(ARA) – Americans love their pets and there are certainly lots of them to love. Sixty three percent of U.S. households own a pet and the most popular animals — dogs and cats — make up 82 percent of all pets, according to the American Pet Products Association.

With all those furry friends, it’s no surprise that pet-friendly design is one of the fastest growing interior decorating trends. From high-end home items to the basics, decorating is literally going to the dogs … and cats. Beyond pet-proofing a home for safety, pet-friendly decorating has an increasing number of animal lovers choosing and incorporating pet-friendly fabrics and building materials into their homes’ decor.

A number of cost-effective ways to maintain a fabulous-looking home are also practical and comfortable for both you and your pet. Here are five tricks of the trade:

Common sense color.
It’s one of the simplest interior design tricks — matching your furniture fabric to your pet’s fur color to help conceal dog and cat hair. For example, if you have a multi-colored pet, opt for a small pattern that closely matches your pet’s coloring. If you have a white poodle or feline, skip the all-black sofa and choose a lighter fabric color. If your heart is still set on black, accessorize with black pillows or a throw blanket. The same holds true if you own a pet with darker fur — the darker your fabric choices, the easier it will be to hide pet fur.

Skip the slipcover.
Thanks to recent advances made in the manufacturing of furniture fabric, there’s no need to hide your couch under an unsightly slipcover in order to protect it from the wear-and-tear of your pet. Look into purchasing furniture made with Crypton, a synthetic textile that’s easy to clean and highly resistant to stains, water and even bacteria. A less expensive option is ultrasuede microfiber. If either of these choices is still out of your price range, make sure your furniture is protected with Scotchgard. However, if you go this route, know that there are still some fabrics to avoid, such as denim, flannel, corduroy and velvet. Each of them has a tendency to hold pet fur.

Pet-friendly paint.
Keeping your walls clean and free of dirt marks can be a feat if you have a pet. Choosing a high-quality, durable paint really does make a difference. Dutch Boy’s Refresh paint, a new paint formulated with exclusive Arm & Hammer odor-eliminating technology, is ideal for pet owners. It provides a beautiful finish that’s also extremely durable, so cleanup of dirt and marks is easy. Plus, it actually removes odors, including pet smells, from the air. You’ll not only have great-looking walls, but a fresh-smelling home, too.

Fitting floors.
Flooring options for pet owners can be tricky because carpet holds stains and odors, and hardwood scratches easily. If you’re looking at replacing your carpeting, there are choices specifically designed for pet owners. One of them, Pet Agree Carpet, claims that it withstands any damage made by a pet. It’s made from a material that traps liquids, such as pet urine, and stops them from soaking through to the carpet padding and floor below.

If you prefer hardwood floors, but don’t want to deal with scratches that can be made by your four-legged friends, think laminate. Today’s laminate flooring, like the new North American collection from Tarkett Residential, is far more durable, and scratch- and indentation-resistant than softer real wood flooring. These surfaces also install faster, are about half the price and still offer a vast choice in unique wood finishes.

Less is more.
Another smart design tip: keep knickknacks and accent pieces to a minimum. Today’s trend in creating clean, streamlined spaces is not only aesthetically appealing, but is ideal for pet owners. A well-thought-out design means you’ll enjoy the benefits of a clutter-free environment while keeping unnecessary, decorative items out of reach of pets’ sweeping tails and curious jaws.

Ensuring you, Fido and Fluffy live harmoniously doesn’t mean you need to spend a bundle, or sacrifice your sense of style. By doing your research, formulating a decorating plan and choosing your materials carefully, you can easily create a home that’s fit for man and beast.

For more information about Refresh paint, visit www.dutchboy.com/refresh, or call (800) 828-5669.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Tags: pet friendly home, pets in the home

(ARA) – Cats have earned the title of America’s favorite pet in part because they outnumber dogs in households across the country, but it could also be because their quirky personalities make life interesting. 

More often than not, you’ll find that your cat’s entertaining antics leave you wondering, “What could she possibly be thinking?” You may never have all the answers, but one of the keys to living a more connected life with your cat starts with understanding. 

“Cats can come across as complex because they can’t verbalize what they are feeling,” says Dr. Katrina Warren, host of “Housecat Housecall” presented by Purina Cat Chow. “That’s why it’s up to us to decode what’s going on in their minds, so we have a better idea of what they are trying to tell us through their actions.” 

