Archive for April, 2006

Cats Make Great Pets If You Understand Them

Sunday, April 30th, 2006

Anyone wanting a new kitten should be a cat lover. Let’s face it, folks, cats are just different from dogs. Cats do not usually perform any special tricks, and they certainly do not guard your possessions while you are away. In fact, the only thing you can be guaranteed of by having a cat is that a mouse won’t last long if they creep into your home.

Cats are loved by many because of their independence. Cats have a life, so to speak. Most cats do not follow you around the home with their tongues hanging out of their mouths waiting on your attention. While they do love their owners fiercely, cats will not grovel like a dog and worship and fawn over their owners. Cats are perfectly content simply being themselves–and they do not seem to need constant reassurance, unlike canines.

This does not mean cats do not need love and affection, it simply means cats are not “fragile” characters. In fact, cats exude a self assurance which can often be misunderstood as aloofness or coldness. Yet, cats are far from aloof or unfeeling. They feel deeply and love deeply. If a cat comes to sit on your lap, you know you are truly loved.

Anytime the family thinks about bringing a new pet into the home, it is exciting. Cats are a favorite of many because as kittens they are so entertaining to watch. Cats have a mind all of their own and only a true cat lover can even claim to understand the psyche of a feline. Cats are mysterious animals, which is part of the draw to them. While cats have been brought into the home, their instincts still remain. Cats adopt their owners and will even go out and provide “dinner.” Many cat owners have stepped out on the stoop to find a dead mouse, opossum, or mole waiting for them. Now, that is love and loyalty!

If you are planning to bring a cat into your home, you should look at it as a life long commitment. Cats can live fifteen years and beyond. You should also understand that as cats mature, they will often sleep and laze around the home. If you are wanting a cat to entertain you throughout her life, you should seriously think about whether a cat is the pet for you. Kittens are very entertaining and young cats are always curious and open for a challenge. However, older cats aren’t easily excitable and usually prefer to watch the antics in the home from a distance.

When you have made the decision to bring a new cat into your home, you will have to decide between a domestic or purebred cat. If you choose to go with a purebred cat, you can be guaranteed of size and appearance, and possibly temperament. There are more than 40 breeds to choose from, so do your homework. You will want to research the grooming requirements of the breed you are considering, along with the general disposition of the breed.

Domestic cats come in all colors and shapes. When you look at any cat, there are some things you should consider. For instance, while all cats are fairly in proportion to each other, there are some cats which are more lanky and lean than others. These cats will be the ones who may be more interested in running and exploration. The chunkier, heavier cat will probably be more laid back and not get into too big a hurry about anything. You have a choice between a domestic long hair or domestic short hair cat.

When picking out your kitten, you should understand that kittens should not have an odor. While puppies do tend to have a smell about them, kittens do not. You should observe the entire litter of kittens. Do any of them have crusty eyes or a runny nose? If so, you may want to reconsider choosing a kitten from that litter. You certainly shouldn’t take one home simply because you feel sorry for it, either. Especially if you have other pets in your home. All of the kittens should have bright and clear eyes and be very alert.

You should handle the kittens. Their fur should be soft and silky, and never stiff or dry. Likewise, their coat should not feel oily or greasy. When you are petting the kitten, you should run your hands along her skin to ensure she has no sores. When you are holding each kitten, place them up to your face and nuzzle them. Listen for any breathing noises. You should not hear any raspy or breathy breathing. If you do, this is possibly a signal that the kitten has a respitory infection.

After visiting with the kittens, instinct will usually dictate to you which kitten is your match. You may feel the rowdy, rambunctious kitten will fit the best into your lively home. Or, you may decide the laid back kitten is more your speed, especially if you have a quiet home. Once you have made your decision and chosen your kitten, you should have a kennel waiting for travel. You should never try to ride in a car with a cat unless they are restrained or in a kennel. While most dogs love car rides, cats tend to scare. They can cower under your feet and this can lead to a wreck.

When you bring your new kitten into your home, you should immediately show her where the litter box, food and water are located. You should also have a supply of cat toys on hand to distract the cat from missing her mom and litter mates. While this cannot entirely be avoided, lavishing attention on a new kitten will do wonders in the transition to her new family.

You should expect your new kitten to explore every nook and cranny in the home. This is a necessary part of a kitten’s disposition. (Even older cats seem to perk up when a new piece of furniture is brought into a home they have lived in for years.) You will want to kitten proof your home. You should keep the lids down on the toilet, and you may want to remove potted plants and the like until your cat learns the rules.

