Managing Your Cat’s Inappropriate Scratching

Your cat scratches to remove old worn layers of her nails to reveal new sharp ones. She also scratches to mark her territory using scent from glands in her feet. This marking leaves a visual marker too. Thus you may never completely eliminate your cat’s scratching but you can manage her inappropriate scratching of your belongings such as the sofa, carpets or drapes. Position scratching posts near the targeted belongings and encourage her to scratch the posts. Reward her if she scratches the posts on her own. Cover your targeted belongings with strips of aluminum foil or double-sided tape when not in use. These materials feel weird to your cat’s feet so she will avoid scratching there. Ensure your cat gets enough exercise so she doesn’t scratch out of boredom. Never punish or yell at your cat while she is learning. Learn more from your veterinarians Green Bay, WI.

How to Give Your Bird a Bath

Most birds don’t require bathing unless you are showing your bird and prepping him for show day. Birds tend to self groom keeping their feather fluffed and cleaned on their own. If it’s overly warm out and you want your bird to cool off you can provide him with a little bird bath in his cage or outside of his cage if he’s allowed out. A small shallow bowl of water is all that is needed for your bird to splash around, cool off, and bathe. You can also use a fine mist spray bottle to lightly spray your bird with a mist of water to keep him cool. You can use a bath mist spray as well. This can help condition the feathers and the skin. Bath mist sprays can be found at pet stores. You can also check to see if your animal hospital Walnut, CA carries bird bath spray. For more information visit the website: https://diamondbarvet.com/

How to Bathe your Golden Retriever

Golden Retrievers should be bathed once every few months unless they are extremely dirty or muddy. A regular brushing can be done every few days to help remove dead hair and keep the coat from matting. When bathing, decide ahead of time if you’re going to bathe indoors or outdoors. For indoors, introduce your dog to the bathtub ahead of time. Place him in it without water so he can get used to the tub. Place a rubber mat on the bottom to prevent slipping. Turn the water on low and let your pup play in it. Pour warm water over your dog’s coat and add vet approved shampoo. Work into a lather and rinse thoroughly. Only use a conditioner if recommended by the vet. Squeeze the hanging hair to remove access water. Towel dry before letting your dog roam free in the home. For more tips, give your vet Leesburg, VA a call.

How to Wean Orphan Boxer Pups

If you’re raising Boxer puppies without their mother you will still need to wean them from milk and start them on a puppy chow. Puppies start weaning around three or four weeks of age. They tend to be completely weaned by around seven to 8 weeks of age. If there’s no mom, then you will be weaning them from milk and bottle. You can start by introducing them to milk in a bowl instead of a bottle. You may need to place the milk on your finger and get the pups to lick it and then show them to get the milk from the bowl. Once they start getting milk from the bowl, start adding a little bit of puppy chow to the milk and allow it to moisten. This will help introduce them to dry food. Cut back on the milk until the puppies are eating just the puppy chow. For more tips, call your vet Greensboro, NC.

Preparing your Guinea Pig for Vacation

If you are planning to travel and will be taking your guinea pig, prepare ahead of time by calling the transportation provider to ensure your guinea pig can travel with you. Also, make sure the hotel you will be staying out allows pets like guinea pigs. Note that some hotels will allow pets but not guinea pigs, gerbils or hamsters because they are thought to be of the rodent family and their cages and bedding can cause a bigger mess than what the hotel wants to deal with. If you decide to leave your guinea pig at home, call a neighbor, friend or family member to come and check on your cavy at least once a day. You should pack or leave behind enough food for your cavy, fresh water bottles and food bowls, treats, and instructions if you have a pet sitter. For more suggestions, talk with your vets Cedar Park, TX.

How To Introduce A New Litter Box To Your Pet Cat

Most cats don’t have problems using a new litter box. However, since they are such fussy creatures, there are those that may be second thoughts about using the new litter box especially if it’s design, location, type of litter, or size is different from the old one. If you have just brought home a new litter box to replace the old one, be sure to introduce it properly. If you are changing your cat’s old litter box with a new one, be sure that your pet won’t turn his nose at the new litter box and do his business someplace else. The magic words here are ‘gradual transition’ since cats hate anything new or strange. Make the transition easier by getting a litter box that is similar in size or design to the old litter box. Even if you want to switch to a new type of litter, use the old type of litter that your cat has been used to in order to prevent subjecting your pet to more stress.  Consult with your Clarington Animal Hospital Oshawa, ON if you have any concerns about your pet’s potty habits.

Can A Pet Ferret Be Kept In The Same Enclosure With Other Species?

While ferrets can be placed in the same enclosure that has adequate space for all of them, housing them with other types of pets needs to be deliberated on carefully. These animals have a strong prey drive and they can easily prey on smaller pets, like rodents and birds. There have been instances when pet ferrets killed small kittens. With this in mind, pet ferrets should never be housed in the same cage with smaller pets that can possibly end up as food for a ferret. Even with domestication, their prey instincts are still very strong. Thus when you are considering housing your pet ferret with other types of pets, you should think about this possible scenario that can take place if you are not too careful. There have been cases of successful shared housing between an adult ferret and an adult animal of another type. The risks are significantly minimal than housing your pet ferret with smaller pets.

Ask your veterinarian Oshawa, ON for more information about caring for ferrets.