Despite the considerable amount of time that your cat spends cleaning and licking itself, your cat still requires a regular grooming routine. Here are 5 great tips to help keep your cat’s hair healthy and skin free from fleas and other diseases / parasites.

Grooming

The key with grooming is to keep it regular. All cats need to be groomed at least once a week (E.g. short-haired cats like the Tonkinese) whilst longer hair cats (such as the Himalayan) will require more frequent grooming such as every few days (or even daily). While grooming your cat ensure you look carefully for any signs of skin irritation, ticks or fleas.

Combing

Buy a cat hair comb (that suits your cats hair type) and get your cat into a routine of regularly combing its’ hair. Doing so not only prevents matting of your cat’s hair but also helps to keep your house clean of hair and hairballs. Longer haired cats of course require further work when combing. Comb in the direction that the hair grows and be careful around the sensitive areas such as ears and tummy.

Brushing

Brushing also removes dead and matted hair, and helps detangle. Regular brushing and combing stimulates the skin, and natural oils will be more evenly distributed to give your cat a healthy, shiny coat. Brush gently in the direction of hair growth with a wire slicker brush (good for thicker coats), or a soft bristle brush. Rubber grooming devices (suh as the gloves on the market) are also good for massaging the skin.

Nail trimming

Your cat’s claws need regularly cutting; this not only saves your furniture from unwanted scratching but there is some evidence to suggest that a cat with well cut claws is less predatory in nature. Cutting claws is simple; extrude your cat’s claws by gently squeezing the paw and using special cat claw scissors, quickly cut the top off the claw. Importantly, it is critical that you cut above the end of the claw’s blood vessels - this is easily identifiable by the pink/white colour inside each claw; as soon as the claw is translucent in colour, it is ok to cut.

Bathing

Bathing and cats is something that the majority of cat owners never consider. I for one have never bathed Charlie, mainly because of his typical cat behaviour towards water! Some cats however actually like water and bathing can assist in controlling matting in long-haired cats in addition to treating skin conditions. If you do attempt to bathe your cat, make sure you use a specific cat shampoo - they are available from most good vets and pet stores.

And remember…

Not only will grooming keep your cat’s hair and skin healthy, it is a great way to spend some quality time bonding with your cat!

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Top tips to help you with obedience training your puppy.

Tip #1 - Train the Trainer

Before you get started (and preferably before you even bring your new puppy home) make sure you are well prepared. This means researching and reading what you can about puppy training and obedience. Take advantage of the resources available today (both online and at your library), and get familiar with the particular breed of your puppy. In addition, talk to your local vet and other pet owners about their experiences. Doing so will help you get up to speed with the behavioural characteristics of your puppy’s breed and give you an informed idea of what lies ahead. And do not worry, obedience training is not typically difficult but like most things, the better prepared you are the more success you and your puppy can achieve.

Tip 2 - Remember the Basics

Your puppy’s first training sessions should be at home and in a distraction free environment. What you are trying to do initially is to have your puppy pay attention to your commands; start with calling his/her name and following with keywords such as “watch” or “here”. Be patient and consistent; remember that regular training at the beginning of your puppy’s life can pay huge benefits later on down the track.

Tip #3 - Learn the 4 Basic Commands

Start your puppy with the four most basic of commands; “sit”, “down”, “stay” and “come”. Note that the success of your puppy learning these commands is determined largely by how consistent you are with the command and the associated action. Your puppy must hear the command and see the action to first understand.

“Sit”

The first basic command is of course “sit” with the associated action of gently pushing your puppy’s backside down as you say the command. Make sure your puppy understands this command before moving on to the “down” command.

“Down”

A very important command. Dogs (and particularly puppies) are easily excited and jumping up is a natural way for your dog to show his/her excitement. Teaching your puppy at an early age that this is not acceptable is the key, so on every attempt your puppy makes to jump up use the “down” command.

“Stay”

The third basic command is “stay”. This is a good command to teach with the use of a puppy treat; place the treat in front of your puppy and as soon as he/she moves towards the treat say the word “stay”. A great action to use with this command is to raise your hand (as to illustrate “stop”) when saying the command.

