#LoveYourPetDay: Top 5 reasons why we love our cats

Top 5 reasons why we love our cats

This #LoveYourPetDay, we’re talking about why our feline friends are so adorable and why we love them so much. Any cat lovers will know how strong the bond can be between your furry friend and yourself.

Mark Twain even once wrote “I simply cannot resist a cat. They are the cleanest, cunningest and most intelligent things I have ever known.” But why do we love our cats so very much?

1. They’re unpredictable

We can never quite know what our cat will get up to next. One minute they crave the outside, and the next they love spending time with us in the comfort of our home. They seem to enjoy having no routine and it really does add excitement to each day… Maybe this is why they need 9 lives? Cat Insurance anyone?

2. It’s hard to gain acceptance

We love our cats and dogs equally, but gaining a cat’s acceptance does seem to be much harder than a dogs. It feels very meaningful when our cat rubs against our legs or wants to settle down for a cuddle. Even if our cat ducks away, but doesn’t run off, we consider this a victory.

3. They’re impressive athletes

One minute they’re on the floor, the next they’re on top of our wardrobes. Impressive. They seem to love to show off their athleticism in any way they can, whether it’s from their climbing skills, or their ability to run remarkably quickly.

4. They really are great at cuddling

The physicality of a cat is incredible; they’re able to curl round us and relax upon our laps or in our arms making us relax in turn. They seem to constantly want to sit on our lap, even at inconvenient times like when we’re on the toilet.

5. They only meow to us

Cats do not meow to other cats, only to us humans which is an amazing trait. Our cat is definitely talking to us and wants us to know that it loves us when it purrs loudly (or so we like to think!)

Got another reason to add to the list about why your cat is the purrrfect pet? Let us know on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.

#LoveYourPetDay: Top 5 reasons why we love our dogs

Top 5 reasons why we love our dogs

This #LoveYourPetDay we’re reflecting upon why our dogs are just the best. There’s so many books, films & websites devoted to our furry friends, so it’s pretty safe to say that they’re universally appreciated. Just in case there was any doubt in your mind, here are our Top 5 reasons why we love our dogs so very much!

Image: https://sites.psu.edu

1. They’re genuinely excited to see us

It’s always great to know that our dogs are waiting at the door and seem to know when we’re coming home. Our beautiful dogs always seem deliriously ecstatic when we open the door, and there’s nothing quite like feeling that loved after a day of work.

2. Best Friends Forever

The phrase ‘Mans Best Friend’ is beyond accurate. Dogs are always doing new and exciting things that keep us entertained and watching them grow from a puppy to an adult is so rewarding. Despite challenges in training a puppy, and the occasional visit to the vets for any issues, they remain loyal and adoring. We’re just glad we have pet insurance to keep those vet bills low and our best friend’s healthy.

3. They’re the best exercise partner

They provide constant motivation to go outside and face the great outdoors! Exercise barely even feels like exercise with our dogs around. They love a long walk along the beach as much as we do, and we can’t think of anybody we’d prefer to share those lovely experiences with.

4. They just know when we’re upset

Dogs seems keenly aware of when we’re feeling a little sad and do their best to show maximum affection during this time. It’s hard to stay upset when our dogs have their head rested upon our laps and seem extra cuddly!

5. They’re the perfect listening partner

Sometimes, our pets seem to nod along in agreement when telling them about the latest news and filling them in on our days. It’s almost like they’re genuinely interested in what we have to say, without comment or passing judgement.

A house is really not a home without a pet. For more pet related stories, fun facts & cute pics, don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and give us a like on Facebook.

Treating your Dog’s bad breath in time for Valentine’s Day!

From your partner to your dog, make sure the whole family are prepped with fresh breath in time for Valentine’s Day this year!  Dogs are known for stealing a smooch, or two from their beloved owners, so you can rest assured that your dog will be there for this romantic weekend to provide unconditional love.

Look out for a change in behaviour:

There are countless reasons why dogs can behave badly, but undetected oral hygiene issues can be one of them.

If your dog begins to chew on items that he usually would bypass, or is paying more attention to chomping on his favourite chew toy, it may be a sign that he is experiencing dental problems that could easily be remedied with regular brushing.

Always remember, prevention is better than cure! The daily practice of good dental health should be maintained by both humans and pets, and regular tooth brushing is the best way to prevent disease that can become more of an issue with a build-up of plaque.

Reduce stress for your dog:

To reduce stress in your dog, introduce a brushing routine in to their daily activities from a young age and try and stick to the same time each day.

An ideal time to get the tooth brush out is after walking & feeding when your dog is lethargic and relaxed.

Before you go ahead with the paste, give your pet a quick dental check and ensure that their gums aren’t bleeding. If you spot any signs of this, or broken/chipped teeth, give your pet insurance provider a quick call and they will advise you of any steps that need to be taken.

Introducing the steps gradually:

Introduce the taste of the paste prior to brushing, and then the feel of the brush slowly to your dog. This way he won’t respond in a shocked manner; even if it involves your dog licking paste off of his teeth, he will gradually become used to the sensation and the process will become an easy, daily occurrence.

Do you give your pet dental treats and chews to combat disease? Which would you recommend to the Paws & Claws community? We’d love to hear your thoughts on Facebook or Twitter! Alternatively, if you’d like additional advice on ways to prevent plaque build-up, contact your pet insurance provider, who will put you in touch with a preferred vet for further advice.

