8 Simple Tips For Keeping Your Pet Birds in Good Health

1. In order for birds to live a long life, you should feed them with a nutritional diet. Feed your birds the right food from the start. Feeding the wrong diet can result in diseases and malnutrition, ultimately leading to a short life span.

2. Bird seed doesn't contain all the nutrition your pet bird needs. Bird seeds are high on fat and quite low on vitamins and protein. Some birds, like parrots can eat other foods and not just seeds.

3. Most birds can usually eat the same food that we eat. Pasta, pretzels, bread contain whole grains are good for birds. Avoid giving them food that's high on fat. Under no circumstances should you feed a bird avocado. They're highly toxic to birds.

4. Introduce a variety of foods to your birds. Beans and legumes and other vegetables are good sources of vitamins and nutrition. While some birds aren't open to eating new food, others are open to new varieties.

5. Don't rush introducing new foods to your birds. Slowly introduce and change the foods twice a day, with an hour separating each change. Clean up any food that's been left so that it won't be a breeding ground for bacteria and affect the bird's health.

6. Feed the bird twice a day. It will make the bird hungrier, which in turn makes it become more active. This will then result in the bird being open to eating new foods. It will also tell you how much the bird is eating per day and if they are eating at all. If the bird doesn't eat, it could be a telltale sign that it has health issues.

7. Experiment a little on the food you give to the bird. Try cooking or heating vegetables first before serving it to the bird and only serve seeds during meal time. Do this until your bird learns to eat vegetables on a regular basis.

8. Provide fresh and lean water all the time. Make sure that the water dish and food bowl are cleaned regularly. Use soap or bleach to eliminate germs that may contaminate the bowl. Make sure to mix some water soluble vitamins to add to your bird's water intake.

Like all pets, the key to maintaining their health is up to their owners. Make sure that you take care of their needs so they can live a long, healthy life.

Pat has been a writer for many years on the subjects of diet, fitness, making money online, career moves, sports, cooking and pet care. You can visit his most recent efforts at Reverse Osmosis Bottled Water, including information on the Poland Springs Bottled Water.

Be Kind to Pets and Animals

This article topic was in The Record News EMC. The article topic was based on this time of the year, Christmas as a time of faith. Christmas seems to inspire people on Christmas eve to return to their roots of faith, beliefs and in some cases your religion. This is the time of the year where people tend to be more kind, considerate and thoughtful to as they say mankind and now to think of animals as well. Animals deserve kindness, love and faithfulness as well as humans and they deserve it sometime more than others. They cannot speak out and say what they need as a person and they have no one to look out for them either.

You hear of so much cruelty with animals now where people take out how they feel on their pets or animals. If they loose patience with their own situation, stress, home life, job, relatives then it is their pet who seems to take the brunt of their owner's feelings. It seems that a person will reach a limit to what they can deal with and then the pet will maybe the cause of the spark that sets off those feelings. They seem to be the ones that will suffer for whatever other situations are happening then the pet will take the main stay of the problems.

There is a large fear now in animal shelters that with the economic situation the way it is with the job losses rising, cost of living, layoffs, wage cuts and in Ottawa the OC transport strike that there will be more cruelty on the rise for pets. The shelters fear there will be more abandoned animals, more pets given up and more left to starve as the economic crises rises so will the number of pets that end up at the shelter. It seem that people may not be able to afford to keep their pets when they have a hard time trying to feed their families, keep ahead of bills etc if they have no income. This same economic crises means there will be no extra to feed that favorite stray animal, take that stray animal in to care for or aid. This is the main thought that people will not be able to add that extra support for their own pet or aid the lovable stray because they will have to hard a time trying to keep themselves above water.

The shelters fear that more and more pets will end up there either as strays, abandoned pets or pets given up because they can no longer be cared for at home. This means the shelters could be over run with even more pets but also the fact that there will not be as many people to adopt these pets because they cannot afford to even think about taking on another mouth. The only thing that will help with pets given up to shelters in this economic crises is that the pet maybe safe from abuse in the home if the home is suffering from stress of tough situations.

