10 Parenting Lessons You Can Learn from Your Cat

THE COOLEST MUTT IN THE EAST
DailyStar.co.uk

COOL canine Fei Fei left other dogs in the shade after his owner bought him a pair of sunglasses as a joke.



But now the fashion mad mutt refuses to leave owner Bo Lee's home in Chongqing, central China, without being given his wraparound shades!

"I think he likes all the attention he gets on the street," said Lee.

"I bought them to protect his eyes but now if I try to leave the apartment without them he howls the place down," he told the Austrian Times.

5 Simple Tips How To Take Care Of A Hamster
by: Michael Kinney

Are you looking for tips on how to take care of a hamster? If your answer is a yes, this is the right article for you.

You will discover the 5 simple tips how to take care of your little cutie hamster in your home. Just like every other pet, your hamsters need proper care from their owner even though they are as small as the size of your palm.

Once you are ready, here are the 5 simple tips to take care your hamster

* Make sure your hamster is living in a suitable cage and do not use an aquarium to keep your hamster. Do you know that an aquarium will trap the moisture of the air in it and make the inside space a damp environment? So, use a suitable cage as the house for your lovely pet and make sure it has enough space so that your hamster can move around freely. Ample space is very important if you have more than just one hamster.

* Second, no one can live without drinking any water, and so do your hamster. Provide fresh water for your hamster all the time. For instance, you can use the hamster water bottle hanging upside down on the side of the cage. Do not use water bowls if possible as this will cause your cute pet to fall into the bowl and spill the water all around.

* Your hamster is the same like other pet, it needs something to chew to prevent its teeth from growing constantly. Try to get your hamster a chew toy. You can find these kind of chew toys anywhere from your local pet store or you can also get it from the internet. But make sure that you check for the cleanliness of this toy everyday.

* Hamsters are small animal that always hide from dangers. They like to stay in someplace where they can hide around. And because of this, you will have to provide a place for your hamster to nest and rest in their cage. For this purpose, you can use tubes and bedding to keep them hiding and resting.

* And finally, get your lovely pet some toys to play. You want to enjoy your life as well and so do your hamsters. Get them some hamster balls and exercise wheel if possible. However, you have to make sure that they have both the time for exercise and rest as well. Avoid playing with your hamster during daytime as this will irritate it.

Taking care of your hamster is not something difficult. As long as you follow through the tips from the expert, you will never go wrong. The first and the most fundamental step to take care your hamster is to educate yourself and to learn more about these little animals.

About the Author
Are you looking for any hamster caring tips? If you are serious about taking care of your hamster, How To Take Care Of A Hamster will definitely be the perfect website for you. You will discover all sorts of reviews, special offers, deals and information about how to take care of a hamster. Go to the website right now to learn everything about your cute hamster.


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The Right Aquarium
by: Trevor J Rockberry

Finding the right aquarium is not that difficult.

What affects a persons choice in aquariums is their own personal preferences. Some choose aquariums as a decorative complement to their homes or as a hobby.

If someone has an aquarium to add ambience to a room, special care should be taken with the tank design. Consider the tank's shape when picking one. The size and shape of your fish tank can dictate the color of your fish and their breed. The location of the aquarium would be important to owners who practice things like Feng Shui. It's important to note in Feng Shui that aquariums should not be placed in the center of the house.

Think of the right size and shape to match your house.

If the prospective buyer has an open mind, then finding the right aquarium could be an easy thing to do. Consider the scale of the tank to its final location. When selecting a tank size, keep in mind the amount of space you have available. If your are creative, you can turn your aquarium into a beautiful work of art that will impress all your guests. It is best to discuss the elements that make a better aquarium better with either an aquarium expert or interior designer. Professions consider both the design and ease of care. Though a tank may be an attractive addition to a room, it is important to consider how easily it can be cleaned. You should not go out and buy an aquarium tank before you've clearly thought about everything that has been discussed here.