If you find yourself in a feline quandary, you’re not alone. Plenty of cat lovers – and there are at least 82 million housecats in the U.S., according to the American Veterinary Association – are looking for ways to bring harmony into their cat-owning households. Hence the success of shows like “Housecat Housecall,” a reality-based program featuring real cats, real people and real answers, returning to Animal Planet for its second season. 

“Sometimes cats act out in response to changes happening in their homes that alter their daily routine,” Dr. Warren says. “Life-changing experiences like having a new baby or moving into a new home can have a huge impact on cat owners, but they can also mean big adjustments for their cats. The goal is to achieve a well-balanced life for both you and your cat, and sometimes that means getting advice from a professional.” 

On the show, which airs Saturdays and Sundays, Dr. Warren and her team of cat experts equip cat owners with the tools and knowledge they need to work towards a lasting solution that ensures both the cat and owner are getting the most out of the life they share. Dr. Warren provides answers to some common cat care questions: 

Preparing Your Cat for the Arrival of a New Baby 

* Make changes to the cat’s routine in advance. If you are no longer going to allow your cat to enter certain rooms or sleep on your bed, start making those changes now. 

* Allow your cat to smell the new smells associated with the baby such as powder and wipes well in advance. 

* Make sure flea and worm control is up to date. A check up by your vet is a good idea while you have the time. Trim claws in advance of baby arriving. 

* Obtain a recording of a baby crying and play this regularly at home so puss gets used to the new sounds prior to the arrival of the real thing. 

Managing a Multi-cat Household 

Cats generally prefer independent living, but not necessarily solitary living. Owners should respect the living arrangements that the cats establish and not force interactions. 
It’s essential to supply each cat with her own “resources”, which include a feeding area, bowl, bed and scratching post. Have one litter box for each cat, plus one extra in the house.
Make sure you provide areas to climb, toys for play and safe places to hide or sit such as tunnels or high perches. 

Find the time to give each cat some individual love and attention each day. 

Keeping Cats Happy Indoors 

Cats are much safer living indoors. They are not exposed to the dangers of infectious diseases, predators or motor vehicles. Most cats are happy indoors, but you must create an enriched environment. 

* Provide a climbing tower and at least one scratching post. Cats love rooms with a view and a few high spots to survey their domains. 

* Give them lots of cat toys – furry ones, colored ones, jingly ones and rolling ones as well as tunnels and boxes to play in. 

* Bring the outdoors indoors with a pot of “cat grass” available at most nurseries. 

Finally, Dr. Warren advises, look for help when tackling situations with your cat. Consult your veterinarian, talk to friends and gather information. Tune in to “Housecat Housecall” presented by Purina Cat Chow, to watch Dr. Warren and her team visit homes across the country helping cat owners address everything from a boisterous cat with lots of energy to more complex matters like helping a once outdoor cat adjust to an indoor lifestyle. The show airs on Animal Planet Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. EDT/PDT and 8 a.m. EDT/PDT on Sundays, through the end of August. For credible advice beyond the show, visit housecathousecall.com where you can pose your individual feline questions to a team of cat care specialists and view all of the webisodes from season one. 

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Tags: Cat Behavior

Humans benefit a lot from eating items such as whole grains as well as fruits and vegetables. The same is the case when animals are switched over to an organic diet that too contains vegetables, raw meats of the right kind and whole grains as well as certain raw vegetables. However, before using your favorite organic pet food recipe makes sure to differentiate between what is appropriate for cats and what is appropriate for dogs.

Protein Rich Diet

Cats may not benefit from being fed dishes created with certain kinds of organic pet food recipes because a cat is not able to properly digest whole grains as too vegetables and so the organic pet food recipe for cat’s food needs to be tailored so that it contains plenty of good quality proteins and fewest possible byproducts of meat.

In fact, the right organic pet food recipe for a cat may not be so easy to come by given the fact that the cat likes to eat live mice as well as insects. Nevertheless, using a good organic pet food recipe can help provide certain health benefits to your pet because these recipes will not ask that you use additives, preservatives or chemicals and there will also be absence of bulk fibers that are really not essential and which include items such as corn.

On the other hand, a good organic pet food recipe can help ensure that your pet gets relief from allergies, and skin irritations too will occur less frequently or might even disappear and your pet will also enjoy better digestion and will easily pass their stool. Other benefits to using an organic pet food recipe is that the food dishes that you create and feed your pet with will help increase your pet’s energy levels and their immune systems too will become stronger.

However, despite various studies being conducted on the benefits of creating dishes from organic pet food recipes there is yet no conclusive evidence to show that such food dishes will help in curing different kinds of illnesses and there is also nothing to suggest that by using an organic pet food recipe you will be giving your pet the best food.