The hope is that people will not take their hurt feelings out on their pets and love them as part of the family not as another burden to feed. Pets cannot help the economic situation and should not be made to feel that what their owner is suffering from is there fault. Pets only know to give unconditional love and should not be abused or mistreated because of this. The worse thing to see on an animals face is the look of wondering what they ever did to deserve such treatment when all they did was love you.

I only hope everyone will take hope to get through a tough situation and treat there pets with love and kindness as the themselves the pet owner would like to be treated.

This article has a poem which I will place here written by Albert Schweitzer which is a great time of the year to inspire everyone now.

PRAYER FOR ANIMALS

Hear our humble prayer,

O God, for our friends the animals,

especially for animals who are suffering;

for animals that are overworked, underfed and cruelly treated;

for all wistful creatures in captivity that beat their wings against bars;

for any that are hunted or lost or deserted or frightened or hungry;

for all that must be put to death.

We entreat for them all

Thy mercy and pity,

and for those who deal with them we ask a heart of compassion

and gentle hands and kindly words.

Make us, ourselves, to be true friends to animals,

and so to share the blessings of the merciful.

Christmas is a time to look ahead at what can be achieved to help the animals that have no home, have known no love and deserve both. Break the cruelty to animals so others will learn that it is no way to treat an animal.

THINKING OF OUR PETS AT CHRISTMAS AND ALL YEAR ROUND

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

author: N.Crozier owner of [http://www.heavenpeturns.com] and http://www.heavenpeturns.net

Visit us and find a quality pet cremation memorial urn as wood photo pet urns, pet garden markers, plaques, pet cremation jewelry keepsakes which not only shows your love and respect for your pet dog, cat, bird, rabbit any family pet you may have but what they deserve.

The Best Dog Food - How to Choose the Right Commercial Diet For Your Pet

The pet food recalls of 2007, although horrific, did have a positive side effect; it shook many of us out of our comfortable belief that higher end brands like Science Diet and Iams were the best option for our pets.  We also started hearing words like glutens and meat-by-products and it prompted us to investigate these terms and find out how they affect our pets.  The end result was a consumer that is more educated and aware of the "commercialism" behind the pet food industry.

It also prompted many of us to do better for our pets.  Many concerned pet lovers are now making home prepared meals for their dogs and cats.  Home prepared meals allow total control over the ingredients, but preparation can be time consuming.  So what is a good compromise to home cooked meals?

Choosing higher quality commercial pet foods is the best alternative to a totally home cooked diet.   When selecting a commercial diet there are some specific guidelines you should follow: 
Avoid meat-by-products and meat meals.
Watch out for glutens.
Keep grains to a minimum - especially corn and wheat.
Choose canned varieties over dry.
Avoid artificial colors and additives. 


Avoid meat-by-products and meat meals.

Contrary to what the pet food industry would have you believe, the plump chickens and nice cuts of beef pictured on labels and in advertising seldom make it into our pet's food.  Instead most pet foods contain "meat by-products" or "meat meals".

Meat-by-products are the discards from slaughter that are not considered fit for human consumption and in reality contain little or no meat.  At first glance it doesn't seem so bad.  "So what if my dog eats the spleen or other discarded part of an animal that humans would not eat? Isn't that what they would eat in the wild?"  Yes and no.  In the wild, dogs do feast on internal organs, but their main stay is muscle meat.

According to Ann Martin's book, Food Pets Die For, "Under AAFCO guidelines, acceptable meat by-products can include animal lungs, spleens, kidneys, brains, livers, blood, bones, low-temperature fatty tissue, and stomachs and intestines freed of their contents."  Sick and diseased animals often end up in dog food too.  If an animal is declared not fit for human consumption, the carcass is considered acceptable as pet food.

Possibly even worse than meat-by-products, are the "meat meals".  These products result of rendering, the process of boiling down meat-by-products and other unsavory ingredients and then drying the end result to achieve a "meal" or powdery consistency.  These are usually added to dry pet foods.

Rendering plants do not fall under the jurisdiction of federal meat inspectors.  No one is controlling what goes into the mix and assuring it is appropriate for your pet.  The FDA and medical groups such as the American Veterinary Medical Association and the California Veterinary Medical Association, confirm that pets, on a routine basis, are rendered after they die in animal shelters or are disposed of by health authorities, and the end product frequently finds its way into pet food.

