Month: June 2012

No one likes to think of disaster striking or the need to plan ahead for emergencies, but when it comes to taking care of your animals in these unforeseen and unfortunate circumstances, it’s all about planning. It’s vital that we plan ahead of time to make sure that should this scary time come, we are ready to ensure the well being of our family members — both the two-legged and the four-legged. Sadly, often history has shown that natural disasters such as earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, and fires have left many pets abandoned, lost or harmed.

Having a ready-to-go emergency kit can be extremely helpful. Make sure to include your pet’s food, water, supplies, leashes, any needed medication, and always make sure your animals are microchipped as well as wearing a collar and tag just to be extra careful with their identification! If you don’t know how to make your pet’s emergency bag, consider purchasing one already designed for disaster preparedness such as the Save Your Pet Pack. This line of bags, some created for people to wear and others for pets to wear, comes with emergency supplies included. They were designed to free your hands so that you can grab your pet and run out the door during a time of urgency.

Knowing your pet’s hiding places so that you can always find them should you need to evacuate fast is also an important tip. In short, please remember: our pets count on us. When emergency strikes, it’s best to be ready so that you can lead them to safety with you. For more information on emergency preparedness, click here!

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It’s that time of year again! Fireworks are part of many celebrations, and are tons of fun for humans… but not so much for our furry family! July 4th especially can be a day of terror for our dogs and cats. At night the bangs and screeching of fireworks elevate your pets’ fight-or-flight drive. This can cause them to panic, wet the floor, tear up things, try to escape, run, or exhibit other distressed behavior. Be aware! This is the busiest time of year at shelters across the U.S.A. for a reason. Even if your dog or cat has never tried to escape or run, this may be the time. They may seem fine and then suddenly bolt out an open door or gate. Fireworks can start days in advance, so use our tips as soon as needed. There’s lots you can do to help your dogs and cats stay cool and safe this day of independence. Here’s how:

1. Keep your pets inside during fireworks times. Some neighborhoods this can be every night for a week leading up to the July 4th! Even normally calm pets can be startled enough by fireworks to bolt over or through a fence they previously respected. 
   
2. Keep windows AND doors closed & locked. Startled pets have been known to push or jump through screens or even cracked windows. Keep doors to the outside closed during and after when fireworks are going off, to prevent pets from bolting and slipping past you as you exit or enter. Pets can stay stressed for hours after the fireworks stop – don’t discount they may bolt even after the fireworks have died down. If possible, keep pets locked out of rooms where a door to the outside might be opened.
3. Pet ID: Check that your pets’ collars are secure, with up-to-date and readable pet ID tags. Call your microchip company to verify that their microchips have your current contact information.
4. Turn on the TV or music. Put the volume as loud enough to muffle any fireworks noises, but it doesn’t have to be blasting! If you have a CD player, definitely check out Through A Dog’s Ear — the Adopt-a-Pet.com staff uses this for their anxious dogs and they really help!
5. Don’t coddle pets if they are scared. That rewards and encourages scared behavior. Talk in a normal voice, act indifferent to the sounds. If you are calm and relaxed, this will encourage them to follow your lead.
6. Distract with a toy or chew. Give your pet a special food-stuffed toy or long-lasting chew treat, to encourage their mind focus on that, not the noises outside.
7. Daily exercise. Give your dogs and cats their normal “big” exercise session every day leading up to, on, and after the holiday. Exercise helps relieve stress.
8. Homeopathic anxiety remedies. Try one like Rescue Remedy, sold at Whole Foods and at many pet stores too, or at  rescueremedy.com. If you know your pet gets dangerously distressed during fireworks, talk to your vet about possible short-term medication.
9. Thundershirt. This reportedly helps with fireworks too! Order online at thundershirt.com.
10. Stay home with your pets. If possible, do not leave your pets alone, (and never outside), during Independence Day fireworks celebration nights.

