Feeding Pets the Healthy Way: Organic Pet Food Industry

According to organic food industry reviews, one segment of the market that is steadily growing is the organic pet food industry. People have become more health conscious in recent years due to the availability of information about the subject. The organic food industry has grown tremendously over the last eighteen years and trends seem to point to that growth continuing in years to come as people look for other products besides food that are also organically produced. The organic pet food industry has been growing too since as individuals find out more about how food is produced for human consumption and what is health to eat, they start to think about their pets and the types of foods that they are eating. Often, once they start to examine the ingredients on the pet food bags and research to find out what those ingredients really mean, they are appalled and turn to the organic pet food industry to supply them with pet food from that time forth.

The organic pet food industry watches over the ingredients that are used in their pet foods so that only quality ingredients are used. In the cheaper brands of pet food, often the first ingredient in the dog or cat foods is some sort of grain meal. That means that what is left over in the grain processing plants after the grain has been processed for human consumption is used as filler material in the pet foods. This does not have much if any nutritional value for the pets and are empty calories.

The meat meal is also not much better on the nutritional front, especially not compared to the organic pet food industry's use of meats. Often pet owners will turn to pet foods that at least have a type of meat meal as the first ingredient, thinking that this is better and richer for their pets. However, the meat meal is much the same as the grain meal since it is the left over parts of the animals that are not fit for human consumption that are ground up into the meat meal. This means that the bones, lungs, brain, feet, beaks, feathers and other parts of the animals that humans cannot consume are ground up and put into the pet food. There is little to no nutritional value in these ingredients.

The organic pet food industry ensures that only human grade meats and grains are used in the pet foods so that the pets are getting the nutrients that they need from their food each day. Even though the organic pet foods cost more, the owners are usually amazed at the difference in their animals' coats and energy level, as well as decreasing the amount of food needed since it is richer.

Cat Leash Training – Is It Possible?

Cats are considered to be very stubborn and thus the question is quite obvious, can you leash train a cat? The answer is yes, cats can be trained on leashes. The trick is doing it the right way. The thing is most cats (not all) can be leash trained with patience. The question is why raise the doubt, can cats be leash trained? The answer lies in their behaviors. Cats are very independent animals and like to stay that way. It is often said that humans do not make cats their pets; it is the other way round. Cats use humans so that they can get food and shelter. For this they have adopted themselves in such a way that we feel affectionate towards them and take them as pets.

Before deciding whether you want your cat be leash trained, you need to determine what sort of cat is yours. Is it a cat which loves outdoors or is it a cat who likes to stay indoors all the time? If all their needs are satisfied within the house, they will seldom leave the house. Considering their feline nature, they have certain hunting instincts in them. These instincts can be satisfied by placing a protected birdfeed or birdbath within view (not reach) of the cat. Also try to place some green grass within their reach, so whenever they need to eat it, it should be freely available to them. If all these things are looked after, your cat might not go out at all, and there would be no question as to whether cats can be leash trained.

Now let’s get back to the question can cats be leash trained. Training cat to walk on leash is quite difficult and its success lies in the behavior of cats. What does a cat seek when it is taken for a pet? Of course a cat needs food, shelter and love. Now you have to use these things as tools to leash train your cat. Whenever you are giving any sort of training to your cat, food is the biggest motivator. After food, love takes prominence, which you should use effectively. If these things are carried out in an effective manner, there would not be a question of, ‘can cats be leash trained.’

Can cats be leash trained is also often asked because cats are not considered to be faithful to their owners. But keep it in mind, if you apply the right technique, cats can be leash trained.

Buying Pet Training Collars

It is really nice to have pets at your home. They play with you, they laugh with you, they cry with you and do lot more other things which make you happy and angry too. If a pet is not trained properly, a lot of things can go wrong. What if your pet has a nasty habit of soiling your expensive sofas and carpets, what if your pet scratches the bed posts or tears your clothes or chews your shoes? These things are not only annoying but also cost you a lot. A pet training collar is the solution to all these problems.

Now pet training collars are not only meant for basic pet training. They can also be used to give sports and advanced training to your pets. These collars are designed in such a way that they help the pet owners to control unruly and erratic pets under control. Strictly speaking, pet training collars are meant only for cats and dogs, as they are the only domesticated animals which have considerable intelligence to get trained.

The best training collar enables its owner to teach his pet to obey him. This is particularly useful if your pet has not become potty trained even after several weeks of training. Though the last option would be send your pet to pet training classes, pet training collars can ease that out for you. The operation of these pet training collars is very simple. It is a remote controlled device, which is worn as a collar by your pet. Whenever your pet does something wrong or is about to do something wrong, you can activate it, which inflicts some sort of pain in the form or choke, pinch or electric shock. But remember that only certain things like potty training should be done with force or pain. The rest of the training can be given without them.

