{"id":124,"date":"2016-06-16T21:15:05","date_gmt":"2016-06-16T21:15:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.secondhomepetresort.com\/blog\/?p=124"},"modified":"2016-08-16T21:21:13","modified_gmt":"2016-08-16T21:21:13","slug":"june-2016-newsletter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.secondhomepetresort.com\/blog\/june-2016-newsletter\/","title":{"rendered":"June 2016 Newsletter"},"content":{"rendered":"

Celebrate Adopt-A-Cat Month And Bring Home a New Feline Friend<\/strong><\/p>\n

Spring is kitten season and with it comes numerous litters of unwanted kitties who either roam the streets with no family to call home or who end up at local shelters, along with their older counterparts.<\/p>\n

In order to help spread the word and get more people interested in adopting kittens and older cats, American Humane Association sponsors Adopt-A-Cat month every June in hopes of enlightening the public about all the cats out there needing homes. According to American Humane Association<\/a>, \u201cyour local shelter has tons of cute, cuddly newborns, in addition to all the mellow, older cats and everything in between.\u201d Having a month dedicated to bringing awareness is important to help get felines adopted.<\/p>\n

As bad as the unwanted dog problem is in most cities, it can be worse for cats. According to the Humane Society of the United States in \u201cPets by the Numbers<\/a>,\u201d\u00a0 some estimates from 2014 include:<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cPercentage of cats euthanized in shelters: 70%<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Percentage of total shelter intake comprised of cats: Approximately 50% (but in some regions 2\/3 of shelter population is cats)\u201d<\/p>\n

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American Humane Association has a comprehensive checklist<\/a> for adopting a cat to include:<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Two cats can be better than one! When you go to adopt one cat, why not bring home two? Because cats need mental stimulation and exercise, American Humane Associations says \u201cTwo cats can provide this for each other\u201d in addition to bringing humans great benefits.<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Cats have their own personalities, so find one whose personality fits with your own.<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Stay on top of things by choosing a veterinarian before you bring home your furry feline. Also, be sure to schedule a first visit ASAP.<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Before you bring home your new cat, make sure everyone in the family is on board and ready. Make it a \u201cfamily affair.\u201d If you already have pets at home, be prepared \u201cto make a proper introduction.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Bringing home a new furry family member means additional costs. Make sure you are prepared for the responsibility for the long term.<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Have everything waiting at home, including litter box, food and water bowls, toys, scratching posts, a bed, etc.<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Is your home cat-proof? Don\u2019t leave food or dangerous items lying around. You don\u2019t want your cat to get into your food or to choke or chew on dangerous items such as electrical cords.<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Cats need time to adjust to new surroundings, so allow them to get used to everything and everyone, including family and friends.<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Have a family emergency plan that includes your cat and other pets.<\/p>\n

Before you give a cat as a gift, \u201cmake sure the recipient is an active participant in the adoption process.\u201d Cats are living beings with feelings and emotions. Ensure everyone is on the same page.<\/p>\n

<\/a>The Best Ways to Keep Your Pet\u2019s Hair Mat Free<\/strong><\/p>\n

You love your dogs and cats, but sometimes the hair! Oh the hair! Especially for those long-haired dogs and cats. What is a pet owner to do? Sometimes caring for the long hair can get away from you. Matted pet hair can be difficult to detangle and, most of all, can even be painful for your<\/p>\n

beloved furry family member.<\/p>\n

According to Doctors Foster and Smith\u2019s \u201cHair Mats in Dogs & Cats<\/a>,\u201d most mats form in the following places:<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cBehind ears<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Between back legs<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Along the back of the haunches<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 In the groin area<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Underneath front legs<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Under the collar\u201d<\/p>\n

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Obviously, it is best to avoid hair mats whenever possible. When dog hair is long, smaller tangles are more prevalent. \u201cThe small tangles get snarled together, and dead, shedding hair and debris get caught in the snarl,\u201d according to the article. \u201cAs the mat gets bigger, hair from farther and farther away from the original site becomes entangled and pulls on tender skin, causing the animal discomfort.\u201d<\/p>\n

The lack of combing and brushing results in bigger mats. That leads to the skin being pulled more. When mats get worse and tighten even more, that makes it even more painful for the animals. \u201cSkin can become irritated and ulcerated<\/i> from the constant pulling.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smaller mats can be managed and \u201cbroken apart\u201d with use of a mat rake. However, the larger mats will need to be cut out with scissors or other tools, so you might want to bring your pet to a professional groomer if the situation is severe.<\/p>\n

In order to prevent matting, it is best to routinely brush your pet\u2019s hair. It is not easy to stick to a regimen, but it can alleviate a lot of discomfort and pain in your dog or cat down the road. It\u2019s worth the time and effort. You can also keep your dog\u2019s long hair shorter, which will also reduce the mats. This is an option for those hot weather months.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Celebrate Adopt-A-Cat Month And Bring Home a New Feline Friend Spring is kitten season and with it comes numerous litters of unwanted kitties who either roam the streets with no family to call home or who end up at local shelters, along with their older counterparts. In order to help spread the word and get… Read more »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.secondhomepetresort.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.secondhomepetresort.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.secondhomepetresort.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.secondhomepetresort.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.secondhomepetresort.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=124"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.secondhomepetresort.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":133,"href":"https:\/\/www.secondhomepetresort.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124\/revisions\/133"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.secondhomepetresort.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=124"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.secondhomepetresort.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=124"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.secondhomepetresort.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=124"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}