Lovingly stroking and petting your cat should be a comforting and welcoming act, but now pet owners have been warned that cuddling their feline can cause them further stress and anxiety. New research and studies have revealed that over half the population of cat owners do not know how to cope with an anxious cat and think that petting them is the most viable solution and cure. Cats are suffering from stress and having their anxiety levels exacerbated because owners expect them to behave like dogs, according to animal behaviourists and researchers. Cats who display stress and anxious states are being petted and cuddled, leading to further stress and a tendency to overreact to things. Being held or stroked for too long can be very stressful for some cats. Cat owners must understand that they are not small furry humans, so what would comfort us as social individuals will not ­necessarily comfort said cats. It is recommended you not overly stroke or cuddle a cat which is showing signs of stress as it can make it worse. Cat owners must understand their feline companions and recognise stress and anxious behaviours. A cat that spends a lot of time hiding -under the furniture, up very high in the room, or on top of closets- often is a sign of stress. This is because the cat is having to get itself into a good, defensive position all the time before it can feel comfortable. Stress and anxiety in cats can also be communicated through poor health. Usually undue stress appears as two effects: the most apparent being skin problems where the cat is either losing some fur or grooming too much in one particular place so that they have a bare patch on their skin or even an ulcer. The second one is the development of a urinary tract infection, which is quite common in cats. Cat owners must seek to understand their pets better so as to recognise the demands placed on them and how that manifests itself in their pet’s physical and mental health. Space and peace is often what anxious cats need rather than a hug or a thorough petting. It is recommended that you always provide your cats with easily accessible places for your cat to hide and let them stay in there for as long as they want to, creating a safe environment until their stress dissipates. Feature image credit  

We're already at the end of the first month of 2015. Have you been maintaining your new year's resolutions or have you already returned to your old habits? In any case, maybe it's time to turn the attention away from yourself and onto your pets instead by introducing some positive and healthy changes into their routine and make this year their happiest and healthiest yet! Here are our suggestions: Help your pet get more exercise If you're guilty of forfeiting your pet's daily walk when the weather is too hot or too cold, instead replacing it with an extra chew toy or throwing a ball around the yard, try to keep focused on the fact that your pet needs to get in regular exercise, necessary for good health and longetivity. Resolve to commit to daily exercise - rain, hail or shine. Likewise, cats can be enticed into exercising using chase games with string toys or laser pointers. And remember daily exercise for them is daily exercise for you too.   Help your pet eat better and be healthy Rather than indulge your pet with food scraps or unhealthy snacks, take a vested interest in creating healthy treats like frozen green beans, or create healthier alternatives to their everyday kind of pet food. Packaged treats that are high in sugar, salt and fat, as well as human foods and table scraps, so these should be kept to a minimum which will end up benefitting you both. Your pets should resolve to take their monthly heartworm, parasite, flea and tick preventative as prescribed, and keep their vaccinations up to date in the new year. Of course you'll have to be in charge of that! Help your pet learn something new and have fun Training and learning new tricks provides bonding time and mental stimulation for pets and owners. Whether it’s more games, new toys or a weekly brushing, we can all use a little more fun. Seeking to have fun together in the pursuit of new routines and activities is a must for any pet resolution. Help your pet do something different and make new friends For the new year, consider switching things up by finding a different park to visit every now and then, walking on different streets, or bringing them along on a trip to the pet store for treats or normal pick ups. For cats, new toys or a new brushing routine can spice up their day. In 2015, why not resolve for you and your pet to visit the local park and get to know other owners potentially making new friends and new adventures. Help your pet volunteer in the community It is well known that pets are becoming an even larger and more welcome part of many community programs for the aged and ill, so why not help your lovable pet take part in a community program at a local nursing home or hospital that allows animal therapy. You will love your pet endlessly this new year but perhaps it will do the world some good to let someone else love them for a few moments also.   