There are basically three types of pet training collars. The first is the choke collar, which chokes the pet’s neck by shrinking in size. This is particularly useful if you are taking your pet for a walk outside and do not want it to pull on you. Next is a pinch and electric shock collar, which pinch and gives an electric shock when activated by a remote control. Both of these pet training collars can be used for giving basic training to advanced and sport training to your pets. But just to remind again, only potty training needs to be given with force and pain, everything else can be done with love.

How to Toilet Train Your Cat

Once you train your cat to use the toilet instead of a litter box, you'll save yourself a lot of time and money. Just think about how much time it takes you to change the litter and clean the litter box. And you won't have to buy cat litter any more, which will save you quite a bit of money through time. As well, you'll be making an environmentally conscious decision. As you can see, there are lots of reasons for you to give cat toilet training a try. These steps will help you reach your goal quickly and effectively.

The first step in how to toilet train your cat is to relocate the litter box to the bathroom. You need to do this very gradually, shifting it in one-inch increments. This way, your cat will become accustomed to the litter box moving and will continue using it as it moves ever nearer to the toilet. The litter box should finally be positioned right beside the toilet. This entire process might last a few weeks or it might take much longer, depending on how far away the toilet is from the original location of the litter box. Nevertheless, if you have enough patience, learning how to toilet train your cat can be a successful undertaking.

Once the litter box is located next to the toilet, the next step is to gradually raise it up so that it's at the same level as the toilet itself. You can use bricks, cement blocks, or phone books to slowly increase the height. Just be certain that you securely fasten the litter box to its base as it rises in height. Your cat will be jumping up to use the litter box, and you don't want it to topple over. When the litter box is eventually at the same level as the toilet, slide it over incrementally so that it gets nearer and nearer to the toilet. Eventually it will be sitting directly over top of the toilet. At the same time as you're shifting the box, you also need to reduce the amount of litter that it contains.

Now it's time for the final step in learning how to toilet train your cat. Get rid of the litter box, and replace it with an aluminum pan. Fasten it securely to the toilet. The tray should contain only an inch or so of flushable litter. Once your kitty has become accustomed to the new situation, cut a small hole in the bottom of the pan. Gradually increase the size of the hole. Eventually, your cat will essentially be using just the toilet, and you can remove the pan entirely. Success!

The Importance of Proper Pet Grooming and Training

A pet is not just an animal, which was brought into your house to entertain you. Your pet has a personality of his own. Your pets also like to be properly groomed. So, when a pet is properly groomed and is appropriately trained, everybody likes your pet. This not only boosts the happiness of your pet, but also pampers your ego as you are the owner of the pet. Do you know about any pet which is smelly and ill-mannered? Does anyone like that pet? The answer would be an emphatic no. Just like being well groomed and to be like by everyone else, proper pet training and grooming is really very important.

By grooming of pets we mean the cleanliness of your pet. Pet grooming and training is much more important to animals as they get easily infested with ticks, fleas and other pathogens. Unlike humans, pets do not possess dexterous hands so they can barely clean themselves. This is where pet grooming and training comes into play. During these programs you are taught how to properly clean your pet. Take for example if you have a pet dog, and you attended a pet training and grooming session at some place, you will know how to clean the ears of your dog, how to protect him from flea attack, how to take care of his health and other important things. These pet grooming and training sessions help you out in the long run.

Suppose your pet is very well groomed and looks really beautiful, but the moment someone tries to touch it or pamper it, it bites them back. What would be their first reaction? They would simply say no doubt it the pet is well groomed but not trained properly. Your pet should be properly potty trained so that its stink does not drive away visitors that come visiting your place. After all, it is part of pet grooming and training program.

If you are unable to get proper pet grooming and training, then it is a good idea to get a professional help. Nowadays, there are a number of pet beauty parlors or grooming salons where pets are properly cleaned and groomed. As far as training is concerned, you can take the help of books, videos, or friends. Even professionals will help you out in giving proper pet grooming and tips. So remember that whenever you buy a pet, pay a little more attention to its grooming and training.

Why Pet Training Is Necessary

Let’s face it, the way today’s society functions, every individual is becoming more and more secluded from society. But again, man is a social animal and in order to keep ourselves happy resort to pet keeping. Things would have been quiet simple if there were only few pets. At present there are 73 million dogs in the US, which has created a need wherein pets behave in a perfect manner when outside. This has created the need of efficient pet training. Also we as human beings want to show the world the power we have over our pets, that is why we want them to obey our commands, and this calls for pet training. No matter what the reason is, pet training has become essential as having a pet.

