Crate Training

I finally broke down and bought a crate for Miss Casey. I have been wanting to crate train her but was afraid I would completely fail and she would firmly protest. By firmly protest I mean stand her ground and refuse to enter at all.

Luckily a family around the corner was having a yard sale. A perfectly sized crate was a great deal. I could not resist. After washing and drying we put it up on the deck so she could see and smell it.

After an hour or so I put some treats in, but she was terrified of the plastic bottom. Being the ever resourceful beagle she tried every way possible to get that treat but could not. My husband had the idea to take the plastic tray out and she immediately went in for the treat. Good Girl. We brought it in and put it in the room where we watch t.v. I put a blanket in, one that is familiar to her. I also hid some treats in and under the blanket. Silly girl is smart enough to pull the blanket and the treats out. That was the end of day one.

Day Two

The crate sits with the door open and Casey's blanket spread out on the bottom. Casey has no interest but she is not afraid of it either which is a good sign.

During the day I put a couple treats in. She knew right away that pulling the blanket out brought her the treats. Not good when your dog is smarter then you are.

After some reading I learned I am doing exactly what I should be doing so I proceeded with the next step. Feeding her in there.

I put it half way in and she went right after it. She was comical as she stretched to reach the bowl. Upper torso and front legs were in, but she was very nervous about what to do with the hind end.

As the bowl slid further into the crate, her love of food overcame her apprehension and she went all the way in to lick her bowl clean. I held the door open so she could turn and make a clean get away when needed. She continued to go in and out sniffing and licking her bowl, not wanting to leave even a drop behind. I was so proud of her. She was getting comfortable with the crate after only one day of it being in the house.

Steady and slow, don't rush her, and she should be good with having her own "pad" It will be a blessing for the times we want to go away and take her with us.

Please Spay & Neuter Your Pets

According to the ASPCA, between three and four million pets have to be euthanized yearly due to over population. These are just the ones who are killed in shelters. How many more die in the streets? Hungry, sick, hurt, and lonely. These dogs and cats are left to fend for themselves, scavenging through garbage, defecating and urinating in places where children play, attacking people who pose a threat, and possibly spreading disease to the pets in our homes.We can not blame this on the animals. They are fighting to stay alive. The blame falls on humans. Humans who do not spay and/or neuter their pets. Humans who think it will be cute to have a litter of puppies or kittens, humans who think it is too expensive to spay or neuter, and humans who think it is cruel to have the surgery done.

Take a look at these statistics:
Average number of litters a fertile cat can produce in one year:

3

Average number of kittens in a feline litter:

4–6

In seven years, one female cat and her offspring can theoretically produce 420,000 cats.

Average number of litters a fertile dog can produce in one year:

2

Average number of puppies in a canine litter:

6–10

In six years, one female dog and her offspring can theoretically produce
67,000 dogs.
Above stats borrowed from

http://www.tipoftexk9rescue.org/PetOverpopulations.html
Click to read the full article.

I'm sure you will agree that the above numbers are staggering. They are just an estimate from 2006. With the economy being what it is right now people are even more strapped for money and many are abandoning their pets. These once loved animals are now being forced outof their homes and must fend for themselves. Many are reproducing, causing the pet population problemto explode in the midst of a struggling economy. Simply put there are not enough resources to care for all these animals being born. Shelters must turn them away, rescue groups can not find homes, and most will pay the ultimate price.

So for the sake of all the animals please spay or neuter your dog and cat. If finances are keeping you from doing the procedure, contact Spay/USA at 1-800-248-SPAY (1-800-248-7729). They may be able to find a low cost program in your area. Burying your head in the sand is not going to make this problem go away. You have to take a proactive approach and HAVE YOUR PET SPAYED OR NEUTERED. DO IT NOW!!!

A New Month

Well here I am again with a month in between posts. It was not supposed to be that way. I had made a promise to myself to post at least weekly, but alas I broke my own promise. It was not intentional. In fact I have four rough drafts waiting to be polished and published.

1. Free Roaming Dogs

2. Please Spay and/or Neuter Your Pets

3. Emergency Preparedness

4. Choosing Your Pets Food

All are very important subjects and need to be discussed. Today I choose to tell you a little bit about one of my cats, Ashes. It would tie in nicely with the food topic so that may be the first draft I finish.

You see about 1 1/2 years ago we took in a beautiful brother and sister duo, Snowball and Ashes. We decided Snowball was not a name that suited this big white long haired moose of a cat so the name Moose was chosen. Ashes the female sibling got to keep her name.

