Fear Free Happy Homes
Reading Time: 3 minutesalmer, happier year for you and your feline friend. The new year is the perfect time to build habits that reduce stress for the whole family, including your cat. Play isn’t just fun, it is one of the most effective and Fear Free–friendly ways to support your cat’s emotional wellbeing, strengthen your bond, and bring […]
Reading Time: 4 minutesAmerica’s cats are facing a healthcare crisis. The findings of a feline health study conducted by Bayer Health Care in 2014 found that 52 percent of America’s 74 million cats are not receiving regular veterinary care. The actual number is probably much higher, since this study captured data only from cat owners who seek some […]
Reading Time: 3 minutesIt’s not only people who suffer from stress; our pets most certainly do, too. The question is, could you unknowingly be the cause of some of your pet’s anxiety? Everyday noises and events that humans take for granted, for instance, can cause pets to be fearful and anxious. And because pets, like people, react differently […]
Reading Time: 3 minutesOur cats rarely get to choose for themselves when it comes to the really important stuff. We decide what the cats will eat, where, and when. We pick the litter box and determine where to put it and what litter to use. We select all the cat furniture, from the scratching posts and pads to […]
Reading Time: 3 minutesLisa Lippman, DVM, knows the value of always acquiring knowledge. That may explain why in addition to her skills in house call medicine, general practice, and emergency veterinary medicine, she made the decision to complete a two-day course to become a pet first aid/CPR instructor. Her reason is simple: “In a veterinary clinic, medicines and […]
Reading Time: 3 minutesWe all know about studies showing that sharing life with a pet has beneficial effects on human health. Even a few minutes of petting a cat or dog can lower blood pressure and release mood-enhancing endorphins. A University of Minnesota study found that cat companionship may reduce the risk of heart attack for people by […]
Reading Time: 4 minutesMaking therapy visits can be great enrichment for the right dog and make you feel good about giving back to the community. But it’s important that therapy pets love their work, and for some dogs it may be too stressful. If you’re considering getting into this, make sure your dog will be an enthusiastic partner. […]
Reading Time: 3 minutesWhen I worked as a vet tech many years ago, we didn’t routinely “take pets to the back” for treatment. Emergency visits, or pets not easily handled, were the exceptions. But more often than not, dogs and cats had their temperatures taken, vaccines administered, routine blood and stool samples procured, all while in the presence […]
Reading Time: 4 minutesThe dog brain is very different from that of wild dogs, so that in some ways puppies are born ready to fit into the human world. But the puppy brain still has a lot of developing to do after birth, and understanding that process is important to raising confident, well-adjusted dogs. It’s now generally believed […]
Reading Time: 3 minutesIt’s not unusual for pets to suffer stress-related diarrhea, especially when it comes to car rides or veterinary visits. Here’s how you can help relieve the causes. With a dog or cat who tends toward an anxious outlook on life, visiting the veterinarian can be a big stress. One of the most obvious signs of […]