Have a safe and happy 4th of July!
Learn more about Jennifer, our blog author at Google+

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Using a crate (small safe place) to have your dog remain while you are gone should only be done to protect your dog, or for a dog who gets very nervous when left alone.  Confinement to a crate should NEVER be used as punishment.  A nervous dog should love being in their safe small place.  This is very different than simply confining your dog to a small space for your own convenience.  Where appropriate, a crate can be a useful tool if used for short periods of time and with great compassion,  Woof University is our new series of pet-related training tips, and this week we’re looking at how to introduce your new adopted dog to the crate. Providing a safe, fun, and positive introduction between your rescued pooch and the crate can make all the difference in being able to use this tool. Crates are great for potty training, puppy training, or if you need to separate dogs from one another if you’re not quite sure yet how they will interact without your supervision. It’s important to remember that size wise, your dog should be able to stand up and turn around as well as lie down comfortably in the crate. Also, please do not keep your dog in a crate for more than 3 hours a day.

Above all remember the golden rule with crates: they are not a place of punishment! They’re a comfy den for your pup and should be surrounded with positive associations when you’re trying to make them like it!  Never force or push your dog in as he might then learn to be afraid or stressed about the crate. It make take a little time and patience on your part, but you can certainly train your dog to feel peaceful and happy in his very own crate. It’s like his own condo! Click here to watch a video with more crate training tips.

You can also post your pet-related questions on Adopt-a-Pet.com’s Facebook or Twitter page with the hashtag #AskKatya. Once a week, we’ll be picking a question to answer with video – so feel free to ask us your questions!  Did you like this article? Click an icon below to share it on Facebook, Twitter, and more!

We love hearing from happy adopters who have used Adopt-a-Pet.com to find their new furry friend! Here’s an email we received with some great photos from John in Connecticut, who found his new dog Chance thanks to an Adopt-a-Pet.com Search Saver email that brought his listing right into his email inbox. John writes: “After being without a dog of the first time in may years, we decided to go the dog rescue route.  Having had big dogs over the past 43 years, we were looking for a Great Dane rescue.  Well, you sent us a picture of “Chance” a Great Dane Husky puppy mix, just transferred to the Connecticut’s Newington Humane Society.  So we immediately hoped in the SUV ( a must for big dog owners) and drove to Newington to see Chance in person.  Because he was abandoned and rescued, he was shy about being around us.  However, with a few hand full of goodies and a long walk with him, he decided that we were OK.  Of course, we knew from the moment we saw him that he was going to have a good home with us.  We signed all the paperwork and Chance took that ride home with us.  Being a seven month old puppy and never having been around a cat, his introduction to Patches, our cat who was used to being around dogs, was interesting to say the least.

Chance now has a house full of toys to play with, a cat who is teaching him proper cat-dog etiquette , and a loving environment. Our two sons who visit are his favorite playmates!

Without the pet rescue/adoption system, Chance would never had a chance.  Thank you.

Photo above: Chance’s first week a home.  What a smile!

Photo below: The Cat teaching Chance Dog/Cat boundaries.

Curious chance looking over the deck.

The Adopt-a-Pet.com Search Saver email that brought Chance into the inbox of his new home!

There are so many valuable things I learn from animals every day.  Some lessons are more expected, some more subtle.  But everything they teach me has no doubt made me a better person.  Recently I was reflecting on a shelter dog who my husband and I were fostering in our home years ago when I was just beginning my studies as a dog trainer.  Milton was a very stubborn pup, especially on walks, and he could be quite reactive when he didn’t get his way.  And I’ll admit it: I grew impatient with him.  I was on the verge of reacting, too, frustrated that I couldn’t figure out how to quickly and effectively train him to walk well on a leash.

One day after a particularly challenging walk where Milton pulled hard at times, protested the walk and stopped dead in his tracks at other times, lunged after other dogs, and yet insisted we meet every cat, I had had enough.  “NO,” I yelled at Milton.  He looked up at me with his big brown, apologetic eyes and I felt immediately guilty for my outburst.  Not because I had hurt his feelings – I knew it didn’t exactly work that way for dogs, although they are sentient beings who do understand our energy.  I felt guilt because I failed to insert a moment before my scream where I would choose to do what would is best for Milton.

