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Activities & Enrichment Cats Life at Home

Enriching Cats: What You Need To Know

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Reading Time: 2 minutes Feline what? Pay attention, Catvocates. This is the important stuff.  Enrichment is the dollars and sense of cat care: if you follow this common-sense advice, you’ll save dollars at the veterinary clinic. Cats Are Safest Indoors The American Association of Feline Practitioners recommends that people keep cats indoors in suburban and urban areas. Cats are […]

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Activities & Enrichment Dogs Travel & Safety

Road Trip!

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Reading Time: 3 minutes In the 18 months since adopting Kona from a shelter, we’ve traveled from Dallas to San Diego (twice) and made dozens of trips throughout the Lone Star State and even a few jaunts to Oklahoma and Arizona. Kona has yet to turn three, but I’m estimating she has already logged more than 11,000 miles inside […]

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Activities & Enrichment Dogs Training & Grooming

Shake It, Baby! How To Teach Your Dog This Fun Trick

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Reading Time: 2 minutes Shake is a fun and easy trick to teach your dog. It also has some practical benefits beyond looking cute when she offers a paw to someone she’s met. For one, it accustoms her to having her paws touched, which can come in handy at the veterinarian or groomer. Start with your dog in a […]

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Activities & Enrichment Cats Training & Grooming

Yes, You Can Train Cats!

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Reading Time: 3 minutes Despite reputations for being aloof, many cats like to ham it up by performing tricks before an audience. I know firsthand as Casey, my orange tabby, feels right at home in the spotlight. That spotlight can be before students in my pet first aid classes where he happily volunteers to be toweled, have his pulse […]

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Dogs Life at Home New Pets

Welcome Home: Setting Your New Dog Up For Success

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Reading Time: 4 minutes There is no more exciting time in your household than bringing a new dog or puppy home. You want to start your relationship off on the right paw, and help set your new family member up for success. But imagine what it must be like for the dog. New people, a new house, new food, […]

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Activities & Enrichment Cats Life at Home

Five Ways To Enrich Fear Free Happy Homes

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Reading Time: 3 minutes More people than ever are maintaining their cats indoors only, and that’s great; life for cats is far safer inside, with no coyotes or cars to put them at risk. But cats require an enriched environment for their physical, mental and emotional health. When is an environment enriched? It’s a fine line. Change a cat’s […]

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Cats Dogs Life at Home Other Training & Grooming

Making Baby-Friendly Pets—Even If You Don’t Have Kids

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Reading Time: 3 minutes The mantra for so much is “plan ahead.” And this is especially true when the stork is expected. We all want for there to be a Lassie/Timmy connection between kids and pets, but that doesn’t always happen. It is more likely to occur, though, with a little help. And the way that families can prepare […]

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Cats Life at Home

Become a “Catvocate!”

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Reading Time: 2 minutes Hello, fellow cat lovers! I have a confession to make. Yep, I am just going to admit it. I am a passionate, cat-obsessed veterinarian, and I want to create a movement. The Catvocate Movement. I know that you are passionate about your cats, too. I want to share with you the best and latest information […]

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Dogs Life at Home Training & Grooming

Fear Free Behavior: My Dog Eats Cat Food and Cat Feces

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Reading Time: 2 minutes Few dogs will turn up their nose at cat food, dry or canned, if given the chance. In fact, so many dogs like cat food that many dog owners who participate in training or dog sports use dry cat food as rewards. Unfortunately, far too many dogs are also attracted to cat feces. This is […]

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Activities & Enrichment Dogs Training & Grooming Travel & Safety

Dog Behavior: My Dog Pulls On The Leash

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Reading Time: 3 minutes Regularly walking a dog is one of the joys of dog ownership. You and your dog get outside, chat with neighbors, and get a bit of exercise. When your dog pulls on the leash, that enjoyment rapidly disappears. Why Do Dogs Pull On The Leash? Dogs pull on the leash because we’re slower than they […]