Are you considering getting a Pomeranian but not sure if it’s the right breed for you? There are many good qualities of Pomeranians but there are also some bad ones that people should know before bringing one of these dogs home.

Pomeranians originated from Germany. It is said that they originated from large Spitz dogs. These Spitz dogs came from the Arctic Circle, where they pulled sleds. When Pomeranians were originally introduced into Britain, the breed standard was thirty pounds. Now, the breed standard is seven pounds. It is said that Queen Victoria loved this breed and had many of her own.

Some of the most common colors are red, white, orange and black. A Pomeranian is a very small, compact dog. This makes them well suited to live in any home, even apartments as they do not require a lot of exercise. They are great companions for the elderly and get along well with other pets. Pomeranians love to be around people; they seem to think they should always be the center of attention! They are very affectionate as well as faithful to their owners. Being petted and pampered is one of the Pomeranian’s favorite things, but they also enjoy playing. They are very active, lively, playful and very intelligent.

One of the downsides of owning a Pomeranian is that they are very fragile, as are most toy breeds. They can get hurt very easily, because they are so tiny. If you have one of these dogs, you will have to constantly supervise it. They must be either kept indoors, or in a securely fenced-in yard. If they are not completely under your control, they can easily become injured.

Pomeranians are not recommended for families with small children. Many Poms won’t put up with any nonsense. They can become overwhelmed from all the loud noises and fast movements that children make which can be very stressful for some dogs. Another aspect of Pomeranians that many people do not enjoy is barking. They will bark at anything new or unfamiliar. To make it worse, their bark is very high pitched and can really become annoying. The barking can be stopped though, if you are consistent.

One of the things that people love the most about this dog is their beautiful long coat. However, if you own one this will require you to regularly brush and comb the hair. If the dog is not regularly groomed, its hair will become matted. Also, Pomeranians are extremely heavy shedders. You will have to vacuum the house very frequently but brushing the undercoat will reduce shedding.

Pomeranians are very independent and can be extremely stubborn. You must be very consistent to show that that you are the boss. If they are not taught as a puppy that the owner is boss, they can become very defiant. Overall, if you are very consistent in training your dog, Pomeranians make great pets. They are extremely intelligent and learn tricks very easily. They are fun to be around because they are so lively and playful. Poms are very loyal to their owners and absolutely love to be the center of attention.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Dogs

This week my dog Kiera had to go to the vet. Ill spare you the gory details, but I can assure you, there was no doubt in my mind that something was not right with my normally perfect girl.

While I was at the Vet I struck up a conversation with the team there about some of the things they wish people would remember when they bring their pets in for care. As we talked I realized that theres some great information here especially since we shared a few giggles and a few gasps about some pretty rude behavior. Voila! A column on vetiquette.

So, here are some things, courtesy of my hard-working front-desk friends at Del Ray Animal Hospital, to keep in mind to make sure you dont find yourself on the wrong side of the vetiquette police.

1.Youre not the only one with a sick animal who is nervous at the office. Try to take into consideration the fact that every person in the waiting room has a sick animal or at least one thats not necessarily pleased to be there.

2.Remember people go to the vet for different reasons. Some may be getting over a devastating diagnosis while sitting quietly in the waiting room. Some may have just put their companion to rest after battling an illness. Even if you have the cutest puppy in the world, they may not really be in the mood to be reminded of happier times with their own pet.

3.Not everyone is a dog person or a cat person. Dont assume that folks in the waiting room want to play with your pets or appreciate being slobbered, kissed, or purred on by your pride and joy.

4.Vet Clients are entitled to the same privacy as people-doctor clients. When you head to the doctor and youre getting ready to pay, you dont expect to have other patients leaning over the counter, looking at your receipt or listening to your diagnosis, do you? When you leave the examining room, realize that it will take a bit to process your receipt and if the front desk staff is busy with another client, respect their privacy and let them finish before you elbow your way up to the desk. Remember, financial stuff that isnt yours isnt your business.

5.Dont offer treats to pets that dont belong to you. This is a plain petiquette rule. No matter where you are, please dont feed someone elses dog or cat. Even if it is your pets favorite homemade liver treat. Remember, one of the reasons that pet may be at the vets office can be tummy trouble!

