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Play Sessions at Second Home Pet Resort Rule!
What’s Special about a Stay at Second Home Pet Resort?


Play Sessions at Second Home Pet Resort Rule!

Pets who stay at Second Home Pet Resort are in great hands and have the option for a play session. While you’re on vacation or at work, your pet is receiving one-of-a-kind care at Arizona’s one and only all-suite mountainside resort for pets. There’s so much for pets to do at Second Home Pet Resort, and if you choose a play session, you can be sure your pet will have an amazing time. So, what is a play session at Second Home Pet Resort and what does it entail? Play sessions are 15 minutes of one-on-one attention from a guest serve attendant at the resort, and they are good for up to three family pets. These sessions are in addition to your pet’s four outings per day. For dogs, activities include: • Playing ball • Frisbee • Trying agility equipment • Exploring Second Home’s large dog play yards For cats, activities include: • Playing laser light chase • Hide-and-seek in a cat tunnel • Ball or feather batting If you want more information, just give Second Home a call at (602) 997-6600 and find out about all the fun your pet can have at a play session during their stay.


What’s Special about a Stay at Second Home Pet Resort?

There’s always something special at Second Home Pet Resort, and it’s not just the way we care for your pets. It’s also about how sweet our suites are when it comes to accommodation.

Sure, Second Home is an all-suite resort for pets, but some suites for dogs stand out from the others. The Elite Patio Suite for dogs is the most spacious one available. It measures 7 feet by 7 feet and has lots of space for your dog. It has a 7-ft.-by-7-ft. outdoor patio with a gorgeous view of the mountains and the play yards. The Elite Patio Suite is perfect for giant breed dogs, multi-dog households, or for those dogs who love the lap of luxury. They also feature a home-like feel, comfy bed with fleece cover for each pet, and most often a flat-panel TV playing the latest from Animal Planet.

The Pavilion Patio Suites are 4 1/2 feet by 7 feet and are perfect for dogs up to 100 pounds or for multi-dog households. There is also an adjoining patio the same size as the suite. The view is of the mountains and Second Home’s spacious playgrounds. A comfy bed and fleece cover are available.

One side of the Second Home facility features a waterfront/poolside view while the other side of the building offers mountain views. Dogs can go in and out as they please during the day but the doors to the suites are closed at night. While the suites have bedding, pet parents can bring their pets’ own bedding.

For more information about suites or pricing go to the Second Home website or call (602) 997-6600. Remember to book the patio suites ASAP as they go fast!

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The Benefits of Fostering a Rescue Pet in Need
What to Do About Community Cats and How to Help Them
The Benefits of a Martingale Collar


The Benefits of Fostering a Rescue Pet in Need

Animal shelters across the country are overcrowded, making it difficult to save more animals. You can help by fostering an animal in need.

Whether you foster a kitten, cat, puppy, or dog, they all need love, care, and a place to heal and decompress. By fostering “you help give them the space, experiences and resources they need when they go to new homes,” according to the article, “Top 5 Reasons to Foster an Animal in Need.”

The article offers other reasons to foster, including:

• Fostering opens up space in shelters for other animals.
• Having an animal makes life more interesting. Animals bring so much to our lives including companionship and snuggles.
• Foster parents are great publicists for animals in their care and can help get them adopted.
• Fostering does save lives. “Animals in your care can go on to loving homes and animal shelters have more space and resources to help even more animals in need,” the ASPCA article said.

There are other reasons to foster pets. “Fostering a pet does not require that you have loads of free time or advanced dog training skills,” according to the article, “Top 10 reasons to foster a pet” at Best Friends. The need is great for foster homes and “most shelters offer foster opportunities that fit your schedule.”

Other great reasons to foster, according to the Best Friends article, include:

• You can teach foster pets new skills.
• Spread the word and share a post on your social. It could lead to adoption.
• Your foster pet will have a chance to really exercise.
• Foster to find out if you are ready to adopt.
• “Fostering is a temporary commitment with permanent rewards,” the Best Friends article said.

Take time to foster. You’ll help an animal and feel better for doing something positive.


What to Do About Community Cats and How to Help Them

It’s not uncommon to see cats in any given neighborhood. If you see one or more cats, you may wonder if they belong to anyone or if they are strays. They are called community cats, often known as feral cats.

Community cats are not owned by anyone, and they live outside. “Like indoor cats, they belong to the domestic cat species (felis catus),” according to the article, “How to Live With Cats in Your Neighborhood” at Alley Cat Allies. These cats typically are not socialized or friendly, making them unadoptable, the article said. “They live full, healthy lives with their feline families, called colonies, in their outdoor homes.”

It is important that these cats are spayed or neutered, which is done through Trap-Neuter-Return-Monitor (TNRM) to manage their populations, according to the article, “A Closer Look at Community Cats” at ASPCA.org.

“TNRM is the method of humanely trapping community cats, having them spayed or neutered and vaccinated against rabies, and then returning them to their managed location to live out their lives,” the ASPCA article said. There is also a caretaker who takes on a particular community and “provides food and monitors the cats’ wellbeing as well as identifying and quickly trapping new intact cats.”

According to the ASPCA article, you can help neighborhood community cats by doing the following:

• Take on the role of cat caretaker and TNRM the community cats where you live. This could be you and/or a group of people who help. You will provide food, water, shelter, spay/neuter, and the well-being of the cats.
• Assist other established cat caretakers in the community doing TNRM.
• Find out if your local shelters have a TNRM program in your neighborhood.
• Check the ASPCA guide, if you ever find kittens outside.


The Benefits of a Martingale Collar

There are so many types of collars for your dog, but which one do you choose? These days the martingale collar is becoming more popular especially because it helps prevent dogs from slipping out of their collars.

