Your choice of pet leash should match the power and type of pet you have.  Dog lovers need a leash that is strong enough so that it cannot be broken.  However, you never want a leash that weighs your pet down.  If you have a cat, feret or small (non-terrier) dog, a lightweight web or nylon leash is great.  If your dog is strong, you can still rely on a web leash but it needs to be wider.

I like to use a 30 foot horse lead line with my pit bull when I’m walking near the lake or by fields.  The horse lead line is strong enough that I can always maintain control of my pet while allowing here plenty of space to run, swim and explore.  Obviously, if I’m walking in a city park, street or state park I use a regular 6′ web leash.  I like web leashes because they are relatively inexpensive, work well in rain and snow and remain strong.  The one downfall is if your dog bites the leash, it will quickly loose strength. 

What’s your favorite type of leash?

Readers know I’m pro adoption when it comes to animals and children.  Regardless of how you aquire your new pet here are some things to keep in mind:

1. Make sure your pet has met certain health standards; free of terminal illnesses, worms, fleas, ticks, etc.

2. If you are getting a specific breed, research habits, health issues and needs ahead of time.

3. Buy or adopt from a ruputable facility.  Many “under the radar” diseases exist in pets that come from “Puppy Mills” or “Cataries”.  These are facilities that have hundreds of animals housed in close proximity.

4. Make sure the breeder or shelter has a return policy and be clear on what it is and how long you have.

5. Seriously consider your availablity and life style.  If you’re never home, never get an animal.  If your gone all day find out which pets would do fine with that.  Think about your travel plans and the cost and care your new pet will require.  One common mistake I see is that people with limited time often purchase a puppy or kitten.  They would be far better off adopting an adult pet from a shelter or breed rescue site.

6. Listen to your heart.  Once you open it up, the right pet will be obvious.

Adopting an animal can be an excellent choice for pet lovers.  The advantages of adopting are numerous; costs are lower than buying a pet, animal shelters offer a large variety of companion animals, most mixed breed animals do not inherit breed specific health issues, older animals in shelters already have developed personalities and therefore it’s easier to find a pet that will match with your lifestyle, older pets will be spayed or neutered and vaccinated, you may receive discounts for spay or neuter programs if you adopt a young pet, you can adopt a bonded animal pair or litter mates at reduced cost, and shelter workers are genuinely concerned that you find the right pet for your lifestyle.

Cost of animals and types of animals up for adoption vary by areas.  In my area a puppy adoption is $150 and an adult cat is only $60.  When you compare the cost of buying a pet, to adopting an animal, it’s much cheaper to adopt.  For example typical cost to purchase a puppy are $300-$600, plus first year vaccinations $150-$300 and possibly some health tests not provided by the breeder which can add another $50-$200.  Most often when you adopt a puppy from the shelter the adoption fee insures the puppy has already been treated for fleas, passed a health examination, received vaccinations (if the animal is old enough), and has been tested for parvovirus.  Some shelters in the south also test dogs for heart worm.  In dogs, distemper, parvo-influenza, and heart worm are terminal illnesses, if they are untreated.  Adult cats adopted from the shelter are spayed or neutered, vaccinated for distemper, tested for Feline Aids(FIV) and Feline Leukemia (FELV) (which can both be terminal illnesses), and are treated for fleas.  When you compare this with the cost of purchasing a cat ($150-$1000) or taking on a “free kitten”, animal adoption again proves to be much cheaper.  Typical costs for FIV and FELV testing are $45-$75 for each test, spaying at maturity $45-90, or neutering $30-$75, and first year vaccinations $150-$300.  So your “free kitten” can cost more than $500 for the first year of medical care.  Additionally, many shelters also test for other diseases such as worms, and the shelter will be open and honest about known disabilities such as hearing or vision impairments.