6.Keep your cat in the carrier. I thought this was a no-brainer, but Ive been assured that there are lots of people who insist that Pookie just hates the carrier and is perfectly behaved in all situations. Generally this assurance is coming as the owner is proudly watching Pookie walk across the front desk.

7.You are as important as the next person. Meaning, you and your pets needs are of equal importance as those of every other client at the clinic. Speaking rudely, disregarding rules (like cats in the carriers), and pushing other clients paperwork out of your way do not make you a more important pet-owner. In fact, it may make some people utter, theres an attitude only a pet would love!

The staff at every clinic goes out of their way to treat each and every pet with care, attention and tenderness. Sharing that attitude with your fellow vet clients can go a long way to keeping you out of vetiquette jail!

(c) 2006 Peggie Arvidson-Dailey

Peggie Arvidson-Dailey is the owner of Peggie’s Pet Services (one of the Regions BEST pet-care companies, as rated by The Washingtonian Magazine.) She’s also an engaging and lively speaker on topics related to the love affair between dogs and their humans. She’s an advocate for happy and healthy homes for all species and is eager to assist in creating them. If you want a monthly dose of tips and golden nuggets of information on living with and caring for your pet throughout his life, be sure to subscribe to The Care of Pets at http://www.peggiespets.com. Peggie is also a pet-care business advocate and the founder of the Pet Care Business Success University, which can be found at http://www.petcareuniversity.com.

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Have you find yourself itching madly in the middle of the night? Does your cat appear tormented from some invisible evil on a regular basis? Hey, I think I may have an idea of what you have. You’ve got fleas!

Advantage
Advantage cat flea medicine will work on your cat or any pet for up to 30 days. What a lot of people don’t know is that you have to make sure your pet has not been wet for the last 24 hours before applying the medicine. You may want to give them a bath with cat flea medicine shampoo prior to using the Advantage, but just be sure there is a span of 24 hours before applying the Advantage cat flea medicine.

What Advantage does is it kills all the fleas. Within 24 hours it goes into the blood stream of your pet. If a flea was to bite them then it would fall off and die.

The biggest problem with cat flea medicines on the market now is that they only work on the mature fleas and not the unhatched ones laying in dormant. Or the fleas they may be nesting and breeding inside your carpet. It’s always a good idea to use flea powder on your carpet at the same time you apply your flea cat medicine if the problem has gotten out of control.

If you see a flock of fleas on your pet and think that killing them will get rid of the problem, think again. Killing the flees you see is only one part of the problem. Because as new fleas begin to hatch, the larvae settles into cracks in the floor, deep into the carpet and under cushions on your furniture. The larvae that hatches outdoors thrives in sandy soil, under plants and shrubs — anywhere your pet lies down or sleeps.

How well your cat flea medicine will work all depends on if your cat stays inside or is an outside cat. There are many more fleas outside just hiding and waiting for their prey so getting rid of fleas on an outside cat will be a much bigger problem.

I know a friend of mine who flea bombed her houses and still continued to have problems. The reason for this is that the spray doesn’t get under any chairs and most of the time just makes a very big mess.

Most people don’t realizes how big a problem just one flea can make for your pet, not to mention you. Listen up and you’ll agree… the female flea routinely consumes 15 times her body weight in blood every day. This high protein diet enables her to lay around 25 eggs every 24 hours. Some have speculated that in just 30 days, ten adult female fleas on your cat could produce a quarter of a million offspring. That is a lot of miserable scratching and itching!

Brewers Yeast
Another cat flea remedy I have used and would be my second choice is Brewers yeast. You put a small teaspoon of this in their food. For some reason fleas do not like the smell. This seems to work reasonable well. An added bonus is that Brewers yeast will also provide many vitamins and minerals for your cat.

Water and Vinegar
A water and vinegar solution is also something I have heard along the way. You would spray this on your cat. The vinegar in the solution will burn the fleas and they will hop off your pet. The only problem I see with this being that you still have the fleas inside your home and carpet, and not to mention the worst thing being that the cats hate water and will not appreciate being sprayed down. You may need to do this every few days until the problem disappears. Not the best cat flea medicine, however, it is a low-cost solution.

Author Credit:
Get smart pet tips and strategies for taking care of your cat such as articles like cat flea medicine at AboutCatsInfo.

