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Since cats naturally think of sandy areas as bathrooms, most kittens quickly learn to use a litter box. You can make their job even easier. Upon bringing a new kitten home, place her in a small litter box, pre-filled with small-grained litter. Simulate digging by gently moving her front paws back and forth. Carry her to the box after eating or sleeping, and anytime you see her scratching the floor. Praise kitty whenever she goes in the box.

Sometimes accidents happen. When they do, transfer the mess to the litter box. The smell will encourage kitty to go there in the future. Thoroughly clean the scene of the accident to remove all odors. Never yell at your kitten for such transgressions – her anxiety may lead to more accidents.

 

 

You also might like: Cats agree: bigger litter is better!

Scratching is a normal behavior for your cat. It helps your cat keep her nails in good condition. So you can’t really blame her for clawing the furniture, unless you have provided her with an alternative like a scratching post. If your cat has already scratched something, cover the item with plastic and she will likely turn to the post instead. When you catch your cat scratching furniture, try one squirt in her direction (not on her) with water from a squirt bottle and use a firm “no.” When she scratches her scratching post, reward her with praise.

Spraying: Both males and females spray urine to mark their territory, although the behavior is much more common in males. One way to address this is to spay or neuter the cat. Generally cats will exhibit this type of behavior when they feel their territory is threatened, such as bringing a newcomer onto the scene. Consult with your veterinarian about possible health problems that may be causing this behavior.

 

You also might like: Train your cat to scratch where you want and Tips to stop your cat from spraying

 

Scratching is hard-wired into the cat’s brain – it’s what cats do to keep their claws sharp and ready for action. Your kitten will soon feel the urge to scratch, so offer her various items to sink her claws into.

Purchase several scratching posts and pads, or make your own with posts or boards covered with rope or carpet remnants. Place them in strategic places – near her food bowl, her litter box, and her favorite sleeping spot. Experiment with different textures to see what she likes best. Rub on some catnip to pique her interest.

If your kitten tries to claw your carpets, drapes, or furniture, discourage that behavior with one or two sprays in her direction (not on her) with water from a spray bottle. But be sure to reward her with treats and praise when she scratches the right stuff.

 

 

You might also like: Train your cat to scratch where you want

Litter Box Training

Kittens learn by observing their mother. No training is necessary; you just need to make sure your new cat knows where the box is. You may want to limit your cat’s freedom to the room the box is in until you know she is using it regularly.

When your cat begins to get the idea, don’t take her good behavior for granted. Continue to praise her for using the litter box.

Litter Box Behavior

If your cat’s litter habits change, have her examined by a veterinarian to first rule out any medical problems. Then check to see that it’s not the litter box itself that is dissuading your cat. Is it clean? Is there something about the location that your cat doesn’t like such as new people or pets in the house? Once your cat has adapted to the change, she should revert back to her normal litter habits.

Litter Box Basics

Cats are fastidious and can be very fussy about their litter box, its cleanliness, location and the type of litter used. So be sure to keep your litter box as clean and comfortable as possible for your cat.

Choosing a Litter Box

Get a full-size litter box (kittens may use a smaller box) made of a non-absorbent material, like plastic, for easy cleaning with soap and warm water and to prevent odors from being absorbed by the box.

Placing the Litter Box

When selecting a location for your cat’s litter box, choose a quiet, out-of-the-way place that is easily accessible and will ensure your cat’s privacy. Keep the litter box away from your cat’s eating and sleeping quarters. Once you choose a location, don’t move it or you might confuse your cat. If you have more than one cat or a large house, you might want to place a litter box on each side of the house.

Types of Filler

The core ingredient of most conventional cat box fillers is naturally absorbent clay. While clay provides some odor control, additional ingredients can be added to control the growth of odor-causing bacteria and to diminish dust.

Time-release agents can control odor longer between litter changes. Scooping fillers offer moisture-activated clumping action, so that waste can be isolated and scooped out, leaving behind only clean litter.