Watch out for glutens.

Glutens from wheat, corn and rice are often used by pet food companies to increase the protein content of pet food.  These glutens are potentially lethal because they can be contaminated with dangerous molds called aflatoxins.  One such contamination caused a pet food recall in 2005 and many dogs died after digesting the tainted food.  And of course, no one has to be reminded of the widespread recall of pet food in 2007 that resulted in hundreds of pet deaths - again as a result of tainted glutens, this time from a chemical additive. 

Keep grains to a minimum - especially corn and wheat. 

Grains make up a very small part of a dog's diet in the wild, yet they are often used as inexpensive fillers by pet food manufacturers.  They are promoted as being beneficial carbohydrates, but in reality, dogs benefit far better from the complex carbohydrates found in vegetables. 

It is important to note that ingredients like wheat, corn and soy (present in large amounts in dry dog food) tend to increase inflammation and aggravate conditions like arthritis, ear infections and skin disorders.  In addition, many veterinarians believe that consistently feeding pets grains (especially wheat and corn) leads to digestive problems like food intolerances and inflammatory bowel disease. 

CONSUMER TIP:  The ingredients on the can or bag are listed in descending order of weight (from the most to the least).  So the first ingredient indicates the most prevalent ingredient in the food.  Keeping this in mind, the first few ingredients should be a high quality source of protein like chicken, beef, turkey, liver, etc.  If grains appear at or near the top of the list - beware!

Choose canned varieties over dry. 

Some of the top veterinarians believe you should not feed your dog or cat an all dry diet.  And it makes sense.  When our pets are fed dry food only, it eliminates an essential source of hydration (the moisture normally found in their prey) and can lead to poor urinary tract health.  Complications include bladder infections, urine crystallization and possible kidney damage. 

Most people feed a dry diet either out of convenience or because they believe a dry diet combats dental plaque.  The truth is that dry foods are ineffective at removing tartar from the gum line, which is where most dental problems start.

Dry foods also tend to have higher grain content, so some wet food to your dog's diet is a good idea.  Remember, if your pet is accustomed to an all dry diet, add canned or homemade food gradually to avoid stomach upset.

Avoid artificial colors and additives. 

Coloring is added to pet foods purely for marketing to humans.  Pets don't see the pretty colors as appetizing and they are potentially harmful, so it is best to avoid them.  Dry kibble has a shorter shelf life than canned foods, so most manufacturers add chemical preservatives to extend their viability.  Several of these chemicals are believed to be harmful to humans and pets.  The worst of the lot are BHA, BHT, ethoxyquine and propylene glycol.

With a little diligence you can choose a commercial diet that will nourish your pet.  Specialty stores like Whole Foods and other organic markets often carry a greater selection of high quality brands - but never make assumptions - always read the label.  Remember that adding some of your own home cooked ingredients can help boost the quality of any meal and when you use the commercial diet as the base, it makes it super easy to do the best for your dog.

To learn more about how a pet's diet can affect disease conditions like allergies in dogs and canine cancer, visit the authors website. 

Lee Ann Cox is the founder of Pet Nutri-Systems, a holistic company dedicated to the well being of pets. You can learn more about the topic of this article at http://www.petnutrisystems.com. You have full permission to reprint this article provided this box is left unchanged.

Does Your Child Want a Rabbit As a Pet?

What child does not want a rabbit as a pet? Rabbits are probably one of the cutest looking pets you can buy - cuddly, soft and furry, and quite adorable as babies. Most children cannot resist them, and parents are often persuaded to buy one as a first pet for a child.

Rabbits can be kept inside the house and can become house trained in that they will use a cat litter tray, and as such become members of the household. Living indoors these rabbits benefit from lots of attention, and it's hard to ignore or neglect them. But most rabbits tend to live outside in hutches in the garden.

Care

Rabbits are very clean animals - they always use the same corner of their hutch or pen for their litter, and as such are easier to clean out. They usually do not mess in their sleeping compartment, and if they have access to a run attached to the hutch they will tend to use a corner of this. Regularly cleaning out will keep the hutch and run clean and not smelling.