Cats are social creatures, and they can learn the rules of their new environment with consistency. While you may think they do not understand what you are saying, this is not true. If you have a new kitten who wants to walk across the kitchen counter or dining room table, simply rattling a newspaper at her and saying “down” will teach her to stay off. With time you will be able to put the newspaper away and simply speak the command.

Kittens can add joy to any home. Part of the fun is knowing the kitten is oblivious to the fact that she is the center of attention. She is not trying to gain your attention by performing. She is simply being a cat. You should also not be upset if your kitten is not interested in being a lap cat. While she may be content for a few moments on your lap, kittens have to roam, play and explore. As your cat matures she will be more inclined to take it easy curled up on your lap. Until then, just make her feel loved and you will have a feline that will adore you and her new home.

The Collie, An Original “Farm Dog”

Saturday, April 29th, 2006

The Collie belongs in the Herding Group of the A.K.C. There are two varieties, the Smooth coat and the “Rough”. The Collie was always a favorite “farm dog” in the United States way before the advent of television and when “Lassie Come Home” became a film and later a TV series, its popularity soared even more. The movie emphasized the Collie’s homing instincts and it is true that this breed is the type of dog that bonds to its master. It is not the sort of dog that one can “re- home” at an older age and unless fenced it will escape and try to go back to its original home.

All varieties of Collies come from Scotland. There used to be a great similarity between the Border Collie and the Rough Collie but through the years of its historical development the rough collie has become a larger, more elegant breed and there are definite distinctions between the two breeds.

The Collie is a larger sized dog, standing about 22 - 24 inches at the withers, but not as heavy boned as many of the breeds that are this size. The coat in the Rough Collie is extremely profuse and long, having a large ruff around the neck and extending down the front and long feathers on the legs, belly and tail. Far too many owners fall in love with this breed and purchase a Collie without undertaking the matter of coat care. It is imperative that this dog be brushed on a regular basis as the Collie has a dense undercoat which will easily mat. If the matted undercoat is left in without being combed out this can create hot spots and sores which remain undiscovered beneath the thick matted coat.

Many owners need to be taught by the breeder to groom the dog correctly right down to the skin, for if they only comb the top surface these mats can go completely unrecognized. The head of the Collie is long and has a wedge shaped appearance, having no stop. This may led to a problem because breeders have placed much emphasis on the elongation of the muzzle and the narrowness of the head. Collies have a problem called “collie eye anomaly” which seems to be more common than in years past. Some breeders have over emphasized the head and have bred for a refined skull with no “stop” whatsoever, which may have detrimentally affected the breed.

It is speculated that this problem may perhaps be due to the increasing emphasis on a narrower skull. Hopefully this is a condition which careful breeding can get under control. Other than that and the fact that they should be x-rayed for hip dysplasia the Collie is generally a healthy breed.

The Collie is considered to be a perfect child’s companion. There are few reports of Collies with poor disposition. They are a very affectionate breed, willing to work and easily trained. They love their families and treat the children as their charges, being naturally protective and instinctive in their guardianship.

Bat Ejection Techniques – Country Survival Course #27

Friday, April 28th, 2006

People lie! They lie about the bliss of rural relocation. They lie about the size of fish they catch. They lie about being there for you. But, mostly, they lie about bats! Such a silly thing, yet no one can admit the ugly truth. “Bats only come into your house. It never happens to me,” friends say. Liars!

Evidence to the contrary exists. Bat visitations have occurred regularly in all three of my country homes. Each was a different style house, in a different town with different surroundings. No way am I the only person this is happening to! I’ll believe the annual summer bat inundation isn’t a part of normal life when butter is fat free and Smucky’s Electric gets back to me with that wiring estimate they promised just prior to the Mammoth die off.

One of my sisters in particular gets a kick out of telling people I am a witch attracting bats to my home like anorexics migrating to the Cannes Film Festival. She does it to be ornery – a competitive sport in my family. Of course, I could get even by pointing out right here in my very public essay that she is my OLDER sister by a DECADE. However, I am too peaceable and well centered for such adolescent behavior. Besides, you are here to learn another fine country skill – the Bat Ejection Technique (BET).

Lesson 1 – Why BET

Rural dwellers should all master BETs. Realtors will never admit to the Coloptera inundation plaguing the West. Property values would tumble! Amidst all this denial, a seamy cover-up has formed. Copies of Bat Removal for Dummies are burned at country BBQs and members of the Society of the Dead Elk deliver bat traps to farms under cover of darkness.

