The “Bad News”—many people purchase animals without considering the long term requirements of proper pet care, the “Good News”—this creates an opportunity for you to purchase a purebred cat at a fraction of the cost. Breed specific rescue organization, which are privately funded, have grown in recent years. There are many types and varieties of purebred felines available for adoption. There are several advantages to adopting a purebred cat; costs, developed personalities, free expert advice on the breed, reduced medical costs, and a free turn in policy (If for any reason the adoption does not work, the animal may be returned to the shelter). The disadvantages are that with some breeds you may need to travel long distance to meet and adopt your new pet, you may be subject to a rigorous background or criminal check, some of the animals turned into rescue sites have been abused or neglected and require patience and training, and you may not be able to obtain they type of purebred or age desired. Most likely though, you will be sadly amazed to see how many excellent purebred pets are available for adoption.

The cost of purebred cat adoption varies dependant on the breed and age, however costs may be as low as $75 for an older purebred cat, and only $150 for a young cat. The adoption fee typically includes medical costs such as vaccinations, Feline Aides (FIV) and Feline Leukemia (FELV) tests, a health examination to insure the cat is in good general health, and if the cat is over six months of age, it is already spayed or neutered. This is quit a bargain considering most often these cats originally sold for $200-$1000, have had $300-$500 worth of medical care including shots and testing, and the adult pets are already spayed or neutered. Other financial benefits may include free breed specific information and tips, an optional free membership into the breed rescue organization, or a free subscription to the organizations newsletter.

If you are thinking about adopting a specific breed the first step is to determine if the breed you are drawn to matches your lifestyle. Many people assume a cat is a cat. They are wrong. A Siamese, which has a life expectancy of approximately 18-20 years, is like a high energy comical dog that will follow you everywhere and noisily demand attention. A Maine Coon, which is nearly double the size of a Siamese, has a life expectancy of 8-10 years and has an easy going personality. Do some research on line or at the library to make sure the needs of the new pet will be compatible with your lifestyle. Once you’ve determined which breed will be well suited to your home and lifestyle search on-line for a rescue site in your area. For example, let’s say you want to adopt a Himalayan and you live in Minneapolis, MN. In your web browser, type “Himalayan Rescue Organizations in Minneapolis, MN”. You can also search by state. Most organizations have clear information on their website about the adoption process, policies, breed tendencies, and costs. Some have pictures of animals available for adoption.

When you decide on a specific possible pet, ask specific questions about its history and personality. The personality of an animal is more important than it’s past. Many animals with horrific pasts make excellent pets, provided you are willing to be patient, establish and maintain routines for the animal, and provide training if needed. Remember animals are sentient beings with emotions and pain receptors. Please consider the long term care of the pet, the breed specific needs, and whether the needs of the animal will negatively affect your lifestyle, before you adopt or purchase an animal. In the long run it is better for you and the animal to wait for the right match.

For more free pet care or animal welfare tips, visit PetCareRCA.com PetCareRCA.com Kate Garvery is the founder and director of the Pet Care Resource Center of America. She is also a freelance writer and provides professional writing services for individuals and business owners kategarvey.net kategarvey.net Kate is the author of 3 non-fiction books and more than 40 non-fiction articles.

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Tags: welfare

With so many dog trainers out there, it can be hard trying to choose the best one for your dog. Trying to determine which dog trainer is the best qualified to train your dog can be a difficult task.

The American Dog Trainers Network recommends the following criteria for choosing a dog trainer for your dog:

Reputation: Recommendations from your vet, other reputable trainers, friends that have had their dogs trained, etc. can help a lot in deciding which trainer to go with.

Experience: You should look into each potential trainer’s background before deciding on your dog’s trainer. Years of experience and areas of expertise are just a couple of things to look for. A good, professional dog trainer won’t hesitate to answer your questions, so be prepared to ask a lot of them. Afterall, your dog is part of your family.

Training methodology: Reputable dog trainers care about every dog’s welfare. They will know that harsh or abusive handling methods are counter-productive and not good for the dog in general.

Love for dogs:The best dog trainers have a general love for dogs, or they wouldn’t and shouldn’t be involved in that line of work. You’ll know a great trainer by his or her joy of living and working with dogs.

Extensive behavioral knowledge:Dedicated trainers keep up-to-date on all of the latest training methods by attending dog training and animal behavioral courses, conferences, seminars, workshops, etc. whenever possible. Make sure you inquire about any recent educational courses that the trainer has attended.

Teaching and communication skills:Dog trainers that have good teaching and communication skills make the learning process easier, quicker and more enjoyable for the dogs.

Affiliation with reputable organizations: You can always tell a good dog trainer by the organizations, associations and clubs that he or she is affiliated with.

Ethics or profit?:You should find out what motivates a potential dog trainer. Is he or she in it strictly for the money, or for their love of dogs?