Both cats were a bit hesitant regarding their new home but Ashes soon was up and around exploring. It was not long after I discovered little piddles that had a bloody tinge to them. I started watching every move both cats made. Ashes was urinating, if that is what you would call it, everywhere but the litter box and it was becoming increasingly more bloody. Urinalysis proved negative for infection, Xrays showed no signs of stones, so we went with stress induced do to all the recent traumatic changes in her life. When symptoms dissappeared we all breathed a sigh of relief.

In August of 2008, when we had to put one of our dogs down the symptoms reappeared. This time they did not subside and she was becoming increasingly not herself. She was not properly grooming herself, her fur was becoming matted, and she was having even more problems cleaning after bowel movements.

Along with the vet I made the decision to have an ultrasound done. What was revealed shocked me. The poor little girls bladder wall had been irritated so much by crystals that it was swollen almost to the point of leaving little room inside her bladder for urine to collect. Even on film it looked extremely painful. The vet's treatment plan was a change in diet. From the all natural food I was feeding (and am a distributor for), to a prescription diet. One that contains chemicals, by-products, colorings, and ingredients that are too long to pronounce. I was horrified but decided I needed to follow Drs orders.

Within three days the change in her was astounding. The droplets of bloody urine had stopped. She was once again using the litter box and was releasing a fair amount of urine. She was happy and purring again. A month later a repeat ultrasound showed her bladder wall was back to normal and there were no signs of any crystals left in her bladder proper. I could not believe it. This food that I tell people they should not feed their pet made my girl better. I was very conflicted.

For six months I fed this "yuck" food. Not allowing my other two cats to get any. I thought by then her bladder would be totally healed and she could go back to eating the all natural holistic food that was more nutrious. That was in May of 2009.

Here we are the beginning of June and she is back to full blown symptoms. Very bloody little drops of urine everywhere but the litter box. Luckily I still had a few days of anti spasm medication. It has helped until I get to pick up the "yuck" food from the vet today.

It seems a bit hypocritical to feed the chemical based food that I believe is bad, but I have seen the difference it made. I will continue to feed the prescription diet from now on. It is not fair to put her through this pain again, and it certainly is not healthy to risk bladder damage because I believe natural is better.

My other two cats and one dog will stay with the Life's Abundance as they are all healthy and have no medical conditions that warrant a prescription diet. I will continue to share with others what I learn about pet food, now believing more then ever that what your pet eats does make a difference in their health.

If you would like more information about the foods you are feeding your pet please contact me at ann@annsfurryfriends.com As you can see I will not mislead you for the sake of making a sale. I, like you, only want what is best for your pet. Contact me today

Freekibble

Today I want to clue everyone in to one girls quest to help feed the animals in her local shelter. A young girl from Oregon by the name of Mimi. Through her devotion to the well being of animals, thousand of shelter dogs and cats are receiving dinner tonight.

Started in April of 2008, Mimi made her first food delivery on May 14. Two hundred forty lbs of food was delivered to the Humane Society of Central Oregon. In a little over one month a young girl with a huge heart and determination made a significant impact on these dogs lives.

At this time there are 13 shelters, stretching from Oregon to Florida, participating in monthly donations thanks to the freekibble and freekibblekat programs. Recently Freekibble.com has joined forces with Castor and Pollux to insure the dogs and cats will receive a hearty healthy meal.

Read more about this amazing young lady, play daily kibble trivia, and sign up for your daily email reminder by visiting freekibble.com. Don't forget to click over to play cat trivia and help feed shelter cats also. It's fun, educational, and you will be helping a great cause.

There is no excuse. It's free, takes but a moment, and you don't even have to get out of your jammies. Help feed the animals today.

Summer Pet Safety

With the approach of the summer season I would like to pass on an important reminder to keep your pets happy, cool, and safe this year.

1. ALWAYS make sure your pets have clean cool water. DO NOT USE ICE COLD WATER.
2. NEVER leave your pets in your vehicle. The interior temperature can climb very quickly.
3. If possible keep your pets in a cool basement or garage during the hot days.
4. Provide shade from the sun and a kiddie pool for them to cool off in.
5. Provide shelter from storms.
6. Remember pavement gets hot; protect your pet's sensitive paw pads. They are also walking parallel and close to the hot pavement. Heat radiates up where your pet receives the full affect.
7. Do not walk or run your pets during mid-day when it is the hottest.
8. Watch for signs of over heating or heat stroke.

• Panting
• Staring
• Anxious expression
• Refusal to obey commands
• Warm, dry skin
• High fever
• Rapid heartbeat
• Vomiting
• Collapse

Your pets rely on you to care for them. Take every precaution to keep them safe and healthy during the "dog days of summer"