As my town’s resident City Idiot, I chose to break ranks. If Cidiots are not taught to deal properly with winged rodentia, both will suffer. Bats will be ‘baseballed’ into walls with brooms. If not, Cidiot homes will overflow with wiggling blankets of screeching critters. Folks will be driven back to the burbs in droves. Quite selfishly - I need newbies to stay in the country. Please don’t leave me alone out here! Take notes.

Lesson 2 - History of the BET

For whatever reasons bats enter homes in pairs. My hypothesis is; one holds the dog door open while the other flies through and vise versa. Attempts to document this behavior have been hampered by the presence of innumerable dogs kissing my eyes shut when I stake out the laundry room floor. Nonetheless, like bats to Noah’s ark, they arrive by twos.

Throughout history Novice Bat Ejectors dispelled unwanted intruders with the pacifistic Zero Interference Technique (ZIT). For a true ZIT open all windows and doors and cower on the floor waiting for the bats to fly back out. I researched the effectiveness of this method at my first country home. There are three problems with this technique:

Bats never leave as easily as they enter. A person could learn Arabic before the ZIT clears matters up.

Heat leaves houses quite quickly resulting in cold ZITs.

Bats tend to turn up in the middle of the night. Sleep deprivation is a direct side effect of ZITs.

Lesson 3 – Modernization

Athletic newbies frequently combine the open window/door approach of a ZIT with a more proactive approach. They jump around with a blanket in an attempt to herd bats outside. This is the Comforter Herding Ejection Technique (CHET). A good CHET take two people. Even then CHETs are hard.

Bats do not know they shouldn’t fly around the blanket.

The technique is rendered totally ineffective when your husband, who is suppose to hold the opposite side of the blanket, does a “stop, drop and roll” every time he spots a bat from thirty yards away.

At night neighbors can see you, but not the bat. So there you are running amuck in your PJs. The doors and windows are wide open as you spiraling over furniture with your flag-like fabric in tow. Meanwhile your underwear-clad man is having what is apparently some version of repeating epileptic seizures. And you, you cold-hearted witch, you just keep on dancing.

Lesson 4 – BET Evolution

Bat invasion number three of year number two was a turning point for me. For some bizarre reason I was washing the morning dishes. We must have been out of coffee. Obviously I was not quick-witted enough to get out of dish duty. Suddenly, I heard the high-pitched chatter of a bat straight over my head.

The space over my cabinets is where all my gigantic jelly-making kettles are poised. Grabbing the step stool, I hovered near and listened. Something was in my stoneware – dark, like a cave, the crafty little bugger. Please, don’t let it get airborne. I have to go to town this morning, I thought. There was no time for the traditional CHET dance.

My cerebral light bulb clicked on. Hey, It’s easier to catch bats when they aren’t moving. A Nobel Prize for would be mine. Apparently washing dishes has some net value after all. I slid a plate over the stoneware rim and took my captive out side.

Plate removed, an upside-down shake and plop. The bat was on the ground. I watched for a moment making sure my son’s devil cat did not turn up. Finally, the bat orientated itself and flew off with chatter. Dam, I’m good, I mused. Then I turned and took two steps towards the door. Gasp! Leap! Curse!

Something bad hit my bare foot. Reflexes took over. I went for a field goal. Another bat had been in the jar. Curse! Hebbie Jebies! Will I never learn? Twos, always twos! Scratches, tiny claws on my foot - it was all to early. First dishes, then this.

The traumatized bat landed several feet away. It took a good five minutes before the winged menace recovered enough to fly off. Headed for town, I left a note for my son. “Finish the dishes.”

Lesson 5 – BET Mastery

I learned two things that morning. First, generic dish soap sucks. Second, a motionless bat is the best bat to catch. Chasing them in flight is a fool’s game. In retrospect Samuel, my Great Pyrenees, had attempted to point this out earlier that spring.

Hearing one of the midnight riots, I ordered all my dogs out. There was no need to look for the cause. I knew by then what the combination of barking and a synchronized chase meant at 1 a.m. Ho hum, more bats in the house. The other dogs complied. Sam however stood there looking sleepy, stubborn, sad and guilty.

Anyone who owns a Pyrenees knows this is their natural state. Just as I demanded, “Samuel, go!” I spotted the diminutive little wing sticking out from under his massive front paw. Here Mom, a motionless bat is the best bat to catch. He is a genius!

