Useful Tips for First Time Cat Owners

By Charles J.C. Campbell

So you want to have a cat for a pet? That's all fine, since cats are among the leading choices for pets and they actually do make excellent pets, but what if it is your very first time to have a feline as your pet, are you ready to take care of it? And when I say take care of it, I mean take care of it in the proper manner and deal with every issue that comes along with taking care of that particular type of animal.

Having the right intentions and genuinely wanting to care for your new pet cat might be present right from the start, but that might not be enough to properly care for your cat. Sure, it might be all right at the start, but in the long run there's bound to be some problems if you are really not equipped with the right knowledge of taking care of your cat.

Even though you might have already taken care of some other pets in the past - or you might still have other pets - that doesn't automatically make you ready for a cat. Each pet is unique, so you better equip yourself with the proper know how. Some helpful tips for first time cat owners are given below. Read on and learn what you need to know about your new feline friend:

• It is advisable that your pet cat be kept within your home as much as possible. The main reason being that those cats that live indoors tend to live longer than those cats that are allowed to just roam wherever they please and are left unsupervised by their owners. You should provide your cat with cat trees, scratching posts, different kinds of toys that would continue that would be interesting to it, then your cat will not just like the indoors but actually thrive in it. And don't forget some cardboard boxes in corners would help as well.


• When deciding about getting your cat, you might initially be thinking of getting one that is of pure breed. However, you can opt to go to your local pet shelter and find that there are plenty of homeless cats there that are just waiting to be adopted and for a home that will welcome and love them. Pet shelters also usually provide the needed vaccinations, neutering, spaying, and microchipping.


• Provide your cat with the best food and nutrition that you can. In order for them to be in top health, they need to consume meat protein, Even though it is quite convenient to give them dry food, you really need to limit it a little since cats don't require too much carbohydrates. It would be best to feed them with high quality grain less food that's sufficiently moist since cats don't really drink too much water. It would keep them properly hydrated.


• Make sure that you take your cat to veterinary clinic regularly. You need to make their health and well being a priority, so you ought to familiarize yourself and your beloved cat with the vet clinic and its staff.

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All About Picking Dog Food

By Bernard Yao

If you are considering raising a dog, you have to know that it requires a lot of patience and most importantly, it requires time because pets like getting their master's attention. There are actually a lot of food choices for your pets. What you can do is check out pet stores or pet shops that offer pet owners tons of pet foods. This is why if you do not know anything about what ingredients and nutrients your pet needs, then you should read this article so you would know how to pick one. Here are some of the things that you should be looking at:

If you wish to shop for the perfect dog food, you should just limit it to 3 choices. This is because it would give you a lot of time to check out the label and compare it. When choosing the best food for your pets, you have to make sure that you read the label to be able to know what nutrients your pets would get.

A visit to the vet would also help you a lot. This is because your vet can recommend some of the pet foods which would be perfect for your pet's diet. You have to ensure that you ask your vet regarding the best nutrients that would be perfect for your pet.

Try looking for chicken, turkey and meat as ingredients of your pet's food. These things offer your pets protein that could help your pets become more active and energetic. Meat is one of the primary nutrients that your pets need especially those that have very active lifestyle. Be sure to find pet foods that are high in protein because it is also going to help your pets live longer.

Dogs just like human beings also need some good bacteria in their system which is also known as probiotics. There are tons of pet foods that contain probiotics or you can ask you vet how you can obtain probiotics to help improve your pets digestion. Another reason why probiotics is necessary for your pets' health is because it is known to eliminate all of the harmful bacteria which are known to cause some digestive problems. If you want your pets to stay healthy at all times, be sure to include probiotics in their diet.

Be sure to check out these choices so you would definitely be able to pick the best dog food for your pets.

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Some Tips For Making Sure Your Dog Stays Healthy

By Ken Q Alston

If you are the proud owner of a little pup (or a big pup!), one thing that will be important to you is that you are taking good care of this lovable little canine; but of course, as much as most people have a desire to take good care of their dogs, many of them do not actually have a complete concept of what this means - and so, here is a look at four specific things you can make sure you are doing in order to take good care of your dog.

1) Feed your dog premium dog food: As is the case with people, what you put into your dog's body will end up making quite a difference in your dog's health! A lot of people try to save money on the dog food they are buying, but they end up costing themselves more money in the long run, as they end up with a dog more prone to illness - a dog who requires more visits to the vet; better to spend a little extra money now, and to both save money in the long run and have a dog who is a whole lot healthier!

2) Regular checkups are important: If you are a parent, you know that you do not simply look at your children and decide - from your vantage point of "no medical expertise" - that they look perfectly fine, and therefore have no need of visiting the doctor. Instead, if you have a child, you are going to be making sure they have checkups every six months, no matter how healthy they appear on the surface, and the same goes for your dog; your dog should be looked at every six to 12 months, in order for you to ensure nothing is wrong with it.

3) Regular physical exercise is vital: If a dog sits around all day, and has no real physical stimulation besides the short walk they get in the evening, they are probably not going to be as healthy as you would like for them to be; just like people, dogs need regular exercise, so make sure you are taking your dog out to places where it can run around and have some fun!

4) Mental exercise is necessary, too: Mental exercise is actually just as important as physical exercise for many breeds of dog; if a dog does not have anything to do all day but eat and move from sleeping spot to sleeping spot, its mind will become dull, and its body will follow - but if you regularly "exercise" your dog's brain by making them practice their obedience and their tricks, your dog will remain far more engaged with the world around them, and will remain healthier as a result.

The better job you do of paying attention to your dog's health needs, the healthier you will find your dog is - so keep these tips in mind, and continue learning all you can!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ken_Q_Alston

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