How To Care For Your Guinea Pig’s Cage

Tips on guinea pig housing from ASPCA.

Clear the Air’s all natural products can help eliminate odors from your small animal cages like your guinea pig. We would like to share some tips on making your guinea pig’s home the most comfortable and fresh smelling possible. Check out our tips:

Does A Guinea Pig Need A Friend? Guinea pigs are social animals who prefer to live in small groups. If you keep two or more females together, they will become great friends. If you want two males, it’s smart to choose two babies from the same litter. Since guinea pigs, like all rodents, multiply rapidly, keeping males and females together is not recommended.

How Big Should The Cage Be? As a rule of thumb, you’ll need to provide a minimum of four square feet of cage space per guinea pig—but please try to get as large a cage as possible. You’ll need a solid-bottom cage—no wire floors, please, as they can irritate your pets’ feet. Plastic-bottom “tub cages” with wire tops also make great guinea pig homes. Never use a glass aquarium, due to the poor ventilation that it provides.

Where Should The Cage Be? Always keep the cage indoors away from drafts and extreme temperatures, as guinea pigs are very susceptible to heatstroke. They’ll prefer an environment kept at 60 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Place one of our Clear The Air Odor Remover Bags around the cage to help absorb any odors.

What Should I Line The Cage With? Line the bottom of the cage with aspen or hardwood shavings or some other form of safe bedding, such as grass hay. Do not use cedar or pine chips—the oils they contain can be dangerous to your pets. Most importantly, sprinkle our Clear The Air Pet Odor Eliminator at the bottom of your cage to eliminate odors your pet may cause. Don’t worry, it is completely non-toxic and all natural and is even safe if consumed.

Does My Guinea Pig Need Toys? Guinea pigs love to hide when they play, so be sure to place cardboard tubes and/or empty coffee cans with smoothed edges in the enclosure for this purpose. Plastic pipes and flower pots are good, too, and bricks and rocks for climbing will be much appreciated. All guinea pigs need a cave for sleeping and resting, so provide a medium-sized flower pot or covered sleeping box, readily available at pet supply stores.

Spring Cleaning Tips

Now is the time for Spring Cleaning! Set a day aside to get your house looking it’s best for the warmer months with the following tips:

• Organize your closet: This is the first step to organizing the rest of your home. Clear out unused clothing and accessories and organize by how you get dressed in the morning. It is also useful to organize your clothes by color and style.
• Eliminate odors: First blot up as much of the mess as you can. Use a stain remover to get rid of any stains. You can then sprinkle Clear The Air Carpet and Furniture Odor Eliminator on the soiled area. Leave on for 24 hours then vacuum up. If odor still lingers a bit, use a second application.
• Shine up your stainless steel: Use a light mist of wax-based aerosol spray once or twice a week. Don’t use too much, you don’t want to soak the surface and make it greasy. Wipe the mist with a clean, lint-free cloth. Don’t use anything abrasive such as Soft Scrub or Scotch Brite pads. This will scratch and ruin the surface.
• Remove oils and marks from walls in your home: Start with a clean cloth or sponge and water. You can add a little dishwashing liquid into the water if you have stubborn wall marks. After cleaning, make sure to rinse the wall afterward with plain water.
• Give your interior a different look: Make a fast easy change with bedding, towels and table linens to create a different mood. You can also switch things out seasonally or whenever you want to play with a certain color or pattern.
• Clean your carpets: Always take your shoes off when you get home but leave your socks on because your bare feet leave natural oils which attract dirt. For high traffic areas, bring in a professional carpet cleaner 3-4 times a year.
• Reorganize your shelves: Sort your books on your bookshelf so they don’t look uniform. Remove any ripped dust jackets. Line your books horizontally and vertically in a pattern to relieve monotony or rows.

Do you have some spring cleaning tips? We’d love to hear them! Comment on our blog to tell us your spring cleaning suggestions.

How To Keep Your Cat From Scratching Your Furniture

A cat’s natural instinct is to scratch his nails. If your furniture in your home is being destructed, read the following tips on how to show your cat where it is appropriate to scratch.

First, it is important to know why your cat scratches and why it is important to provide the ability for your cat to sharpen his nails. The reasons why a cat scratches his nails are:

• It conditions the claws by removing the dead outer layer or sheath.
• It is a way of marking territory by leaving both a visual mark and an odor or scent (cats have scent glands on their paws).
• It is a way of stretching the entire body and flexing the feet and claws.
• It is used during play.
• It may be that cats communicate dominance by scratching in front of other cats.

