Search Results for: blog tracking chip health fears

Tracking Chip Health Fears

My cat Cole has a tracking chip. He came with it; many shelters and rescues now automatically implant them as further insurance that the pets they place will stay with those homes forever. Chihiro doesn’t have the chip; her rescue didn’t follow the practice for whatever reason, and we aren’t too concerned about it. The cost hasn’t seemed worth it because she’s rarely in situations where she could run away. I’d be open to putting a chip on her, though, if I ever felt there might be a serious risk of losing her. But one woman in Cambridge, Massachusetts now … Continue reading →

Canine Body Language, Pt. 1

Just as she did for felines, animal behavior consultant and author of 23 pet care books Amy Shojai recently shared her wisdom on canine communication on website Paw Nation. Many of us might think it’s easier to read dogs than cats, and while that’s sometimes true, it never hurts to try to learn what your dog might be thinking. Let’s switch it up from my previous posts on cat language a bit; first I’ll start by going over what the actual canine body language means, then I’ll cover the emotions behind various dog sounds. One thing I will copy from … Continue reading →

School Won’t Allow Seizure Alert Dog

Service animals are supposed to get free passes to go anywhere normal pets cannot. According to animal website Paw Nation, that almost wasn’t the case for Alaya the German Shepherd. Alaya isn’t your typical seeing eye dog; in fact, she’s not a seeing eye dog at all. Instead, she comes from Seizure Alert Dogs for Life, a group that trains dogs to recognize the signs of an oncoming seizure and alert the humans present to the imminent attack. She’s able to use her extraordinary talent to help Andrew Stevens. Andrew just wants to be a normal 12-year-old. Most of the … Continue reading →

Caring for Pets in Cold Weather

In June I posted about the dangers of heatstroke for animals. Now that we’ve entered the opposite extreme of seasonal weather, I’d like to take a look at ways to keep our pets safe when it’s cold outside. The ASPCA has a list of several things to remember when looking after pets in the winter. Just as leaving a dog in the car is dangerous in the heat the same is true in the cold. Especially when it isn’t sunny outside, cars trap the cold and can drop to dangerous freezing temperatures. If you must leave your pet in the … Continue reading →

The Basics of Horse Care, Pt. 2

On Tuesday I started a blog on the basics of horse care, as described to me by my friend Professional Hunt Seat Horse Trainer Holly Stello. Today the article continues with more of a horse’s fundamental needs, and the costs owning one will accrue. Horses are not as social of a breed as other animals; however, Holly recommends buying a buddy for a lone horse. But she admits that “horses, like dogs, have personalities. Some are total loners, and some will have separation anxiety and need a friend.” You should spend 20 minutes minimum interacting with your horse every day, … Continue reading →

Laser Declawing

A lot of cat lovers are divided over the debate: to declaw or not to declaw. Most of us (myself included) find the painful surgery, in which the cat’s knuckles are broken and from which the cat suffers a long recovery, cruel. Yet I can see the benefits of declawing; even though I try to keep on top of trimming my cat’s nails he does still scratch things sometimes, and it would be nice to not have to worry about him damaging any furniture, or even worse, a person. Cole isn’t violent and has rarely scratched the sofa and never … Continue reading →