either. Cats often love being in the midst of all the action and are more likely to play with things closer to where you spend your time.
If the post is already in a good location but your kitty still won't use it, examine the shape of the objects your cat is scratching. Is the cat scratching a vertical surface, a horizontal surface, or the stairs? If your cat always scratches the carpet floor, she may not be interested in scratching the vertical cat tree you bought for her. If your cat scratches the side of the couch and you bought her a sloped cardboard scratcher, she may want something taller so she can stretch her body to its full height while she scratches.
Some cats like to sink their claws into coarse textiles such as sisal or hemp, so try making or purchasing posts that incorporate these materials into their structure.
If you have tried everything and your cat just won't scratch your post, try rubbing catnip on it and use a deterrent spray or double sided sticky tape on the areas where you don't want her to scratch.
Reward the kitty every time she scratches her post and use negative reinforcement like a time out or a squirt of water when she attacks your furniture. If you use a squirt bottle, make sure she doesn't see you spray her, otherwise she'll just avoid scratching when you are around. The trick with negative reinforcement is you can't let the kitty know you are the one administering it.
This can be one of the most frustrating behavioral issues for a pet parent. You know your cat has to scratch, but why does she have to scratch that? The first thing to do is look at the objects your cat is scratching. Where are they located in the room and what materials are they made of? Often people will buy cat trees or cat scratching posts and tuck them into that weird corner of the room where nobody goes. Unfortunately, your cat probably won’t go there either. Cats often love being in the midst of all the action and are more likely to play with things closer to where you spend your time.
If the post is already in a good location but your kitty still won't use it, examine the shape of the objects your cat is scratching. Is the cat scratching a vertical surface, a horizontal surface, or the stairs? If your cat always scratches the carpet floor, she may not be interested in scratching the vertical cat tree you bought for her. If your cat scratches the side of the couch and you bought her a sloped cardboard scratcher, she may want something taller so she can stretch her body to its full height while she scratches.
Some cats like to sink their claws into coarse textiles such as sisal or hemp, so try making or purchasing posts that incorporate these materials into their structure.
If you have tried everything and your cat just won't scratch your post, try rubbing catnip on it and use a deterrent spray or double sided sticky tape on the areas where you don't want her to scratch.
Reward the kitty every time she scratches her post and use negative reinforcement like a time out or a squirt of water when she attacks your furniture. If you use a squirt bottle, make sure she doesn't see you spray her, otherwise she'll just avoid scratching when you are around. The trick with negative reinforcement is you can't let the kitty know you are the one administering it.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Money Saving Tips For Cat Owners
My cat is perfectly healthy, and I am strapped for cash. Do I still need to take her to the vet?
The short answer is yes, but the longer answer is not for everything and there are a variety of ways that you can save quite a bit of money without compromising the health of your pet.
Before we get into corners you can cut, let’s discuss those you can’t. You must take your cat to a veterinarian once per year for an annual checkup. In addition to the exam, I suggest having a fecal analysis done during this visit to check for intestinal parasites. Each outside cat needs to have it’s own stool checked, but if you have multiple inside-only cats that share litterboxes you only need one stool sample. Many people are under the mistaken assumption that inside cats cannot get intestinal parasites or heartworms. Unfortunately, they can and often do. They can pick up parasites or fleas from the bottoms of your shoes and if you live in an area where there are mosquitoes, they can easily get heartworms if you don‘t give them monthly prevention. The best thing to do is always give them a combination monthly topical treatment that prevents fleas, heartworm, and intestinal parasites and continue to check for parasites annually. Parasites can cause your pet a lot of harm and can be very costly to treat if left for too long without medical attention. The test to check for these is affordable. Do this vet exam a month or two before your pet’s vaccines are due.
Now ways to save money! Once you get a clean bill of health from the vet and the shot records, you can book an appointment at a low-cost vaccine clinic for shots for the following month. These shots are the exact same vaccines given by your vet, but for a fraction of the cost. However, while you are at the vet's office, it is worth it to at least ask if a vaccine is included in the office fee or if the office fee is waved if you get vaccines. Sometimes this will be the case because veterinarians are trying to compete with the low-cost options, but most often not and vaccine clinics are the best way to go. Some vets charge up to $75 for vaccines that you can get for under $10 at a clinic.
Try buying both your pet food and your flea, heartworm, and parasite monthly topical treatment in bulk over the internet rather than at a pet store or veterinary clinic. You will save money and they may even deliver to your door.
