10 Pet Care Secrets Every Pet Owner Has To Know
Guest Writer: Jeffery Keyes
A lot of pet owners don’t take the time to get to know or understand their pets. Whether it’s a dog, a cat, or a turtle, these are all individuals with their own personalities and needs. In most instances, the personalities are based on the owner, and yet they don’t realize it. Pet Care RX explains that animals have their own instinctive behavior from thousands of years of environmental conditioning, and not all of these behavioral traits easily translate to pet behavior. Read on for valuable pet care secrets.
The following are pet care secrets which animal behavior scientists, nutritionists, veterinarians, trainers and professional groomers would like pet owners to know.
10 Pet Care Secrets
1. Cats hunt at odd hours.
Specifically, cats will wake up before dawn and hunt, then go back to sleep in the morning. They will again take a nap in the afternoon and then hunt before dusk. This behavior has been inculcated in their genes for generations. It does make for a noisy morning, and it can lead to some broken lamps or knick-knacks. The only thing that the cat lover can do is to make sure that the cat has plenty of exercise before sleeping.
2. Pets have different digestive systems and food needs.
This is true for turtles and birds, as well as for cats and dogs. Chocolate is poisonous for a cat, and it can be toxic for a dog. Grapes, including raisins, can damage or shut down a dog’s kidneys. For bright, lively fur, you can feed your pet a diet rich in essential fatty acids. There is new grain-free pet food, however, take note that grains are an essential part of a balanced diet. With regards to diet, you should talk to your veterinarian or a nutritionist before going with a home-made regimen, or a different diet.
3. Diets may change according to age or health.
The pet food that you have been regularly buying for your pet may not have the right nutrients after several years. According to Pet Care RX, Arthritis is a common ailment in dogs. Like arthritis in humans, this is an inflammation of the joints and can be very painful. When a dog gets older, he may need additional supplements like glucosamine to protect the joint cartilage or arthritis medication.
Treating Canine Arthritis and Its Symptoms
4. Mixed breed dogs are healthier.
There is a surge in getting pure-bred puppies which have led to a lot more breeders, and to more inbreeding. Due to the demand for pure-bred dogs (and cats), there has been an increase in the frequency of inbreeding. In general, continuous breeding of purebreds creates a limited gene pool. This, in turn, has led to some problems in the breeds. For one, they no longer look in any way like what purebreds looked twenty years ago. The recessive traits which were the trademarks for the breed have become exaggerated. For another, genetic diseases which are common for a breed have become more common and more pronounced. For this reason, purebreds have more health problems than mixed breeds. Although mixed breeds may not be popular, you would get the same enjoyment from a mixed breed compared with a purebred.
5. Old dogs can be taught new tricks.
Dogs are intelligent creatures and can be taught things to do even at an advanced age. Teaching cats, on the other hand, can also be done, but only as a matter of behavior. There are techniques that you can use to teach your dog, or you can send them to a qualified and certified trainer.
6. Good habits start young.
There are some things which a pet remembers for life. These things start off as habits and can help the owner implement rules around the house. Specifically, these include simple things like keeping pets away from the sofa. If the pet is never allowed on the couch, he won’t go and lie there. This lesson should be taught early on and without any exception. While young, the pet quickly remembers this rule and keeps to it. Changing the rules at some point is giving mixed signals, and the pet won’t understand.
7. Raw meat may not be the best for your pet.
Raw meat might lead to bacterial infection or cracked teeth. There is also a chance that exposure to pet feces might put a person at risk. This is not a secret, like the ASPCA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as other health organizations, discourage diets with raw meat.
8. Cats are curious creatures, yet they can also get bored.
When you play with a cat using a laser pointer painting a red spot on the floor, you are playing on his curiosity. The cat’s antics may be enjoyable and fun for you. However, it is not the case with your pet. He can get frustrated that he cannot catch the red spot. After playing this game, let your cat enjoy some treats as a reward.
9. The fat cat grew obese and bored.
Cats and dogs are hunters. They have to move a lot to keep their health. However, there is a tendency to feed them too much. Eating too much food leads to obesity. It can also make them lose motivation, and they become lazy. Of what use are their hunting skills if they can just eat whenever they want? Food treats as a reward during training is one thing, but being fed treats as a matter of habit can cause health problems.
10. Letting dogs do their business.
Walking the dog is one exercise where the owner allows the dog go about his business. For the owner, it means picking up the mess afterward. For the dog, it means that he has to take his time until he is comfortable with his surroundings and he can go about defecating. There is no hurrying this activity.
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“10 Pet Care Secrets Every Pet Owner Has To Know” written by Jeffery Keyes
Author Bio: Jeffery Keyes writes for petcarerx, an online supplier of prescription and non-prescription medicines for pets.
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10 Pet Care Secrets Every Pet Owner Has To Know #dogs #cats #pethealth Click To Tweet
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A QUESTION FOR YOU:
Can you think of other facts to add to this list of pet care secrets?
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Great tips, Jeanne. For dealing with cat hunts, as you said, it’s really good to give them good exercise. I installed one of those cat tunnel enclosures for my cats, around our balcony, and they can run in it, even at night when I leave it open if it’s warm enough.
What a great idea, Lily. Cats love those cat tunnels. I would too. Thanks for your visit and your comment too. 🙂
Beautiful piece. Thanks Jeanne! More of this type of posts please!!! 🙂
Your wish is my command, Dianne. Thanks so much for taking the time to visit my blog today! I hope you’ll come back soon. 🙂
Great tips! People often don’t understand that when they get a cute, cuddly cat, they are also getting a predator. Like many successful predators they sleep when we are awake and hunt while we are resting/sleeping.
Hi Robin. Yes, it’s true that cat-owners forget that cats are predators and have a different time clock then ours. I appreciate your comment, and thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Hi Jeanne, I just had to leave another comment. You were talking about older cats learning behaviors. We recently started training our 5 year old cat to walk on a leash. It’s been fun. We first started having her wear the harness for short periods of time in the house. Once she was use to that we attached the leash while still in the house to see how she would react. Cats can feel things that add weight. She was fine with it. We took her outside and she started by hiding under a bush in front of the house. We now have her walking down the walk-way outside the front door. This allows her to experience a new environment and get more exercise. It is possible to teach an old cat new tricks MOL You just have to be patience and put in the time and anything is possible with your pets.
That’s great that you’ve taught your cat to walk on a leash. They can experience so much more, and stay safe too. I’m glad it was an easy process for you and your cat. Bravo!
I think another pet care secret is that when a cat is depressed, spending time with it playing or just loving it will actually help it grieve the loss of its litter or friend. One of our adult Siamese cats lost her mother in January (who was my baby and I miss her a lot), and for about a week, she was depressed. She would walk around, meowing and just lying around. So I gave her plenty of attention and kitty nip. She started coming back around and back to her old self.
Spending more time with a grieving cat is a wonderful piece of advice, Angela. It helps take their mind off their depression. I’m glad you stopped by my blog today. Come back soon!
Thank you Jeanne! Great list!
Thanks for stopping by Animal Bliss, Rosa!
Great post. These are 10 simple and sometimes overlooked point. I love the fact you mentioned you can teach an old dog new tricks. This should encourage people to adopt older dogs as they are smart and trainable.
Great post, thanks for sharing.
Hey, Suzanne. Thanks for stopping by! I’m glad you liked our post on Pet Care Secrets. You’re right, people need to be encouraged to adopt older dogs. There are so many out there looking for love. Take care, and come back soon!