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Activities & Enrichment Cats Dogs Fears & Anxieties Holidays

Give Your Pets a Fear Free Fourth of July

Article

Reading Time: < 1 minutes The Fourth of July should be fun for the whole family, your pets included. Fireworks, parades, large numbers of strangers, and other out-of-the-ordinary experiences can be stressful and scary to your pet. Follow the tips in this handout to celebrate the Fourth of July and keep it Fear Free for your pets.

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Activities & Enrichment Cats Life at Home

It’s Cat’s Play: Fun Feline Enrichment

Article

Reading Time: < 1 minutes High perches, secret hideouts, falling water: Cats are adventurers at heart, but they can be limited by the interiors of their homes. In our handout, we share some easy ways to build a paradise that will allow them to live out their catly dreams of exploration, fulfill their feline destiny, and still make it to […]

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Equines Fears & Anxieties Other Training & Grooming

Tricks and Treats Help Horses Gain Courage

Article

Reading Time: 4 minutes When a horse becomes part of your life, it is important to help him learn to deal with changes and unusual interactions without fear.

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Cats Fears & Anxieties Life at Home

In From the Cold: How a Community Cat Came to an Indoor Life

Article

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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Dogs Shelters & Fostering

Hotel for Homeless Dogs Reshapes Traditional Shelter Models

Article

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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Cats Dogs Holidays

New Year’s Eve Is a Blast, But Not for Pets: How to Keep Them Safe

Article

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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Cats

Feline Love Language: What the Purr Means

Article

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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Birds Training & Grooming

5 Fear Free Tips to Put Parrot Problems Behind You

Article

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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Cats

Cats Know How to Rack Up the Zzzzs, but Is Their Sleep Serene or Stress-Filled? What to Look for

Article

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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Dogs Veterinary Care

When Is an Itch More Than Just an Itch?

Article

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.