“Come”

The natural progression from learning the “stay” command is of course the opposite - to “come”. This command is particularly important as it teaches your puppy that a command is needed when it is ok to get up and approach you. Remember to change the tone of your voice to that of excitement when using this command, and even action by tapping your legs when saying the command.

Tip #4 - Obedience School

After regular obedience training at home, enrol your puppy in your local neighbourhood dog obedience training classes. They are bound to have a puppy specific class available and it is a great opportunity to get your puppy socialising and interacting with other puppies and people. Training in classes effectively builds on the basics learnt whilst at home but with the added distractions of having other dogs and people around.

Last thoughts

Obedience training can be a fun activity for both you and your puppy in addition to being a great way to bond with your puppy at an early stage of its’ life. A consistent approach coupled with regular training sessions will bring great results.

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More and more cat owners are keeping their cats indoors on a permanent basis. This can be for many reasons, such as to avoid outdoor risks such as traffic, fighting with other cats and diseases. Due to these reasons, indoor cats typically live longer when compared to outdoor cats.

Indoor cats do however have special needs that if considered will avoid behavioural problems from being indoors all the time. Below are Buzz Pet’s Top 7 Tips when keeping an indoors only cat.

Tip #1 - Litter trays

Litter trays are a fundamental requirement for any indoor cat. General rules that apply are:

• 1 tray per cat, placed in an accessible, quiet location AWAY from where the cats sleep and eat
• Most cats prefer larger trays with no cover (so try to avoid the covered trays with a cat flap)
• Litter preferences also matter (you may want to read my post on litter); if you find a litter your cat seems to like then do not change!
• Clean the litter daily, and rinse the tray each week.

Remember the better the hygiene the happier your cat (and lets face it this is not much different to us humans!).

Tip #2 - Scratching poles

Cats love to scratch and scratching is a fundamental activity for all cats; the trick is to provide the “right” options for your cats to scratch, rather than the expensive furniture! Scratching poles are great, available in a variety of colours and most these days come with replaceable covers - when the cover wear’s out, simply replace it. Locate poles near the entry of rooms and sleeping areas - cats also scratch to leave their scent.

Tip #3 - Cat trees

Cats love to be up high so that they can observe life going by. Cat trees provide this opportunity and can serve two purposes as most trees these days have scratching poles built in. Many trees have multiple levels for your cat to enjoy, some with the additional of toys hanging off each level to keep your cats amused.

Tip #4 - Toys

There are literally thousands of cat toys available, but finding the right toys for your cat can be a challenge. Try both hunting style toys such as mice and birds, and less traditional toys such as balls, string etc. Sometimes the simplest of toys such as scrunched up paper or ping-pong balls can provide hours of cat entertainment. Make sure you rotate the toys and leave them out for play when you are not home.

Another hot tip is to set up a fish aquarium at home; this will provide hours of entertainment for your cat (just make sure that they cannot get access to the water!).

Tip #5 - Outdoor Cat Enclosures

Cat enclosures really provide the best of both worlds for you and your cat by allowing your cat to get outdoors in a safe environment. There are professional ready-made cages down to DIY home-made ones; you are really only limited by your creativity (and your where you live of course).

Tip #6 - Cat walking

You can also train your cat to wear a harness and walk on a lead; this can be a slow process at first, one good approach is to allow your cat to feel comfortable wearing the harness before heading outdoors. One trick is to train your cat to associate wearing the harness with fun things such as playing with a certain toy. Similar to most training, it is best to begin this from an early age whilst your cat is still a kitten. Note that some breeds (I have had some success with Charlie our Tonkinese) will adopt walking very quickly, whilst others may take more training. Patience is the key!

Tip #7 - Indoor plants

Cat grass, cat herbs, potted plants -anything that grows indoors may well take the eye of your cat. Most cats like to graze on grass at sometime so it is worth considering setting up a simple “cat garden”.

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Two very good friends of mine have been going through a tough time this week. Oscar, their male Tonkinese kitten has been fighting for his young life after contracting Feline Panleukopenia, a highly contagious virus caused by the feline parvovirus. This virus has in the past been the leading cause of cat death but today is rather uncommon due largely to the effectiveness of vaccines. I personally have never heard of this virus let along a kitten contracting a serious virus after being desexed (which occurred in Oscar’s case). Needless to say my heart sank when I heard the news and I wish Oscar a full recovery (apparently he is a tough little thing and is hanging in there, under observation at the vet).  I will keep you all posted on how Oscar progresses.