Unless a dog trainer comes recommended by one or more reputable source, it really is a case of buyer beware. Anyone can call themselves a dog trainer. Do your homework when choosing a dog trainer for your dog. Your dog is part of your family, so you should put as much effort into choosing a trainer as you would in choosing your dentist. The wrong kind of training could damage your dog for life.

Chris Geldof is a dog lover and owns a dog-related website. Visit easy-dog-training-tips.com Easy Dog Training Tips for more information on dog obedience and dog training.

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Tags: dog training, welfare

Many of us feel overwhelmed by animal abuse, neglect and over population. The following methods have been helpful in the welfare of animals.

1.Leash Laws

Creating and enforcing leash laws is one of the easiest ways a city or township can begin reducing the number of unwanted animals. Many cities may have a leash law for dogs, but not one for cats, ferrets or domestic rabbits. In order to be successful, the leash law must be comprehensive and apply to all animals; dogs, cats, ferrets, rabbits etc. There needs to be a stiff penalty for people who ignore the law. Having a leash law creates several benefits; it’s easy for animal rescue workers to determine which animals are strays, it prevents unplanned breeding, it keeps pets from roaming so they are not likely to be hit by cars, it prevents dogs from fighting, it reduces the number of cats killed by prey dogs or dog packs, it reduces the spread of disease such as Feline Aides and Leukemia, it helps keep public opinion favorable.

2. Humane Education

Humane Education is when caring individuals or groups talk to school age children and teenagers about animals and animal care. The ASPCA website has great information about how teachers can incorporate humane education into a classroom lesson. Ideally, humane education should start in early childhood and continue through adolescences. The Humane Association of Michigan website has information about their very active outreach program. If you don’t have a humane education program, consider starting one at your children’s school. It takes very little time and can be great fun.

3. Zoning Laws

When cities and counties establish zoning laws that regulate how many animals a single person or household can have, it helps prevent overpopulation. Many cities have a rule that a person can only have 4 to 5 pets in a single family home. Condominium associations typically allow up to 2 pets. Since many dogs and cat produce litters of 6-8 offspring, the homeowner is violating zoning law by allowing their animal(s) to breed.
Zoning laws help reduce the number of people who breed animals for profit.

For more free pet care or animal welfare tips, visit PetCareRCA.com PetCareRCA.com Kate Garvery is the founder and director of the Pet Care Resource Center of America. She is also a freelance writer and provides professional writing services for individuals and business owners kategarvey.net kategarvey.net Kate is the author of 3 non-fiction books and more than 40 non-fiction articles.

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Tags: welfare

Many people find it challenging to trim a cat’s nails. In the wild a cat will use trees to scratch. This helps stretch the cat’s back and promotes old dead nails to fall or scrape off. With indoor cats, it’s important to keep nails trimmed. However, you can hurt your cat if you don’t know what you are doing, so I encourage you to visit a veterinarian at least once and have them show you which part of the nail is dead. Once you are clear about the potion of the nail that should be trimmed, the five steps below will simplify and speed up the process at home. A couple of guidelines to keep in mind-never cut a nail too low, you only want to trim the tip-the area free of tissue. You must be able to see through the portion of the nail being trimmed. When your cat is asleep, you can lie down next to your cat, and gently squeeze one of their front toes. This will cause the nail to extend. The area that should be trimmed is the tip which will be free of any color, or inside color. If your cat’s nails are clearly see-through, you can trim using the following technique. You may want to pretend your trimming your cat’s nails right now. Once you feel confident with the steps below, use them the next time you need to trim your cat’s nails.

1. Purchase an appropriate size pet nail trimmer from a pet supply store. My favorite brand looks like a small scissors but has a round section for the nail. These scissors cost about $5. You always want a sharp nail trimmer. I replace mine every 6 to 8 months. Do not use a human nail cutter or regular scissors. You can cause injury to your pet. Place the scissors on a floor or table top in a quiet room.

2. Pick up you cat and pet it like normal. Place one hand underneath the ribs as you continue to pet the cat and walk toward the room where the scissor or nail trimmer is located.

3. Continue to hold the cat and kneel down next to the scissors in the following manner. Spread your knees approximately 10 inches apart (this is approximately two or three fist widths). As you kneel, place your big toes side by side and flatten you ankles on the floor if you can. Next sit back on your heels, keeping your knees apart. You hips should be directly over your feet or ankles.

4. Place the cat so that it’s feet are on the floor, it’s butt and tail are facing your belly or hips, and it’s head faces forward—the same direction as yours. Do not sit on or put weight on your cat. If your right handed, slip you left arm against the left side of the cat’s body, and firmly but gently hold the cat’s chest. With your right arm grab the nail trimmer, and drape your right arm or wrist in front of your cat’s chest to prevent them from bolting.

5. Bend forward a little bit and place your right elbow on the floor so your right hand can be stable. Continue to cradle the cat with your left arm and use your left hand to keep the cat from running forward.