It's an early learned behaviour of children to give hugs to parents, siblings, friends and even their favourite toys as a way to show love and affection. As such, we equally search for ways to show our four-legged friends how much we love them, but seemingly hugging should not be one of them. The truth is, dogs do not appreciate your warm hugs...but why?   Within the dog world, there is an abundance of behaviours shared between canine parties, including face smelling, rump smelling, tail wagging, licking, but importantly, there is never hugging. Dogs have particular methods of greeting, none of which involve having a foreleg over the shoulder of each other. In actuality, the closest approximation dogs have to hugs as we know it actually means something other than friendship. Dogs standing over each other relates to some form of social status and competition for resources, so hugs are considered a form of power manipulation and control.   Despite hugs being associated with play and not necessarily something aggressive, a hug can be regarded by dog behaviourists as a very assertive, controlling behaviour. It follows suit that many owners and people are most commonly bitten in relation to the benign interactions such as petting, hugging or bending over the dog.   Dogs may manifest their dislike about being hugged in various ways, including subtle uneasiness by licking its lips or turning its head away. Some signs may be quite evident such as growling or seeking to escape. It is an innate response triggered by the dog's self defense system, where they automatically become alarmed and enter into their ''fight or flight mode'', forcing them to react aggressively by giving a warning growl or a straightforward bite because of the restraining nature of a hug.   The reason behind the inherent dislike of human hugging by our dogs lies in the idea that humans and primates appreciate ventral to ventral or chest to chest contact, sub-consciously associated with feelings of pleasure gained through nursing. Dogs do not have this sort of positive association so therefore do not by nature appreciate this form of contact. We wrap our arms around another's shoulders as a sign of affection but in the dog world, a leg over the shoulder is a sign of dominance or assertiveness. Therefore, when we try to hug a new or unknown dog, it is understandable that they may misinterpret that gesture as threatening and will either run away, submit, or return the challenge. Have you noticed this reaction in your dog? Feature image credit

Muitos cães aprendem a obter nossa atenção por meio de comportamentos estereotipados, como ladrar excessivo, pular e patear, morder a liderança, roubar itens, perseguir a cauda e até mesmo a agressão. Inapropriado comportamento de busca de atenção é uma avaliação comum referido comportamento dos cães, em que os proprietários involuntariamente ter dado em comportamento do seu cão reforçando ainda mais. Como tal, estes problemas de comportamento do cão pode tornar-se ainda mais difícil de lidar com e extinguir. Há muitas razões pelas quais os comportamentos de busca de atenção começam, incluindo a falta de atividades físicas, tédio e nervosismo. Algumas dicas úteis sobre como lidar com a atenção que procuram comportamento de necessidade do seu cão são:  

If it has been weeks since you last got a good night’s sleep because of your feline friends, it may be time to investigate why they keep waking you up in the middle of the night. Some reasons include illness, boredom, habit, the need for gratification, or even the lighting of a room. Some medical conditions inhibit a good night’s sleep for both you and your cat. Even mild ailments can lead to feline restlessness. Some of the more common culprits for sudden onsets of midnight visits are arthritis, hyperthyroidism and high blood pressure, all of which can be diagnosed and treated by a veterinarian. Begin with a visit to your vet if your cat is repeatedly exhibiting unusual behavior at night as the road to recovery will mean you’ll both be sleeping soundly again. If your cat is alone for most of the day, they can become restless, leaving them energized to play all night. Seek ways to amuse them while you’re out with toys, window perches and innovative feeding methods, such as foraging toys. Interactive play with their human family is also important, whether it be with a laser toy, dangling a wand while you watch TV, or toss a ball around before you leave for work. Keep toys fresh by rotating them and utilize new toys to keep their interest. It is also advised to tire them out for the day with a longer playtime in the evening, at least an hour before lights out.  Be wary of learned behaviours with regimented feeding patterns just after you wake. These may lead your feline to preemptively wake you for their water or morning meal, invoking the feeding process. If you have you responded to their wake-up calls by giving a cuddle or freshening their water, these can form into learned behaviours and habits which must be stopped with selective attention and ignoring them at the right time.   It is well known that cats see better in the dark due to having more light-sensitive receptors in their eyes. With that, small amounts of light may be quite disruptive. If you leave a nightlight on, sleep with the TV on, or have streetlights shining into your room, that may be just the right light for fun and mischief on the part of your cat. Minimize light in the sleeping area or try room-darkening blinds to discourage activity in your feline. Feature Image Credit

