Many cat owners never learned to trim their kitten’s nails and struggle with nail trims for their adult cat. To prevent scratches to people and furniture, as well as to decrease the potential of too long nails causing pain, difficulty walking, and other medical issues your cat’s nails will need to be trimmed from time to time. To make trimming your cat’s nails easy for you and acceptable for your cat will take time, patience, and rewards. There are several low stress handling methods that can be used to make it easier for you to trim nails, such as a

Technique for Kittens If you have a kitten, your work starts now! Between three and nine weeks, kittens are at an important age for socialization. Now is the time to expose your kitten to other people, animals, and situations such as nail trims. Treats are the best rewards to use with your kitten. This will help them associate nail trims with a positive experience.      Kitten on back Photo Courtesy of CattleDog Publishing      First, figure out what position your kitten prefers. Choose a position that will keep your kitten at ease and that will allow you to

Why do dogs pull when leashed? Leash pulling is a common complaint among dog owners. Why do they do it? The world is an exciting place full of new scents, sights, sounds, playmates, etc. Leash pulling is a self-reinforcing behavior, which means that when the dog pulls, they get to go where they want, which is not necessarily where you want to go. Since the behavior works, the dog is likely to continue doing it. What do you want instead? Picture what you would like your dog to do, instead of pulling. For most people, teaching their dog to walk

Why use a muzzle? Comfortably wearing a muzzle is a great skill for any dog to have. Chances are it will be necessary to wear one at some point during their life. The veterinary hospital is the most common place a muzzle may be needed. Some veterinary procedures are painful and having a dog who is comfortable wearing a muzzle is beneficial. Acute abdominal pain, trauma (such as a broken leg), or back pain are examples of issues an owner may encounter at home with their dog that can be extremely painful. Any dog has the potential to bite and

If you decide that basic loose leash walking is more your speed than heeling, that is okay. Dogs that respond to their owner’s simple request on a walk are just as well behaved. The less often you go for walks, the more novel and exciting it will be when they get the opportunity to explore. Try to understand their excitement. Be sure to make the walk equally as enjoyable for them as it is for you. Be kind and fair in your training methods, and always make time for a few good smells.

Cats learn by association, so the sudden appearance of the carrier tends to signal that something scary is happening. Training cats to love their carriers is beneficial for many reasons. The key is to build and maintain a positive association with the carrier to make your cat’s visit to the veterinarian as low stress as possible.