Pets Play a Role to Improve One’s Mood and Health

Did you know having a pet can improve your mood and health?

Most pet owners are clear about the immediate joys that come with having companionship with their animals, however many people remain unaware of the physical and mental health benefits that come with the pleasure of playing with or snuggling up to their furry friend.

Studies have recently explored the benefits of human –animals bonds:

• Heart attack patients with pets survive longer than those without.
• Pet owners over age 65 make 30 percent fewer visits to their doctors than those without pets.
• Pet owners are less likely to suffer from depression than those without pets.
• People with pets have lower blood pressure in stressful situations than those without pets.
• Playing with a pet can elevate levels of serotonin and dopamine, which calm and relax.
• Pet owners have lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels (indicators of heart disease) than those without pets.
• A pet doesn’t have to be a dog or a cat. Even watching fish in an aquarium can help reduce muscle tension and pulse rate.

Most pets fulfill a basic human need to touch.  It is interesting to see that even hardened criminals in prison have shown long-term changes in their behavior after interaction with a pet.  Many of them, right off the bat, experience mutual affection.  When someone strokes, holds, cuddles or touches a loving animal, it can rapidly calm and soothe a stressed person.

Pet companionship can also ease loneliness and some pets are also a stimulus for healthy exercise, such as walks and runs, which can substantially boost your mood.

The Best Dog Story Ever

We received this yesterday via email.  What an amazing story…a must read!

The best dog story ever

They told me the big black Lab’s name was Reggie, as I looked at him lying in his pen.I’d only been in the area for six months, but everywhere I went in the small college town, people were welcoming and open. Everyone waves when you pass them on the street.

But something was still missing as I attempted to settle in to my new life here, and I thought a dog couldn’t hurt. Give me someone to talk to. And I had just seen Reggie’s advertisement on the local news. The shelter said they had received numerous calls right after, but they said the people who had come down to see him just didn’t look like “Lab people,” whatever that meant. They must’ve thought I did.

But at first, I thought the shelter had misjudged me in giving me Reggie and his things, which consisted of a dog pad, bag of toys almost all of which were brand new tennis balls, his dishes and a sealed letter from his previous owner.

See, Reggie and I didn’t really hit it off when we got home. We struggled for two weeks (which is how long the shelter told me to give him to adjust to his new home). Maybe it was the fact that I was trying to adjust, too. Maybe we were too much alike.

I saw the sealed envelope. I had completely forgotten about that. “Okay, Reggie,” I said out loud, “let’s see if your previous owner has any advice.”

“To Whomever Gets My Dog:

Well, I can’t say that I’m happy you’re reading this, a letter I told the shelter could only be opened by Reggie’s new owner. I’m not even happy writing it. He knew something was different.

So let me tell you about my Lab in the hopes that it will help you bond with him and he with you.

First, he loves tennis balls. The more the merrier. Sometimes I think he’s part squirrel, the way he hoards them. He usually always has two in his mouth, and he tries to get a third in there. Hasn’t done it yet. Doesn’t matter where you throw them, he’ll bound after them, so be careful. Don’t do it by any roads.

Next, commands. Reggie knows the obvious ones —“sit,” “stay,” “come,” “heel.”

He knows hand signals, too: He knows “ball” and “food” and “bone” and “treat” like nobody’s business.

Feeding schedule: twice a day, regular store-bought stuff; the shelter has the brand.

He’s up on his shots. Be forewarned: Reggie hates the vet. Good luck getting him in the car. I don’t know how he knows when it’s time to go to the vet, but he knows.

Finally, give him some time. It’s only been Reggie and me for his whole life. He’s gone everywhere with me, so please include him on your daily car rides if you can. He sits well in the backseat, and he doesn’t bark or complain. He just loves to be around people, and me most especially.

And that’s why I need to share one more bit of info with you…His name’s not Reggie. He’s a smart dog, he’ll get used to it and will respond to it, of that I have no doubt. But I just couldn’t bear to give them his real name. But if someone is reading this … Well it means that his new owner should know his real name. His real name is “Tank.” Because, that is what I drive.

I told the shelter that they couldn’t make “Reggie” available for adoption until they received word from my company commander. You see, my parents are gone, I have no siblings, no one I could’ve left Tank with … And it was my only real request of the Army upon my deployment to Iraq, that they make one phone call to the shelter … In the “event” … To tell them that Tank could be put up for adoption. Luckily, my CO is a dog-guy, too, and he knew where my platoon was headed. He said he’d do it personally. And if you’re reading this, then he made good on his word.

Tank has been my family for the last six years, almost as long as the Army has been my family. And now I hope and pray that you make him part of your family, too, and that he will adjust and come to love you the same way he loved me.

If I have to give up Tank to keep, he is my example of service and of love. I hope I honored him by my service to my country and comrades.