“A martingale collar consists of two interconnected collars, one connected to the lead and the other wrapped around the dog’s neck,” according to the article, “3 Benefits Of Using A Martingale Collar” at Sit Stay. “If the dog pulls on the lead, the one around their neck tightens.”

The martingale collar is made of soft fabric and was originally designed for greyhounds since their necks are wider than their heads, the article said. However, the collar is a great choice for many dog breeds.

Not only does a martingale collar prevent dogs from slipping out of their collars, but it also prevents neck injuries in dogs. Martingale collars have a loose fit, “and only tighten when necessary, such as in cases where your dog is trying to back out of their collar,” the Sit Stay article said. They are helpful because you can keep your dog under control and keep him safe.

According to the article, “What Is A Martingale Collar?” at Vet Ranch, “Martingale collars are also a good choice if you are looking for a more humane form of correction than a choke chain.” It is a “gentle way” of telling your dog to stay by your side.

The collars are known to be “effective, adjustable, and humane” and a great option for many dogs, according to Vet Ranch. They are often used if your dog pulls on leash. Ensure that you use the collars correctly. Speak to your veterinarian or a trainer to find out if the martingale is a good option for your dog.

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The Importance of Microchipping Your Pet
How to Know When It’s Too Hot to Walk Your Dog
What is That Pouch on a Cat’s Stomach?


The Importance of Microchipping Your Pet

No matter how careful you are with keeping your pet safe, anything can happen. Dogs can get loose, cats can run out the front door, a dog can dig under your backyard fence. What would you do if your pet got lost and how could you get your pet back home?
Pets should wear collars with ID tags, but collars can slip off, so it is also important that your pet is microchipped. “Microchips are a good back-up option for pet identification, but should never be the main one,” according to the article, “High tech: Identifying lost pets with microchips,” at The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). Microchips carry a pet’s ID, and the chip is implanted in the pet.
“Microchips are tiny transponders, about the size of a grain of rice, that can be implanted in your pet’s skin by many veterinarians and animal shelters; some shelters implant one in all pets they place,” the HSUS article said. A special scanner can read the chip, but it’s not something most people have. Shelters, many animal rescues, and animal control officers have them to check for microchips on animals.
Even if you microchip your pet, you must be sure to register the microchip. According to the article, “The Importance of Microchipping Your Pet,” at Today’s Veterinary Nurse, “Without registering the microchip, it won’t have any information on it and is essentially useless.” When the microchip is registered, your pet will receive a “unique identification number,” and you fill in all you and your pet’s information on the manufacturer’s online recovery database, the Today’s Veterinary Nurse article said.
Microchips are a great way to get your pet back if your pet becomes lost or stolen. They have helped reunite many pets over the years.


How to Know When It’s Too Hot to Walk Your Dog

When the summer heats up it can be too hot to take your dog for a walk. The pavement becomes hot to touch. If you can’t keep your hand on the pavement, then it’s too hot for your dog to walk on it. So how do you know when it is too hot for a walk with your dog?

If temperatures rise above 85°F, it can pose a real danger to your dog, according to the article, “What Temperature Is Too Hot for Dogs, and When Is It Too Cold?” at GoodRx Health. “At that temperature, pavement and asphalt can register as high as 140° F. The heat can damage your pup’s paws.”

According to the article, the following are some tips about walking your dog when the weather is too hot:

• Walk your dog either early morning or later in the evening.
• If you touch the pavement with the back of your hand and it’s too hot after five seconds, then it’s too hot for your dog to walk on.
• Bring water for your dog.
• Try dog booties.
• Take shorter walks.

There are other things you can do to protect your dog on hot summer day walks. According to the article, “7 Tips for Walking Your Dog in the Summer” at be.chewy.com, “Plan to take frequent breaks and enjoy the shade and cool grass together,” and also choose shady routes for those walks.

According to the be.chewy article, it’s also very important to keep your dog cool on walks and is extra important for flat-faced breeds including Pugs, English Bulldogs, Boxers, and French Bulldogs. “Their shortened muzzles can make breathing and panting more difficult, especially in hot weather, which makes it more challenging for these dogs to stay cool,” the article said.


What is That Pouch on a Cat’s Stomach?

Do you ever wonder what that pouch is on your cat’s stomach? You may have felt the area and thought your cat was gaining weight. However, that layer of skin is likely the primordial pouch. But what is it?

“Most cats have one toward the rear of their body, with this low-hanging belly being an essential part of the feline anatomy,” according to the article, “Why Do Cats Have a Hanging Belly? (Primordial Pouch Meaning),” at Senior Cat Wellness.

Located along the length of the stomach and in front of the back legs, the primordial pouch actually swings while your cat walks, according to the article. The pouch happens in males and females and is more common in adult cats.

“The primordial pouch has evolved for many reasons, and without one, cats would find it difficult to survive in the wild,” according to the article. “While the precise reasons for the primordial pouch are still unknown, many scientists agree that it’s an essential part of a cat’s genetic makeup.”

There are many theories about the primordial pouch and why it’s there. According to the article, “The Primordial Pouch: All About Your Cat’s Adorable Belly Flap,” at be.chewy.com, the pouch typically develops when a cat is 6 months old, and not just in house cats. They can occur in lions and tigers too.

Some theories of why the pouch happened, include the following, according to the be.chewy.com article:

• If offers “protection to the cat’s internal abdominal organs, which would be especially beneficial for wild cats,” the be.chewy article said.
• It provides flexibility when a cat runs.
• Energy. “It’s also possible the primordial pouch comes in handy when food is scarce,” the be.chewy.com article said.