I was traumatized that I had shouted at him, and I obsessed about it, to the annoyance of my husband.  I was ashamed that I had lost my patience and was unable to keep my cool.  As a student dog trainer, I knew that anxiety and frenetic energy would only make the matter worse.  I found myself sitting next to his dog bed desperately trying to apologize to him!   He just looked at me with those same beautiful eyes.  Nothing could shake my disappointment for yelling at him.  I hung my head embarrassed that I had succumbed to an inefficient way of dealing with his leash behavior, especially when I knew better than that!  So who’s behavior were we looking at here?

The next morning when we leashed up for our walk Milton came bounding to me excited.  He had already forgiven me. It hit me like a ton of bricks: these incredible pets whom we share our lives with teach us a whole lot about actions speaking louder than words.  They do not understand what we say, how much we apologize.  It’s what we do that counts to them.  And those actions add up.  We cannot rationalize them away. And because of this very fact animals make us better, more mindful, closer to being the people we want to be.  Milton came into my life to be the first who would fully teach me this lesson, although sometimes, to my own dismay, I have to learn it again.  Being an imperfect human, I try to use my words when it is my behavior that my pets learn to love me by.  Imagine if we all lived this way – unable to justify, unable to intellectualize, our respect and love for one another based solely on our actions.

I thank my pets so much for teaching me this lesson, and I thank Milton, who did finally learn to walk well on leash! These wonderful animals – because they require me to be present and thoughtful I’m just a littler closer to being as good as they are.

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Cats love to climb, jump, leap, and perch high up! There are some amazing examples of houses that people have transformed into supreme cat habitats, but even just a few simple ideas can turn your normal apartment or home into an adventure zone to keep your indoor cat happy and entertained. Depending on the layout of your home, wall shelves, either freestanding or attached to walls, are one great way to do this. Cats also like different pathways to move around a room and across a space. If you have multiple cats, these cat highways become even more important, because traffic jams (even just one cat sitting in a doorway) can cause kitty road rage! The first thing you’ll want to do is look around your living space through the eyes of a cat. Then, watch your cat as they move through the space. Do they always go behind that arm chair, and jump up on the couch to walk along the back of it, then jump down? You can expand your kitty highways with scenic stop offs, sometimes by just clearing a shelf and rearranging your existing furniture. Cats need prefer a pathway or stopping point that is at least 7″ wide by 14″ long. Obviously, the bigger your cat, the bigger the space they will need! If you can clear that gap off of your current bookshelf, and move it next to the back of the couch, and put a cat-friendly mat in that space, point it out to your cat and see if they’ll explore their new lookout!

Cats need a nonslip surface to feel comfortable landing without sliding. You can use regular household items like a sticky-rubber-back nonsliding fabric-top place mat, or use clips or velcro to attach sisal mats, regular lace mats, or cut bath mats to size. You can see one great example over at the awesome ModernCat.net which is pictured above,, click the link for more details!

If you decide to make kitty steps going up your wall like they’ve done in the photo, make sure you have used shelves that are wide enough so you can very securely anchor the shelves into wall studs. Even a small cat leaping from one shelf to another will pull wall shelves out of anything less secure, and your cat could get injured.

Other than that, all you need are your imagination – and your power tools – and the ceilings the limit to what you can do with DIY cat shelves!

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Learn more about Jennifer, our blog author at Google+

The loss of a beloved pet can be an incredibly hard thing to deal with.  Feelings of denial, anger, guilt, and most of all sadness are very natural and normal after the passing of a cherished furry friend.  We feel for you and understand your pain.  It is important to be honest about your emotions and express them to those you can talk to. These friends and confidants can can assist you in best coping with the depression and bereavement you likely feel. Websites and support groups are out there to help you with just this very situation.