Dog owners should be vigilant over hot weather and its effects on their pets. As dogs can’t release heat by sweating the way humans do, high heat and humidity can raise canine body temperatures to dangerous levels leading to health complications. Heat stress left unmanaged can lead to heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Whether it be a sweltering day or a long walk, cooling jackets can be a defensive tool to keep your dog cool. Heat stress and its degenerative states can take a serious toll on a dog’s health, with heat-related problems being amongst the most common summer canine ailments. The symptoms of heat stress include profuse panting, salivation, an anxious expression, staring without seeing, failing to respond to commands, skin that is warm and dry, fever, rapid pulse, fatigue or exhaustion, muscular weakness, and physical collapse. Any dog can suffer from heat stress, but dogs who are most susceptible include the very young and old, particularly any dog with a history of heat stress, are overweight and physically inactive or breeds with flat faces or short noses. Caring and conscientious owners plan ahead and seek to keep their dogs safe in the heat, including utilizing cooling jackets and vests as a solution to helping hot dogs stay cool. Made from different materials and operating on different cooling principles, cooling jackets and vests are dog garments designed to keep dogs from overheating. Jackets that use water as a cooling mechanism were designed to emulate human sweating and heat control. These jackets are dipped in water and then placed on the dog where, as the water evaporates, excess body heat is equally dissipated – much like human sweating. The fabric that cooling jackets are made from is exceptionally good at absorbing and retaining water so it releases the moisture slowly while still efficiently cooling the dog. Other types of cooling jackets for dogs was originally designed for or are used by military, search and rescue, police, and working dogs. These vests have two pouches on each side that run the length of the dog's body, holding special gel-filled cooling packs to keep the dog’s body temperature down. The outer layer reflects incoming infrared radiation while the inner layer prevents the dog’s body heat from reflecting back to the dog. How successful cooling jackets are vary for smaller or larger dogs, dogs of different breeds, engaged in different activities, or in other climates. Feature Image Credit  

Cats are territorial animals who can find moving house a very stressful experience more so than their owners. To help, there are a few measures cat owners can take to reduce stress and ensure a smooth transition between homes as well as promoting postive associations with a new environment. Before even introducing your feline to its new environment, make sure the new house is cat-proof. Secure electrical cords, plug up nooks and crannies where a cat could get stuck, make sure that all windows have secure screens and remove any poisonous houseplants or pest-control poison traps that have been inadvertently left anywhere in the house. Once the environment is safe, you can begin to focus on introducing your cat. Upon arriving home, set up a small room that will serve as the cat’s initial territory. Any small room works well, such as a bathroom, small bedroom or large walk-in closet. Where ever you choose, make sure it remains relatively quiet. Keep the cat in their carrier while you are setting up the room, allowing them to adjust to the sounds and smells of the new environment. Be sure to put everything the cat needs inside this room including the litter box, food, water, toys, scratching post, bed, and other needs. Place some cat treats around the room to encourage your cat to explore once the initial shock begins to wear off. It is advised that you keep your cat in this initial room for the first few days of being in the new house, allowing them to gradually get used to the sights, sounds and smells of their new home without feeling overwhelmed. Once this period of adjustment is complete you are able to let the cat decide whether they want to explore or to remain inside the carrier. Many times a cat will remain inside the carrier for hours. Patience is one of the ultimate tools necessary for introducing cats to new environments. Spend time with your cat in their room, at first doing low-key activities like reading or watching TV. When they begin to explore and leave the safety of their carrier, offer your cat attention, treats and playtime. Give the cat time to adjust to their new territory. It is advised for you to come back to the room to visit often, but let the cat set the pace of the visits. Don’t force your attention on the cat as they will seek you out when they feel their need for comfort and reassurance. When the flurry of unpacking is over, gradually give your cat access to the rest of the house, one room at a time. Once the cat has established a sense of relaxation within the room, open the door and let them explore the rest of the house at their own pace much like before. Cats usually begin investigating at night, making short explorations interspersed with rapid retreats to their safe haven. It is rare for a cat to explore a new territory without hesitation. Your cat can easily adapt to a new environment but only at their own speed. Some cats can take hours or days, others will take weeks or months. The length of time needed to establish new territory will depend on the cat’s temperament, past experiences and other pets already present in the new home. Be patient and supportive with their adjustment period and your cat will be roaming the new house in no time. Feature Image Credit  

Once considered eccentric and strange, traveling with pets during the holidays has now become increasingly popular. That being said, transporting family, let alone those of the animal variety can be stressful so here is a few tips we have picked up along the way: Before embarking on any trip, consult your veterinarian for advice on the types of vaccination shots required for the country or areas you are travelling to. Whilst visiting your veterinarian, make sure to get an up to date copy of your pet’s vaccination history as this will be required when organizing travel and checking your pet in with many airlines. Airlines strongly disapprove of using pet tranquilizers in-flight because of the life-threatening dangers to a sedated animal at high altitude. So if need be, discuss stress-relief options with your vet and if medication really is necessary, you must have the vet’s paperwork to show airline personnel. Make sure that any dogs and cats you seek to travel with are at least eight weeks old and have been weaned for at least five days before they can travel so as to lessen any shock. Pets are easily stressed, especially when they notice the slightest change in their environment let alone a long road trip. It’s important to create an atmosphere that smells familiar to them, so include some of their toys and blankets in their travel container. Similarly, another great idea is to also leave an old t-shirt of yours in the container with them to reassure that you’re close by for support and safety. Feature Image credit