All right, that’s enough. I deploy this evening and have to drop this letter off at the shelter. Maybe I’ll peek in on him and see if he finally got that third tennis ball in his mouth.

Good luck with Tank. Give him a good home, and give him an extra kiss goodnight – every night – from me.

Thank you,

Paul Mallory”

I folded the letter and slipped it back in the envelope. Sure, I had heard of Paul Mallory, everyone in town knew him, even new people like me. Local kid, killed in Iraq a few months ago and posthumously earning the Silver Star when he gave his life to save three buddies. Flags have been at half-mast all summer.

I leaned forward in my chair and rested my elbows on my knees, staring at the dog.

“Hey, Tank,” I said quietly.

The dog’s head whipped up, his ears cocked and his eyes bright.

“C’mere boy.”

He was instantly on his feet, his nails clicking on the hardwood floor. He sat in front of me, his head tilted, searching for the name he hadn’t heard in months. “Tank,” I whispered.

His tail swished.

I kept whispering his name, over and over, and each time, his ears lowered, his eyes softened, and his posture relaxed as a wave of contentment just seemed to flood him. I stroked his ears, rubbed his shoulders, buried my face into his scruff and hugged him.

“It’s me now, Tank, just you and me. Your old pal gave you to me.” Tank reached up and licked my cheek.

“So whatdaya say we play some ball?” His ears perked again.

“Yeah? Ball? You like that? Ball?”

Tank tore from my hands and disappeared into the next room.  And when he came back, he had three tennis balls in his mouth.

If you can read this without getting a lump in your throat or a tear in your eye, you just ain’t right.

A veteran is someone who, at one point, wrote a blank check made payable to ‘The United States of America’ for an amount of ‘up to and including their life.’

That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.

“The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.” G. K. Chesterto occasion

Friday Cat Facts

Happy Friday!  We’d like to share some Fun Friday Cat Facts with everyone:

• It has been scientifically proven that stroking a cat can lower one’s blood pressure.
• In 1987, cats overtook dogs as the number one pet in America (about 50 million cats resided in 24 million homes in 1986). About 37% of American homes today have at least one cat.
• If your cat snores or rolls over on his back to expose his belly, it means he trusts you.
• Cats respond better to women than to men, probably due to the fact that women’s voices have a higher pitch.
• In an average year, cat owners in the United States spend over $2 billion on cat food.
• According to a Gallup poll, most American pet owners obtain their cats by adopting strays.
• When your cats rubs up against you, she is actually marking you as “hers” with her scent. If your cat pushes his face against your head, it is a sign of acceptance and affection.

• Contrary to popular belief, people are not allergic to cat fur, dander, saliva, or urine – they are allergic to “sebum,” a fatty substance secreted by the cat’s sebaceous glands. More interesting, someone who is allergic to one cat may not be allergic to another cat. Though there isn’t (yet) a way of predicting which cat is more likely to cause allergic reactions, it has been proven that male cats shed much greater amounts of allergen than females. A neutered male, however, sheds much less than a non-neutered male.
• Cat bites are more likely to become infected than dog bites.
• In just 7 years, one un-spayed female cat and one un-neutered male cat and their offspring can result in 420,000 kittens.
• Some notable people who disliked cats:  Napoleon Bonaparte, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Hitler.

• Both humans and cats have identical regions in the brain responsible for emotion.
• A cat’s brain is more similar to a man’s brain than that of a dog.
• A cat has more bones than a human; humans have 206, but the cat has 230 (some cites list 245 bones, and state that bones may fuse together as the cat ages).
• Cats have 30 vertebrae (humans have 33 vertebrae during early development; 26 after the sacral and coccygeal regions fuse.
• The cat’s clavicle, or collarbone, does not connect with other bones but is buried in the muscles of the shoulder region. This lack of a functioning collarbone allows them to fit through any opening the size of their head.

Pudgy Pets – They May Be Cute But Their Health Is In Danger

Pudgy pets are unfortunately a common occurrence nowadays.

Pet obesity is a surprisingly common problem in America – who can turn down those sweet begging brown eyes?

Unfortunately, we are killing our pets with kindness by giving them what they want and more.

The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention noted that 94 million animals – 53% of adult dogs and 55% of cats – are classified as obese or overweight according to veterinarians.  However, many people seem unaware that their pets are overweight thinking their pets are fine how they are.

Obesity is now the leading health threat of pets, according to the founder of APOP, Dr. Ernie Ward.  This is quite simple when obesity in pets is compared to that in humans.  Obesity causes many problems such as arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer and kidney disease.  Not only will this easy to fix problem end up costing you hundreds to thousands of dollars in vet bills, it will also lower your pets life span.