Learn how to groom your cat yourself. Manicures, brushing, and dental care are all ways to save money if you do it at home. Manicures are around $15 at a veterinary clinic and a groom is about $35, however if your cat becomes frightened or aggressive and requires sedation you are looking at $45 and $65 respectively for these grooming procedures. A teeth cleaning with extractions can be close to $1000. A little home care will stretch your pet budget a long way and can save you tons of money in the long run.
Many health problems that occur in older cats are the result of obesity. Whatever you do, do not over feed your cat. This can result in diabetes, thyroid or kidney problems, and a whole slew of other expensive diseases that can cost you thousands of dollars over the years. Wet food is healthier and a general estimate is to give your cat about a can a day. For tooth health, serve about 1/5 cup of dry food a day as kibble helps break down tartar. Another thing I do is mix a small amount of lean meat, fish, or green vegetables from my meal into my cats’ wet food. Some of our food is toxic for cats though so before you start a new regimen please check out this great website about making your own cat food. http://www.ehow.com/articles_2052-feeding-cats.html
Another great way to save some cash is to make your own scratching posts and toys. Try attaching a long piece of wood to a very heavy base and wrapping rope around the vertical section. Cats love playing with crumpled up tinfoil or paper, or catnip tied up in an old sock. Avoid feather toys or long pieces of string unsecured to a pole as these are expensive intestinal surgeries waiting to happen.
The short answer is yes, but the longer answer is not for everything and there are a variety of ways that you can save quite a bit of money without compromising the health of your pet.
Before we get into corners you can cut, let’s discuss those you can’t. You must take your cat to a veterinarian once per year for an annual checkup. In addition to the exam, I suggest having a fecal analysis done during this visit to check for intestinal parasites. Each outside cat needs to have it’s own stool checked, but if you have multiple inside-only cats that share litterboxes you only need one stool sample. Many people are under the mistaken assumption that inside cats cannot get intestinal parasites or heartworms. Unfortunately, they can and often do. They can pick up parasites or fleas from the bottoms of your shoes and if you live in an area where there are mosquitoes, they can easily get heartworms if you don‘t give them monthly prevention. The best thing to do is always give them a combination monthly topical treatment that prevents fleas, heartworm, and intestinal parasites and continue to check for parasites annually. Parasites can cause your pet a lot of harm and can be very costly to treat if left for too long without medical attention. The test to check for these is affordable. Do this vet exam a month or two before your pet’s vaccines are due.
Now ways to save money! Once you get a clean bill of health from the vet and the shot records, you can book an appointment at a low-cost vaccine clinic for shots for the following month. These shots are the exact same vaccines given by your vet, but for a fraction of the cost. However, while you are at the vet's office, it is worth it to at least ask if a vaccine is included in the office fee or if the office fee is waved if you get vaccines. Sometimes this will be the case because veterinarians are trying to compete with the low-cost options, but most often not and vaccine clinics are the best way to go. Some vets charge up to $75 for vaccines that you can get for under $10 at a clinic.
Try buying both your pet food and your flea, heartworm, and parasite monthly topical treatment in bulk over the internet rather than at a pet store or veterinary clinic. You will save money and they may even deliver to your door.
Learn how to groom your cat yourself. Manicures, brushing, and dental care are all ways to save money if you do it at home. Manicures are around $15 at a veterinary clinic and a groom is about $35, however if your cat becomes frightened or aggressive and requires sedation you are looking at $45 and $65 respectively for these grooming procedures. A teeth cleaning with extractions can be close to $1000. A little home care will stretch your pet budget a long way and can save you tons of money in the long run.
Many health problems that occur in older cats are the result of obesity. Whatever you do, do not over feed your cat. This can result in diabetes, thyroid or kidney problems, and a whole slew of other expensive diseases that can cost you thousands of dollars over the years. Wet food is healthier and a general estimate is to give your cat about a can a day. For tooth health, serve about 1/5 cup of dry food a day as kibble helps break down tartar. Another thing I do is mix a small amount of lean meat, fish, or green vegetables from my meal into my cats’ wet food. Some of our food is toxic for cats though so before you start a new regimen please check out this great website about making your own cat food. http://www.ehow.com/articles_2052-feeding-cats.html
Another great way to save some cash is to make your own scratching posts and toys. Try attaching a long piece of wood to a very heavy base and wrapping rope around the vertical section. Cats love playing with crumpled up tinfoil or paper, or catnip tied up in an old sock. Avoid feather toys or long pieces of string unsecured to a pole as these are expensive intestinal surgeries waiting to happen.
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