Further reading on Feline Panleukopenia (FP) can be found via the links below:

• American Veterinary Medical Association
• Wikipedia
• Zoologic

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Welcome to the third post of my 4 series post about safe travel for you and your pets. In this series I will cover:

• How to prepare and plan for pet travel
• Pet travel by Air
• Pet travel by Car
• Pet travel by train and buses.

The third post of the series discusses safe travel by car. Let’s get started.

Start small

Before considering bringing your lovable pet on the annual family road-trip, it is best to make sure your pet is already accustomed to cat travel before you travel too far. So take the time to acclimatise you pet with a few short rides in the car before the planned longer trip. The important thing is to attempt to associate positive thoughts with your pet when travelling in the car. So praise your pet after each short journey and slowly build their confidence with getting in and out of the car.

Carriers where applicable

For the safety of smaller pets and you and your family, small pets such as cats should always travel in an approved pet carrier. Similar to when travelling by air, pet carriers should be large enough for your pet to stand up in and turn around and also be secure (with a lock or similar). Confining your pet during car travel rules allows your pet to feel secure and also prevents them moving around the car interior (and hence removing the risk of them crawling under your feet while you are driving).

Dogs

Some basic rules with dogs travelling within cars are:

• If your car is equipped with an airbag, your dog should NOT travel in the front passenger seat
• Never let your dog travel sitting on your lap
• Do not allow your dog to travel with their head outside the window of your car. Doing so increases the risk of dirt or other debris entering their ears, eyes or mouth.
• If your dog has to ride in the back of your ute / truck, then make sure he/she is leashed and confined to a secured portable kennel.

Refreshments and supplies

Try to stick to your pet’s regular feeding routine when travelling with your pet. If you are travelling during the day, feed your pet it’s main meal when you reach the destination or at the end of the day’s travel. Make sure you have plenty of water and a water bowl with you whilst in the car; when you stop to refuel / get supplies, give your pet the opportunity to stretch their legs and have a drink of water. Toilet stops of course for you and your pet are also a necessity, and remember never to leave your pet unattended in the car.

A final note

Like all travel with your pet, good preparation can mean the difference between an enjoyable trip with you and your family pet, or a never to be repeated experience!

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Checking your cat’s teeth on a regular basis and keeping them clean is vital to your cat’s overall health. Put simply, your cat’s teeth are very important - if they lose their teeth, they will have no way of eating! Below are some great tips to point you in the right direction.

Visually check

Visually checking your cat’s teeth and gums on a regular basis is a good start. First of all check your cat’s breath. If your cat’s breath is strong / bad then this could indicate an infection of the gums or a tooth.

Tartar and plaque

Similar to us humans, cat teeth need to be free from tartar and plaque to stay healthy and problem free. Your cat’s gums are an easy thing to check - if they appear a healthy light pink in colour then chances are they are healthy. If however they appear red and/or are bleeding, there may be a problem so it is probably best to take your cat to the vet for a check-up.

Cat brushing

You can purchase special brushes from good pet stores to brush and clean your cat’s teeth. As with most training and behaviours, starting to clean your cat’s teeth at an early age is the best approach. Another method is to put a little bit of baking soda on a rag to rub your cat’s teeth. The mild abrasive qualities of baking soda will clean your cat’s teeth in no time.

Cat rinsing

A similar approach to brushing your cat’s teeth but a little easier for you and your cat, is to rinse your cat’s teeth. Simply rub a little mouthwash to a rag and rub on the cats gum / teeth. Just make sure that the mouthwash you use has been approved for pet consumption!

Diet

There are various options with diet, from special cat chews for teeth cleaning right through to the rather simpler approach of feeding your cat raw chicken bones. All teeth friendly diets work on the basics of abrasion - as your cat eats the food gently rubs against their teeth and removes any plaque and/or tartar.

