Archive for the ‘tips’ Category

Ever since I started letting our cats outside we’ve seem a dramatic increase in the flea population in our house. By dramatic I mean from none to… a lot. While Gizmo and Pookie can tolerate their monthly dose of Revolution, Dim Sum can’t. She has an allergic reaction to chemical dosing methods that manifests itself in a rash and hair loss in the location the medication was squirted on. Obviously that kind of reaction means I have to skip the topical solution, so what’s a cat lady to do?

I haven’t had much luck with alternative medicines. Buck Mountain Herbal Gold Powder uses azadirachtin found in the neem tree to kill and discourage the blood suckers from hoppin aboard. Unfortunately it needs to be applied pretty regularly to have an effect and Dim Sum, while patient, has her limits when it comes to powders. She also doesn’t seem to be a fan of neem, as she avoids parts of the couch, which once were her fave, when I’ve sprinkled some of the powder on it. She also flipped when I tried to spray Only Natural Pet’s Herbal Defense Spray, which has neem oil as a main ingredient.

My other experiment into the world of natural flea killers led to disaster, when I realized, only after applying Sentry’s Natural Defense and seeing my cats foam and gag at the mouth, that 4 out of the 5 ingredients in this topical are toxic to cats. Great. Since Ineed to beat the fleas infesting my poor Dim Sum (and us humans as a result) any time I hit a pet store I make sure to ask the people working there what they suggest. My last trek to one of my local spots, Stone’s Pet Shop, got me a fantastic tip for anyone else battling an in-home invasion.

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With so many pet stories around the web each week it’s hard to keep up. Table Scraps is our weekly roundup of memorable pet news around the internet.

• In honor of Hurricane Earl, let’s all learn how to batten down the hatches in order to keep our pets safe in windier times. Please don’t kid yourself into thinking Toto had all that much fun on the ride over. (The Herald News)

• Considering this happened in Ireland, I’m just going to go out on a limb and say this cat was drunk and didn’t realize he was boarding a train.  We’ve all been there.  Often.  (Boing Boing)

• Between the kick ass toy xylophone and the iconic Rock-a-Stack, the level of nauseatingly cute photographs I can take of my cats doing people things just shot through the flippin’ roof. (Pet Sugar)

• I’m pretty sure My Dog Tulip is My Weekend of Tears. (NPR)

• Ladies and gentlemen, I’m super happy to introduce to you, Nico SwanGarris of Indianapolis, Indiana.   (L.A. Unleashed)

• Apparently vegetables are good for animals and when they spend the entire meal shuffling them around the dinner bowl, it’s just plain darling, not maddening.   (The Huffington Post)

Image:  Rowdy Kittens

Prolific Helium blogger Pat Gray wrote an article recently about how to use treats to train your pooch. Apparently, there’s a bit of debate amongst dog trainers about whether using treats is a good idea at all, but Pat (and I) think that if used properly, they can do wonders in reinforcing and eventually, ingraining, good behavior in your furry friend. Read the rest of this entry »

Every kid out there has had a pet fish at some point, right? We actually used to have a pretty great aquarium when I was a kid, for which I have to my parents full credit. It was vibrant and (I hope) somewhat interesting to its inhabitants, the oldest of whom was a small, pale catfish named Leopold.

Nonetheless, fish — especially goldfish — often have a rough lot in life. Those poor guys who are handed out in plastic baggies as “prizes” at fairs always make my heart sink. Obviously people don’t think they’re worth much.

Dean Pomerleau and his son, Kyle, founders of Fish School (you heard that right, folks) have totally turned expectations of ordinary goldfish upside down, demonstrating their trainability and showing them to be totally pawesome (finsome?) pets.

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First you start with one cat, then comes along a second. Will they be buddies or enemies?  It’s not easy with felines, as they tend to be loners and territorial, yet, still want companionship.

When I brought my second male cat Ziggy home, it was important to keep him separated at first from Marley (my first cat). Even though Ziggy looked healthy enough, we had to be sure he didn’t have any diseases or fleas. Plus, keeping cats separated allows both new and not so new cats to get used to each other’s smells, without having access to each other’s claws.

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With so many pet stories around the web each week it’s hard to keep up. Table Scraps is our weekly roundup of memorable pet news around the internet.

• If this book suggests any type of career in the fields of sleeping, dozing, snoozing, catching winks or zonking out, my two felines will be joining the work force ASAP. It’s about god damn time. (People Pets)

• It’s always the quiet ones that you have to watch out for. (LA Unleashed)

• I keep a spare dog under my desk for just this reason. (The Economist)

• I’ll give up my phone in the car, but didn’t you read my bumper sticker? My dog is my co-pilot! (The Money Times)

• Yes, but can it scoot on the rug? (Crunch Gear)

Image: angela n.