The best way to defend your pet from obesity is to use a measuring cup.  Most of the time, pet owners scoop up an unknown amount of dog or cat food for their pets and allow their pets to “free feed”.  To assist pet owners, you can visit www.petobesityprevention.com/pet-weight-translator to find your pet’s optimum weight.

Just like humans, the best solution to preventing obesity is to exercise more and eat wisely.

Tips to Keep Pests Out!

No matter where you live and what type of house you live in, there will always be some sort of “pest” that will try and get into your home.

If you have had an exterminator come out, your problem is temporarily fixed.  However, it is now up to you to ensure the pests stay away from your home for good. The five tips below are basic and straightforward and in no time, you will have a home that is as clean as it is pest-free! Here are some tips on keeping bugs and rodents from coming back.

Clean up after yourself – Pests, like ants for example, will be attracted to anything with a sticky or sugary surface.  Pay special attention t your counters, cabinets, floors and tops of your refrigerator.  Basically, anywhere that a sugary residue could be hiding is pretty much a guaranteed target for ants to swarm to.

Water Waste – Pests love pools of water and if you have any kind of water collection forming inside or outside of your house, its time to get rid of that.  The sooner you eliminate leaks, puddles, etc, the sooner you can eliminate lingering pests.  Even something as simple as a damp cloth in the bathroom will attract ants.

Seal Your Food – Keep food in sealed containers.  Simply loosely wrapping up bags of chips or cookies are an easy way to pests to make themselves at home feasting on your food.  Make sure all food is sealed in an airtight container and stored in cabinets.

No Cracks or Holes – Small areas such as holes or cracks in the walls and floors are an inviting place for pests to call home.  Make sure to seal any pest friendly areas of your house.

Be Proactive – If pests have taken over your home before, it is likely it will happen again.  In order to make sure they don’t come back, get in the habit of hiring an exterminator on a regular basis.  Preventative visits may be all you need.

If you have a rat infestation and the exterminator comes and the rats are poisoned, most likely you will sooner or later experience a foul odor coming from the walls.  Instead of knocking down walls to remove the decaying rat carcass, simply place Clear the Air Odor Remover Bags throughout your house and the odor will be eliminated.  Read more on Removing Dead Rodent Odors here.

Removing Cigarette Smoke Odor

If you have bought or rented a new home and the previous dweller was a smoker, you are probably fed up with trying to get that sultry cigarette odor out of the house.

Unfortunately, cigarette odor has a way of creeping into the walls making it almost impossible to remove the odor completely.  Earth Care’s Clear The Air Odor Eliminator will pull these odors out of your house, 100% guaranteed!  Our product doesn’t even need to come in contact with the odor and it will remove the odors out of carpets, drapes, furniture, clothing and bedding.

Clear the Air is simple to use and is an inexpensive solution to odor elimination.  Here are the directions to removing cigarette smoke odor out of your home:

Hang 1-2 Earth Care Odor Eliminator Bags in each room that smells like cigarette smoke. One bag will cover 50-100 square feet. Odor will be eliminated in 24 hours.

A Bag will last 1-2 months, if room is heavily permeated with smoke odor the bag may need to be changed more often at first.

If odors are particularly strong or room has been smoked in for years sprinkle Clear The Air Odor Eliminator for Carpet and Furniture granules on carpets and furniture. Leave down 24 hours and vacuum. Odors will be completely eliminated.

One canister of Clear The Air Odor Eliminator for Carpet and Furniture covers 100 square feet; one bucket covers 900 square feet.

Granules can also be placed in ashtrays and cigarette butt receptacles.

Of course, if you have any questions on removing cigarette smoke odor, please do not hesitate to call our helpful Customer Service Agent, Pat, at (800) 611-1611 or (760) 941-5302 or via email: pmolina@cleartheair.com.

Day #8 of Helpful Tips For You And Your Pet – Learning Dogs Body Language

Learning a dogs body language will not only help you learn more about your own dog but will also help with any interactions with new dogs you meet.

Day #8: Learning Your Dog’s Body Language

This is especially helpful if you are new to dogs and something helpful to teach your children so they know when a dog is comfortable to have you around and when he is not.  Always make sure to use common sense when dealing with dogs and remember this is only a guide.

I Feel Relaxed and Mellow – A dog’s posture will be calm and relaxed, just sort of standing around.  However, you should always ask the dog’s owner if it is OK to pet their dog.

I’m Scared – A dog’s tail will most likely be tucked between his legs and his hackles will be raised too.  Keep away from a dog with posture like this.  He may bite, even if all you are doing is trying to help him.

Play With Me! – A playful dog’s tail will be wagging and his forequarters will be on the ground but with their rear end in the air.

I’m A Little Timid – A shy dog will probably roll over on his back to show he is submissive.  It is important if you see someone else’s dog doing this to ask if it is OK to pet him as the dog might be a little frightened too.