Shelter employees and volunteers do a great job of helping you pick an animal that is right for your lifestyle.  Typically, there are wide varieties of adoptable pets available.  Most shelters have dogs and cross-breed puppies ranging from tiny to large, short-haired to fluffy, and personalities that range from shy lap dogs to high energy running companions.  Cats selection can ran from large Maine-coon mixes, to high energy Siamese mixes, to fluffy mellow Angoras.  My local shelter also services other companion animal adoption such as ferrets, pot belly pigs and goats.  Occasionally, shelters have purebred animals available for adoption. (Also, see my article on purebred adoptions). 

There are other benefits of adopting an animal from a shelter.  Mixed bred animal may be healthier and calmer than some purebred animals.  Certain purebred often have genetic disorders (due to the inbreeding).  For example, many large purebred dogs develop hip dysplasia (a malformation of the hip joint that causes arthritis).  Small purebred dogs with pug noses may develop respiratory disorders.  Disorders associated with specific breeds can be found in mixed breed dogs and cats, but are far less likely to occur.  Older pets available for adoption from the shelter have developed personalities and therefore it is easier to adopt an animal that will be right for your household.  For example, if you have children, the shelter worker will introduce you to the pets that are the best suited to your household.  If you’re single and want a jogging partner, the shelter worker can introduce you to a healthy high energy dog companion.   You may think you want a dog, but after speaking with a shelter worker, realize your lifestyle is far more suited to an adult cat.  Some shelters provide ongoing benefits, such as reduced vaccination cost, reduced training costs or provide a list of auxiliary services.    

If you want to select from a wide variety of pets, the best time of year is during spring and early fall which are breeding seasons.  Shelters are inundated with strays.  Christmas is a bad time of year to adopt an animal for several reasons; many people adopt at this time of year so selection will be limited, it hard on the animal (due to lack of routines and chaos that often accompanies the holiday) and, it’s may curtail your travel plans. (See my article on Christmas animal adoption). 

To find an adoption center in your area contact the Humane Association of the United States, check with a local veterinarian, or inquire at a locally owned pet supply stores.  Each year the United States destroys more than 4,000,000 companion animals.  By adopting an animal from a shelter you are saving a life.  However, please consider the long term care required, before you purchase or adopt a pet. 

All my life I wanted an orange tabby cat.  Shortly after I purchased my home, one appeared in the yard on a regular basis.  The cat was incredible friendly and had a very large head so I named him Leo.

Shortly after I began feeding him, he disappeared.  4 days later he showed up on a Sunday morning, limping and with eyes glazed over.  I rushed him the emergency clinic.  It wound up Leo had been shot.  The person had been aiming for his heart and shattered his sholder. 

At first I was told Leo might not make it.  Then I was told if he lived they’d have to amputate his leg.  I listened to my own intuition and asked what they could do without taking his leg.  Later in the week I took home a very sick cat.  He had two shunts to drain his injuries, and his front leg (the one that the Veterarnarian thought should be amputated) was placed in a sling.  10 days later, to everyone’s suprise and delight Leo started walking.  Even though his sholder had been shattered and basically did not exist, Leo walked for the rest of his life.

So, next time someone tells you what you can or can not do, or how and if a person may or may not heal, I hope you’ll remember Leo.  The cat that walked without a shoulder.

Did you know the whiskers of a cat help a cat navigate?  The ends of the wiskers are approximately the same size of the cat’s body.  Cat’s use their whiskers to determine whether or not their body will fit in or through an opening.  There may be other uses for whisker as well which are still being discovered.  So, it’s important you do not cut your cat’s whiskers.

 The tail also helps a cat navagate.  The tail helps the cat maintain balance and without a tail the cat would loose a great deal of it’s ability to pounce so precisely on prey.  It always amazes me how so many parts of an animal (ourselves include) have dual functions.

This weekend I found a new trail.  It’s one that is rarely used.  In some place, the foliage is so dense that I could not see beyond the immediate brush and trees.  Along my hike, numerous squirrels were busy scampering along the trail picking up acorns and other goodies that had dropped from the trees.

