Pet Spending At An All Time High

As one would think, during a recession people would spend less on extras for their pets.  However, annual spending on pets has reached an all time high.

In 2011, American Pet Products Association reported that Americans spent $50.96 billion on their pets – an all time high and the first time in history more than $50 billion has gone to dogs, cats, canaries, guppies and the sort.

65% of that spending was for food and vet costs.  However, the service category, such as grooming, boarding, pet hotels, pet sitting and day care, grew more than any other.  It rose 7.9% from $3.51 billion in 2010 to $3.79 billion in 2011.

Owners are conscious about taking care of their pets and are planning ahead for when they go on vacation.  Numbers indicate that animal sales and adoptions are flattening out and the number of people switching to a high end food products are topping out.  Pet ownership has become less of an impulse decision and seems that those that have made the commitment to having a pet want to do it right and make their pets the happiest they can be.

Another area in the pet industry is pet insurance and is expected to grow rapidly.  In 2011, insurance was estimated to be at $450 million and is expected to grow over $500 million in 2012.

Entrepreneurs and investors are also taking advantage of the growing pet industry as consumers are looking for creative and innovative products.  Products such as puzzle feeders for dogs along with bionic toys for destructive toys are some of the new products the pet industry is seeing consumers go after.  This proves people care about their pets enough to calm any type of separation anxiety or destructive issues.

Always keep in mind Clear the Air offers wonderful range of Odor Eliminator products to make your pet enjoyably odor free!

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.

Is Your Cat Overweight?

Is your cat overweight?  Are you gone for most of the day at work and notice your cat lying in the same position he was when you left in the morning?

Here are some helpful cat exercising tips to us on your furry feline companion.

Purchase Cat Toys – You can either make cat toys or visit The Country Feed Store to purchase cat toys that will encourage your cat to get moving.

Laser Pointers – Shining a laser pointer on the floor and wall will almost instantly encourage your cat to get up and “attack” the laser light.  Remember, cats are naturally curious and are easily tempted to catch something that will peak his interest.  You can also use a flashlight if you do not have a laser pointer.

Boxes or Paper Bags – These are easy inexpensive toys that cats just can’t leave alone.  It will provide entertainment for your cat especially while you are away at work.

Hunting for Treats – Placing treats or a few of your cats kibbles in different places each day will help encourage your cat to get up and move around to hunt for his food.  Your cat is naturally a hunter and bringing this out in him will help him exercise naturally.

Exercising your cat is not difficult, along with helping him to lose weight; it makes a big difference to his overall health and happiness.

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.

Warm winters are easier on pets

For all you snow lovers, this winter may be a somewhat of a bummer.  However, your pets may be enjoying this mild winter just fine.  Harsh and cold winters can produce threats for pets.  Some winter dangers are harmful to both humans and pets, while others such as road salt getting stuck between the pads of your dogs feet pertain solely to pets.

Even though their wild ancestors were well adapted to the outdoors, domesticated cats and dogs are used to regular indoor climates. This makes them just as vulnerable as humans are when they experience severe winter storms.  Exposure to cold temperatures during snow storms and below zero wind chills can cause hypothermia, frost bite, dehydration, lethargy, arthritis pain and the chance of catching a cold.

With colder outdoor temperatures, there is less opportunity to exercise which can dampen their mood while also increasing their weight level.  In 2009 a survey in the United Kingdom found pets, just like humans, can be susceptible to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

In order to avoid any harm to your pets, ensure they are kept indoors during winter weather and make sure to take advantage of warm days and keep your pets busy with activities to avoid boredom.

A good rule of thumb is if you are cold, most likely your pet is too.

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 #7 of Helpful Tips For You And Your Pet – First Aid For Your Pet

Day #7 of Helpful Tips For You And Your Pet – First Aid For Your Pet

At least once in your pet’s life, he or she is going to become ill, or have a run in with something dangerous.  We’d like to provide some helpful First Aid Tips for your pet.  This might be helpful to print out and post on your refrigerator or inside a kitchen cabinet to have for reference.

Day #7: First Aid For Your Pet

Before we share these tips with you, you should always consult your veterinarian should anything harmful happen to your pet!  He or she knows what is the absolute best for your pet and no shortcuts should be taken for your furry friend’s health.

However, we do have some suggestions and tips that can help calm your pet before your need to take him to the vet should he run into any of these scenarios.

–Cuts, bites, puncture wounds, etc. should be gently cleaned with warm water.

