Fear Free Happy Homes
Reading Time: 3 minutes When my husband and I adopted a senior Poodle named Peach, we knew she had a heart murmur. But when she began coughing almost to the point of retching, our veterinarian referred us to a veterinary cardiologist for more testing. Sure enough, Peach has a leaky mitral valve. The resulting heart enlargement puts pressure on […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes The death of a beloved pet is excruciating. With their shorter lifespans, it’s also, unfortunately, an inevitability. Therapist Susan Anschuetz, LMFT, co-founder of the Denver-based nonprofit Human Animal Bond Trust, has led free weekly pet loss support groups for more than 30 years. “There’s hardly a week that goes by where someone doesn’t say, ‘I […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes When I worked as a professional dog trainer, my dog school was called “Oliver and Me.” Oliver was my dog. But I didn’t just name my school after him because I loved him. He actually helped me train. Doing private training in the suburbs outside of New York City often meant there were no other […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes Once you’ve trained your cat to accept restraint, you can start training for blood draws. Depending on your cat’s age and lifestyle, they may need regular blood draws for wellness or to test for diseases such as FeLV/FIV. Of course, you won’t actually be poking them with needles at home, but by teaching them to […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes If you’re anything like me, you probably hug your cat several times a day. It wasn’t until I became a veterinarian that I realized many cats don’t like being hugged, and if they do, it’s not by strangers poking them with needles at the vet clinic. Many cats also dislike having areas of their body […]
Reading Time: 5 minutes At the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in March of 2020, animal shelters across America put out a desperate call for fosters and adopters to help clear their facilities—and Americans stepped up in a big way. Not only did people want to help, but during stay-at-home orders, pets provided a distraction and comfort from the […]
Reading Time: 4 minutes If you’ve never had a pet reptile before, the leopard gecko is a good place to start. These little lizards are charming and easier to care for than many other species. “Leopard geckos are beautiful, with lovely colors and markings, huge bright eyes and sweet faces. They are delightful to watch, curiously exploring their environment […]
Reading Time: 5 minutes Stretched out, twisted and contorted, or curled into a ball, cats have mastered the art of sleep. As an homage, the word catnap formally entered the English language in the 1800s. Some people have the notion that cats are lazy layabouts sleeping the day away. It’s time to hit the snooze button on that misperception. […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes If you’re anything like me, you probably hug your dog several times a day. It wasn’t until I became a veterinarian that I realized many dogs don’t like being hugged, and if they do, it’s not by strangers poking them with needles at the vet clinic. Many dogs are also uncomfortable with having areas of […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes Louise Holton has been trapping community cats since the 1970s and having them neutered, vaccinated, and returned to their colony. In the process, she has received some serious cat bites over the years. Holton, founder of Alley Cat Rescue, is always current on her tetanus vaccination. And by now, she’s a pro at treating bite […]