How Old is My Cat – Guessing a cat’s age – Pet tip 201

When people adopt a new cat or are thinking about buying a cat they often want to know how old that cat is. If the cat is a kitten this is usually easy. The original owner should know how old the kitten was or if you bring the kitten to a veterinarian, the vet should be able to tell how old the kitten is with a reasonable degree of accuracy. If good records were kept from kitten-hood or previous adoptions, again this is an easy task. The problem occurs when you are considering getting an adult cat whose age and/or history are unknown.

Pregnancy and Cats and Dogs

Many women wonder what precautions they need to take around their pet when they become pregnant. Veterinarian Dr. Ian Sandler says the biggest risk to pregnant women is a disease called toxoplasmosis, which is a transferred mainly from cats.

Most …

Dog Lice

What is dog lice? Are they the same type of lice that affect humans? What is the most effective way of getting rid of dog lice?

Sometimes even a clean, well-groomed dog can play a host to different types of …

Caring for Newborn Kittens

Like a newborn baby, the care of a newborn kitten requires special attention and focus. For most cat owners though, this care is not usually required of them as kittens are typically adopted at approximately eight weeks of age, when they have been weaned from their mothers. However, there are several instances when newborn kittens may require hand-rearing, and in those situations, it is important to have a good understanding of what these neonatal animals need for proper growth and development.

The two most common situations where kittens may need to be hand-reared are either because they have been orphaned, or because their mother is not providing adequate care. This second point can be due to a variety of reasons, but the most likely cause is that the runt of the litter may be being overlooked by the mother in favour of healthier kittens.

Dogs and Hybrid Vigour

Why does is seem that certain breeds of dogs are more likely to develop specific health problems than other breeds? For example, why are Doberman pinchers more likely to have heart problems than other breeds? You may or may not be familiar with the term “hybrid vigour”, but you have probably run across this concept before. In this article we will discuss how this term can be used to explain why various dog breeds are predisposed to developing certain health issues.

How are dog breeds created? If you think about it, all dog breeds descended from a single ancestor related to the modern wolf. The Chihuahua and the Great Dane, as well as the Yorkshire terrier and the Bull Mastiff all came from the same genetic background.

Adopting Adult Cats & Dogs

Getting a new pet is never a quick or easy decision. How do you know what pet is right for you? First you must figure out what your options are. There are purebreds, strays, rescues, puppies, kittens, and adults. That’s …

Old Cats – Elderly Cats – Pet tip 203

Age takes its toll on all living things and our beloved feline friends can also use a bit of help to make their golden years more pleasurable. When cats enter their golden years, cat owners tend to notice a difference …

Pet Degus

Degus have not been on the pet scene for long, but people are falling in love with these affectionate, sociable little animals. Degus come from the foothills of the Andes in South America and were imported into North America in …

Pulling Dogs – Pet tip 166

Trying to walk a large strong dog is usually difficult for novice dog owners and even some experienced dog owners. Especially when the dog has had no obedience training, pulling is a common behaviour that dogs will engage in on …

April: 2008

Pets.ca – Monthly pet newsletter – April 2008

Hi there it’s Marko, one of the owners/administrators on Pets.ca and this is our third newsletter this year. We intend to put out only 1 newsletter a month so rest assured you …