I’m Protective and Aggressive – When a dog is protecting, his hackles will be raised, his teeth will be showing and his tail may be all fluffed up.  Do not run away from the dog, stand still, be calm and don’t make eye contact.

Day #6 of Helpful Tips For You And Your Pet – Is Your Dog Suitable for Pet Therapy?

Although studies have shown pets help us lead healthier and happier lives, anyone who has a pet probably already knows this.  Have you ever thought about bringing this joy you experience with your pet to someone else in need?  Pet Therapy is very common in convalescent homes as well as children’s hospitals, centers for youths in distress and more.

Day #6: Is Your Dog Suitable for Pet Therapy?

If you are interested in having your pet be a Therapy Pet, there are a few things you should first consider.  Not every pet is suitable for therapy and there are many volunteer organizations that will screen both the volunteers and the pets.  Your future therapy pet should include these qualities:

-Your therapy pet should love attention from anyone.  Plain and simple, he or she should simply love being around people and the attention they provide.

-Make sure your pet gets along with other pets.  He or she needs to be well socialized and able to tolerate other dogs, cats and even rabbits.

-Your pet must be well mannered and know basic commands such as sit, stay, down and come.  They should most importantly know the word “no”.

-Making sure your pet responds okay to loud, strange or sudden noises and all types of handling is key to making sure your pet is ready to be a therapy pet.

Your pet will go through a screening process to ensure he or she is ready to be a therapy pet.  Pets have a calming and loving quality about them that others in a tumultuous state of life can benefit from.  Check your local organizations to see if your pet should be a Therapy Pet.

Day #1 of Helpful Tips For You And Your Pet

This week and next, we are going to be sharing some Helpful Tips for you and your pet.  Each day we will have a new helpful tip for you and your pet to keep in mind.

Day #1: Protect Your Pet From Everyday Household Dangers

Just like you’d baby proof your house, keeping common household items out of reach from your pets will help protect them from danger.  Rodent poisons and insecticides are the most common sources of domesticated animal poisoning.  The following is a list of potentially toxic poisons that should at least be kept out of reach of your pets, it not completely avoided at all:

• Fertilizer and Plant Food – These are easily accessible and fatal to a pet allowed in the yard unsupervised.
• Cedar and soft wood shavings – Keep small animals such as hamsters and gerbils away from these as they emit toxic and potentially fatal fumes.
• Antifreeze – One teaspoon can kill a seven pound cat.  With its sweet taste, animals are naturally attracted to antifreeze even when consumed in small quantities.  Antifreeze with propylene glycol is available and is safe for animals if ingested in small amounts.
• Chocolate – This is poisonous to dogs, cats and ferrets even when a small amount is consumed.
• De-icing salts – These salts used to melt snow and ice can irritate your pet’s paws and are especially poisonous if licked off.  Ensure your pet’s paws are washed and dried as soon as your pet comes in from the snow.
• Nonstick cooking fumes – Fumes from self-cleaning ovens and nonstick cooking surfaces can be deadly to birds.  Make sure birds are kept away from the kitchen and use caution when using any pump or aerosol spray around birds.
• Painkillers – Aspirin, Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen and many other types of pills can be toxic to animals.  Ensure you keep medication containers and tubes out of reach of pets so they can not be chewed through and ingested.  Also make sure to find and dispose of any dropped pills.
• Chicken Bones – These can easily shatter and choke a cat or dog.  We also have a list of other plants and food items to keep away from your pets listed here.
• Rawhide Chews – While these are made especially for dogs, make sure to supervise your dog while he/she chews the rawhide treat as they can pose a serious choking hazard.

Of course, if you feel your pet has been poisoned, bring him in to your Veterinarian as soon as possible or call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center’s 24 hour hotline at 888-426-4435.

Stay tuned this week to learn about more helpful pet tips!

Has Your Pet Been Skunked?

You let your dog out at night to go to the bathroom and when you let him back in, you smell an overpowering odor.  Even though you try your hardest to bring your dog back outside with this foul odor attached to him, it is too late.  He has already rubbed all over your furniture, rugs and more, leaving that unbearable skunk smell lingering in your house.

Fortunately there is a solution that is guaranteed to work!  Clear The Air Odor Remover for Skunk Odors will completely eliminate the smell from your dog, the furniture, carpets, lawn/shrubs and you!  Clear The Air does not have to come into contact with the odor producer; it will pull the odors from the entire area like a powerful magnet.

Simply sprinkle Clear the Air Odor Remover for Skunk Odors directly on your pet as well as inside and outside your house to remove the skunk odor.  Odors are absorbed and neutralized with our odor remover without any cover up fragrances; it does not cover up odors but literally “clears the air.”

Of course Clear The Air is make from an all natural mineral, is non-toxic and biodegradable – completely safe for planet earth!  We GUARANTEE Clear the Air to work!