If you intend to keep our aquarium as a hobby and not merely decoration, make sure to balance functionality with looks. If you clear enough space, you might be able to move your crafting supplies into the den instead of cramming them in your bedroom. An aquariums are for show and considered as show piecies only so there is no need to hide them from public. And it can be made according to the demand of the customer whether they prefer it to be of glass or of special plastic.

In fish tank a balanced ecosystem must be sustained for fish to survive. The tank should be structurally strong so that a mild to moderate impact will not shatter it. Only put items in the tank that will be of some significant benefit to the creatures inside. This is not something you should use just for a filler. With a little imagination, an aquarium can mimic the wild, lively, and beautiful underwater world.

About the Author
Before you decide to set up an aquarium and buy one online, make sure you check Trevor Rockberry's excellent aquarium website that is resourceful, and offers a variety of ofaquarium tanks to choose from.

10 Parenting Lessons You Can Learn From a Cat
Darryle Pollack - The Huffington Post

I always thought I was a dog person.
But nothing in life goes the way we expect. So of course, I ended up with cats.

After we got our first cat 20 years ago, I found out I was allergic. I learned to live with it. And it turns out I learned a lot more than that.

Since my son went away to college, leaving us with an empty nest, I've been more involved with his cat, Peppy. And now I wish I'd paid attention to her years ago. I could have saved myself a lot of aggravation.

Here are just 10 parenting lessons I've learned from our cat:

1. Actions speak louder than words:
Neither of them are listening most of the time anyway.

2. Their actions speak louder than words too.
Peppy communicates perfectly when she wants something. She gets it, too.

3. You can't change their essential nature.
Neither cats or children change their personalities much from the moment of birth. You can, however, observe a cat before choosing to take it home.

4. Sometimes they don't want to be with you.
Everyone needs his or her own space sometimes. The trick is to learn to enjoy it.

5. Sometimes you don't want to be with them.
Unfortunately, timeouts don't work very well with a cat.

6. You can't make them eat what they don't want to eat.
Although you might have better luck with a child.

7. If you don't pressure them, they come to you.
Guilt doesn't work on a cat, either.

8. Sometimes they hurt you.
Peppy still draws blood almost daily. With kids, it's usually an accident.

9. Sometimes you hurt them.
I got divorced. And once I slammed a door on Peppy's tail. At least eventually the kids forgave me.

10. Once you have them, it's hard to imagine life without them.

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Tips for When You Take Your Pet on Vacation
McClatchy Tribune Newspapers

More people are traveling with their pets than ever before. As a result, an increasing number of hotels are allowing owners to travel as a pack with their dogs.

Here are a few courtesy tips, from the American Kennel Club, to ensure that you and your pooch will be able to find a home away from home on your next trip:

— Book your reservations at a pet-friendly hotel. Few things are more stressful on a trip than trying to sneak a dog in and out of the hotel.

— Familiarize yourself with the hotel's policies before you arrive. Typically, hotels that require a deposit will refund your money at check-out after a room inspection. Deposits and fees can vary by number or size of the dogs. Some hotels have size restrictions so be sure to ask before you book your room.

— At check-in, ask where you should walk your dog, and make sure you clean up after him. Don't allow male dogs to lift their legs on trash cans or other items on hotel property.

— Dogs should be confined in a crate when you are not in the room. If housekeepers stop by to drop off extra towels or to turn down the bed, they won't be expecting a dog and could potentially allow your pooch to escape. Hang the "Do Not Disturb" sign on your door to ensure that no one enters your room.

Do not allow your pet on the beds or couches unless they are covered by a blanket. Bring your own blankets and towels -- don't use the hotel's supply on your dogs. And remember, hotel bathtubs are for humans only!

— A noisy or destructive dog should not be left unattended in your hotel room. It's common courtesy to keep your pet as quiet as possible and not disturb any of the other guests. Try leaving on the television or radio. Not only are they good "company" for your dog, the noise will also muffle the sounds of people in other rooms or walking down the hallway that may put a barker on the alert.

— Set a good example before leaving, and clean up any stray hair and spritz the room with air freshener. Your actions will reflect positively and help protect the rights of all dog owners.