Whether it was many or only a few years, the time you spent with your pet made him or her a consistent part of your life, a companion, a family member. The devastation in your heart will pass, but it is helpful to truly recognize the loss of this significant relationship, and to allow yourself to feel deeply so that you can move through the process. Embrace your grief – scream, cry, run, punch a pillow, do whatever you need to do. Many people find it helpful to create a tribute in memory of their pet. Creating a tribute is a wonderful way to reminisce about the good times and share them, as well as honor what your pet means to you.

Whether it be writing a story or poem, or perhaps sitting down to pour your heart out to your lost friend in the form of a letter, paying homage can help you heal. Other creative outlets such as making a photo album or putting together a video are ways you can celebrate their life. For example, this touching tribute to NightCrawler the black kitty helped his owner deal with the unbearable grief of losing him. Nightcrawler was adopted from a local Humane Society as a kitten, and unable to get past the paralyzing heartache when Nightcrawler passed away, his dad created this video as a way to comfort himself and others in mourning. He knew that there were thousands of other pet owners out there going through the same thing, and he wanted to find a way to both honor Nightcrawler as well as comfort others in grief.

It hurts so much to lose your best friend; we all wish our pets could live as long as we do so that we can continue to share a life with them. But when you are ready, when the time is right, please consider adopting your next furry family member. It is a wonderful way to honor the passing of a loved one by saving another life. We at Adopt-a-Pet.com will be here when the time comes to help you find your match. We are so sorry for your loss. We like to think that they are always with us somehow, watching over with love.

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Romantic, affectionate, deep.  He takes your breath away.  Of course we’re talking about Don Juan!  We don’t know how this lovable feline has not gotten adopted yet, but PeoplePets.com wants to help change that by featuring him as this month’s adoptable pet!  Plus, June is Adopt-a-Shelter-Cat month so please spread the word to help more homeless kitties.  Don Juan a 10 month-old Russian Blue cat who can be shy at first…but don’t let that fool you!  He is actually a big lover and in a few days time will warm up to be the most affection cuddle buddy ever.  Don Juan is soooo good looking!  But he’s also a funny, playful fella who loves other kitties and all people.  He’s got these gorgeous gray markings which he will proudly show off to you as he lays in your lap!  Don Juan enjoys playing with water bowls and toys, too, but most of all he wants a forever family to share his heart with.  You can find out more about Don Juan on his Adopt-a-Pet.com profile page here!

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I’ve been lucky enough to work at pet-friendly jobs for many years, where “take your dog to work day” was an everyday occurrence. When I started, it was a rarity, but now more and more smart companies are realizing the benefits of encouraging their employees to bring dogs to work as they realize all the benefits having a furry friend in your cubical can bring, like  higher employee retention, lower stress, and making the work place a lot more fun! But not all companies have the right environment for every-day dog coworker. That’s where Take Your Dog To Work Day comes in!

First celebrated in 1999, Pet Sitters International’s Take Your Dog To Work Day® (TYDTWDay®) was created to celebrate the great companions dogs make and to encourage their adoption from humane societies, animal shelters and breed rescue clubs. This annual event asks pet lovers to celebrate the humane-canine bond and promote pet adoption by encouraging their employers to support TYDTWDay. Employers are encouraged to open their workplace to employees’ four-legged friends on this one special day.

You can register at www.takeyourdog.com to receive your free downloadable copy of the 2012 TYDTWDay Participant Action Pack. This download contains a sample “dogs at work” policy, tips for planning your event and additional resources to help make your TYDTWDay event a success! Here are  7 Tips TYDTWDay provides:

As you know, we’ll do just about anything to promote pet adoption!  Check out this latest adorable video about finding your match on Adopt-a-Pet.com.  Emily Kaplan wasn’t sure if she’d ever find her meant-to-be and then there he was: handsome, affectionate, and interested in moving in with her.  No, we’re not talking about her husband, we’re talking about Baxter, her adopted Beagle-Jack Russell mix!  Emily says his unconditional love and simple ways keep her more grounded and happier overall.  That’s just something we love about pets – they keep us present, they keep us laughing, and they keep us company.  Help us encourage others to adopt and find their true love in a shelter pet!

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