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Activities & Enrichment Dogs Fears & Anxieties New Pets Training & Grooming

Help Your Puppy Grow Up to Be a Happy Dog

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Cute labrador puppy dogs sitting on wooden desk looking in camera - green foliage background

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 […]

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Cats Dogs Fears & Anxieties Other Veterinary Care

Preparing Your Pet for a Vaccine Appointment: 5 Tips for a Better Experience

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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 […]

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Dogs Fears & Anxieties Life at Home Travel & Safety

Taking Your Dog? Check With Him First

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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 […]

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Cats Dogs Life at Home Other

Disaster Preparedness for Pets: What to Know

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Reading Time: 3 minutes You never know when disaster will strike. Each year, hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes, tornadoes, and other natural disasters cause people to flee their homes in search of safety. In case of a disaster, it’s important to create a plan that takes the safety of pets as well as people into consideration. A disaster preparedness plan includes […]

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Cats Fears & Anxieties Life at Home

Ways to Make Your Cat’s Move to a New Home Safe and Stress-Free

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Reading Time: 4 minutes When I was a young woman, people who lived on our street moved away. But about a week after they drove off in a moving truck, neighbors discovered they’d left behind their pregnant cat – who promptly gave birth to a litter of kittens. It made me furious that someone would abandon a cat so […]

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Activities & Enrichment Cats Life at Home New Pets Shelters & Fostering

Fostering Tiny Felines is Fun and Rewarding

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Reading Time: 2 minutes Want to save a cat’s life with only a short-term commitment? Consider fostering a litter of kittens. In summer, shelters are overrun with kittens, often with multiple litters coming in daily. In many shelters, young kittens need feeding and care ‘round the clock, care that understaffed shelters are unable to give. Without volunteers and foster […]

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Dogs Life at Home

When You Must Rehome Your Dog: What to Do

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Reading Time: 3 minutes What would you do if you had to give up the dog you purchased from a breeder? Hint Number One: Forget leaving the dog at a shelter or asking a veterinarian to euthanize him. Hint Number Two: Contact the breeder first. We talked to some conscientious breeders about loving ways owners can find a new […]

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Activities & Enrichment Cats Fears & Anxieties Life at Home

They’re Not Loners: Cats Can Have Separation Anxiety, Too

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Reading Time: 4 minutes It’s a worn-out myth that all cats are aloof, independent, solitary. In reality, they can be highly social and form strong bonds with humans and other animals. Most people are familiar with separation anxiety in dogs, but research suggests that cats, especially those who are deeply attached to their people, also experience separation anxiety when […]

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Dogs Life at Home New Pets Shelters & Fostering

Adopting a Dog from a Foreign Country? Here’s What to Know

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Reading Time: 5 minutes In August of 2018, I adopted a rescued Sheltie puppy from Korea. He was so thin the rescue group thought he was only 3 or 4 months old, but my veterinarian determined that he was older because he had his adult teeth. I have learned so much since I adopted my dog, and I’d like […]

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Activities & Enrichment Cats Life at Home

Playtime: Stress Relief for Your Cat and Yourself

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Reading Time: 3 minutes Play is vitally important to a cat’s mental and physical health. Cats may sleep up to 16 hours a day, but when they’re awake, they need stimulation. Play is the best way to accomplish this. Play is nothing more than a way for your domestic tiger to satisfy his natural hunting instinct. In the wild, […]