Why use a crate:

When used properly and not abused, crates are the fastest and most humane method of housebreaking dogs. Dogs are den animals that will instinctively seek out a small, cozy place to rest for shelter and security. Crates act on a dog’s instinct to keep its den clean and unsoiled. Keeping your dog in a crate teaches him to hold it until he can go in an appropriate place, which helps your puppy develop his bladder control. For older dogs, crates act as a bedroom where they can relax and escape the hustle and bustle of kids, other pets, and everyday family life. Also, it’s never too late to crate train! A crate can help break bad habits that improperly trained dogs may have developed over the years.

Plastic or metal?

Plastic kennels are good for travel, and are generally the only method of containment permitted by airlines. Metal wire dog crates are ideal for home use, however. They are generally roomier and more open. They’re also sturdier, so they will stand up to your pet’s movement/ activity and be able to last as your dog’s permanent bedroom.

What size?

A crate should only be big enough for your dog to stand up, turn around, and lay down. If the crate is too big, your puppy will have enough room to soil one side and sleep in the other, which defeats the purpose of the crate. Buy a crate large enough to accommodate your dog’s full-grown size and get a divider panel. This way, you can keep the one crate and have it grow along with your dog.

Accessories:

Always be sure to include appropriate toys and treats in the crate. This will keep your dog occupied and prevent your teething puppy from chewing on the crate’s metal bars. It is also important to purchase crate bedding. A crate cover is great for lowering the number of outside distractions your dog sees, which can reduce barking and stress in the crate. A crate pad will be more comfortable than the crate’s plastic pan. Finally, a bumper like the one included in Pet Dreams Cratewear will help protect your puppy from injuries caused by chewing or leaning against the crate’s metal bars.

For more information:

In addition to Cratewear, Pet Dreams provides a wealth of Crate Training Tips, articles, and FAQs to help you crate train your dog. Weve also recently launched Forums where you can discuss all aspects of training with others and get advice from the experts!

Visit http://www.petdreams.com for Dog crates, Cratewear bedding and Sleep-ezz dog beds.

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Please note that the author is not a veterinarian. Please consult your vet for any medical advice about your pet.

Growing up, a sense of wonder at nature and a love for animals was instilled in us. A normal weekend was spent at Elachee Nature Center in Oakwood, GA learning about the climate that controlled Georgia?s agriculture and natural resources. This normally went into detail about animals as well as the plants that naturally supported such wildlife. This inbred fascination with nature was also reflected in our home. My brother, sister, and I all had numerous books on wild animals and we loved to watch The Discovery Channel. My mom brought it on herself that we tended to bring home and love animals. By the time I had moved out, my family had two birds, two turtles, numerous white mice and hamsters, and one very rowdy little dog. After I moved out, I collected a couple of cats and a couple of very rowdy large dogs.

The most recent addition to the family is Hannah, the dwarf hamster. My brother, Bob, brought her home in late 2003 and my mom quickly became enamored with her. Mom has been known to get Hannah out of her cage in the middle of the night to play and feed her almonds in the kitchen while she gets ready for work.

Early in 2005, Hannah began to develop bald spots under her chin and across her body. My mom would often talk about how it worried her during our weekly conversations, but I hadn?t realized how far spread it was until I woke Hannah up one Sunday afternoon. She climbed up against the walls of her plexiglass hamster-haven and I realized that she had lost most of the hair on her stomach in a patch that stretched from her right arm to her right leg. Her little pink skin showed through clear as day, and I got her out for a closer look. She didn?t exhibit any bumps or discomfort as I probed her, although she was a little irritated that I was bringing her out without the offer of a tasty treat. I gave her a hamster treat and set her back down in her little home.

Then, I decided it was time for an internet search. Little Hannah needed some help, and I didn?t want to pay a vet to tell me she was just getting old. I researched ?hamster hair loss? and found that it is a fairly common problem, especially in older hamsters. The search told me that the most common reasons were age, protein deficiency, vitamin deficiency, hair getting caught in the hamster-wheel, mites, and allergic reactions to the bedding. It also let me know how to check her for mites. Mites cause a red or black pattern of bumps on the skin and they normally nest in the hamster?s hair and bedding. I checked her and realized that her skin was clear, smooth, and free from little insects.

I knew Hannah was aging and getting to where this was a natural instance for her species; however, I couldn?t just tell my mom to prepare for a little hamster funeral. I focused on the deficiencies and found that most pet stores sell a water-soluble vitamin supplement for hamsters. You simply dissolve a pill in the hamster?s water supply, and the hamster ingests it without even knowing.