BET Summary

Grab a teacup or the aquarium net and a saucer

Wait for a landing

Cup/net over the Bat

Saucer or magazine carefully slid under

Out the door it goes

Hee Haw! With practice you’ll be back in bed before the underwear-clad epileptic knows your gone. You can BET on it.

German Shepherd Dog Training Methods

Thursday, April 27th, 2006

German shepherd dog training is enjoyable because German Shepherds are intelligent dogs that may be taught behaviors easily. They respond well to most any type of dog obedience training whether you use clicker training to teach commands, or other reward methods that may be more suitable to the time and effort you want to put in. So whether you want your German shepherd dog training to be about agility, simple commands, or training him to guard your home, here are a few tips that may help you make that happen quickly and easily.

Clicker Training

Clicker training is a method of training a dog that encourages the dog to associate the sound of a clicker with his reward since it is quicker than producing a feeding a reward. It is a great method for German shepherd dog training because the breed is so quick to pick up new behavior. The way it works is that when you teach a new behavior or agility trick, you use a clicker as an audible approval sound that is followed immediately by a reward of some sort (a treat or a favorite toy). The reasoning is that the clicker gives the instant approval to bridge the time between the behavior and the production of the food or toy.

Simple Reward Training

If you do not have a clicker for your German shepherd dog training or simply think the idea is silly, you can use a more traditional approach. Try giving your Shepherd a command and moving his body for him accordingly. Once he has found the positions or behavior, reward him with praise and a treat immediately. Do not delay, because with smart breeds like German Shepherds, they may begin to associate a second behavior with the reward rather than your intended new trick.

German shepherd dog training is not difficult, but a little knowledge of how to train a dog is useful. Your Shepherd should be able to learn a number of commands in a matter of days if you use the methods above consistently and are persistent in your pursuit of a well trained and happy German shepherd.

House Training Dogs Successfully

Wednesday, April 26th, 2006

You could House train your dog easily if you had the time to watch your puppy 24 hours a day. But as you can’t watch them around the clock, don’t expect to train them all at once. Training can take up to about 6 months. Puppies are growing and developing quickly at this stage. They eat more food and burn up lots of energy and consequently need to ‘go’ more often.

The most important issue in house training dogs should be teaching him to control his bowel. When he is still a puppy, he has not yet developed bladder control.

House training dogs is hard when you are not home. Your puppy needs a lot of attention. You should first confine your puppy in a puppy-proof room with paper spread all over the floor. Put his water bowls and food right next to it. The papers you have set on the floor may be dragged and chewed around his little den, but its important and helpful in teaching your puppy where to eliminate his waste properly. There will be no reason for him to defecate elsewhere. Your puppy will ‘go’ on the paper, and you need to clean it up when you arrive home. This may be an additional job for you, but patience is all it takes. Don’t worry because later on, he will move past this stage.

Paper training is very useful and a proven technique in training dogs. In this way, no matter where the dog relieves himself, he will still eliminate on the paper because he has no choice. Little by little, you will see some changes. Gradually reduce the amount paper you have set on the ground. Start to move the paper outside the house. Of course, as your puppy has become used to using the paper he will look for it. Once the paper has been moved to outside the house, your training is near its end. Move the paper about an inch per day.

Occasionally, you may discover that he has had ‘accidents’ inside the house again. Don’t be discouraged. This happens. What you need to do is repeat the training. But understand that it will not be as hard as the first time. House training your dog is key for both your dog and your sanity and sanitation.

Kids and Pets, Will it Work?

Tuesday, April 25th, 2006

How can my child benefit from having a pet?

1.Social skills and self-esteem. Feelings and positive experiences with their pet can help children feel good about their own. Loving a pet can also help kids to love and trust other people.

2.Exercise. All pets need to exercise, and playing with their pet is a fun way to incorporate some physical activity to your kid’s lifestyle.

3.Responsibility and respect. To learn how to take care of their pet can help kids develop empathy, concern and responsibility towards other beings. On top of that, during the life cycle of the pet, parents have the opportunity to talk to their kids about birth, sickness and death.

4.Parent interaction. Kids and their parents can spend more time together playing and taking care of their pet.

How can my child help take care of the pet?

1.A small child can help out by feeding or providing fresh water to their pet (portions must be measured by you).

2.The child can help walking the pet, not alone of course, but just another time to spend together with your kid.

3.Children can help you in bathing and grooming the pet.

4.Assign to your child small, simple tasks that can be performed under your supervision.

How can I keep my child healthy and safe around a pet?

1.Choose your pets wisely, if you don’t already own a pet, study and learn from the different breeds and species, you will find that some are specially “kid friendly”.