-If you think your pet may be experiencing heat stroke, move your pet to a cool and quiet area offering plenty of water.  Symptoms include uncontrollable panting, collapse, blank stare and sometimes unconsciousness.  Remember to never leave your pet in a parked car when it is warm out!!!

-If your pet experiences a car accident, he or she will probably be in shock.  Keep him quiet, warm and stop any bleeding that may happen.  Immediately take your pet to the vet using a blanket or board to get him there.

-Pets can often get stung by a bee or wasp.  If you see the stinger, take it out.  Then wrap the affected area with a cool damp cloth.  Usually your pet will recover somewhat quickly from a bee/wasp sting but if he doesn’t, call your vet immediately.

-If your pet has been burned, apply cold water to the affected area and call your vet.

-If you think your pet may be been poisoned, CALL YOUR VET IMMEDIATELY!  Your vet will be able to coach you over the phone while you get your pet ready to visit the vet.  Try to find out what poison your pet ingested, how much was ingested, when it was ingested and so forth.  The ASPCA has a 24 hour Animal Poison Control line you can call at (888) 426-4435.

–If your pet seems to be experiencing eye problems, consult your vet.  There may be something lodged deep into your pets eye that needs to be removed by a veterinarian.  The sooner you visit the vet the better – eyes are extremely delicate in animals too and you don’t want your pet losing his eye or going blind.

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 #5: How To Avoid Jealous Pets

Day #5 of Helpful Tips For You And Your Pet

Check out our Helpful Tips For You and Your Pet.  Today we are talking about Jealousy with new and resident pets.  We have previously touched on bringing new pets home and the steps you take to introduce them to new pets.  Now we will be discussing dealing with jealous pets and the best way to go about making sure everyone is happy!

Day #5: How To Avoid Jealous Pets

You have brought a new addition to your family, a cute little fluffy puppy.  However, your older dog isn’t so sure he is OK with this new “friend” and decides he doesn’t want to have anything to do with you,  your family and the new pet.  What should you do?

-Continue to give large amounts of attention to your first pet(s).  While it is easy to get caught up in the cuteness of your new addition, your current pets will feel put out and naturally will become jealous.  Make sure you spend a lot of time reassuring them they are still very special to you and still a part of the family.

-Don’t force the new and existing pet together.  As we discussed previously last week, you need to give your new and old pets their time to get used to each other.  Make sure you allow them to gain confidence to decide when they’d like to face their new housemates.

-Separate your pets when feeding.  Use separate food and water bowls and keep them separated while eating, feeding them both at the same time.

-Lastly, make sure to always keep an eye on them until you are fully confident they will get along.  Remember this takes time and being patient is important.  When you leave the house, keep dogs in separate rooms so they cannot interact without your supervision.

Check back for more helpful pet tips to come!

Day #4 of Helpful Tips For You And Your Pet

Day #4 of Helpful Tips For You And Your Pet

Yesterday we discussed the steps you should take when bringing home a new pet.  If you have existing pets already, there are some additional steps to be taken to make sure everyone gets along together when they meet.

Day #4: Introducing New Pets To Existing Pets

Your pets’ personalities will determine whether or not the new pet will get along with the older one.  When a new pet is brought home, sometimes the older pet views him/her as a threat and this is only natural.  Expect a few scuffles at first to let them determine who is the boss and determine their place in the pack.  Of course you will want to supervise these initial meetings but do not interrupt them if there is no danger of injury.

-Keep your pets separated until you are absolutely sure they will get along.  Only allow them to interact with your supervision.  Depending on their reactions to each other, it may take hours, days, weeks or even months for your pets to finally adjust to each other.

-Keep the introductions indoors and controlled.  Especially if you are introducing a dog and cat, make sure the dog is on a leash to avoid chasing or cornering the cat.  This could be incredibly terrifying for the cat and you will prolong your process of eventually being able to tolerate each other.

-Like above, keep cat and dog introductions controlled.  However you do not want to hold a cat in your arms when introducing him/her to a new pet.  A frightened and nervous cat is likely to scratch you and cause more stressful commotion.

-Make sure you allow your pet to familiarize itself with his/her new home.  Allow him to explore and sniff out different areas of your home.

-Always provide separate water and feeding bowls.  This allows your pet to calmly eat and drink without feeling the need to fight for their food.  Also, make sure cats have separate litter boxes as well.

-Dogs and cats are able to live in harmony with caged animals but precautions must be taken when initially introducing them.  Cats are agile and placing a cage high up on a shelf doesn’t guaranteed your caged pet will stay safe.

-Pets need to meet each other on their own time.  Don’t force them together, they will adjust at their own pace.

Check back for more helpful pet tips to come!