Archive for November, 2007
Christmas is the time of year when sweets and chocolate that are scarce at other times of the year suddenly appear in an abundance of brightly coloured paper. The smell of them is enough not only to make your mouth water, but also your dogs, and that’s where the problem starts.
Most dogs love chocolate, and like children, have no idea about limitations and so if they see it, they want it – even if they’ve just eaten. Although eating too much chocolate can be bad for your child’s weight and teeth, it can be much worse for your dog however as chocolate is a toxin to dogs. It contains something called theobromine which in large enough quantities can poison your dog. The worst offender surprisingly enough is baking chocolate so even home-baked chocolate muffins and biscuits aren’t safe to share with your pooch either!
When it comes to sharing the Christmas joy, make sure that you have a supply of special canine chocolates and sweet treats to hand so that when you are enjoying your favourite chocolate nibble, you can give your dog one of his own and everyone’ll be healthy – as long as you don’t nibble too often, and remember to clean your teeth –and your dogs!
What would be better however would be to have a supply of rawhide treats, or dog biscuits to give your dog at a time you are likely to be passing around the chocolates. That way they’ll perhaps sulk as they gnaw their way through whatever you’ve given them, but not only will you be ensuring that they aren’t poisoned, but also are helping them to maintain good dental health.
One thing that you must watch out for is gifts that contain chocolate. Dogs have an amazing ability to sniff out things that attract them, and chocolate attracts them! If anyone has given you what appears to be chocolates in a container that could be scratched or bitten open, don’t put it under the tree! Instead place it (and any open chocolates) in a cupboard that’s out of your dog’s reach, otherwise an otherwise nice present could be reduced to a pile of ribbons and paper by a determined dog on a mission to find the source of that enticing smell!
This entry was submitted by Aaliyah Atkinson, she is a contributor to UK property market and the marketerers rag. Aaliyah is fast becoming an authority on non surgical treatments.
Having a cat as a part of your family is a great thing for a child. The cat isn’t just there to play with; it’s also a good learning tool for teaching your child responsibility as you’ll be able to show how your cat depends upon you for such basic things as food and water. However there are some other things that you must teach your child as soon as the cat becomes part of the household so that neither the cat nor your child gets hurt as a result of misunderstandings.
1. Respect: Your child must learn to respect the cat. It’s not a toy. A cat can be very independent and there are times when it wants to be by itself, and it doesn’t want to be dressed up in doll clothes (actually, it’s a good rule to teach that no cat likes to be dressed up!). Your child needs to learn to respect that when the cat’s asleep or eating, they need to leave it alone. If the cat doesn’t want to play, you need to teach them to walk away. Failure to do so may result in your child getting scratched which would be bad for both of them as your child will get hurt, and the cat will be in trouble for something that really wasn’t his fault. Teaching respect when it comes to the cat means that you’ll also be able to transition this into having respect for others later.
2. Handling: Show your child how to pick up the cat so that the cat isn’t hurt. This is especially important in two situations; a large cat and a small child, and a kitten with any child. Explain to your child how easily it is to hurt the cat if they pick it up the wrong way. Failure to do could result in your cat being injured and needing veterinary care, as well as your child being scratched if the cat becomes afraid.
3. Communication: A cat can’t talk but it uses its body to communicate. Teach your child that if the cat is wagging his tail, unlike with a dog, this is bad sign and they need to stop what they’re doing with the cat and leave it alone. If the cat is purring, then it’s happy. If it’s hissing, then it’s mad! If the cat is blinking, then it’s content. If it’s wrapping itself around your (or the child’s) legs, then it wants something. These are very basic signs but can mean that your child learns more about how to safely interact with your cat.
Adding a cat to your family can be an experience that your child will remember throughout its life, and will probably result in your child becoming best friends with their feline housemate. By teaching your child the simple rules about how to live with a cat, you’re not just helping to keep harmony in your home; you’re also setting foundations in place that will help your child interact with compassion and thought through all relationships they will encounter in life.
This post was composed by Steve Bayham. Steve also regularly contributes to the Passing Time and has written many different press releases on the topic of glycolic peel clinic.
Cats love shiny things, especially ones that move and so this makes Christmas an especially dangerous time for cats, particular if you have a cat that’s active and full of mischief. Although you need to ensure that anything that’s potentially harmful to your cat is removed, there are some very basic things that you can do to make sure that your feline friend doesn’t end up at the veterinary centre during the Christmas period.
1. Secure your Christmas tree. This is absolutely essential if you’ve got a kitten, or a cat that has decided it doesn’t want to grow up yet! The baubles, and the way the light hits them, will attract your cat – as will the fact that there’s a tree inside your house – and your cat is destined to run up the middle of it! A cat isn’t usually fussy whether the tree is real or not. A tree is a tree and up he’ll go sending your decorations scattering around the room – which will then become cat toys when he finds the tree either topples over or there’s not as much fun in it as he thought!
2. Don’t hang tinsel on the tree, or if you must make sure that you secure both ends of it, and that it’s not looped in such a way that he can hook his paw around it and pull! Even with the tree firmly secured, if your cat is able to pull the tinsel, he’s going to do damage to the baubles.
3. Never use stringy tinsel. It looks pretty and makes any tree look festive, but unfortunately it’s potentially fatal to your cat if he manages to eat any of it. It can get looped around his internal organs and could kill him.
4. Similarly don’t finish off the packages under the tree with curling ribbon. There’s the same possibility as with the stingy tinsel. Parcels that are beautifully wrapped and have matching ribbons look professional, but if you’ve got a cat, they’re something to avoid.
Remember that a cat is by nature curious and playful, and Christmas is a time full of glittering new “playthings” to explore. Keep to the steps above, and be watchful of any other potential feline hazards amongst your Christmas decorations, and you and kitty will have an exciting festive season.
This article was submitted by Benjamin Bayham. Benjamin is also one of the three orginal writer on Coffee Pop and has been quoted often on the topic of home information pack solution.