Being relatively cheap to feed, they eat a mixture of hard food, vegetables and hay. Lettuce and other high water content vegetables should be avoid as it can cause diarrhoea, particularly in younger rabbits. Straw or wood shavings make a good bedding. If your garden is well fenced in they can be allowed supervised access to run around, but beware of your prize plans as they may be very tasty to a rabbit and be warned that many dogs (and some cats) love to chase rabbits! Rabbits get easily bored, so as well as food and cleaning you should make sure the rabbit is handled daily. If your garden is not secure rabbits can be trained to a harness and lead quite easily which will help with exercise.

Children and Rabbits

Children adore their rabbit pets when the sun is shining and when there isn't anything else to do. But, unfortunately, many a child loses interest when it's cold and raining, and feeding or cleaning out is on the agenda. Living up to 10 years or so the child's interest in it's pet may well wane before the rabbit does - unless the parent is willing to help out, or even take over, the rabbit will become neglected. In any event, an adult must always take responsibility for the husbandry of any animal as this cannot be left to a child.

My advice is that you shouldn't get a rabbit as a pet for your child unless you are prepared to do the majority of the work. It might be that your child is the exception, but however much they tell you they can be relied upon, it's better to accept that there may come a point where you end up as the major carer. And if that's not for you, don't get a pet rabbit!

Rabbit Problems

Rabbits are fairly hardy creatures - a blanket over the front of the hutch is normally sufficient to protect them except in the harshest weather. There are problems which may develop with them if they are neglected - matted dirty hair can attract flies which lay their eggs on them, and it's not nice to find your rabbit literally being eaten by maggots. They can get lice and fleas, so a regular treatment is advisable. Sometimes a rabbit's teeth can be a problem, and they might need cutting back by a vet (like all herbivores, a rabbit's teeth are continually growing, and may need attention if not kept trimmed by the food they eat - adding a fruit tree branch for them to knaw will help) or some rabbits teeth are overshot and may need extraction. In some areas of the country myxomatosis is still all too common, spread by fleas from wild rabbits. This is a terrible disease, and you should check with your vet whether you live in an area where you should vaccinate against it. Vaccinations should be given every six months for the best effect. House rabbits are far less likely to get myxomatosis.

Rabbit Breeding

Rabbits breed like, well, rabbits. If you get two make sure they are the same sex unless you are going to keep them in separate hutches. It is very rewarding to breed rabbits - and great for children to witness. A tame female will let you see the kits in the nest if you are very quiet after just a couple of days, and watching their eyes open and the youngsters emerge and grow to independence is thrilling. But it's not something you want to go into without proper planning, and without consideration of homing the kits when they are old enough. And of course, you will have to explain to your child that no, you cannot keep all six, seven - or however many there are!

Conclusion

Rabbits make wonderful pets - they are as tame as you make them (of course, if you don't handle them when young, they're not likely to appreciate being picked up and cuddled when adult). They are clean and cost little to keep. But like all pets, they are a commitment. When you go on holiday someone will have to feed them for you - although there are rabbit 'kennels' in quite a few places now, that will be an extra expense to factor in on top of the cost of your holiday. No pet should be taken on without careful consideration as to whether it really is the pet for you and your family. Make sure you are happy to take over the feeding and cleaning duties if your child develops an interest elsewhere, and hopefully you won't have too. But at least it means that the rabbit you choose as a pet won't end up neglected and ill, or in an animal rescue centre waiting to be rehomed.

Trish Haill has a background in Psychology and a lifetime of pet keeping. With her experience together with lots of research she has brought together helpful information for parents considering getting a pet for their child. Pets4kids has information on all sorts of pets you may consider. Further information on rabbits can be found on the website.

Healthcare For Pets - Top 5 Treatments

Pet owners often love their pets in the same way that they love their children. So isn't it important that you care for your pet's health just as you would care for your child's? The only way to make sure that your pets are healthy is to bring them to regular veterinary check-ups and feed them a nutritious diet. There are five basic treatments that you should follow in order to ensure that your animal will live the longest, healthiest life possible.

1. While you and your pet are at their yearly check-up, your veterinarian should draw a small amount of blood. The blood will be screened to check for any possible organ problems, thyroid disease, or diabetes. If the blood is normal, then that sample will provide a comparison for future blood work.