Today, whenever you walk into a pet food store you will be confronted with a good many choices including items of raw organic pet foods. To ensure that you get the right such foods for your pet take a look at the label to see that it has in fact been inspected by the USDA (in case you need to feed your dog.)

Wellness pet food reviews show that it is a popular choice in the top pet foods on the market today. Not only is the price comparable to the other high grade pet foods on the market, but it offers a complete choice in natural ingredients that dogs and cats will enjoy. Wellness natural pet foods also take into consideration the differing needs in dogs and cats so that each animal’s diet can be fully supplemented by the dog or cat food. Since cats are carnivorous, their foods mainly contain meats, while dog foods will contain whole grains as well as meats since they are omnivores.

Benefits

One benefit listed in Wellness pet food reviews is that the meat products are not by products as is common in lesser brands of pet foods. By products mean that whatever is left over after meat processing plants have made the human meat products, the rest is given to pet food companies for their pet foods. These by products are the bones, beaks, feet, brains, lungs, and other internal organs which are then used in the pet foods for dogs and cats. These ingredients do not have much nutritional value for the dogs and cats, and are mainly filler for the pet food.

Not only do the Wellness pet food reviews show that the meat products used are whole meats, the grains and berries used are also whole and are chosen for their ability to be easily digested by the animals. In the same way that meat by products are used in lesser pet foods, there are also grain by products that are used, usually as the first ingredient in many of the cheaper brands. These grain by products also do not have much nutritional value for the dogs and cats, and are hard for them to digest. Corn is also a common grain that is used, but it is difficult for the pets to digest and is not the best choice for them.

In addition, the Wellness brand pet food reviews also proclaim the benefits of having no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives in the pet foods for dogs and cats. Since these ingredients have been shown to cause problems in humans as well as animals, Wellness brand pet foods refuse to use them in their products so that the pets are protected and can get as many health benefits from the pet foods as possible. Since the Wellness brand products use all natural ingredients and the best possible ingredients for the animals, there is really no need for the artificial sweeteners, flavors or colors, because the meal is already flavorful in itself.

There are many different pet food brands on the market that fill their products with fillers and artificial ingredients. Human beings who seek to be healthy do not eat many foods with these types of fillers and artificial ingredients because they know that a healthy diet should contain as many whole and natural foods as possible. Wellness pet food takes these basic health rules into account when they create their pet foods for dogs and cats. They have a philosophy that says dogs and cats will be healthier if they are fed a diet that mimics what they would eat naturally, so fillers and artificial colors and flavors are kept at a minimum.

The Ingredient Difference

In many dog and cat food brands the first ingredient listed on the label is usually some sort of processed grain product. This is a ridiculous choice for cats which are carnivores and would never naturally eat that type of ingredient. In addition, even for dogs which are omnivores and would eat certain grains, these ingredients are processed, which means that the natural nutrients that were in the grain have been basically taken out, thus leaving little to no nutritional value for the pets.

Wellness brand pet food does not use processed ingredients for the dog or cat foods. Wellness pet food contains whole grains and meats for dogs to complete their natural diet, and for cats it contains the berries and meat sources that cats would normally eat for their health. In their pet foods, Wellness uses meat as the primary ingredient, since that is what dogs and cats would naturally eat the majority of the time. In the dog foods, the grains that are used are whole grains and are easy to digest, rather than using corn like the lower brands of pet foods use.

In addition, the Wellness pet foods also contain certain fats and oils in them which are good for the animals’ overall health, adding certain acids that the animals need for proper organ function. Unlike other brands of pet food, Wellness pet foods do not use meat by-products, which mean that the waste material from meat processing plants is thrown into the pet food. This is something that humans would never consider eating, yet they will feed it to their pets all of the time, such as lungs, brains, bone, stomachs, etc. In addition, Wellness pet foods do not contain any artificial preservatives which can be harmful to the animals.

There are different ways of looking at the benefits of feeding your pets with different kinds of natural pet foods. In fact, there is already quite a bit of confusion in the minds of most pet owners regarding what kind of natural pet food is best for your pet and also what in fact is meant by the phrase natural pet food. There is hardly anyone that agrees with the definition of this phrase and so it is often a question of using common sense to decide what in fact qualifies as being natural pet food.

