The Many Benefits of Private Dog Boarding

By Kaili Williams from DogsGoWalking.com
      Dog kennels are a standard option for many pet owners, but they are not the safest option. There are a variety of issues with kennels, such as improper feeding and portion control, a lack of daily exercise, lack of play, or lack of other needed care, the chance of your pet contracting contagious diseases (kennel cough being the most common) or parasites, and unclean (and therefore unsafe) environments. 

While many owners may find kennels that are suited to their dogs just fine, private dog boarding and pet sitting care is a safer option. Private dog boarding residences are disease and pest free, clean, under constant supervision, full of toys and room to play, and without restrictive cages.

With private dog boarding, your dog can vacation in a familiar home environment where they will receive an abundance of love and care. They will be able to continue their familiar and necessary diet & exercise routine, as well as have the comfort of familiar toys or objects. This helps to eliminate your dog's stress from being away from you.

Private pet boarding homes are kept puppy-proof, safe and clean, and doggie guests are required to have up-to-date shots & flea and tick control (and in some cases, residences may require that your pet is spayed or neutered). Your dogs are able to roam through a puppy-proof home, and explore or play as they please. In these places, your furry kid gets to have a vacation of their own, with lots of care, socialization, and love.

Many private dog boarding pet hosts are knowledgeable animal lovers that work at home. Pet hosts will often invite you into their home so that you and your pup can evaluate if it is a proper place for your pet's needs. These introductory meetings also give you a chance to know the pet host and other pet guests, as well as for your dog to get to know a new environment, people, and dogs. Pet hosts will often have a limit of pets per home, so that they do not take in more dogs than they can properly care for. This ensures that your pet will have adequate care while you are away.

Dog boarding is a great option for many dogs, but not all dogs. If you have three or more dogs, a pet that is not sociable, or another form of special-needs sort of animal, you should look into pet sitting visits in your home while you are away.

Cats: A Womans Best Friend

By Kaili Williams from DogsGoWalking.com

There are plenty of studies about man’s best friend (the dog) and canine and owner interaction, however science is just now beginning to look into cat and owner interaction. It turns out that if dogs are be mans best friend, cats may be woman’s.

A study conducted at the University of Vienna has conducted that female cat owners may have a stronger bond with their feline friends than male cat owners - or, more accurately, cats tend to favor women. This is because throughout the study (which examined 41 cats and their owners over long-term periods), they found that the cats would approach female owners & initiate contact at a higher frequency than with male cat owners. It is believed that this is because female cat owners tend to interact with their pets more often than males.

In fact, researchers saw that cat and human relationship dynamics are very close to human-human bonding dynamics. The cat can take the part of a child within a house hold, as many pet owners are sure to already be aware of.  

    Despite popular belief of domestic cats being incredibly independent, this study showed that cats tend to remember kind gestures and will return the favor later. For example, if a cat wishes to play and the owner complies, that cat will be more likely to tolerate the owner’s wish to play at a later time. Cat and owner interaction is strongly influenced by both the cat AND the owner, and cats can manipulate human behavior (demanding to be fed) just as much as humans can manipulate cat behavior (training).
    In summary, cats attach to humans for more than the relationship perk of receiving food. Cats build strong bonds with their owners and have complex relationships that offer social support, play, affection, and love.  
    If you are away from home for a period of time, consider hiring a cat sitter to visit your cat and provide their essential needs for not only food, but love and interaction while you are away.

The importance of kitten play

As any feline-owned person would agree, cats make excellent pets. They are clean and relatively low-maintenance (in contrast with many other pet species), but it is very important to maintain a healthy environment for your kitty. Overall, keeping your cat indoors is best, as indoor cats tend to live longer lives. However, you want to ensure that your cat is not only living a long and healthy life, but a fulfilling one as well.

As with most mammals, playtime for kitties is an incredibly important time for learning. Toys that enable you to hide food inside them allow your kitty to use his or her body and mind to solve a puzzle. Additionally, if your cat is generally inactive food is a great motivator. Interactive toys such as fishing poles or laser pointers allow you to enjoy playtime with your kitty, which strengthens your bond. Cat nip can be used in conjunction with play time to further motivate any lazy felines.

Indoor cats, lacking an outdoor hunting ground, tend to get bored or inactive which can lead to health problems. Therefore, they need a lot of environment enrichment. Environment enrichment is the process of creating an atmosphere for your kitty that meets his or her needs, with many stimulating toys to play with or places to explore or hide.

One of your kitties needs is to scratch and claw at things. This behavior may seem destructive, but serves to keep your cat’s claws sharp, as well as to stretch muscles or mark territory. If you would like to ensure that your cat does not make a habit of clawing at your furniture, you should provide him or her with a few options - a variety of locations and textures to scratch on will peak your kitties curiosity, as well as make him or her more likely to comply with the furniture being off-limits. Rubbing catnip over the area where you would like your cat to scratch will help to further motivate them.

In conclusion, you can easily create a fulfilling life and environment for your feline friend by following the above simple tips. Acknowledging all of the above needs is important in order to create a happy life for your kitty. If you need a cat sitter, please visit our website at www.dogsgowalking.com