In order to convince your cat he shouldn’t scratch your furniture, follow these steps:

• Try giving your cat posts made of cardboard, carpeting, wood, sisal and upholstery – all different qualities and surfaces. Some cats prefer horizontal posts. Others like vertical posts or slanted posts. Some prefer a vertical grain for raking, while others favor a horizontal grain for picking. Once you figure out your cat’s preference for scratching, provide additional posts of that kind in various locations.
• Encourage your cat to investigate her posts by scenting them with catnip, hanging toys on them and placing them in areas where she’ll be inclined to climb on them.
• Discourage inappropriate scratching by removing or covering other desirable objects. Turn speakers toward the wall. Put plastic, double-sided sticky tape, sandpaper or upside-down vinyl carpet runner (knobby parts up) on furniture or on the floor where your cat would stand to scratch your furniture. Place scratching posts next to these objects, as “legal” alternatives.
• Clip your cat’s nails regularly.
• Consider putting plastic caps on your cat’s claws so that he’ll do no damage if he scratches on something in your home. These special caps attach to claws with an adhesive. They’re temporary, lasting four to six weeks.
• If you catch your cat in the act of scratching an inappropriate object, you can try startling him by clapping your hands or squirting him with water. Use this procedure only as a last resort, because your cat may associate you with the startling event (clapping or squirting) and learn to fear you.

Remove Urine Odor From Carpets and Other Flooring

Do you have a dog or cat who has urinated in your home? We guarantee 100% the odor will be eliminated with Clear the Air’s Carpet/Furniture Odor Eliminator.

Cat & dog urine odor is one of the strongest and toughest odors to get rid of. Most products on the market are wet and must come into contact with the urine to remove the odor.

This means if you have urine that has soaked into the carpet you must pull up the carpet and pad and soak the carpet, pad and floorboards. What a mess!

With Clear The Air Cat & Dog Urine Odor Eliminator just sprinkle the granules on top of the carpet leave on overnight and vacuum in the morning and the odor is completely eliminated. Works well on all surfaces pulling the odors out of tile and concrete. Will completely eliminate the odors from your litter box, no one will know you have a litter box in the house!

Clear the Air does not have to come into contact with the odor producer; it will pull the odors from the carpet pad, and sub-floor. Clear The Air draws in odors like a powerful magnet. The odors are adsorbed, and neutralized without any fragrances. Clear The Air does not cover up odors; it literally “clears the air” leaving the air fresh and clean. Clear The Air is made from an all-natural mineral, is non-toxic and biodegradable and safe for Planet Earth.

It is also safe around children and pets even if eaten.

Eliminate Cat Urine Odors From Carpets, Wood Floors, Tile, Concrete or Furniture:

• Remove feces and excess urine.
• Sprinkle granules over area until dry granules are present on top. Also works well on old dry urine odors.
• Leave overnight, then sweep or vacuum.
• Clear The Air pulls odors from carpet, padding, and subfloor.
• Typically one application will eliminate all odors; occasionally a second application is necessary.
• One canister covers 100 square feet.

We’re A Green Product

Everyone wants to use green products nowadays. Not only is Clear the Air green, but it is so safe you can eat it! Our product can be used anywhere in the house to eliminate foul odors and doesn’t even have to come in contact with the odor producer.

For example, if you have a rat that died in the walls of your house, simply hang a bag or two where the odor is strongest and the odor will be eliminated. It’s really as simple as that.

Earth Care is made from an all natural mineral. It is non toxic, non hazardous, non-caustic, and biodegradable. It can safely be used around pets and children. It is safe to sprinkle in your pet’s cage; it will not hurt your pet even if eaten. It can be applied directly to you pets fur; this is excellent if your pet has encountered a skunk, or to get rid of the “doggie” smell.

Many of the odor and pollution control products on the market today act merely as masking agents. This means they add chemicals to the air to cover up odors and actually increase the level of indoor pollutants in the process. Earth Care, on the other hand, truly eliminates odors and cleans the air by adsorbing and neutralizing odors. Earth Care Products are especially beneficial to those that suffer from chemical sensitivity which can be aggravated by fragrances.

Earth Care is safe for Planet Earth. To dispose of Earth Care simply add to your soil, it is an excellent nitrogen soil amendment.