Helps With Holistic Care

The term holistic pet care is also used a lot in regard to improving the emotion and disposition of a pet’s general health. This form of pet care goes beyond simply providing traditional type of pet care because the emphasis is to treat more than just the symptoms and seeks to provide a cure for underlying causes. This is where you might want to look at the benefits of feeding your pet with natural pet food as it can form a part of the overall holistic treatment of your pet.

It is commonly believed that among humans we are what we eat. This holds true in the case of pets as well and so it is not very surprising to learn that more pet owners are choosing to feed their pets with natural pet foods. In fact, the Organic Trade Association has been able to determine that growth in sales of natural pet foods has grown by about thrice as compared to sales of organic foods for humans.

The fact is that there are numerous pet food manufacturers that are selling good quality natural pet foods and though some of these pet foods are expensive, it does not seem to deter pet owners from spending a little more to ensure that they can give only the best foods to their pets. The advantage of using natural pet food lies in the fact that these foods do not have to go through much processing and are preserved with the help of natural ingredients including the likes of vitamin C and vitamin E. This means that your pet will not be ingesting artificial additives or preservatives and so will enjoy better health.

If you are worried about providing your pet dog with best natural pet food then you would do well to check out Natural Balance pet food. It may or may not be well known by pet owners; but, the ingredients fed to a pet can play an important role in their wellbeing. This is good enough reason why you would want to select good natural pet foods such as Natural Balance so as to ensure that your pet gets adequate nutrition and non-artificial ingredients into their system.

Good health of the pet is the concern of most of the pet owners, and they are constantly looking for foods and recipes that are able to provide all the essential nutrients to the their body. There are too many choices available, and it has always been debatable that which diet is best for the pets.

After feeding their pets with readymade pet food for years, pet owners are now realizing the problems associated with it. They are witnessing diseases symptoms that did not exist few years ago. This is forcing pet owners and vets to think of the reasons causing these diseases symptoms, and an effective way to deal with them.

Benefits Of Raw Pet Food Diet

Raw pet food diet is rich in living enzymes that are beneficial for the body. If the food is processed or cooked, there are no living enzymes anymore, and such foods put more stress on the pancreas to make necessary proteins required by the body. Living enzymes that are present in the raw pet food diet repair, restore and maintain good health. Animals eat raw unprocessed foods to replenish these enzymes that ensure healthy and long lifespan.

Raw pet food diet also helps in improving breath, minimizing tartar buildup, and keeping the teeth clean and healthy. If pets are fed grain-based diets, it can cause various periodontal problems that can be avoided by feeding them with raw pet food diet. This diet also keeps the skin and coat healthy. Raw pet food diet strengthens and normalizes the immune system as it contains good balance of nutrients and essential fatty acids.

Pet owner who give raw pet food diet to their older pets also feel that the degenerative diseases that their pets had earlier become less of a problem as raw food reverses various aggravating degenerative conditions, giving relief from various illnesses. The raw pet food diet also reduces the volume and odor of stools that indicates healthy and improved digestion cycle. Raw pet food diet is easily digested by animals as compared to grain diets, helping in complete digestion of nutrients.

Raw pet food diet also helps the pet lose the unwanted fat in the body and increase the muscle mass. This makes pet look better, increases the metabolic rate and increases the activity level and life span.

One of the most common mistakes made by pet owners in making raw pet food recipe is feeding the meat without bones, and it can be disastrous for the pets. Meat has no calcium but has lots of phosphorous, bones are rich in calcium, eggs have phosphorous and shells are rich in calcium. Nature has balanced it this way, and if we give eggs without shells or meat without bones, the ratio of nutrients is disturbed. It is hence very important to know the exact nutritional needs of the pets, and follow them precisely.

There is a simple way by which a pet owner can ensure that their pets enjoy good health and this simple way involves understand that a pet needs to be fed with ingredients that will work their magic once they enter a pet’s stomach. That being said, if you are serious about ensuring the well-being of your pet you should head to a pet food store and check for Natural Balance pet food that is an excellent natural pet food which will keep your canine friend in best spirits, and well satisfied.

Check The Label

Most commercially produced pet foods have all of their ingredients listed on their labels and so you can check what it is that you will be feeding your pet. Fortunately, when it concerns feeding Natural Balance pet food to your dog you can be assured that this food will not contain any harmful chemicals which is indeed a change from the norm because most commercially produced pet foods have a fair amount of chemicals, additives and artificial flavors in them.