I called my mom and let her know what my research had concluded and she said that she had found basically the same thing in her own search. She said she was going to get a supplement and see how Hannah responded.

After a couple of weeks, Mom reported that Hannah had regained a new love for life and was even making her wheel ?go squeaky, squeaky in the middle of the night.? She mentioned that the hair had not started to grow back but had stopped falling out. She also noted that Hannah seemed to really like her new supplemented water and she had to refill her little dispenser more often.

Before, whenever I had browsed the pet store the animal multivitamins struck me as silliness for profit: a plan to play off our love for our pets to line the company?s pockets. Now that I have seen it in action, I realize how close we are to our little animal neighbors in how our bodies need the substance of healthiness. In animals and in humans, our food comes pre-processed and our exercise is limited by our lifestyle. As people, our doctors, magazines, TV programs on healthy living and even our mothers tell us to take our daily multivitamin to keep us young, fit, and healthy because our food simply does not satisfy the nutritional needs of our bodies. As hamsters, they only have the attention of their owners to see to it that they get what their little bodies need to survive ? and there aren?t any TV commercials on the benefits of hamster vitamins. Now the victim of a successful experiment, it seems that Hannah now has a greater appreciation for her nutritional supplement as well.

For more advice from real professionals, the following websites helped me in my search for the cure:

http://www.hilltopanimalhospital.com/hamsters.htm

http://www.petinfo4u.com/advancedsmallanimals.htm

http://www.britishhamsterassociation.org.uk/getarticle.php?fname=journal/dermatitis.htm

Cynthia Dollins works in corporate America and is well known within her company for her training manuals and easy to understand instructions. She also has a love for animals that is often shown through her writing and an odd family that inspires much humor. This article has been submitted in affiliation with http://www.PetLovers.Com/ which is a site for Pet Forums.

The next time you go away, whether it’s for business or pleasure, you might want to consider hiring a pet sitter to come into your home to care for your pets. Employing the services of a professional pet sitter will allow your pet to stay comfortable in his own home, gives you peace of mind knowing he’s safe and in capable hands, and frees you from having to rely on friends or relatives. Before you hand over your keys and wave goodbye to Rover and Fluffy though, take time to educate yourself about pet sitters and the services they provide. Interview a few pet sitters, get to know them a bit, and ask questions. Find out about their experience, how frequently they’ll visit your pets, how long visits last, what they’ll do while with your pets, how they’ll handle emergencies, and fees. In addition to general information about their services, you’ll want to cover a few very important points, as listed below.

Insurance and/or bonding: This won’t prevent accidents from happening but it will protect you and the pet sitter to a certain extent should a mishap occur. Most sole proprietors are insured, and most services that employ pet sitters are bonded and insured. It’s a good idea to ask for proof of insurance.

Pet emergency provisions: If your pet becomes ill when you’re away, it’ll be important for your pet sitter to know what measures to take if you cannot be reached. He or she should have your vet’s contact information, and the type of treatment and/or amounts you authorize if you cannot be contacted.

Pet sitter emergency procedures: Ask what measures will be taken if your pet sitter becomes ill and is unable to care for your pets, if he or she is unable to get to your home due to inclement weather, or in the event of a natural disaster.

Key security: Ask how the key will be identified and stored. Keys should not be attached to anything with your name or address on it, and when not in use, ideally they should be kept secure in a locked safe or other secure enclosure. Most pet sitting businesses will also offer to keep your key for future pet sitting assignments.

Contracts and other forms: Be sure that your pet sitter provides you with a written contract detailing such things as dates, times, services agreed upon, emergency procedures, key security, rates, etc.

References: Ask for names and contact information for a few clients. Take time to talk to these people and ask about their experiences and whether or not they’d hire that particular pet sitter again. Many pet sitters are also happy to give references from other pet care professionals such as veterinarians, groomers, or trainers.

Pet issues: Inform your prospective pet sitter of any health problems, behavioral issues, or other important factors regarding your pets. Giving your pet sitter as much information as you can about your pet will enable her to give the best care possible.

Home issues: As with pet issues, be sure to inform your pet sitter of any oddities about your home that may arise in your absence (toilet that overflows, doors that don’t lock properly, security alarms, etc.).