Ironically, earlier in the day I had been concerned with lack.  After paying for my fuel oil tank (Yikes$700) there was not as much in my checking account as I had hoped.  But as I hike along, I was reminded of nature’s abundance.  Whether I need peace, solitude, wood for fire, something to eat or inspiration, I always find it when I take to the woods.

The easiest way to tell if you dog is the right weight is by touch.  Press your hand along the outside of your dogs ribcage.  If you have to press very hard to feel ribs or if you cannot feel the dogs ribs, most likely your dog is overweight or obese.  If your dogs ribs are easily definable or they protrude, your dog is most likely underweight.  It’s best if you can feel the ribs just a bit. 

If you have any concerns please refer to my article on dog obesity at www.ezinearticles.com  Just like us, dog weights can have a range but in if a dog falls too far overweight or underweight it can lead to more serious health conditions.

Many times I’ve meet women who whisper, “I think my cat was my soul mate in another lifetime.” I guess to many people this seems crazy but I understand what they are saying. Several years ago a white flame point Siamese jumped in my car. He had been a stray at a bowling alley and the manager was thrilled that I would take care of him.

From the first encounter with Lucky, there was something unique. First of all he just jumped in my car a waited for me. It was like he knew I was supposed to take him home and of coarse I did. As soon as I sat down in my car, he crawled on my lap and collapsed. The next day I woke to find him sitting by my head staring down at me as I woke from a good nights sleep. A few days later I had a strange dream that I was a young woman making love. What was unique about the dream was the intense connection and emotions I held toward my beloved. I had never had a dream like this before. The man in my dreams had close set eyes and a certain way of looking at me. When I woke up, there was Lucky, once again staring at me with his close set eyes and that certain look.

Throughout the day Lucky follows me around the house, jumps on my lap as soon as I sit at my computer, yells at me if I don’t let him in the bathroom, and with the exception of a few days, he has faithfully slept and kept watch lying next to me each night. There have been many occasions when I wake up to find him sitting by my head contently staring at me. To maintain his close contact and protection over me, Lucky has fought with other cats who tried to take his place at night, attacked dogs that got too close to me, and growled on those rare occasions when a boyfriend or friend raised their voice. The odd thing is that when I leave town, roommates have report Lucky turns into a “normal” cat. He gets along with all the other cats, doesn’t fight for turf and becomes very laid back. If there is such a thing as past lives, then maybe Lucky is my long lost soul mate. If there is no such thing as reincarnation, then he’s a cat who has uncanny timing and unique habits. No matter what, I’m blessed by his devotion and that’s enough for me.

Many people think you cannot train a cat, which is not true. However, cats can be difficult to train because they will not do tricks simply for your approval. If you’d like to train your cat for simple behaviors or tricks I’d suggest the following:1. Find out what you cat really likes. I have one cat that loves soft treats, another that likes a stinky fishy smelling crunchy treat, and a third cat that loves to be brushed. Depending on which cat I’m working with, I use their favorite reward.2. Keep in mind that dogs and cats are not the same so they cannot perform the same tricks. It’s much easier to teach a cat to jump than a dog, and easier to teach a dog to roll over.3. Never use negative punishment with your cat but always positive reinforcement. If you punish you cat by hitting, startling or swatting with an object, you are teaching your cat to be afraid of you. This is counter-productive. Cats must feel secure, and must be able to trust their handler before they can absorb a new trick.

Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending a festival celebrating the native tribes of North America. Out of respect for the dancers alcohol was banned from the event. I was captivated by the pageantry, elegance and skills of the hoop dancers and fancy dancers but I was also impressed by the attendants. As I strolled through large groups of people I realized no one was on a cell phone. Young and old as well as people of every race and color stood in small circles having real conversations. As I walked from one fascinating event to another, I repeatedly heard the words, “excuse me”. When the musicians played or the dancers performed, the vast majority of the audience remained in their seat until the show was finished. My body instinctively relaxed and I felt a sense of peace and connection.