Additional tips can be found on the American Kennel Club Web site at www.akc.org.

Get a Handle on the Fleas
Tara McKnight - timesrecordnews.com

I have been getting calls from many pet owners with flea problems this year. Fleas aren’t just a problem on your pet. They can also infest your yard. Since no one likes to deal with fleas, either inside and outside, let’s talk about how to control them.

There are several types of flea treatments, available either through your vet or at a store that carries pet products. You can get a product that is a slow-acting growth regulator or a residual (spray) insecticide. You should know a little more about each type before you choose a product.

An insect growth regulator is slow-acting and keeps the insect from reproducing. You can get these in either a pill or a product to use on your pet. Insect growth regulators are best as preventatives since they are slow-acting and work mostly on eggs and immature fleas. If you use them as a preventative you may not need to spray outdoors or indoors for fleas. If you are interested in this type of product look for products containing lufenuron, methoprene, fenoxycarb or pyriproxifen. You can find these in sprays, collars, shampoo and pills. Pills are only available through your vet.

If you already have a bad flea problem at your home, you will want to use a combination of an insect growth regulator and a spray insecticide. Do not use the toxic sprays on your pets! The products you can use on your pets include citrus oils (limonene and linalool) and pyrethrins. You can also use shampoos or an herbal treatment on your pets. These will reduce but not eliminate bad flea problems. You need to apply an insect growth regulator to your pets at the same time you treat indoors and outdoors.

Here are a few tips on the three areas that you need to treat:

•Make sure that you get rid of any rats, mice or other animals that carry fleas up to your home.
•Do not let your pets under your home as this can lead to an infestation under your home.
•Use a spray insecticide in garages, under porches and decks, and outside where your pet sleeps and plays.

•Before treating, clean your home well. Vacuum under and around any furniture where your pet sits, sleeps or plays to remove any fleas and their eggs.

•n Wash and air-dry you pet bedding material.

•Apply a spray insecticide or dust to pet bedding and areas where a pet sleeps and plays. Only use products that say they are safe to use indoors.

•Use only products that are labeled for use on your pet. Some insecticides can be used on dogs but are deadly to cats, so read carefully.

•Treat your pet thoroughly around ears, between legs and around its tail.

•Wear gloves when applying treatments to your pets.
Fleas reproduce very quickly. With the proper control, you can make sure they do not take over your yard, your home or your pet. Be sure to read next week when we will discuss how to control ticks in your yard and on your pets.

Tara McKnight is horticulture Extension agent for Wichita County. Call her at 716-8610 or by e-mail at tcmcknight@ag.tamu.edu. You are always welcome to visit the Wichita County Master Gardner Web site at www.overthegardengate.org. Another great Web site to visit for very useful garden hints and answers is http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/.


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Talkin' 'Bout Cats
Seattle PI.com

Cat Lady wants to share some favorite cat quotes:

I would gladly change places with any of my cats. ~ George Ney

Cats' hearing apparatus is built to allow the human voice to easily go in one ear and out the other. ~ Stephen Baker

Time spent with cats is never wasted. ~ May Sarton

A cat's name may tell you more about its owners than it does about the cat. ~ Linda W. Lewis

My little grandson is a darling, but he can never take the place of my cats. ~ Anonymous Grandmother

People who love cats have some of the biggest hearts around. ~ Susan Easterly

Cats are dangerous companions for writers because cat watching is a near-perfect method of writing avoidance. ~ Dan Greenburg

A cat can purr its way out of anything. ~ Donna McCrohan

A dog is a dog, a bird is a bird, and a cat is a person. ~ Mugsy Peabody

Cat people are different to the extent that they generally are not conformists. How could they be with a cat running their lives? ~ Louis J. Camuti, D.V.M.