Where have you used our product? We’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment at our blog!

Outside Cat vs. Indoor Cat

Many cat parents feel bad their cat can not experience life outdoors and out of guilt will start to let their cat out. Unfortunately awful things can happen to your cats when they go outside — they can be hit by cars, attacked by predators, infected with diseases or just disappear.

But many people still let their cats outdoors — often with misplaced good intentions. We would like to share Petfinder.com’s most common reasons people let their cats outside, along with safer, indoor alternatives.

Myth 1: Indoor cats get bored.

Fact: The truth is, indoor cats can and do get bored, but letting them outside is not a good solution.

Instead, make your home more interesting: Set up perches where he can watch birds from the safety of inside, build a DIY cat playhouse, hide his food or modify his feeder so he has to “hunt” for it. Finally, if your cat is amenable to it, you might consider adopting a second cat as a playmate.

Myth 2: Indoor cats are overweight.

Fact: If your cat is overweight, the safest way to help her trim down is by combining portion control and a daily exercise and play routine.

Stop free-feeding your cat, or at least be mindful only to feed a healthy amount per day. Yes, cats do overeat. You can consult your vet about how many calories your cat should be eating in a day.

Have a cat who won’t stand for an empty food dish? Keep him distracted with the activities mentioned above — the feeder toy would be perfect for him. If you feed wet food, try stuffing a smaller dog’s toy (like a Kong) with the food so your cat will have to work to get the food out.

Cats love a schedule. Try feeding him at the same times each day and he’ll get used to the routine quickly. Just remember to consult your veterinarian before starting any new feeding or weight-loss routines.

Myth 3: Indoor cats are destructive.

Fact: Destructive behavior is often a sign that something else is going on. Is your cat sick? Bored? A talk with your vet or a behaviorist may be in order.

Myth 4: My cat’s always been allowed outside, so he can’t be indoor-only.

Fact: Many cats have successfully gone from outdoor-only or indoor/outdoor to indoor-only. The key, again, is making sure the indoor environment is just as interesting as outside — and being vigilant about preventing escape attempts.

Myth 5: My cat is safe when he goes outside because he stays close to my home.

Fact: A study of 10 house cats and seven farm cats published in the European ecology journal Ecography found that on average, the house cats covered more ground than the farm cats — at night, the house cats moved within an average area of nearly 20 acres, compared to just over 6 acres for the farm cats.

A lot can happen even within a small radius of your home, so if you really want to let your cat outside, consider harness training him or creating a screened-in enclosure for him.

Myth 6: I need to let my cat out of the house because I’m allergic to her.

Fact: You may well be allergic to your cat, but it’s possible you’re really allergic to something she’s bringing in: Indoor/outdoor cats pick up fleas, ticks, pollen and other allergens from the environment.

If you really are allergic to your cat (an allergy test will tell you for sure), there are some easy ways you can reduce the allergens in your home — even when your cat is indoor-only. Find out more about living with cat allergies here.

To read entire article from Petfinder, click here.

New Year’s Eve Pet Safety

Keeping Your Pets Safe On New Year’s Eve

When you are welcoming in the New Year tonight, keep in mind your pets and other animals may not be so enthusiastic about the noise.

Pet’s ears tend to suffer from the noise made by firecrackers blasts, causing them to tremble, bark excessively, refuse to eat food, hide or run away and sometimes even lose bowel control. Besides the noise, fireworks also produce plumes of smoke that may harm animal’s respiratory systems.

Follow these helpful tips from PETA on how to keep pets and other animals safe during New Year festivities:

• Keep cats and dogs indoors in a room where they feel safe during fireworks displays and, if possible, stay with them.
• Act happy and calm around scared animals in order to reinforce the idea that they don’t have a reason to be afraid.
• Leave your animals at home during the celebrations – never take them with you to watch firecracker displays.
• Never leave animals tethered or chained outside.
• Close your windows and curtains. Turn on a radio that’s tuned to a classical music station, or turn on the TV to help drown out the sound of the fireworks.
• Watch for stray animals who may be distressed. If you see an animal injured by fireworks, call your local Humane Society.

San Diego Humane Society Reunites Family With Cat

This is such an amazing story and what a GREAT Christmas gift!

SAN DIEGO – It’s a very Merry Christmas for a cat named Sophia, who went missing from her family in Arizona seven years ago and found her way to the San Diego Humane Society and Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals over the weekend.