6. Keep your right hand or wrist in front of the cat and with your left hand pick up the cat’s left front paw. Gentle squeeze a toe. The nail will extend forward. Make sure you can easily see the cat’s nail. With your right hand clip the dead portion (clear portion) of the nail. The cat should not scream or flinch if you have clipped only the tip. It’s always better to trim a nail too long and correct your mistake, rather than causing injury, pain and possible infection by trimming too short. Proceed to the next toe. If this is new to you or if your cat gets restless, you may just want to do a couple of toes at a time then let your cat go. Trim a few more nails tomorrow. If your cat is docile and you feel fine, proceed trimming every toe, then switch to the right foot. Also, cat’s have something called a “dew claw”. It’s an unused claw next to their front inside “ankles”. These claws are not used by the cat, but grow and must be trimmed.

A few things to keep in mind–cat’s always like to feel safe, so cradling them without applying any weight can be helpful. When a cat becomes upset, it needs to be left alone. Its brain literally gets overloaded and an upset cat is likely to become aggressive. If you are having difficulty and your cat is getting upset, let it go. You can modify this pose however you feel appropriate. I often like to trim my cat’s claws when they are sleeping on the bed or resting in my lap. If you want help, it’s usually pretty inexpensive to have your cat’s claws trimmed by veterinarian ($10-15). With most cats, the front claws need to be trimmed more often. Stay away from an inexperienced pet groom—I have seen and heard horror stories about nail injuries. If your pet’s nail is trimmed too close, besides causing pain, an infection can occur. In some cases, these infections can require extensive (an expensive) medical care and if untreated infections may lead to a painful death for your cat. Please see a veterinarian or a certified vet tech if you need assistance caring for your pet.

For more free pet care or animal welfare tips, visit PetCareRCA.com PetCareRCA.com Kate Garvery is the founder and director of the Pet Care Resource Center of America. She is also a freelance writer and provides professional writing services for individuals and business owners kategarvey.net kategarvey.net Kate is the author of 3 non-fiction books and more than 40 non-fiction articles.

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Tags: groom, heel, welfare

Lady Brownrigg of England first obtained a Shih Tzu in 1928. She was around 30 years of age, was a much-traveled lady and was very fond of birds and animals. Her husband was an Assistant Adjutant and Quarter-master General to the North China command. When they returned to England, they brought with them two Shih Tzu, a dog called Hibou and a bitch called Shu-ssa. Both were black and white and described as “small.” Shu-ssa was mated to Hibou and produced Lung-fu-ssu. The offspring of Hibou, Shu-ssa and Lung-fu-ssu and many of our present-day Shih Tzu are descended from these. They were called the famous “Taishan” Shih Tzu. The weight of these three is known to have been within the range of 12 to 15 pounds. Lady Brownrigg considered this weight as ideal.

In 1933 at the West of England Ladies’ Kennel Society Shu-ssa, Hibou and Lung-fu-ssu were exhibited in a class along with other dogs from Tibet. It was quite evident that there were great differences between these Tibetan Lion Dogs and those which Colonel and Mrs. Bailey had imported from Tibet. These were narrower in the skull and had longer noses, and eventually became known as the Lhasa Apso. Other Tibetan dogs, with longer legs are now known as Tibetan Terriers.

The Brownriggs were instrumental in preparing the first breed standard. By 1934, the breed had been separated from the other small and hairy dogs of oriental origin.

By the time World War II had begun, very few Shih Tzu litters were born during those troubled years. The Taishan Shih Tzu, however, made their own contribution to the war effort. The combings from their coats were gathered up and made into knitting wool.

After the war was over, Lady Brownrigg carried on with her work of establishing the Shih Tzu in England.

Lady Brownrigg was not in agreement with the decision to introduce Pekingese blood and an attempt to start a new club for the miniature Shih Tzu.

In 1939, a lady called Gay Garforth-Bles, later Gay Widdrington saw eight Shih Tzu being exercised in Thurloe Square in London. The dogs were being exercised by Mrs. Doig, their cook. Shortly after this sighting, Gay Widdrington bought her first Shih Tzu from Lady Brownrigg. This was a black and white puppy bitch called Mee-Na of Taishan. Mee-Na set her owner off on a curse that would lead her to become one of the best-known figures in the breed. The name of her Shih Tzu line was “Lhakang.”

Gay Widdrington bred more than a hundred litters over a period of nearly fifty years. The list of Lhakang champions shows how this kennel competed at the highest level in the breed over a thirty-year period, which is a remarkable achievement.

Gay Widdrington joined with Lady Brownrigg in the 1950s to form the Manchu Shih Tzu Society with the aim of promoting the smaller type of Shih Tzu. The Kennel Club did not agree to the division of the breed into two sizes. The Manchu was given official status only on condition that it promoted the welfare of all sizes of Shih Tzu.

Connie Limon is a Shih Tzu breeder. She publishes a FREE weekly newsletter. Designer dog clothes are offered on the website. Discounts are offered to subscribers. Sign up at: stainglassshihtzus.com stainglassshihtzus.com

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Tags: dog clothes, shih tzu, welfare