2.Consider any allergies a family member could have, before acquiring a pet. Consult with your kid’s pediatrician about any allergies that may be present.

3.Take your pet to the veterinary to a general check up before you bring it home.

* Always supervise interaction between pets and kids.

* Teach your child not to touch any pet, unless you say it’s OK to do so.

* Never leave pets and kids unattended. Kids tend to play rough and that could provoke an attack or harm a small pet.

* Make sure your child stays away while the pet is eating, sleeping or taking care of its own offspring.

* Teach your child to keep a good hygiene, not to touch the pet droppings and wash his hands after playing with the pet.

* Treat immediately any scratch or bite caused by a pet. Consult with your child’s pediatrician if the scratch or bite tears your child’s skin.

Why Do Dogs Bark?

Monday, April 24th, 2006

Barking is probably one of the most negative qualities attributed to dogs and/or Shih Tzu. Incessant barking is always irritating to owners and anyone surrounding the incessant barking dog or Shih Tzu.

Shih Tzu barks for a variety of reasons. Owners need to find out what is causing the barking before the problem can be successfully addressed.

Some twelve thousand years ago primitive man and the domestic dog’s ancestors coexisted rather than shared intimate relationships we enjoy today with their descendants. As dogs begin to show friendliness, playfulness and alarm barking humans began to domesticate them. As humans began to appreciate the dog’s presence a bond was woven between humans and dog companions over time.

Barking due to territoriality most likely served as an alarm function in days when it was even more important that it is today to know when someone or something was encroaching upon human territory.

Another characteristic “some” dogs, and definitely includes our Shih Tzu is its appearance to the human eye. Dogs that are cute with infantile facial features which stimulate human parenting instincts provide additional bonding.

All domestic dogs bark, including the Shih Tzu. Once a chorus starts every dog within hearing distance will join in. Soon you have a “barking” orchestra, and if you are lucky enough to be hard of hearing at that time wearing your hearing aids, just simply pull them out until the concert is over……..

Barking is one way dogs and Shih Tzu communicates with each other and with their human companions. I have heard some of my Shih Tzu actually say words during their barking sessions. Duke will say: “I’m Mad.” “I’m Mad,” and at that time I am certain his barking is most definitely because he is mad about something. His word was toward one of his buddies. When Duke wants to be where I am and he is in a spot in which he feels “trapped,” cannot get to me, his bark is much different. It is more like a “scream.” He has not put words together yet, but I feel fairly certain he probably is saying to me: “let me come in there, I can’t wait any longer, I want in there now!” Once I allow him his wishes, his barking stops.

Owners need to find out the cause of their Shih Tzu’s barking and then proceed with steps to solve the problem. There is no way around it. All dogs, including Shih Tzu, bark from time to time. Some are more vocal than others, just as humans, some humans talk more than others. I have Shih Tzu that rarely if ever bark for any reason.

Koi Carp and Breeding for Profit

Sunday, April 23rd, 2006

Koi are amazing animals. They have evolved originally from common carp and were originally thought of as throw backs. The koi world has grown massively and is continuing to grow at an unprecedented rate. Years ago if you heard of someone spending £1000 on a fish you may have fell over, in this day and age this is commonplace.

Quick sum for you to get you interested.

Each kilogram of female koi will produce approximately 200000 eggs if you hatch out 100000 eggs and grow the koi to 2-3″ which takes approximately 120 days. You will end up with 100000 fish a value of 60p each trade. The cost of arriving at this point is approximately 10p per fish, you now have a profit of 50p per fish = £50000. I hear you ask “why doesn’t everyone do it” Firstly is knowledge, you do need a good degree of knowledge to do this. Secondly is holding capacity you will need a large pool or recirculation system to achieve this. Thirdly, it is a risky business, one thing goes wrong with the system and you loose your entire batch of fish.

So how do you start?

This is a long process and I will post these in 10 parts of ezine.

Part one.

Easy Spawning

When spring is in the air water temperature is at about 15-20 degrees you will notice your fish may go off there food. You may also notice three fish swimming like an arrow around the pool. This is two male fish and the female. The male in front will be looking for a place to spawn. This is the time you put in you brushes. The brushes are like a toilet brush but much softer. These brushes must be placed in the shallow water approx 6-10″ deep.

When the fish are ready they will start to thrash over the brushes this normally happens in early morning.

After approximately one hour you will see the brushes are covered with eggs very tiny eggs.