2. Just as vitamins are essential to the health of people, they are also essential to the health of animals. Vitamins can help pets avoid suffering from common problems including arthritis, skin problems, and tumors. As your pets get older, it becomes more and more important to give them vitamins since vitamins can also help many of the affects of age.

3. Make sure that the food you are buying for your pets are made with raw meat. Many pet foods are now being made with grain, but true nutrition comes from meat. Pets are animals that could survive in the wild and wild animals eat meat, raw meat. Animals' digestive systems are made to digest raw meat, not processed grain.

4. However, even though your pets could be wild animals, chances are their ancestors have been domesticated for generations. This means that their digestive systems may have begun to adapt to grain food. It is still important to include raw meat in their diet, but make sure that your pet's diet consists of other foods too, such as vegetables.

5. The best way to ensure that your pets are maintaining a nutritional diet is to make them food at home. Sometimes it is hard to find pet food that is made with raw meat. If that is the case, then you can feed your animal real meat, such as chicken, beef, lamb, etc. Just be sure to feed them raw meat sparingly. They need a well-rounded diet just like us!

Maintaining pet wellness is the most important part of making sure that your beloved animal will live a long and healthy life. The best way to do this is through regular veterinary procedures and proper nutrition. We wish you and your pet a long and healthy life!

Corner Animal Hospital - Pet Pharmacy & Long Island Veterinary Service
http://corneranimal.com/

Buy the medications your pet needs with confidence at the Corner Animal Hospital's Online Pet Pharmacy. Owned by Ivy League Educated Dr. Dorothy Hayes and Dr. Judith Lombardi Daniels. "We treat your pets as family members. Their health and comfort are our primary concern."

Submitted by Victoria at NewSunSEO Inc.
http://NewSunSEO.com

Babies and Pets

Babies and pets require some preparation in order for the combination to work well.

A large number of pets are taken to the shelters when they're family members find out that they are expecting a child. It is very sad for the pet and for the family to relinquish a favored family member because a new arrival is expected. In most cases it is not necessary to give your pet away just because you are expecting a baby.

With a little effort and patience the transition can be made and all members of the family can remain intact.

One of the first things you, as your pet's care giver has to remember is, your pet has been "your baby" for a good while and has enjoyed all of your attention. The new baby is certainly going to diminish the amount of time you have to give your cat or dog.

So what do you do?

Start the "weaning" process as soon as you are aware that there is going to be a new arrival. Cats and dogs thrive on routine. Routine is what makes their world go round and it is up to you to gradually change the routine to accommodate the new routine you will have with the baby. Your pet needs and thrives on your attention, but it does not need it 24/7. Gradually reduce the amount of time you spend pampering your pet. I am not saying stop giving your cat or dog, pets, pats and time; I am saying "tone" it down a little.

A great way to give your pet attention without having to stop what you are doing is to talk to your cat or dog. Our pets love the sound of our voices and if you repeat your pet's name and just talk about what you are doing, you pet will feel it is getting the attention it wants.

Sounds silly, doesn't it?

Just think about it for a minute, you can talk to your pet while changing the baby, feeding the baby, bathing the baby, rocking the baby and just plain holding the baby. You can do all those things and not have to stop to pet or pat, and your pet will feel satisfied. It won't hurt to toss your dog a treat or two during the whole process and that will add more pleasure to the experience.

The secret here is to plan ahead. Cats and dogs rely on their sense of smell and their hearing. So, during that 9-month waiting period, you are going to give their noses and ears some new smells and sounds to hear.

Babies smell and look different then grownups, they don't smell like dogs or cats, they smell like babies. The plan here is you are going to invest in some baby oil and baby powder, which you will from time to time rub on your hands and let your pet smell them. It wouldn't hurt to rub some on towel and put the towel within reach of your dog or cat's nose. Do not, however, allow your dog to drag it around. That's a "no, no." All you want to do it make your pet aware of the smell.

Having a baby means "new" furniture. Whether you are buying new or getting furniture from family or friends, start bringing it in. Allow your pet to smell it and get used to its presence. All the while this is happening talk to your pet about the "baby."