A word on chicken bones - it is critical that any bones fed to your cat are RAW. Cooked bones are dangerous for cats particularly older cats where the likelihood of the bone splintering and being lodged in the cat’s throat are increased. Raw bones are also no hassle - often the butcher will give you chicken necks for free and our cat Charlie loves them.

In summary

My advice is simple - prevention is yet again far better than the cure when dealing with your cat’s teeth health. At an early stage of your cat’s life, get him/her used to regular teeth checks and eating teeth healthy food such as chicken necks and raw bones. Doing so is a great way to prevent any teeth problems further in your cat’s life.

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Toads and dogs

Toads (specifically Cane Toads) are not only a pest to farmers but also a potential liability for dog owners and their dogs living in the north / northeast states of Australia. Put simply, Cane Toads can kill if your dog ingests an amount of their poison and hence a strategy to prevent this happening is a must.

Prevention the key

Preventing your dog being in contact with Cane Toads is the best approach. One approach is to build a Cane Toad trap and hence remove the number of toads from your back yard where your dog rests and plays.

The trap

First of all a solid fence, made from Colourbond or a similar material, should be built around the dog’s exercise and sleeping areas, up to a height of 600mm. A simple trap is then made (away from the enclosure) by burying a bucket into the earth so that the top of the bucket is level with the soil. Next fill the bucket with approximately 100mm of water, just enough to cover the surface area of the bucket.

Light source

The Cane Toad trap is most effective if you have a light source adjacent to it. Having this light attracts insects at night which in turn attracts the Cane Toads towards the trap.

Capture, collection and dispose

Cane Toads will be attracted by the insects and fall into the bucket each night, not being able to then escape. Each morning, check the trap and release any native frogs etc. that may have also been captured. Dispose of the remaining Cane Toads in a humane way.

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Welcome to the second post of a 4 series post about safe travel with your pets. In this series I will cover:

• How to prepare and plan for pet travel
• Pet travel by Air
• Pet travel by Car
• Pet travel by train and buses

Moving forward with the series, let’s get started with the second post discussing air travel and your pet.

Travel by Air

Travel by air for your pet is arguably the most convenient for you but the most stressful for your pet (and possibly you as well!). I for one have never enjoyed putting Charlie our Tonkinese in the carrier and into the hull of the plane however the convenience of flying (particularly when travelling long distances) is too much to deter me. Air travel can however be a safe and comfortable method of transport for your pet as long as you are prepared.

Airlines

Airlines all have their own specific requirements in regard to travelling with your pet, and this varies from country to country. For this reason it is vital that you confirm with your chosen Airline what is allowed and required in relation to pet travel prior to purchasing any tickets, to avoid disappointment.

General guidelines

The below are some general guidelines around how to prepare your pet for air travel. I have found that most airlines’ regulations are consistent with the required preparation noted below.

Minimum age to travel

Many airlines will have a minimum age of your pet before it will allow it to travel. As a rule of thumb, most airlines adopt an 8 week minimum age for most pets.

Health certificate

Some airlines, particularly in the USA have a requirement that your pet must have a health certificate from your vet within 10 days prior to travel date. This I must add is not however a requirement of most Australian airlines when travelling with small pets such as a cat. The regulations may have changed however so once again, best to check with your airline.

Approved pet carrier

Having an approved and quality pet carrier, specifically designed for pet transport, is good insurance for your pet’s safety. This is the very reason that almost all airlines will insist that your pet is contained within an approved pet carrier, that the carrier can be locked and that your pet can stand up, turnaround and lie down within the carrier. In addition, your pet carrier should be well ventilated and the base covered with absorbent and comfortable material. Make sure that the carrier also has your pet’s contact details clearly labelled.

It is also a great idea to get your pet used to being inside your carrier.  We often leave Charlie’s carrier open so he can climb in whenever he likes.  We often find him sleeping in the carrier so as a consequence when it comes time to travel we have no problems with getting him inside. 

Preparing for flight

It is a great idea to arrive early for your flight and to give your pet plenty of exercise prior to checking in. Typically it is also recommended that your pet travels on an empty stomach and the use of pet tranquillisers (in an attempt to calm them) is not recommended (due to the increased chances of heart or breathing problems during flight). Again when in doubt, consult your vet for specific requirements and advice.