Getting your Dog to say ‘Cheese’ for the picture perfect snap!

This Valentine’s Day, we’re running a competition over on our Facebook page to encourage all you pet owners to take some smiling snaps with your pet in an effort to be the lucky winner of a Petsafe Drinking Fountain. We absolutely adore  a dog’s smile and it can be hard not to laugh when they show us their big grin! By training your dog to smile on command, you can enjoy that adorable look whenever you like.

Here are our Top Tips to get your pet to cooperate, ready for the perfect smiling snap:

1. Encourage the smile: Try stroking your pet and rubbing their tummy to get your dog happy and relaxed. You should encourage the behaviour whenever you see it.
2. Reward the smile: Once you start to know when your dog’s mouth is forming a smile, start to reward it. Give him a treat and be over-the-top with praise whenever you see him smiling and you’ll begin to notice it more and more.
3. Give the smile a name: In the same way that you’d coo at a baby and shout CHEESE enthusiastically before opening your camera lens, try doing the same with your dog. This will teach your dog to respond to the chosen word by smiling, just like how you have taught him to sit on command.
4. Don’t distract from the smile: If you know there’s a specific location where your dog feels relaxed, practice the smile here. This way, his attention is on you and will be focussed on perfected that pearly white grin.

For more tips, follow us on Twitter and give us a like on Facebook.  Head over to Facebook now & enter our competition before 21.02.16.

How to introduce a new pet to your home and existing pets

It’s not all cuddles and ease…

Before getting a new pet, our minds work overtime imagining the picture perfect scene of our dogs meeting for the first time. It’ll be all cuddling up to one another on the sofa, whilst we all settle in to the latest EastEnders episode, right?

Well, not quite.

It’s always hard to know when adding a new family member to your pack what’s big YES and what is a solid NO!

Pack leader will feel like their territory may be threatened

Top tip - introduce the pets gradually; there is nothing worse than just bringing a new dog in to the house; the original pack leader will feel like the newbie is threatening their territory, thus leading to competition between the two, which often leads to a bigger problem later in life.

Remembering that it can be stress inducing for your current dog, try and place two cages in separate areas of your home. This way your dogs can smell each other, rather than experiencing intimidating visual eye contact from the other pet.

Some say that “scent articles” help to introduce dogs; they pop a toy, or blanket from the other dog in the new pet’s cage so they can get used to the scent which creates a bond between the dogs.

Give your new family member freedom (even though they may be naughty)…

The new dog should also be given freedom to roam freely around the home (whilst your second dog is out of sight) so they can explore and leave their scent on a territory that is still not claimed.
This may confuse the original dog when he comes and wanders the house, however allow him to sit by your side and give him some comfort so that he becomes accustomed to the new scent and knows that it doesn’t need to be feared.

Next, arrange a face-to-face meeting for your pets. ♥

This should not occur in the house, as this can cause to territorial problems; a park is a much better place for a first meeting. The dogs will detect a familiar scent and are likely to greet one another and have a good sniff, rather than a fight! By first introducing scent, before a visual greeting, you’ve allowed the dog’s natural instincts to be the teacher which is simple and effective; after all a dog’s sense of smell is considered to be their primary sense!

If you are worried, or have concerns about introducing a new dog to your household, contact your pet insurance provider who will be able to put you in touch with a vet for more information.

Come & keep an eye out for more top tips, fun vids & share your pics over on our Facebook & Twitter pages.

5 Nail Clipping Tips

If, like our Riley, your dog despises having his nails clipped, try these top tips to make the whole process much less stressful for the furriest member of your family – and yourself!

If you can hear a tapping sound when your dog walks on the kitchen floor, he’s well overdue a nail clipping. Tedious, but necessary, this part of the dog grooming process is super important as torn nails and broken toes can lead to much bigger problems than a simple snip and go!

We dread the day Riley needs a clip, as the process can be very intimidating; he hates his paws being touched and there’s always that underlying fear of cutting a little too far down and chopping his delicate paw.

Image: Dogster.com

Whilst that fear never truly subsides, these top tips have certainly made the process much less gruelling and run a lot more smoothly:

1. Touch your dog’s feet more: When you’re enjoying a cuddle with your furry friend – and without those pesky clippers anywhere in sight – get your dog used to the sensation of having his paws touched. The more normal the process becomes, the more your dog won’t even notice that you’re touching him. You could try and associate the experience with treats if needed.
2. Inspect your dog’s feet: If there is rock, salt or dirt in between your dog’s toes, the nail clipping can be quite painful. It’s important to inspect and remove anything that has stuck to your dog’s feet before starting to clip the nail.
3. Be slow: Introduce the clippers in a relaxed way and trim just one tow at a time. Even if it takes you a few days to get them all done at first, your dog will become more used to the sensation.
4. Miss the quick: The quick is a vein in the nail; if you cut it, your dog will bleed. On lighter coloured dogs, this is the pink area that runs through the nail, but on darker dogs it’s a little harder to distinguish, so ensure you are being alert for the quick.
5. Use styptic powder: Even professionals can accidentally hit the quick sometimes; keep calm if this happens. If you don’t panic, your dog is less likely to. Slowly apply the powder and the bleeding with stop quickly.

Let us know how you get on with these few tips over on our Facebook page, and make sure you’re following us on Twitter for more tips, tricks and fun!