Dogs Are So Silly

Living with a dog has shown me how much better it is to be a cat.  There are many differences that make it so.  Take the daily routine for example.   Mine looks something like this:

Wake up

Stretch

Check bowl for food

Eat (if there is food)

Sleep

Bother human for brushing and petting

Sleep

Check bowl for food

etc...

Notice how there is no exercise involved.  Unless you consider stretching and walking to the food bowl exercise.  The truth is I require very little and I abhor any type of formal exercise.  I’ll get mine at night chasing bugs or mice... thank you very much.

The dog, on the other hand, requires a daily walk.   Yes, every day, my human must leash up the beast and take it for a walk.  Doesn’t matter if it is raining, snowing or what have you.  Ughh...

That’s why I wasn’t really surprised to hear her talking about getting a dog treadmill.  I saw her looking online and I almost hissed out loud when I realized that they actually make treadmills designed specifically for dogs.  Yep.  

The creature actually gets on the contraption and walks ... but doesn’t get anywhere!  See how stupid they are?  They will happily get up on the treadmill and put one leg in front of the other and never even leave the room.  You wouldn’t catch a cat doing that in a million years!

I Love Drinking From The Faucet

Today I'd like to Purrr about one of my favorite things to do which really drives my human crazy.  I love to drink from the faucet!

It doesn't matter if it's the bathroom faucet or the kitchen faucet - either one will do.  In fact, I'm always lurking around and have my ears tuned in to listen for the sounds of the faucet being turned on.  When I hear it, I run to the source, leap on the counter or vanity and stick my mouth right under.

Ahhhh the taste of fresh moving water - nothing beats it!

It can be rather disturbing when people come over though.  If they go into the guest bath and wash their hands, I'll shoot out from some unknown place and leap up, often scaring the bejesus out of them because I sneak up on them silently.

Sometimes I sit at the bathroom door and cry for my human… she's so nice - a lot of times she will turn on the water in there just so I can play in it and drink it.   Meooowww.

Kitty Hair Loss

Meeooowww…. Kitty, O'Claw here. I have a disturbing observation.  Today, while my human was brushing my silken hair, I noticed that my fur seems to be thinning a bit in spots.  I was aghast!  My silken fur is my crowning glory, one of my finest features, aside from my ice blue eyes, of course.

Anyway, I had my human do a little research and it turns out that there are many reasons a kitty can lose her hair.

Some are not very common, so I won't bore you with them.  One is demodectic mange which sounds awful and not something a pampered queen like me would have.  Another, hypotrichosis happens in kittens, so that's not the problem with me.  And, of course, ringworm causes your fur to fall out in a circular pattern, but you can rest assured that I wouldn't have anything as vile as that.

Other causes are easily treated such as food allergies, fleas and mites.

Some of the reasons for hair loss happen to humans too.  Like hypothyroidism which is when your thyroid gets kind of whacked out and makes to much (or too little) thyroid hormone.  Yes, cats can get that too. It can cause your hair to pull out easily.

Another is psychogenic alopecia. Now, you might recognize alopecia as something that happens to humans and causes hair loss.  Psychogenic alopcia in cats is a little different as it results from compulsive grooming and usually presents itself as thinning hair on the tummy or in a stripe down the back.

When humans get thinning hair, they can go to the doctor and get some meds, or try one of the many hair loss shampoos, but what do cats do?

Treatments vary and depend on the cause.  Sometimes a medicine might do.  If its caused by parasites like fleas or mites, then you must rid your pet of those (shame on you for letting your cat get them in the first place!) and if it is a thyroid problem then there is medicine your cat can take.

Tips For Beagle Training

Beagles can be great pets! They are fun, playful, cute and intelligent. They are also stubborn which can make training your beagle a little bit of a challenge. Here are some tips to help make beagle dog training easier:

1. Establish yourself as the Alpha dog. It is imperative that you establish yourself as the alpha dog as soon as you get your beagle home. Beagles can be very dominant so if you fail to do this, your dog will think he is the Alpha dog and won't obey your commands.

2. Be Consistent. Make sure that you have training sessions every day and be consistent in your commands. Don't make the sessions too long though - 15 or 25 minutes should do it. You want to be sure you capture your pets attention for the entire session and that he does not get bored.

