Fear Free Happy Homes
Reading Time: 3 minutes Before I moved to Texas, my allergies were like a normal person’s allergies–occasional sniffles, but no big deal. After living here for several years, I had to start getting 3 allergy injections into my upper arms every four weeks. I hate the sting of the needle and the feeling of cold liquid slowly going into […]
Reading Time: 4 minutes Successful pre-pet planning begins with a little foresight and preparation for the first few days together. Set yourself and your new pet up for success from the get-go and begin to foster a strong relationship built on trust and empathy. Before you get your pet, take the following steps: Puppy- or Kitten-Proof the Home Before […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes National Pet Month celebrates all things pets. For those who adore cats and dogs or other critters, our animal companions impact us in so many ways we can’t imagine living in a world without them. That begs the questions, how (and why) are pets so important to us? The Love Connection As social creatures, humans […]
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 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 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 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 […]
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 […]
Reading Time: 4 minutes What could be more joyful than a new kitten? A fluffy, adorable, silly, fun new feline family member has been shown to improve human lives in so many ways, from allergies and cardiovascular health to mental wellbeing. So, what is the right time to bring home a kitten? When You Are Ready You will need […]