Natural Balance pet food from Dick Van Patten is one of the better commercially manufactured pet foods and is brought to you by the famous actor Dick Van Patten who began producing Natural Balance pet food in the year 1989 and the source of inspiration for this excellent pet food was Van Patten’s contact with someone that handled rescued animals. Along with this drummer friend Van Patten decided to create healthier foods for dogs and pets and so the Natural Balance pet food was born.

Van Patten ensures that his Natural Balance pet food contains only USDA approved human-grade meats and that all the other ingredients contained in this excellent pet food is sourced and grown from the US and none of the grains have any organism that has had its genes modified. In addition, with Natural Balance pet food you can be sure that the product comes without any byproducts of meat, artificial coloring substances and there are also no artificial flavors and neither is there any artificial preservative used.

In regard to good quality natural choice pet food for dogs you should not be surprised by having to choose from a great many options. It is therefore necessary to first decide whether you wish to feed your pet with raw meat as well as vegetables or whether you prefer to cook meats as too vegetables or whether you believe that feeding your pet with commercially manufactured natural foods is the best choice. After you are sure of what suits your pet the most you can then start looking at various options.

 
Since feeding your pet supper every night, or whatever time you decide to give them their main meal for the day, the choice of what type of food you give them is all yours. You see and try out the various choices of pet food from the dry pellets, the tinned food, the dehydrated raw pet food, and raw frozen pet food, even trying to prepare your own home made meals for them.
 
While preparing pet food does not smell so great, the taste may even more debatable. However raw frozen pet food is available at most stores in vacuum sealed bags, in various amounts depending on the size of your pet. Who only knows what goes into the sachet of raw frozen pet food? Some people are so finicky about finding out what exactly is in the raw frozen pet food sachet, if their pet may be allergic to something or the other that they consume. Who knew that a pet could be allergic to anything specific and do you take them to a vet to have an allergy test too? There are no nutty products or gluten free products that have been prepared in that raw frozen pet food sachet for those who suffer from allergies.
 
Now you know your pet will love you the most when you are preparing their meals, and since using raw frozen pet food, your pet will be looking at you for quite a while, while you prepare them this hearty raw frozen pet food meal for the day. Their eyes will gaze up at you patiently, waiting in sweet anticipation for your true meaning of loyalty and friendship for them, and the poor cat will of course be rubbing themselves continuously around your ankles. They bind you to that section of the kitchen making sure you cannot leave until their raw frozen pet food is more presentable in their feeding bowls.
 
Disadvantage of frozen pet food
 
The only advantage that could possibly come from keeping raw frozen pet food is that while storage is only in a sachet, it comes in handy if you can just pop it in the microwave for a few minutes and then it’s done. Nothing extravagant to do, except wipe the microwave out to get rid of the smell of pet food. While the disadvantage would be if the power went off the food would spoil, not that the pet would know or mind still, as they are just happy that you are still feeding them.
 
 

Bird food is essential for many birds since there are some birds that eat specific seeds or grains to be healthy. Pet food storage for bird seeds and other forms of bird food need to be done properly in order to make the feed last longer without spoiling. There are many tips regarding pet food storage that will help bird owners keep their seeds fresh and bird food last longer.

Tips For Bird Food Storage

It is always advisable to have an average size pet food storage container instead of an overly large one or a small one. An extra large bird food container can promote mildew and mold if the food turnaround is slow. Extra large containers are a god idea if the food in them is consumed within a few weeks. Pet food storage that lasts several months can become rancid or spoiled and will not be good for the birds. The pet food storage bin should be kept in a cool, dry place to make it last longer and to prevent it from rotting or spoiling.

Once the bird seeds are seen sprouting plants, dispose of these and do not feed them to the birds. There may be bacteria in the seeds already and the amount of nutrients in them will have greatly diminished due to the growing plant. All forms of pet food storage need to be airtight as well as water tight to prevent the presence of molds, mildew and other bacteria as well as ants and rodents. Some insect larvae may also develop on the seeds or bird foods that are stored even if the pet food storage is airtight. This means they larvae were already in the seeds as they were processed. When these are seen in the food for the birds, it may be best to get rid of the seeds since some insects eat the contents of the seeds, leaving the shells in the pet food storage bin.

Bird seeds and food that are purchased during the winter season should be kept for just as long as the season lasts. This means it is not a good idea to buy a lot of bird seeds and food during the colder winter months and store them in the pet food storage bins. Moisture and humidity may form in the seeds and food and promote molds, especially when their pet food storage bins are stored in cool dry places.

The right kind of pet food storage bins as well as the proper pet food storage ways will help to make your birds healthy as well as help them live longer.