Checking in

Try to check in promptly and minimise the length of time that your pet spends in the airport terminal. Personally put your pet on the luggage crate when checking in your pet and promptly collect your pet when arriving at your destination.

Other thoughts

Some other points worth mentioning are to always try to book non-stop flights whenever possible and avoid travel during very busy holiday travel times.

That completes the second post of our 4 post series on safe travel with pets. If you enjoyed this post, please stayed tuned for the next in the pet travel series - Pet Travel by Car.

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With Easter having just passed, there are no doubt many of us that have a fridge full of left over chocolate from the holiday period (not to mention the addition of a few kilos around the hips - but that is not the topic of this post!). Although it may be tempting to share this chocolate with your loving dogs, it is wise to resist the temptation for a number of reasons noted below.

Cocoa and dogs

Put simply, cocoa is no good for your pet. The cocoa in chocolate contains a chemical called theobromine, which if ingested by a dog will cause a high similar to caffeine does for us two-legged folk. Darker chocolate and baking chocolate contains more cocoa and hence more theobromine, increasing the risk of poisoning your dog. Chocolate intoxication of your dog can hence occur by feeding your cat or dog chocolate. Visible signs of intoxication are your pet vomiting and/or having diarrhoea. In extreme cases, although rare, chocolate intoxication can be fatal.

Substitutes

Finding a chocolate substitute for your dog is easy. There are a wide variety of dog-specific “chocolate” treats available from pet stores / online pet retailers. In addition, carob, the popular chocolate alternative for humans, is fine for dogs (in small quantities). Yes carob does contain theobromine, however it is in such small quantities that your dog would have to literally eat kilograms of carob to have an adverse affect.

Summary

For special treats that your dog will enjoy and that is safe, use an alternative to chocolate. My vote is for carob as it is readily available and a cheaper option than the dog-specific chocolate substitutes sold at the local pet store.

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Welcome to the first of a 4 series post about safe travel with your pets. In this series I will cover:

• How to prepare and plan for pet travel
• Pet travel by Air
• Pet travel by Car
• Pet travel by train and buses

So let’s get started with the first post of the series by discussing good travel preparation and planning for you and your pets.

Before you travel

A great holiday for both you and your pet begins with making sure that your pet is fit and healthy for travel. So monitor your pet in the weeks leading up to travel, ensuring that your pet is eating well, getting plenty of exercise and is essentially happy. It is also important that your pet is all up to date with worming, fleas and vaccinations. If in doubt, have your vet check over your pet before departure. This is particularly relevant for elderly or difficult pets.

Identification

Correct identification for your pet is of course a great idea for all of the time, however even more important when you are leaving home. Make sure your pet is ID tagged (as well as being micro-chipped) and the correct address details (both home and your holiday destination) are recorded. In addition, I would recommend taking a few recent photos of your pet with you on holiday - just in case they get lost whilst away from home.

Consider the destination

It may sound obvious, but making sure that your destination is “pet-friendly” is critical. This will include of course ensuring that your accommodation is suitable (be it staying with friends/family, hotel, motel B&B etc.) in addition to confirming that your pet will be OK during the day if you are off out sight seeing. Note that if you are staying at a hotel/motel, you will need to also confirm if your pet can stay in the room while you are not there. If this is allowed, it is always a good idea to leave the “Do Not Disturb” sign on your door to reduce the risk of hotel staff entering your room whilst you are away (and your pet is there alone).

What to bring

It is a good idea to pack a suitcase just for your pet. This will include essentially most of the items that make living at home enjoyable for your pet such as:

• Appropriate food and treats
• Food / water bowls (for both while you travel (depending on the travel method) and when you arrive at your destination)
• Grooming equipment
• Favourite toys
• Sleeping bed / blanket.

Some other thoughts

Packing a simple-first aid kit that includes some pet safe medications is a good idea. In addition to that, I would recommend you monitor your pets health and behaviour more closely whilst on holiday. Check for any irregularities such as a runny nose, discharge from eyes or behaviour changes (excessive scratching/cleaning, biting etc.) and make sure you visit the local vet if you have concerns.

OK, that is it for the post 1 of our 4 post series about safe travel with pets. Next week I will continue the post series with tips and advice for safe car travel for you and your pet.

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