There are tapes available of baby sounds, crying, gooing and all the other sounds, babies make, buy or borrow one, so your "kids" get used to the sounds babies make.

If your pet is a dog, a good idea is to buy or borrow a fairly life sized doll. Dress it in some baby clothes, carry it around the house, talk to it and your dog, go through all the motions you would be going through if it were your new baby.

I would start doing this as your time is getting nearer as it will get your pet used to the new routine. If you don't feel silly, try taking your "baby" out in the carriage or stroller and having your dog walk with you.

What we are trying to avoid here is jealousy. Some dogs are possessive and will get jealous. If you while you are awaiting the arrival of your baby, take the time and have the patience to go through all these motions, your dog will be used to having the baby around, and it will not be so threatening to him/her.

Here are a few more things to consider if your pet is a dog:

 Make certain that you provide some "one on one" time for just you and your pet. Remember this was the baby for a good while before the "real baby" came along.

 Dogs and cats are creatures of routine. If you are gong to change the place where they eat, sleep or have their toys, DO IT ahead of time. Do not wait until a few days before you are to give birth.

 If your dog has not been obedience trained, now is the time to go to obedience school. You will be so glad you did. You need your dog to obey your commands.

 Expose your dog to as many babies and/or toddlers as you can. Always keep a leash on your dog when it encounters the little ones. This way you have control inside the house or outside the house. Be certain to give your dog praise and treats when he/she behaves well around a child.

 Do not lose your patience with your dog if he/she doesn't seem too happy around children. Keep calm, do not yell or scream at your dog. By keeping calm, giving treats and praise, you can try again and eventually, your dog will realize babies are okay. Babies do not look like "big humans" and your dog may be frightened of them.

 Let the dog be in your baby's room with you, give it a special place to sit or lie down (this is where obedience school fits in) and expect him/her to stay there.

 If at all possible before you bring the baby home, have someone bring a blanket, hat, towel or anything else that has the baby's scent on it for the dog to smell.

 When you are coming home with the baby have someone else carry the little one in and you give your dog your full attention. It is important that you greet your dog just as you normally would if you left the house and came home.

 Let your dog smell the baby, if he/she barks and starts to carry on have someone take the dog and put it either in its crate or in another room to calm down. Above all do not let anyone yell, hit or scream at the dog. BE CALM and give the dog another try in a little while.

This is a new member of the pack; the baby is an extremely new concept for the dog to acknowledge. The baby looks like nothing your dog has seen in the household before. Keep in mind your dog is a dog and not a person that understands English or babies.

Get a large amount of treats to have on hand, as it is necessary to make a big fuss every time your dog behaves appropriately toward the baby. Keep a leash on the dog in the house; let him/her drag it around. The leash gives you control.

Do not exclude your dog from the family and the baby. Do not put an "inside' dog outside or in another room just because you have the baby. It is important for the dog and baby to form a bond and a bond will never form if you treat the dog as a second class citizen and banish it away.

NEVER and I mean NEVER leave the dog and your baby alone together. No matter how good the dog is with the baby. You will never know what motion or sound the baby makes that might excite the dog and it may attack.

Any dog attack on a child that you read about in the paper will have these words, "the child was on a swing or playing "alone" in the yard with the dog," we just don't know what happened. Believe it or not, it was not the dog's fault; it was the parents or the caregivers.

You will never know what provokes the attack, but most likely the child did something innocently that upset the dog. You are the adult and the one with the intelligence use it.

The preparation for the baby when you have a cat is very similar to that of a dog. If your cat is an "indoors only" kitty it will take some time and patience, indoor/outdoor cats other than being curious have a life of their own.

This doesn't mean you should suddenly put kitty outside because of the baby, especially if the cat is "declawed."

Cats live in a smell and hearing world just like dogs, only I think smell is more important to cats. So it is up to you to do the baby powder and baby oil routine on your hands? Play the sounds from the baby tape; only for cats start out softly and increase volume a little at a time.

Bring in the furniture and allow kitty to climb and smell it.

If possible bring in friends with babies and small children, more than likely kitty will run and hide, but give it a try. Make certain kitty has a place to escape to. Prepare a sanctuary for kitty before hand so the cat has had time to get used to it.