Crystal-type fillers are considered state-of-the-art in litter. Non-toxic micropore technology keeps your litter box dry and fresh a long time, which means less work for you. Regular stirring allows you to go up to 30 days between changes (one cat). Silica gel crystals are extremely effective in dehydrating moisture and trapping odor.

Paper fillers are recommended by veterinarians for post-surgical use. *These fillers are 3x more moisture absorbent than clay, **and 99.7% dust free.

*Qualitative results from those veterinarians responding to a survey of a random sampling of veterinarians in the United States. September 2003

**by volume compared to clay

Pellets are designed for low tracking, are tough on odors, and are non-toxic.

Switching Fillers

Ease your cat into the new brand slowly to reduce stress and confusion. Begin by mixing one-third of the new filler with two-thirds of the old. Then, gradually increase the amount of the new brand until your cat becomes used to it.

How Much Filler Should You Use?

The amount of filler you should use varies by filler type. Although it is best to check the directions on the package, the following is a general guide by filler type:

• Conventional: Maintain a depth of 2-3 inches
• Scoop: Maintain a depth of 3-4 inches
• Crystals: Maintain a depth of about 1.5 inches

Cleaning the Litter Box

The litter box itself will need to be disinfected on a regular basis to remove odors.

• Conventional: Remove waste areas daily. Maintain cat box filler at a depth of 2-3 inches for pawing and covering. Clean the cat box with warm water and a mild detergent between complete litter changes.
• Scoop: Remove waste areas daily. Add more filler as needed to maintain a 3-4 inch depth. Clean the cat box with warm water and a mild detergent between complete litter changes.
• Crystals: Scoop out and discard dehydrated solid waste daily. Use your scooper to thoroughly stir crystals daily, which will distribute liquid waste, speed evaporation and increase the life of the product. Clean the cat box with warm water and a mild detergent between complete litter changes.

Disposing of Litter

When disposing of litter, wrap it in two bags and tie it securely. Do not flush the litter down the toilet or dispose of it down a drain, as it can be extremely harmful to plumbing.

Cat Box Diseases

Note:
We want to remind those with suppressed immune systems or pregnant women that a parasite sometimes found in cat feces can cause toxoplasmosis. For more information on toxoplasmosis, contact your doctor. Please wash your hands after handling used litter.

Recently two Western PA animals shelters announced that they have worked an agreement with a local pet store, and the store will now only carry shelter pets in its inventory only. The entire story can be read at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.com. We really applaud the hard work of both the Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania, and the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society for helping bring shelter pets in front of new pet buyers.

It’s working! Our friends at PeoplePets.com have been featuring adoptable pets from Adopt-a-Pet.com, and they’ve been getting adopted! PeoplePets.com just put together a gallery of all this year’s success stories, in honor of October being Adopt-A-Dog Month. You can see all the feel good stories here. Make sure to check out all the wonderful Adopt-a-Pet.com animals that found happy forever homes, and thank you for spreading the word that adoption is truly the best option.

More and more people are opening up to the wonderful, kind idea that Thanksgiving can be a celebration of family and helping others – no turkey needed! We can’t think of a better way to commemorate the spirit of that day in 1621, when Native Americans feasted with the pilgrims at Plymouth, after helping the pilgrims survive their first year in the New World. In the Adopt-a-Pet.com world, helping “others” definitely includes animals. So we came up with a few new Thanksgiving Traditions we hope you’ll make a part of your annual thankful day.

– Volunteer to help homeless farm animals, like turkeys! You can register as a volunteer on Adopt-a-Pet.com and check “Farm Animals” under the type of animals you’d like to help.

– Search for any type of homeless pet near you on Adopt-a-Pet.com and then click the “share” button to share with your Facebook friends or Twitter followers. You might help a homeless pet near you spend their first year in a new home! Lots of furry pilgrims out there could use your help in being seen, so they can be adopted.

– A traditional Thanksgiving feast already offers a mouth watering array of vegetarian and vegan (or easy to vegan-ize) dishes. Try skipping the turkey this year – we bet you won’t even miss it! Check out the delicious & humane Thanksgiving recipes made by our friends over at Care2 in case you need some inspiration.