3. Teach one command at a time. Teach your dog one command at a time and focus on that command until he does it perfectly. Most people like to start with the "sit" command because this is the basis for many other commands. Teach this command in each session until he knows it like the back of his hand, then move on to another command. At the end of each training session, always go through your beagles repertoire of commands that he knows.

4. Provide positive reinforcement. When your dog performs a command as expected be sure to praise him lavishly! Giving him a little of his favorite treat at this time an help too!

5. Correct bad behavior. You want to let your beagle know that certain bad behaviors are unacceptable but you must never punish or hit your dog. A sharp "No!" when you see your dog about to do the undesired behavior is all that is needed. Hitting your dog or other types of punishment will not work and will only serve to make your dog fearful.

Training a beagle can be challenging, but since this breed is very intelligent they can learn many commands. Patience, persistence and consistently will pay off in the end when you have a perfectly behaved pet.

Picking A Pink Dog Bed

Because of our busy schedules, and if your dog is like mine, they will end up spending a large portion of their day just laying around and need a comfortable place to wait for your return. Dogs, like their owners, have an appreciation for comfort and today the choice of beds for dogs are not only functional, but decorative and downright fun as well!

As you start your quest for the the perfect bed for your dog do you know what you want to be looking for?

Your pet's needs must come first in priority. Is your dog a large dog or a tiny dog? Is your dog dealing with any sort of medical conditions? How old are they? Puppies may prefer a round bed as they like to curl into a ball when they sleep.

However, a bigger or older dog might go for a rectangle-shaped bed that will give them the option of really stretching out when they relax. No matter what shape you need to consider, they all can be super cozy and very comfortable.

You'll have plenty of other considerations when choosing the right pet bed for your pal besides their comfort. First, your dog is going to have an area that is their own. Because it becomes THEIR space, they will most likely choose to sleep there instead of on the couch or YOUR bed. As a result, your home might accrue less pet waste, like dander and fur.

When you are looking for a bed for your dog, you also want to find a bed that compliments your home and your dog's personality, because the bed will be placed in main area in the house so that your pet will still feel like it is a part of your family.

So, what kind of dog bed did I purchase for my Pom? Well, a pink dog bed, of course!

Choosing The Right Dog Breed For You And Your Family

So, the responsibility of caring for a dog is your desire? Having a dog requires a large amount of time, money, and patients. You, along with your family must give this decision a lot of thought.

You will need to decide on what kind of dog you want to adopt.

Certain things should be taken into consideration when deciding what type of dog is best for you.

In just the United States there are over 70 million dogs. Choosing the right breed or mix can be quite difficult. If owning a prominent breed is crucial to you, bear in mind that out of the numerous breeds and mixes attainable, 143 are acknowledged by the American Kennel Club.

You should summarize your family's desires in relation to a dog, and simplify those specifications before considering the selection of a breed. Is it important to you that your new dog is small enough to sit in your lap? A dog that guards the house? Would it not be practical to choose a short haired breed, due to the advantages of low maintenance? Perhaps your preference leans more towards the canines who are endowed with a gorgeous, thick coat, but have you considered the aspect of grooming? Although most dogs are very loving and loyal pets, you need to be aware when choosing a dog that each breed of dog has special characteristics, qualities, and mannerisms.

The location of your dwelling will contribute immensely to your decision of a breed. You should avoid choices of larger dogs, such as the Newfoundland, for example, if you reside in an extremely small house or an apartment, since these quarters would be impractical for a massive dog.

Is there enough free time in your life to take care of your new companion? Since long haired or fluffy dogs require regular baths and grooming, you may not want to choose this type of dog if you don't have a lot of extra time on your hands. You should also realize that some breeds of dogs, like the toy breeds, will require extra attention to their ears, eyes, or nails depending on which type of breed you choose. If it is imperative that you have the Pomeranian, make sure you have the money to spend at the dog groomer if you are unable to groom the dog yourself.

By carefully weighing your options and realizing that your new dog will be a member of the family for a long time to come, you will carefully choose the right dog for you and your family.

It's All About Me-ow

I don't understand why humans "sleep in", I mean who don't they jump up at the crack of dawn ready to chase mice or birds?

