{"id":278,"date":"2017-08-24T17:26:41","date_gmt":"2017-08-24T17:26:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.secondhomepetresort.com\/blog\/?p=278"},"modified":"2017-08-24T17:26:41","modified_gmt":"2017-08-24T17:26:41","slug":"september-2017-newsletter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.secondhomepetresort.com\/blog\/september-2017-newsletter\/","title":{"rendered":"September 2017 Newsletter"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tips on Bringing a New Cat into Your Home<\/a>
\nCheck Ingredients to Know What to Feed Your Pets<\/a>
\nHow to Keep Your Pet Active during the Hotter Months<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a>
\nTips on Bringing a New Cat into Your Home<\/strong><\/p>\n

You have finally decided to bring home a new cat. What special things should you do to prepare your home and your feline friend?<\/p>\n

Remember that \u201ccats are very much creatures of habit,\u201d according to the PetEducation.com article, \u201cBringing Home a New Cat or Kitten.\u201d You will be bringing your cat into a new environment. \u201cTo make the transition as smooth as possible, take things slowly and give your cat plenty of time to get used to his new home.\u201d<\/p>\n

The article recommends the following:
\n\u2022 Make a veterinarian appointment and have your new cat checked, especially if bringing him into a home with other cats.
\n\u2022 Ensure you have a sturdy crate for travel.
\n\u2022 Place your cat\u2019s food, water, scratching post, litter pan and toys in a quiet room where your cat can adjust before slowly introducing him to the rest of the home. \u201cCats are curious and most will soon come out to explore their surroundings,\u201d the article said.
\n\u2022 When introducing your cat to the family, take it slow and bring in everyone separately.
\n\u2022 Slowly introduce other cats in the new home but first keep them apart.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t throw your pets together in a sink-or-swim situation and just hope they\u2019ll work it out,\u201d according to The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) article \u201cIntroducing Your New Cat to Other Pets.\u201d<\/p>\n

Feed the animals on either side of a closed door to get used to each other and their smells. The HSUS advised to gradually move food \u201cdishes closer to the door until your pets can eat calmly while standing directly on either side of the door.\u201d Spend quality time with both old and new pets.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe introduction process can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, or even a few months in extreme cases,\u201d the HSUS article said. \u201cBe patient.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\nCheck Ingredients to Know What to Feed Your Pets<\/strong><\/p>\n

With so many pet foods and treats out there, how do you know what is best for your pet? Couple that with various pet food recalls and the pet food industry can seem pretty scary. The best way to arm yourself? Research and check ingredients. Find out where your pet food is made and be aware of recalls.<\/p>\n

Nowadays, convenience is important, but it isn\u2019t always best. \u201cBy providing their pets with commercially available dry and moist foods and treats, owners are lulled into a false sense of security that their pet\u2019s best health is being served,\u201d Dr. Patrick Mahaney, VMD, wrote in the article, \u201cPet Food: The Good, the Bad, and the Healthy,\u201d at Petsafe.net. Mahaney, a holistic veterinarian, focuses on \u201cquality of nutrients\u201d and whole-foods diets at human-grade for his patients.<\/p>\n

More pets consume high-processed foods and an overabundance of calories that lead to health problems ranging from obesity to diabetes, the article said. From recalls to toxic treats made in China, pets continue to get sick.<\/p>\n

Mahaney said that more commercial dog and cat food is considered feed-grade making it lesser in quality to human-grade.<\/p>\n

In the article, Mahaney recommends looking for the following in dry or wet food:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Natural preservatives or none
\n\u2022 U.S.A. made
\n\u2022 Human-grade ingredients (not found on kibble)<\/p>\n

The article advises to avoid the following:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Corn and wheat gluten
\n\u2022 Meat and grain meals and by-products
\n\u2022 BHA (Butylated Hydroxyanisole)
\n\u2022 BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene)
\n\u2022 Ethoxyquin
\n\u2022 Food Dyes (Blue 2, Red 40, Yellow 5 and 6, 4-MIE)
\n\u2022 PG (Propylene Glycol)
\n\u2022 Rendered fat<\/p>\n

According to the article, \u201cWhat Pet Food Makers DON\u2019T Want You to Know\u2026\u201d make a difference \u201cby simply ignoring the labeling claims on commercial pet food.\u201d Remember that \u201cthe longer the ingredient list, the more potential for filling your pet full of stuff that is biologically inappropriate, probably allergenic, and possibly toxic.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\nHow to Keep Your Pet Active during the Hotter Months<\/strong><\/p>\n

Summers can be tough when it comes to keeping pets active, especially when temperatures are in the 90s and above. Many outdoor activities can be dangerous for pets in the excessive heat. However, it is still important to keep your pets moving, so what are the options?<\/p>\n

Start with some fun indoor activities for your pets. In the article, \u201c5 Ways to Keep Your Dog Active Indoors,\u201d at Vetstreet.com, the following can keep your dog active in hot weather (or rainy and cold weather, too!).<\/p>\n

\u2022 Inside games: Play different games using a variety of toys. Games can include tug, fetch or chase, especially if you have a basement or recreational room.
\n\u2022 Scavenging: Stuffed Kong toys are a fun choice. Or toss treats and ask your dog to \u201cfind it.\u201d
\n\u2022 Play dates: Schedule times for your dog to play at another dog friend\u2019s home or vice versa.
\n\u2022 Indoor agility course. \u201cCreate obstacles for your dog to navigate, much like he would on an agility course.\u201d<\/p>\n

Swimming may seem like an obvious active choice for the hot summer months. However, note that not all dogs like water or to swim. For those who do, here are some tips to keep your dog safe, according to the article, \u201cDog Swimming Safety Tips,\u201d also at Vetstreet.com:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Never leave your dog unsupervised near a backyard pool, pond or creek.
\n\u2022 Teach your dog to swim and show him the steps so he can get out safely.
\n\u2022 Provide a flotation device for dogs who are not great swimmers or who are old.
\n\u2022 Be aware of your dog, as he may tire and could become in danger of drowning.
\n\u2022 Provide enough drinking water.<\/p>\n

Even when it\u2019s hot, there are ways to ensure your dog can be active and have a great time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tips on Bringing a New Cat into Your Home Check Ingredients to Know What to Feed Your Pets How to Keep Your Pet Active during the Hotter Months Tips on Bringing a New Cat into Your Home You have finally decided to bring home a new cat. What special things should you do to prepare… 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\/278"}],"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=278"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.secondhomepetresort.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/278\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":280,"href":"https:\/\/www.secondhomepetresort.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/278\/revisions\/280"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.secondhomepetresort.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=278"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.secondhomepetresort.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=278"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.secondhomepetresort.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=278"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}