Put all the "old wives" tales of cats sucking out a baby's breath or laying on a baby to smother it out of your mind. I have lived a long time and never have I heard of a cat that did either of those things. Yes, a cat will get into the crib, but usually only after the baby has left it and the spot is "warm." Cats love warm spaces. Let kitty smell the baby things.

Keep a diaper pail tightly covered as female cats have an inborn instinct to clean up after their kittens and kitty may try to help you by helping to clean the diapers.

One helpful hint in helping keep kitty calm is spraying the baby gate; door and doorjamb to the baby's room with Feliway, a wonderful product that will help keep kitty calm. In fact I would spray the furniture and the stroller just as an added measure. Feliway can be purchased at pet stores and on the Internet.

If you are concerned about toxoplasmosis, which is a rare disease in the United States. HEAR THIS it can be avoided. True it can be found in the feces of cats. The cats can get it from infected raw meat, wild birds, mice or contaminated soil. If YOU were to get it, you would have to eat the cat's feces or put your fingers in your mouth after cleaning the litter box. You could also get it from eating and handling raw meat.

So what do your do?

Wear rubber or latex gloves when: gardening or cleaning the litter box. Avoid handling raw meat or eating uncooked meat. Wash all cutting boards and counters that may have come into contact with raw meat. Feed your cat a good commercial cat food and stop worrying.

If you practice cleanliness and feed kitty well, so that it will not go out hunting, all should be well.

If you have not had your cat or dog neutered or spayed this is the time to do it. Animals that have been neutered or spayed make better pets, will not have raging hormones and will behave better.

The truth is, if you are calm, take necessary precautions, and treat your pets, as members of the family all should be well.

This may all sound like a great deal of work, when one quick trip to the animal shelter would settle the matter, but is that what you really want to do?

All these things can be done within the 9 month time frame, slowly and with good results if you take your time, be patient and use common sense.

Good luck and enjoy your baby and your pet!

If this article has been of benefit, please visit my web site and blog at http://www.cats-and-dogs-on-the-web.com

How To Keep Your Pets Healthy?

Today the pet owners have a big question that how to keep their pets healthy? What should be their proper diet? Different people would have different opinions to these relevant questions. I have been in this field for several years and now wanted to share my personal experience with others so that we all would be able to keep our pets healthy throughout their lives. I am mentioning step by step points to keep your pets healthy. These points proved to be relevant whether you would have dogs, cats, birds, horses, or other pets

1) Feed your pet once a day: Most of the pets especially dogs and cats have a craze for eating but their passion for eating may not last long if they would provided unnecessary feeding. We have to take care that this passion for eating will remain for years and years. It is therefore, it is recommended that we should feed our pets once or in some circumstances twice. However, I came across lot of people who are complaining their pets of getting crazy for food. I know that it is a serious problem when your pet is begging for food and you do not serve but that is something which is in favor of your pets. After training them, we can stop them for begging for food; however it requires hard work from your side. However, the kittens and puppies should be served three or four times a day but in a very small quantity.

2) Food should contain all the essential nutrients: The diet of your pets should contain Vitamin E as it contains anti-aging and disease fighting properties. You should serve them green leafy vegetables like peas, spinach, cabbage, cauliflower. It should also contain sweet potato, apples, blueberries, squash, raw onions etc.

3) The environment of your home should be safe: A pet owner should keep the environment safe for his pet. Pesticides should be kept out of reach of your pets. In some homes, there are several poisonous plants which can affect the health of your pets. Electrical wires are usually chewed by dogs or cats which can be very hazardous for their health. A little care to make the environment of your home safe can prevent the accidents.

4) Regular check-ups and exercises: Obesity can lead to some serious heart diseases therefore, regular exercise is needed. But the amount of exercise should be decided by the veterinarian. Their diet and exercise should be specifically planned at the same time. They also need regular check-ups. Most of the people take their pets to the veterinarian when it gets sick. Preventive vaccinations and early detections of diseases are the key to good health. Regular check ups should include lab analysis, heart check, and dental exam.

Chris Jones is the owner of the website [http://www.pets-planet.info/index.htm] . You can get a great source of information about dogs, cats, fishes, birds, camels, horses, birds and other pets.