Because pet sitting is a personal service, you and your pet need to be comfortable with the person you invite into your home. Look for a sense of professionalism with a personal touch, be sure to take into account your gut feeling, and observe your pet’s reaction to the pet sitter you interview. With a little bit of preparation and investigation, your pet will be able to stay safely in his own home while you’re away, and will be there to eagerly greet you with love and affection when you return.

To locate a pet sitter, dog walker, or dog daycare in your area, or to learn more about the services they provide, go to http://www.petsitusa.com.

2005 PetsitUSA.com All rights reserved.

Therese Kopiwoda is a professional pet sitter and the owner of PetsitUSA.com. Founded in 2003, PetsitUSA.com allows pet owners to locate professional pet sitters, dog walkers, and dog daycares, and learn about the services they provide. For more information, go to http://www.petsitusa.com.

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One of the key principles of dog training is the principle of conditioned response. The idea is that you can set up your dog’s environment in such a way that it learns to abandon its destructive behavior through its own mistakes rather than by your instruction. Below are two common examples of problem dog behaviors and how the principle of conditioned response can be used to resolve them.

1. My dog is digging up my yard. How can I stop this destructive behavior? First, you must purchase some chicken wire from your local hardware store and some styptic powder from you local pet store. Before you begin, you must observe your dog’s favorite digging spots and pinpoint them in your mind. Then, you must remove your dog from the yard, and you must not allow it to watch you as you set up its environment. Cut about a 4 by 4 foot section of chicken wire and plant it under the dirt in all the locations where you dog likes to dig. Once you’re finished, release your dog and wait for the conditioned response. More than likely, your dog will go back to the locations where it dug before and proceed to dig as usual. Except now, it’s going to learn a novel lesson. Namely, that digging is going to cause it serious discomfort and pain.

Once your dog associates the condition (digging) with the negative response (pain) it will automatically stop its destructive digging habit. There is, however, one drawback to this technique. If you have an aggressive digger, then you should monitor your dog for any cuts or bruises. That’s where the styptic powder comes in. If you notice a cut in your dog’s paws, gently pour the styptic powder on the cut and allow it to cauterize the bleeding. Within a matter of days, you can condition your dog to abandon its destructive digging habit by using the principle of conditioned response.

2. My dog chews my furniture, my shoes, and my valuable belongings. What can I do to end this destructive behavior? Go to your local pet store, and purchase a spray bottle of bitter apple. Remove your dog from your house and do not allow it to see you set up its environment. Spray your valuables (i.e. furniture, shoes, and socks) with bitter apple and place them in locations that your dog can easily access. Then allow it to come in and let the trap do the rest. As usual, your dog will go back to its old habit and start to chew its favorite shoe or furniture. But now, it’s going to get a bitter surprise. Your dog will associate the condition (chewing) with the negative response (bad taste) and it will stop its destructive chewing habit. It’s important to remember, however, that all dogs need to chew, so you must repeat this process a second time.

Now, you must place your dog’s favorite chew toys next to the items that were sprayed with bitter apple. This time, your dog will be reconditioned to chew its own toys rather than your valuable possessions. Thus, by conditioning your dog, you can positively reinforce a good habit (chewing designated toys) over an undesirable one (chewing your valuable possessions).

As you can see, by applying the principle of conditioned response you can teach your dog exactly what you want without ever getting frustrated with the training process.

Armen T. Ghazarians offers advice, information, and articles regarding many aspects of professional dog training for all those who are not professional dog trainers themselves. For more articles like this one, visit his website at http://www.newdogtrainingsecrets.com

It’s not just horseback riders that cough and wheeze at this time of year. Respiratory problems are common in horses as well. Loss of performance may be the first sign that something is wrong. Mildly affected animals may cough occasionally when eating or when starting work. As the condition gets worse they may cough almost continuously.

Why is coughing such a problem in the winter? We need look no further than the changes in management that accompany the colder weather. Horses spend more time inside, often stabled in close proximity to their companions, giving any infection the opportunity to spread. They are exposed to irritants and allergens in the hay and bedding.

Recurrent airway obstruction (also known as COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) is the horse equivalent of human asthma . It is an allergic condition, in which the horse reacts to small particles in the air. Chief among the culprits are fungal spores from the hay. This is a problem that seems to be becoming more common – probably due to the lack of good hay for horses.