Cats never strike a pose that isn't photogenic. ~ Lillian Jackson Braun

A cat sees no good reason why it should obey another animal, even if it does stand on two legs. ~ Sarah Thompson

Dogs come when they're called; cats take a message and get back to you later. ~ Mary Bly

There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music and cats. ~ Albert Schweitzer

There is, incidently, no way of talking about cats that enables one to come off as a sane person. ~ Dan Greenberg

Cats always know whether people like or dislike them. They do not always care enough to do anything about it. ~ Winifred Carriere

If cats could talk, they wouldn't. ~ Nan Porter

Even in a Recession, We Pamper Our Pets
By JOYCE SMITH - The Kansas City Star

While Lacey and Sadie needed a little help opening the festive packages at their party, the golden retrievers didn’t need any help finishing off the goodies from pet shop Land of Paws.

Othic and Younghanz are among the two-thirds of Americans who own pets and also among the majority that still pamper their pets — even as they cut back on their own expenses.

“We make sure they have treats, new collars, healthy food,” Othic said. “They give to us.”

A new survey by WSL Strategic Retail indicates that only 19 percent of pet owners are scrimping on pet spending, with the majority buying not only nice things but top-of-the-line products as well, such as premium pet food.

Turns out, pet supplies are often at the bottom of the cutback list, along with human essentials such as prescription medications and toothpaste.

“Pets are just a key part of the family,” said Shilpa Bharne Rosenberry, senior consultant with WSL. “About 68 percent said they treat their pets as well as their children, and half said it just makes them feel happy to buy nice things for their pets.”

Industry sales are expected to reach $45.4 billion in 2009, compared with $28.5 billion in 2001.

Land of Paws, which opened in 1994 and now has three area locations, sells pet extras such as leopard print collars, polka dot life jackets, birthday hats and Jayhawk-shaped cookies.

PetSmart Inc., one of the nation’s leading pet store chains, with more than 1,135 locations, offers basics such as pet food, treats and toys, but it has expanded into veterinarian, boarding, grooming and training services. Pet lovers also can treat themselves with pet-themed picture frames, mouse pads, magnets, travel mugs, Monopoly Cat Lovers Edition, even pet gift cards.

PetSmart’s net sales for the first quarter of 2009 came in at $1.33 billion, an increase of 9.5 percent from the first quarter of 2008, and the Phoenix-based company plans to add about 40 stores a year for the “foreseeable future.”

Since Doctors Foster and Smith was founded in 1983, it has grown into one of the nation’s largest pet supply online and catalog retailers, with annual sales of more than $230 million and 16,000 products — from spot and stain removers to a strap-on, infant-style pet pouch.

“During this difficult time, people don’t stop taking care of their kids and they don’t stop taking care of their pets,” said Gordon Magee, spokesman for the Wisconsin-based company. “We’re not high ticket, so sales are OK and still growing.”

But even retailers not in the pet business can make an “emotional connection” with pet owners, said Bharne Rosenberry of WSL Strategic Retail. She cited banks that keep dog treats at the drive-through, shops that let customers bring their pets into the store, and stores that keep a pet on the premises as sort of an unofficial greeter.

Hallmark Cards has seen steady sales for “From the Dog,” “From the Cat” and pet sympathy cards, although they are just a very small percentage of the company’s offerings. Cards that feature pets and animals in general have historically sold very well, and the sales of these cards are increasing.

“Cards use the connection with pets as a vehicle to convey emotions to friends and family,” said Sarah Kolell, spokeswoman for Hallmark. “(The) cards are often warm, playful, and make us realize how humanlike our pets really are.”

Still, for some Americans, pets are not the priority when it comes to purchases.

Take a couple of recent shoppers at PetSmart in Ward Parkway Center. One said she never buys pet toys and was just looking for essentials such as pet carriers for her two cats. Another was taking his indoor cats for their first vet’s visit in five years.

One shopper thinks it’s OK to splurge now and then with pets.

“My wife gets them Christmas stockings every year,” Tim Southwell of Mission Hills said of his five cats and dogs. “But some people treat their pets better than their children.”

To reach Joyce Smith, call 816-234-4692 or send e-mail to jsmith@kcstar.com.

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