The eggs need to be moved to a separate tank or old bath or the parents will eat them. It is best to treat the eggs with malachite to prevent fungus a quick dip is fine as you don’t want to starve the eggs of oxygen.

The bath or tank must be setup to have running water the flow needs to be 5 liters per minute (very low) you can pump this directly from you pond if you wish. When the water arrives at the tank use an old bed sheet to filter the water. The water needs to be as clean as possible or the tiny little particles will stick in the baby koi gills causing slow growth and death.

The eggs will take approx 3-4days to hatch, then the real fun begins

Next article 18/10/06

Bringing A New Pup Home

Saturday, April 22nd, 2006

So you got a little cutie puppy in your hand. He looks so cute with his little sweet nose and playful eyes. So what next? Naturally, you’ll take the little one home…Wait for a second. It may not be as easy as it seems. Being a pet lover, you have many pets at home as well, and this one is a new pet and not the only one!

In that case it is you who is responsible to build comfort between your pets. They after all have to coexist peacefully under one roof. If you are concerned as to how your other pets would take to their new companion, your concerns are valid because different animals react differently to the presence of an additional pet. So the introduction can be a lot more tricky than the Hello-I-am-Alice kind of very human introductions.

Ensure that you give an entire day to the animal to warm up to its surrounding and to get accustomed to the presence of other pet(s). When you bring it home make sure that you keep him company. Don’t leave him home alone. That could make him very, very uncomfortable.

Now, if you have a cat at home, you need to be extra careful. Not too much, just a little prudence would do. On the first few times when the puppy and cat come face to face, make sure that the puppy is on lease so that you could pull him clear of the cat in case he reacts unpredictably. Cats are normally very territorial and tend to assert their territorial rights. The puppy must be made to understand early that he is not supposed to intrude into the cat’s personal space, neither should he meddle with cats things. They’ll eventually grow friendly, but if they do not contact your vet as soon as you can.

If there is another dog at home, the lease rule remains so that no uncalled for harm is done. If there are many dogs at home, ensure that the puppy gets to know each of them separately and there is no collective introduction. The little one should not be taken to the big dog, for in that case the big one will be meeting the young one in his territory, which could be rather menancing the newcomer.

A little bit of growling and sniffing is natural but snapping and biting are not. So, if they indulge in any such unacceptable behaviour, they must be disciplined. Make sure that your current dog does not feel left out on the account of the new pet. So, make sure that your affection towards him increases.

Seniority must be maintained in eating and playing. So, when it is time to eat, the new one should eat separately and its food should be served only after the older ones. The new toys must also first go to the senior pets.

They’ll gradually grow into good companions and you’ll have a nice little happy family of friendly pets.

Pet Beds, Dog Beds, Designer Dog Beds

Friday, April 21st, 2006

When searching for the best pet beds for Fido or Patches, you will want to consider durable materials for outdoor use, and washable fibers for indoor use. Most pet enthusiasts know that dog beds can get very dirty and smelly, especially in the hotter summer months. To avoid your designer dog beds from turning into curbside refuse, make sure that you make a wise pet bed purchase decision based on the size, breed, and health conditions of your pet.

For example, if your pet suffers from hip dysplasia or arthritis, you might want to get a heated pet bed that will keep your animals’ bones warm while they sleep. Cold bedding can lead to stiff muscles and joints, causing further aches to your dog or cat that is already suffering.

If you prefer designer dog beds, to give your pet its own special flair, you can purchase beds that are bejeweled or even have your pet’s name stitched into the fabric. The best kinds of pet beds are washable and durable, because as a pet owner you are probably very familiar with pet odors and hair shedding. Be sure to look for bedding that comes with washable covers or made with microfiber material that will keep dirt and soil from being imbedded into your dog’s pillow. An animal that has a soft and warm place to sleep at night will love you as a best friend forever, not to mention will keep your dog or cat from taking up your side of the bed at night!

If you live in a warmer climate with hot summer months, your pet might enjoy a durable aluminum framed pet bed that is similar to a camping cot. These beds are low to the ground but raised just enough to circulate air from beneath to keep your pet cool. You can also add a throw blanket on top of the bed to create a cozy place for your pet to snuggle. These types of beds are lightweight and perfect to keep your pet’s odor from becoming absorbed into your carpets. Animals that have arthritis will also enjoy new memory foam pet beds that will adjust to their weight and give them the comfort that they deserve as they sleep. With such a variety of bed bedding options available, you will surely bring happiness to your dog or cat by giving them their own place to sleep.

For more pet resources and information, visit our pet center at www.best-pet-supply-online.com