According to the Humane Society, staff members were able to contact Sophia’s family thanks to her microchip.

A Humane Society staff member will be flying the cat back to Phoenix on Wednesday.

“We heard that the family was unable to get Sophia back home to Arizona so we decided to do whatever it takes to get her back to them,” said Gary Weitzman, president of the SDHS and SPCA . “Everyone deserves to be home for the holidays, so we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get Sophia back to her family. This is another great testament to the importance of the microchip.”

Sophia’s mom, Trish Oster said, “I was shocked to hear that she was ok after seven years. I didn’t know how I was going to manage getting her from San Diego. I’m so grateful to the San Diego Humane Society for bringing my Sophia back to me. It’s the best Christmas gift I could have asked for.”

Read entire article here: http://www.10news.com/news/san-diego-humane-society-reunites-cat-lost-for-7-years-with-arizona-family12242012

San Diego Humane Society Featured Pet

Clear the Air would like to share a special pet from the San Diego Humane Society who needs a forever home.

Meet Bonnie!  If you are looking for a new dog this Christmas season, stop in and meet Bonnie.

According to Michelle, a Dog Buddy volunteer at San Diego Humane Society‘s Gaines Campus, “Bonnie is the sweetest, most loving dog. She tries to be a lap dog and loves to give kisses.” Michelle was first drawn to Bonnie because of her affinity for Pit Bull breeds in general. “They are a misunderstood breed, so I try to give them more attention.”

As for Bonnie, the 3-year old auburn-colored pooch stole Michelle heart when she came right over and plopped down on her lap. “When laying on my lap she would lift her head up every minute or so to give me a kiss.” How sweet is that?! But her affectionate nature is only one of many impressive qualities this doggie possesses. Michelle describes some additional awesomeness, “Bonnie is great at sitting and enjoys playing fetch, too. She is so well-behaved. She also love to be scratched on the chest and behind her ears.”

If you are interested in giving Bonnie a little behind-the-ear love or introduce her to your lap, please contact our Front Desk at 619-299-7012, or stop on by our Gaines Campus to meet her!

Keep Your Cat’s Litter Box Smelling Its Best

Do you have a cat? Are you regularly reminded you have one by the way your litter box smells?

If you are expecting company for the holidays, you will probably want to keep Clear the Air on hand to sprinkle on your cats litter box to make the odor non-existent while making the litter box more appealing for your cat.

We have provided some helpful cat litter tips:

Scooping – The number one rule, and the only thing that will keep litter box odor at bay, is constant cleaning. That means scooping the box out at least twice a day, removing the solids and liquid clumps if you use clumping litter.  If you don’t use clumping litter, you can use a large solid metal spoon to lift out the most urine-soaked areas each time you clean and add litter as needed to replace what is removed.

Washing Your Litter Box – You should also get in the habit of washing the litter box at least every other week if not more.  Use a mild unscented dish detergent and rinse clean.  Remember to clean your scooper too.  When the box is dry, sprinkle a thin layer of our Cat Urine Odor Eliminator in the box first.  Then add two to three inches of litter.  Cats do not like a deep tray of litter and this allows you to add litter as you scoop.

Type of Litter – Some have perfumes and others have additives to only cover the smell.  To a cat, these smells can be overwhelming and make the box unwelcoming.  It is usually a good idea to get unscented litter and sprinkle our Cat Urine Odor Eliminator in the box to eliminate the odor, not cover it up.

Type of Litter Box – Using the largest box your home can accommodate is the best idea.  A good rule of thumb is to get a box that is at least twice as long as your adult cat and wide as the cat is long.  Even though a covered box is nicer to look at, most cats don’t like them and they also trap odors inside making it unpleasant for your pet to enter.  Cats claws can get stuck in liners when they are digging for a place to relieve themselves and the urine can also seep into the liner, trapping odors in the box.

Location – Lastly, location of your cats litter box is very important to keep your pet happy to relieve himself in the correct areas.  The rule is one litter box per cat plus one.  If your cat is on the third floor of your house and the litter box is in the basement, he may not decide to make the long trek.  It is important to have the boxes in different locations.  Also make sure the box is in a low traffic area, away from his or her food and in a place that your cat can easily get in and out of.

These suggestions may take a lot of effort but not only with your cat be happier but you will as well, not having to put up with cat urine odors.    Remember to pick up Clear the Air’s Cat Urine Odor Eliminator available at all Petco stores or online.