Fear Free Happy Homes
Reading Time: 3 minutes While Halloween may be an exciting time for you and your family — costumes, candy, carving — it can be frightening for your dog or cat. From ringing doorbells to monstrous masks, these new sights and sounds can create high anxiety for pets. However, when you follow these simple suggestions, you can give your pet […]
Reading Time: 2 minutes What scares pets at Halloween? It’s not the specter of too much chocolate but it can be ghosts, jack-o-lanterns and giant inflatable spiders (those scare us, too). People—or other animals—in costume, flickering carved pumpkins, and spooky décor can frighten pets who aren’t prepared for them. Help protect them from or prepare them for the following […]
Reading Time: 5 minutes My first dog was thrilled to go anywhere and meet anyone. Crowds, children, traffic: she was calm in the face of it all. So I could not understand what was wrong with other dogs or, more to the point, their owners. You know the ones I mean: their dogs jumped and barked and were out […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes My husband and I adopted our Lab mix, Rio, from an underfunded shelter in New Mexico in 2010. It was our first time visiting the facility, and the housing conditions depressed us: a few litters of puppies were crammed into chain-link cages, and adult dogs were kept alone in each small enclosure. It didn’t seem […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes September is Happy Cat Month. It’s a special celebration created by—who else?—the CATalyst Council. The organization’s purpose is to help spread education and awareness about the health, welfare, and importance of our companion cats. Is your cat happy? We talked to an expert, as well as several cat-loving humans, about how to know if cats […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes If you have a dog or cat who is fearful, anxious, or stressed during veterinary visits, the veterinary team may have recommended that you give your pet a PVP, or pre-visit pharmaceutical. These are medications that may be used in addition to training or behavior or environmental modifications to treat fear, anxiety, or stress associated […]
Reading Time: 4 minutes Have you ever wanted an inside look at how shelters prepare young kittens for adoption? It’s a 24/7 process that requires many helping hands. Orphaned kittens, some just days old, may never realize their good fortune of being rescued and transported to the San Diego Humane Society’s kitten nursery center. Strategic steps taken by staff […]
Reading Time: 4 minutes Looking at that cute little puppy face, you can’t imagine loving him more than you do right now and you certainly can’t imagine loving him less! But raising a puppy can be hard work. The “new” wears off fast after several nights of waking at 3 A.M. to let the puppy out, or cleaning up […]
Reading Time: 2 minutes If your pet (or you) get stressed out when heading to the vet for vaccines, these five tips can help make the trip free of fear, anxiety, and stress for both of you. 1. Be an Example Your pet is more likely to be calm if you are. If you’re stressed out before the vaccination […]
Reading Time: 4 minutes It sounds like a fun idea to take your dog to the monthly art gallery walk downtown, the outdoor patio of a dog-welcoming restaurant, or for a ride in a kayak. These activities may seem safe and fun for you, but to your dog, they can be downright scary. How can you tell if your […]