– In the spirit of NSAL’s Paws to Give Thanks campaign, remember and give thanks the unconditional love, loyalty and joy your pets bring to your lives everyday by donating to an animal welfare cause.

– And finally, for the safety of your pets in your home, we highly recommend making a tradition of following NSAL’s Thanksgiving safety tips we link to in our our previous blog.

Have a humane & happy Thanksgiving!

Help a New Pet Find a Home Every Day! Here’s an easy way to help pets find homes every day. It’s easy to do just by adding Adopt-a-Pet.com’s new Pet of the Day widget to your website or blog! First, go to http://www.adoptapet.com/public/searchtools/pet-of-the-day. Then you can enter in your zip code, customize the background colors if you wish, or choose one of our stylish preset options. Copy and paste the code into your web site, and we’ll automatically display a different adoptable pet for your visitors every day. Your visitors can click on the pet’s photo or the ‘details’ button to see that pet’s full listing on Adopt-a-Pet.com, with their shelter or rescue’s contact information. And, they can also easily share that pet on their Facebook and Twitter accounts by clicking on the icons under the pet’s photo! With your help, even more potential adopters will see the pets for adoption in your area that are listed on Adopt-a-Pet.com.

Recall is when your dog or puppy comes to you when called. There are two main types of recall. One is a more casual coming to you when called, like when you want your dog to come inside. The second is an emergency recall, which is THE most important thing you can ever teach your dog. Even if your dog obeys nothing else, having them come to you when called can save their life. To teach your dog to come when called in more casual situations using the word “come” see our other Teach your dog to come when called article with its awesome training video! The tips below will help you teach your dog the second kind of recall, the emergency recall.

Step 1: Emergency Recall Word

Decide precisely what one word you’ll use to call your dog in an emergency situation Keep it simple. Everyone in your household should agree on exactly what word will be used. Pick a word that you don’t say very often, shorter is better. Imagine your dog escaped and is running into traffic! Pick a word you don’t say often, maybe “Bacon!!!!” or “Cake!!!” or yes even “Recall!” could work too.

Always say your emergency recall word in a loud happy tone. Imagine if your dog’s leash broke and he is running into traffic: You want word to be heard!

Do not repeatedly say your recall word in a row. Only say it ONCE.

Instead of a word, you could use a whistle sound made with your mouth if everyone who will ever be calling your dog can do the SAME whistle as loud or louder than they can yell a word. Training emergency recall with an actual metal or plastic whistle isn’t recommended as you may not have it handy in an emergency situation. Clapping can work, but only if you never clap to tell a dog not to do something, nor at other times like while you watch sports on TV.

Step 2: Load Your Recall Word

Load your recall word up with lots of “credit”. Imagine your recall word is a debit card. You need to make a deposit before you can use it. You don’t want your dog to ignore you due to “insufficient funds” or a word that has “expired” for lack of practice. How to load your word depends on your dog’s motivation:

A) Foodie Big Payoff. This works for food-motivated dogs and if you’re not free feeding. When does your dog get whole lot of yummy food all at once? Mealtime! Before you put your dog’s food bowl down, with your dog looking at you and the newly-filled food bowl, say your word once and loudly as you put the food bowl down. Repeat every mealtime for a week.

B) Play/Praise/Petting: Similar to above, hide your dogs favorite toy and only take it out twice a day. Or reserve your happiest praise and lots of petting for recall. Stand right next to your dog. Call your recall word then “load” the word by giving your dog the toy/praise/petting for up to 10 seconds. Repeat a few times a day for one week inside where least distracted, and gradually generalize in new locations with more and more distractions.

If your dog isn’t motivated by food, play, praise, or petting seek the help of a professional trainer for recall.

3. Recall Exercises: Teach your dog to come when called

WEEK TWO: After at least one week of “loading” as described above, you can advance to preparing the reward (food/toy/person)  and now say your emergency recall word after backing up a few steps, so your dog has to come towards you to get the reward.