I know personally, I like to get my daily brushing at 5:00 AM, but sometimes my human is still snoring away at that time. When this happens, I am forced to meow outside the bedroom door - sometimes for hours on end!

When she finally does come out, she often seems mad at me!

I mean you'd think she'd be grateful that I am alerting her to the new day and getting her lazy butt out of bed! Not to mention the wear and tear on my vocal chords.

If she would just get up when I want and tend to my brushing we would both be a lot happier. After all, it's all about me, me, me-ow!

Pugs - What Are They Good For?

We all know that I hate dogs, but of all the breeds, I think, perhaps pugs are the most vile. I mean, look at their scrunched up faces and bulging eyes! You'd never see any breed of cat with that sort of look - too cutesy if you ask me.

It's a mystery to me why so many people like these little dogs. I mean when you look at the pug facts, you can clearly see that they are high maintenance and have an overabundance of health problems to boot.

Why not just settle for a furry feline instead?



Til next time,

Kitty O'Claw

P.S. I finally saw the movie Beverly Hills Chihuahua last night - now there's a dog breed a cat could like!

Eating Neon Tetras

I love my humans fish tank and I love to sit there and stare into it for hours on end fantasizing about the colorful fish inside. I must tell you, though that today I lucked out and was able to skewer one of their beautiful Neon Tetras!

Oh but it did make a tasty treat!

Now don't tell them, or they may take measures to make sure I can't get my paw inside.

But really, I must get back to my nap I've got to get my 23 1/2 hours in.....

The Lhasa Apso

Today, my humans friend came over with her pet Lhasa Apso. What a vile creature!

I don't know how the thing could see with it's hair hanging over its eyes and when I first saw it, I thought the mop had gotten out of the closet and was walking around all by itself!

Come to find out, this breed is from Tibet. It has actually been bred there for thousands of years before anyone outside of Tibet even saw this kind of dog. In the 1920s, the Dalai Lama started handing them out to his foreign dignitary friends and they were introduced to the Western world. In my opinion, he should've kept the darn things to himself but he was probably so sick of them that he wanted to get rid of some. Who could blame him?

The horrid creature needs to be brushed daily by his owner. I mean, can you imagine an animal that cannot groom itself? And the barking! That thing just would not shut up. But the humans seem to like it and said it was a wonderful loving pet and fairly intelligent - I'm sure they meant by human standards not cat standards.....

Pets and Natural Disaster

In reading the news this morning, I am encouraged to see that the powers that be are finally starting to realize that pets need a place to go in an emergency too.

Of course, many pet owners have realized this for a long time. Pets are part of the family.

In some Central Florida counties, pet friendly shelters were opened as soon as Ernesto started making it's way toward the state. This is good for animals and for people too since a lot of older people refuse to leave their pets, in fact almost half of the Hurricane Katrina victims that stayed did so because they did not want to leave their pets.

Imagine how terrifying it would be to have to leave your home with your pet inside and not know if either one would be there when you returned?

Luckily there will be more pet friendly shelters in the future - after all, pets are people too.

Kitty

Housebreaking Your Dog

Dog - Yech! They are vile creatures. Seriously, what kind of a being soils anywhere it wants?

Now take cats, they are very clean and know almost from birth that when it's time to go a sand pile or litter box needs to be found. No one needs to housebreak a cat! Only under serious stress or illness will a cat, no matter how young, soil in any other place. Even if you get a new cat, or watch one for a friend, once you show her where the litter box is she will always use it.

Not so with dogs!

They'll go in a corner, on the rug or on your shoes unless you teach them to go outside or even in a doggy litter box.

Why anyone would want a pet that you have to house train is beyond me, but if you find yourself in this situation, check out this web page with puppy housebreaking tips.


Pets,Dogs, Housebreaking, Housetraining, House Breaking, House Training

Pets

Welcome

Hi! I'm Kitty O'Claw and this is my blog about pets.

Of course, as we all know cats are not mere pets but superior beings that trick humans into believing that we are their "pets". In exchange for this demeaning stature, we are rewarded with maid service, a constant supply of food and water and a warm place to eat. Not a bad gig if you ask me!