July is a very hot time for pets. Even more so than for humans due to their fur coats. So keep them cool by providing lots of cool, fresh, clean water and having a fan blow on them. Because, to a pet, too much heat is DEADLY!


By the way, please don't forget to visit our sponsors, as this is how we stay open, or our store.

Love,

Cathy's Critters

It's been a year since Jinxy nearly died. We still don't know the cause for certain. It is believed that hairballs may have been a contributing factor. They probably built up in her system and prevented her from eating. She kept hiding and since she's the timid type, I never thought anything of it. I thought she just liked to hide! When we found her, she was extremely thin and very still. At the vet's office, we discovered she had lost half her body weight! I nursed her back to health after a few days of touch-and-go, even thinking, at one point that she was dead.

Don't let this happen to your cat. Please! If your cat is acting strangely, filnd out why! Ask your vet. It could save your cat's life and you from a whole lot of heartache!

Love,

Cathy's Critters

A rabbit is a very vulnerable animal, especially to disease. So how do you keep your rabbit from getting sick?

1. Greens-feed a handful of fresh greens daily, especially dandelions, which are extremely nutritious. Watch you don't feed too much, though. Too much can cause deadly diarrhea.
2. Hay-(The kind fed to cattle. Limit quantities of Timothy Hay or other "pet store" hays, as these are really not very healthy and may actually hurt your rabbit.) Hay helps a rabbit's digestion and keeps the pounds off, high fiber.
3. Exercise-A rabbit needs plenty of exercise to keep healthy, just like you or me. It's simpler to exercise a rabbit, though, than it is a person. Many rabbits love toys, or if they don't, place as treat up high (I recommend vegetable treats, such as carrots, rather than the sugar-laden treats you find at the pet store!) so they will stand on their back paws to get it, thereby exercising their abs. Also, when possible, allow to play in the grass, but be sure to have boundaries, such as a fence, to keep the rabbit from wandering off and to keep preditors away from the rabbit.
4. Claws -trim to ensure they won't get caught in their cage wire, or if indoors, on carpeting and other hazards. A caught claw can mean a broken back, missing claw or other injury, sometime permanent.
5. Teeth- Make sure to give your rabbit plenty to gnaw to prevent overgrowth. We give apple branches to ours.

Whether your rabbit is a pet or breeding stock, these steps should keep it healthy, happy and injury free for years to come!

Not intended as medical advice. See your vet to find out what more you should be doing to protect your rabbit.

Remember how I said to use baking soda and vinegar for cleaning last week? How's it working for you? Nice, huh?  Here's an idea for making the baking soda last longer spread more evenly:

Try a shaker. The kind they use for salt and pepper, but bigger. Don't have one? Use a colander! Just shake and the drop pan(or whatever else you're cleaning) is quickly and easily covered. Be sure to cover the pan liberally, however, to absorb rabbit odors before they start.

OR, if you'd rather have something  already made up for you (and who doesn't, in today's busy world?) visit our store!

Those drop pans! A riot, huh? They're never clean, are they? And the smell?!?

Here's a way to make cleaning those pans easier:

Sprinkle liberally with baking soda. Use soda as a scrubber(like Soft Scrub, but non-toxic), clean out. Now, sprinkle in more baking soda. Pour in vinegar. Watch fizz! The fizzing action breaks up the tough messes and makes the pans easy to clean. Tip: Baking soda also deodorizes when sprinkled in after cleaning! That's it! Easy and non-toxic! GREAT cleaning solution, huh!

Robin Williams wearing a jungle man outfit fighting a lion, in the blockbuster film, Jumanji. A far cry from the reality of the common domesticated cat. Or is it? A cat has all the power, stealth and cunning of it's wild ancestors, if only in proportion.
It's a controversial subject, therefore, when discussing a cat's diet. Even vets disagree upon the proportion of meat to vegetables and other carbohydrates. Some say you shouldn't feed carbs at all! Others say you should feed your cat only canned or dry processed food, most of which has a very large supply of carbs, most of them unhealthy.
Lets go over the facts. Cats are obligate carnivores. That means they MUST eat meat to survive and be healthy. It does not, however, mean they do not eat any plants. In fact, plants are a vital part of a cat's diet.
To find what plants are safe for cats, ask your vet. Also, try to give your cat not more than 30% carbs, even fewer refined ones.
We wish you and your pet a long and happy (and healthy!) life!

Love,

Cathy's Critters

Dogs and cats give the best cuddles and kisses. They are loyal, no matter what and they think you hang the moon. It's hard to understand, therefore, why everybody doesn't love animals. Is it possible they don't understand pets?
Pets are easy to understand, once you get their basic mindset down. Dogs are driven by pack instinct. They would rather die than be unloved by their leader. Cats, on the other hand, just want to be loved for themselves. They are independent and can live without people, yet some would starve to death if their people vanished for even a few days.
Pets aren't so hard to understand. They never lie, they never cheat. They only steal if not taught not to. Pets are honest. People like to believe cats are sneaky, but it's truly humans who are sneaky. Cats are stealthy by necessity. They quietly slip up behind their prey to attack. Dogs are the same way. In fact, if you watch a dog preparing to pounce, you'll notice a similarity in postures to cats.
We wish you and your pet a long and happy life together.

Love,
 

Cathy's Critters

A pet can be a very important asset. They keep you company, lower your blood pressure, encourage exercise and even give some people a reason to live!
And yet, many pets are abused or neglected. Please, if you want a pet, contact your local animal shelter. Improve a sad pet's life!

Never abuse or neglect you pet, and you can enjoy a long, happy life with your new four-legged family.

 

Love,

 

Cathy's Critters

This didn't get posted last Monday, when it was supposed to, so I'm posting it, now.  Sorry for keeping you waiting!
 
The yard sales were great! I picked up a pet carrier (backpack style) absolutely free!
I also got an electric burner and microwave for five bucks a piece, great for making dog and cat treats. I think it'll be a great summer. Hope you and your pet enjoy it and have a blast!

Love,
Cathy's Critters

Do you intend to show your rabbit? Aside from covering his cage with mesh and protecting him with a baseball bat to keep the other rabbits away, how do you keep your rabbit from becoming exposed to any diseases the other rabbits are carrying? The sad truth is, you can't. But you can keep him from getting sick and help you and your rabbit to do well at the show.

Make sure to, several weeks before the show, give fresh, leafy greens like dandelion, spinach, and broccoli. These are high in vitamin C and will build up your rabbits immune system. Never give a rabbit something that is foreign or unknown to you. You could unintentionally poison your rabbit. Mine adore sweet clover, which is also high in Vitamin C. Unfortunately, it's also herd to find in my neck of the woods.

Keep the cage clean. You will prevent any bacteria from entering into their systems.

Vitamins-Give rabbit multis, never human!

Finally, be sure everything is as it should be. Check their noses and paws for moisture. It could be a sign of the "snuffles". Check their nails to be sure they don't need cut, brush their fur (you really can't do this too much!), and generally handle them so they will be prepared when they're taken out of their cages and given to the judge.

If you buy a new rabbit, be sure to isolate it from the herd for about a month to make sure it's not carrying anything.

Finally, get a thorough evaluation from an experienced rabbit breeder to find any flaws. If your rabbit needs to gain or lose weight, Better grooming, etc.

Good luck at the show! 

Love,

Cathy's Critters