Articles

Introduction First-time cat owners are often puzzled and even alarmed by the fact that the kitty seems to do a lot of sleeping. But it’s perfectly normal – cats are absolute masters when it comes to getting plenty of rest. Pet experts estimate that most healthy adult cats spend more time asleep than they do awake, dozing up to 16 hours a day or more. Some say cats sleep all day because they’re nocturnal and prefer to be awake at night, but this isn’t technically true. Cats are diurnal, but in the wild most of their hunting activity takes place...

Introduction Can cats “talk”? Absolutely. Is cat vocalization easy to understand? Not always – but the more time you spend with cats, the more you’ll pick up the language. Ask most non-cat owners what sound cats make and they’ll say “meow”. That’s true to a point, but it’s kind of like saying that the sound dogs make is “bow wow”. “Meow” is just one of many sounds that make up feline vocalizations. Pitch and Length of Vocalizations One of the most important keys to understanding cat vocalizations is evaluating pitch, duration, and volume. Generally speaking, the lower the pitch the...

Introduction It's always a challenge; do you take your dog to the groomer and pay to leave your baby in the hands of strangers, or do you do it yourself, and save money...but perhaps don't do as good a job as a professional could?The good news is, it's now easier than ever, with the extensive lines of products specifically for pet grooming that you can now find in almost any pet care store, to do a thorough, professional job of dog grooming yourself. The trick is finding the right tools and supplies for the size and type of dog you...

Introduction Although dogs are domesticated animals, there is still a part of them that long for the physical exertion that their cousins (snow dogs, wolves) still enjoy. Dogs love to run and chase other animals around for fun and for keeping themselves in shape. But if you don’t live near the fields where you can set your dog free and run around, there are suburban dog exercises that can keep you and your dog busy during early mornings and weekends. Frisbee Teach your dog to retrieve Frisbee. This dog exercise may be done in a small park or an open...

Introduction Dogs are extremely sociable animals. There is nothing they would like better than to be by your side 24/7, and as a dog owner, you probably feel much the same way about him. However, much as we would like to have our dogs with us all the time, the facts are that dog food does not come for free. This means that in many family groups both adults have to work. In addition, if you have children, they have to get an education, which means they need to go to school. It is a harsh reality of life, but...