WEEK THREE: Advance to generalizing by rewarding in different places around your home, in your yard, and while on leash out on walks. Foodies can switch from getting their meal to huge handful of favorite treats for on leash recall work out on walks. Only practice ONE TIME each new place, You don’t want to desensitize them, i.e. don’t withdraw all your loaded credit! Also for this week, try to pick a time when the dog is not distracted.

WEEK FOUR: Add in touching your dog’s collar too, like you’d have to do if the dog escaped and you needed to attach a leash. Touch the collar as you reward, just for a second. Also you can start advancing to bigger distractions, like if your dog sees a squirrel in a tree or another dog down the block.

OFF-LEASH RECALL: Please be safe! When you’re ready to practice recall off-leash, do so in a fenced-in dog-safe area. Some dogs (like scent or sight hounds) can never be off-leash trained. All dogs take lots of training and lifelong practice to recall around compelling distractions.

ONCE A MONTH, FOREVER: Don’t let your emergency recall word expire. Practice once a month will prevent your emergency recall word from being forgotten. A solid emergency recall may save your dog’s life one day, and allow you and your dog to safely enjoy many more activities and a richer life together.

Photo by Jerry Xu www.jerry–xu.com

Enjoy playing a puzzle game and help homeless pets at the same time! A match-3, competition puzzle game for animal lovers, in aiAnimals, you compete against the AI to match titles and score points. For each of the 12 levels you complete, you will unlock a photograph of a cute puppy!

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) November 18, 2010

Release Link: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/11/prweb4798434.htm

aiAnimals, combines the Japanese word for love “ai” and the English word “animals”, to describe those who will like the game the most — people who love animals. The aiAnimals Puppy Puzzler, a puzzle game app for the iPhone, provides the familiar match-3 play in a competitive mode against the computer in three different levels of difficulty — easy, medium, and hard. To stand out from the field, Puppy Puzzler not only has the traditional puzzle mode for a quick game, but also an extended version that allows players to unlock pictures of puppies.

The aiAnimals Puppy Puzzler app was designed by Crunchy Pixel Studios, a virtual studio founded in 2008. “We believe that every niche market contains interesting ideas deserving attention and support and passionate fans who deserve products they can embrace,” says Chad Kime, one of the founders of Crunchy Pixel Studios. Kime explains, “As the many game companies craft epic games with titanic budgets, little game companies must make right-sized games into great games for specific niche markets. We think pet adoption is an important niche market and an even more important cause to support.”

Kime’s middle daughter, an avid animal lover, was the inspiration for aiAnimals Puppy Puzzler and encouraged giving back. Crunchy Pixels Studios is generously donating 50% of aiAnimals Puppy Puzzler revenue to Adopt-a-Pet.com, North America’s largest non-profit homeless pet adoption website, to support them in their mission of helping to find a happy home for every homeless pet. Adopt-a-Pet.com, which displays 155,000 pets for adoption at over 9,200 animal shelters across North America is sponsored by Purina and Bayer Animal Health.

“Pet Playpen is a fun way for kids to learn the basic responsibilities of caring for a pet in a simply fun and interactive game. We couldn’t agree more that all pets need and deserve such love. We are thrilled that Pet Playpen will help promote pet adoption, and we hope the app is wildly popular so that more people know about our free service and more great pets get into loving homes,” says Adopt-a-Pet.com President and co-founder, David Meyer.

“This is such a fun game to play, for kids and adults alike. We are thrilled that aiAnimals Puppy Puzzler will help promote pet adoption and let more people know about our free service, so that in turn we can help more pets end up in happy homes,” says Adopt-a-Pet.com President and co-founder, David Meyer.

We are thrilled that Pet Playpen will help promote pet adoption, and we hope the app is wildly popular so that more people know about our free service and more great pets get into loving homes,” says Adopt-a-Pet.com President and co-founder, David Meyer.

The aiAnimals Puppy Puzzler http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/aianimals-puppy-puzzler-1/id386525987?mt=8 app can be downloaded from the iTunes App Store. Players of aiAnimals- Puppy Puzzler will enjoy the puppy themed graphics, the cute rewards of the puppy pictures and the satisfaction of knowing they supported a good cause!