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Reading Time: 4 minutes They often prefer to live the wild life, but some community cats can be wooed to live happily indoors.
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Reading Time: 3 minutes Since enrichment is a cornerstone of the Fear Free Shelter Program, it’s always exciting to hear of creative ways shelters work to reduce fear, anxiety, and stress (FAS) while providing for the physical and emotional wellbeing of animals in their care. The Hotel for Homeless Dogs is a shelter founded on the notion that reducing […]
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Reading Time: < 1 minutes The celebration of the old year winding down and the new year beginning can be rowdy and raucous. That’s fun for people but can cause fear, anxiety, and stress in pets. But you can still enjoy a swinging New Year’s Eve while keeping furry family members calm and happy. Follow the tips in this handout […]
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Feline Love Language: What the Purr Means
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Reading Time: 2 minutes Is it really love? When cats purr, what are they trying to tell us? First, how do they do it? It’s surprising that cats have no special apparatus in their body to enable them to purr. Purring involves the rapid movement of the muscles of the larynx (voice box), combined with movement of the diaphragm […]
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Reading Time: 3 minutes Parrots can be a lot of fun. But sometimes they do things humans find annoying. This can include refusing to go back into their enclosures, biting, and vocalizing for attention. Parrots aren’t hatched with behavior problems. They learn through experience to do certain things to get desired outcomes. For example, if a scream causes people […]
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Reading Time: 5 minutes When it comes to sleeping, cats have famously made it an art form. However, while sleeping cats may look peaceful, not all feline sleep is serene. Cats know how to fake it, especially when they are stressed and trying to hide anxiety. And, if that’s the case, what are they dreaming about? Your Cat’s Sleep […]
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Reading Time: < 1 minutes When dogs scratch, it’s disturbing to them and to us. It’s noisy, and it’s clear that something is wrong. An irritating itch can be caused by allergies, parasites, or infections. Our handout offers tips on recognizing causes of itching and ways to help bring it under control.
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Reading Time: 4 minutes It’s an immense privilege to have loved my Lab mix, Rio, for over 12 years. My husband and I adopted him from an animal shelter when he was just a few months old, and we’ve enjoyed each life stage – curious puppy, athletic adult, and now, sweet senior. But it’s concerning to watch the dog […]
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Reading Time: 4 minutes My 80-pound Labrador, Logan, was quivering in excitement to meet his new little brother. “Little” was not an exaggeration. My new Papillon puppy, Finian, weighed a scant 1.2 pounds. Was the size difference between the two a big deal? Yes! Planning ahead, I had prepared everything for a safe, positive introduction. I sat on the […]
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Reading Time: 6 minutes It’s been said that you are what you eat. But perhaps when applied to dogs, it’s more accurate to say, “You are how you eat.” The way dogs are fed, starting in the formative time of puppyhood, has monumental effects on their physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing and has power to change their internal state […]