We seem to have lost the ability to make good hay. Much of the hay fed to horses is dusty, and liberally sprinkled with fungal spores. Under poor storage conditions toxins such as lipopolysaccharides (LPS) can accumulate. These can cause inflammation of the respiratory tract.

Dust from the bedding may make the problem worse. It’s important to keep the bed clean and dry. Replacing dusty straw with clean shavings may be a good idea. But if the shavings are allowed to build up into a soggy deep litter bed the ammonia and endotoxins may cause more irritation than the straw ever did, and may make matters worse.

When assessing the air quality in a stable, remember that the horse spends much of his time with his nose close to the ground. The air you breathe in the middle of the stable may be completely different from the air the horse breathes when he’s sniffing around the floor or eating his hay.

It can be difficult to differentiate between infectious or environmental causes of coughing. What can be done to investigate the problem? The vet will observe your horse breathing and listen to the chest with a stethoscope. (This is not the time to talk to him or her!)

Respiratory infections may also be involved – in particular, viruses such as influenza, and equine herpes virus. If an infectious disease is suspected, swabs can be taken from the nose to try to identify the organism responsible. Blood samples may contain antibodies to the offending virus.

In persistent cases it may be necessary to collect a sample of fluid from the airways. This is usually done using a flexible endoscope.

Although medicines can be used to help clear the horse’s chest and reduce the inflammation, the most important factor in treatment is allowing the horse to breathe clean fresh air.

So how can you prevent your winter schedule being disrupted by coughing? First of all, avoid feeding poor quality hay. Soaking it may help. The water damps down the dust and makes the spores swell. But it also washes the water-soluble nutrients out of the hay and so reduces the feeding value. (If there is any doubt about the hygienic quality of the hay, your veterinarian or feed merchant may be able to have a sample tested to see if it is safe to feed.) Consider feeding haylage instead.

Let your horse have as much fresh air as possible. Turn out as much as the weather conditions allow. Make sure there is adequate ventilation in the stable or barn. Avoid the temptation to close the stable up, even in the coldest weather. Keep the bed as dust-free, and as clean, as possible. Do not muck out the stable with your horse in it. Give the bedding time to settle – preferably an hour or more – before bringing the horse back inside.

Give your horse clean air to breathe, and hopefully you will both enjoy a cough-free winter.

Copyright 2005 by Mark Andrews / Equine Science Update. This article may be freely used by newsletters and web sites without permission as long as the copyright notice, links and contact information remain unchanged. Mark Andrews, an experienced equine veterinarian, is author of The Foaling Guide, http://www.thefoalingguide.com and publisher of Equine Science Update. For the latest information in equine science, subscribe to the free newsletter from Equine Science Update. (http://www.equinescienceupdate.co.uk)

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Cats are wonderful, loving creatures. It’s not uncommon to see a cat in every other home, sleeping cozily on the laps and furniture of their owners. It wasn’t always this way. It is said that the cat wasn’t domesticated until about 5000 years ago, in the valley of the Nile, but where did they come from?

The people of Upper Egypt had learned to grow and harvest their own crops. The wellbeing of the people depended on these crops. A means of storage had to be used. At first, these people just kept their grain in baskets, which they soon found was a mistake. Mice, rats and other vermin were eating the grain. This, in turn, attracted the African Wildcat. These cats ate the vermin that was destroying the crops.

The people were grateful to the cats and encouraged them to stay by feeding them fish heads and other scraps. The cats, being abundantly fed and seeing the men as no threat to them, moved in permanently. The African Wildcat was naturally calm and adapted well to living with humans. With time, the cats allowed the humans to approach them, even touch and hold them.

Cats proved to be loyal and endearing companions. They made for excellent hunters, since they sleep in a series of short periods and wake much easier than dogs do. This made their work possible night and day. Cats can also see better than dogs at night and their hearing surpasses a dog’s. Cats would even wake the dogs in the house if they heard something suspicious that the dogs managed to sleep through. They got along greatly with the dogs and humans loved them.

Today, cats are used for show and companionship. Most people don’t keep cats for hunting vermin anymore, as this is generally unnecessary in this day and age. There are many different breeds of cats, each different in their own way. Here are some tips to follow when looking for a purebred kitten.

Look for a kitten in your area. You’ll want to visit and inspect the cattery of your choice before you make any decisions to purchase, so finding a breeder in your area will make this more feasible. The cattery should be clean and in good order. There shouldn’t be an overcrowding of kittens and their habitat should be open and clean. The litter boxes should be kept up nicely and the food and water dishes full and clean. The kittens should never be caged. If there are breeding males present, their cages should be large and clean. The cats should look healthy, having full, shiny coats and no ribs showing.

The kittens should be used to being handled everyday. They should be sweet and outgoing, not timid and afraid. Cats that are handled regularly have a better temperament. Ask to see the parents of the kittens. Both parents should have good temperament and be very healthy. This will also help determine the personality of your kitten. Ask the breeder how soon after birth they sell the kittens. A good breeder doesn’t allow the kittens to be taken home until they are at least twelve weeks of age. Some even wait until they are sixteen weeks of age. This is to ensure the health of the kitten is good and that the immune system has developed properly.

Also, ask if there is a waiting list. Good breeders don’t have an overabundance of cats and many have waiting lists you can be placed on to ensure you get the kitten of your choice. If the waiting list is too long, or there are no kittens available at the time you want one, the breeder might refer you to another cattery.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Cats

The next time you go away, whether it’s for business or pleasure, you might want to consider hiring a pet sitter to come into your home to care for your pets. Employing the services of a professional pet sitter will allow your pet to stay comfortable in his own home, gives you peace of mind knowing he’s safe and in capable hands, and frees you from having to rely on friends or relatives. Before you hand over your keys and wave goodbye to Rover and Fluffy though, take time to educate yourself about pet sitters and the services they provide. Interview a few pet sitters, get to know them a bit, and ask questions. Find out about their experience, how frequently they’ll visit your pets, how long visits last, what they’ll do while with your pets, how they’ll handle emergencies, and fees. In addition to general information about their services, you’ll want to cover a few very important points, as listed below.

Insurance and/or bonding: This won’t prevent accidents from happening but it will protect you and the pet sitter to a certain extent should a mishap occur. Most sole proprietors are insured, and most services that employ pet sitters are bonded and insured. It’s a good idea to ask for proof of insurance.

Pet emergency provisions: If your pet becomes ill when you’re away, it’ll be important for your pet sitter to know what measures to take if you cannot be reached. He or she should have your vet’s contact information, and the type of treatment and/or amounts you authorize if you cannot be contacted.

Pet sitter emergency procedures: Ask what measures will be taken if your pet sitter becomes ill and is unable to care for your pets, if he or she is unable to get to your home due to inclement weather, or in the event of a natural disaster.

Key security: Ask how the key will be identified and stored. Keys should not be attached to anything with your name or address on it, and when not in use, ideally they should be kept secure in a locked safe or other secure enclosure. Most pet sitting businesses will also offer to keep your key for future pet sitting assignments.

Contracts and other forms: Be sure that your pet sitter provides you with a written contract detailing such things as dates, times, services agreed upon, emergency procedures, key security, rates, etc.

References: Ask for names and contact information for a few clients. Take time to talk to these people and ask about their experiences and whether or not they’d hire that particular pet sitter again. Many pet sitters are also happy to give references from other pet care professionals such as veterinarians, groomers, or trainers.

Pet issues: Inform your prospective pet sitter of any health problems, behavioral issues, or other important factors regarding your pets. Giving your pet sitter as much information as you can about your pet will enable her to give the best care possible.

Home issues: As with pet issues, be sure to inform your pet sitter of any oddities about your home that may arise in your absence (toilet that overflows, doors that don’t lock properly, security alarms, etc.).

Because pet sitting is a personal service, you and your pet need to be comfortable with the person you invite into your home. Look for a sense of professionalism with a personal touch, be sure to take into account your gut feeling, and observe your pet’s reaction to the pet sitter you interview. With a little bit of preparation and investigation, your pet will be able to stay safely in his own home while you’re away, and will be there to eagerly greet you with love and affection when you return.

To locate a pet sitter, dog walker, or dog daycare in your area, or to learn more about the services they provide, go to http://www.petsitusa.com.

2005 PetsitUSA.com All rights reserved.

Therese Kopiwoda is a professional pet sitter and the owner of PetsitUSA.com. Founded in 2003, PetsitUSA.com allows pet owners to locate professional pet sitters, dog walkers, and dog daycares, and learn about the services they provide. For more information, go to http://www.petsitusa.com.

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