Pet training is nothing but teaching your pets to follow commands. This includes basic commands like sit, stay, and lay down for your dog. When your pet is trained perfectly, they can become your best friends for a lifetime. This is just an example. The commands can get really complex when you try to train them for special occasions or needs. Like a blind person would like to train a dog as a guide, in that case the training would be very special and different. If you are planning to train your pet for competition, then again the pet training would be very specialized in nature.

So how do we go about training our pets? If you want your pet to be trained only for basic commands, then there is absolutely no need to hire a professional pet trainer. You yourself can become a proficient pet trainer if you use some of the tools available in the market. The most basic tool is of course a book. Any good book store will have hundreds of books on pet training categorized according to pets and trainings. If you are not too comfortable reading a book, you can also go for pet training videos. These are particularly useful if you never had a pet before and have bought a pet for the first time.

However, keep in mind that pet obedience training is to be done with love and affection. Animals like humans also have feelings and also have egos. If you try to force your will on them, take it for granted that you will lose. You may be able to force them to do certain things, but they might never love you, so carry out the pet training in an efficient manner.

Kitty Training Made Easy

You may scoff at the idea that you can train a cat. After all, they’re not as smart as dogs, right? You can’t train a cat to fetch, come or even stay. That’s just nonsense. But what if you could train a cat? The fact is you can train a cat and it’s not as difficult as you may think. Kitty training is not unlike dog training. You only need to remain consistent, use positive reinforcement instead of negative reinforcement, and you need to show your cat lots of love and attention when it does what you want it to do. We’re all familiar with litter training kittens. You only sit the cat in the litter box and, shazam, the job’s done. Kitty training may not be as easy as litter training but it’s not that hard once you get going.

Most people fail at kitty training because they get frustrated when the cat doesn’t do what they want. They end up yelling at the cat or, worse, they end up smacking the cat on the butt because the cat acts stubborn and aloof. That’s a cat’s personality, however. A cat usually won’t come to you until you stop showing it attention. A cat would rather look the other way than show you affection. That’s how cats are. However, if you praise your cat and you show your cat that you’re pleased whenever it comes to you or fetches a toy, or whatever else you’re attempting in your kitty training efforts, the cat will be more likely to respond positively to you and your training. Positive reinforcement is the act of using toys and treats and affection instead of punishment whenever you’re involved with kitty training. If you’re using treats, which work wonders for kitty training, gradually ease back on treats until you’re only using affection. That way, your cat won’t expect a treat every time yet will continue to perform whatever trick you teach it.

So what can you train a cat to do? Kitty training varies from person to person. Circus performers have successfully trained cats to walk on two legs and jump through hoops. This isn’t for the faint of heart, however, and you should probably stick to simple tricks before you move on to circus stunts. Some basic tricks you can use during kitty training include coming to you when your cat is called, fetching a toy or other item, sitting and staying and you can even guide behavior. You may want to teach your cat not to claw your furniture or even to stay off your furniture. Once you get better at kitty training, you can move to more advanced tricks but it’s best to keep it simple at first so your cat doesn’t get confused.

Cat Leash Training Can Do Wonders

You might have seen dogs been taken out on leash, you even might have seen ponies on leash, but have you ever seen cat on a leash? Probably never, but looking at its benefits, cat leash training can do wonders to your cat’s life. The main purpose of a leash is to control the erratic behavior of your pet while outdoors. Dogs are taken on leashes so that they don’t run away from you and cause public nuisance. Cats on the other hand take care of such things on their own i.e. they exercise themselves enough and if are properly trained, even do the tasks of relieving themselves in the right place. But can you leash train a cat? Yes they can be and here is how.

Often it has been seen that whenever the owner opens the door, cats run out of the home. Probably the cat is just curious to have a look at the outside world. If that is your problem, then you should probably try cat leash training. Just as any type of training, cat leash training will take a considerable amount of time. Do you remember the first time you tried to put a collar on your cat? The cat might have resisted putting it on and after you managed to put it on somehow, the cat would have been busy for hours trying to remove it. The good thing about cat leash training is that the collar is already in place and you don’t need to start from scratch. If your cat does not have a collar, then probably you are going to have a tough time to complete cat leash training, but it’s not impossible.

Once your cat gets accustomed to a collar, half of the battle for cat leash training is won. Then you can start training your cat for a leash by attaching a leash to your cat’s collar. Do not tighten the leash and keep it slackened, so that the cat gets used to it. Also, do not walk or drag the cat the first time you put the leash on your cat. Let her get used to it. This is the secret of successful cat leash training. Try this method for a few minutes on the first day. The next day try to walk your cat around the house. Once she gets accustomed to walking with the leash on, try to take her outdoors.

You can try to entice your cat for leash training by giving treats to your cat. If you find this process very cumbersome, just get professional help. It won’t be a surprise if you see lots of cats walking around in their neighborhood with their leashes on.

Set Up Your Aquarium for Feng Shui

Aquariums are not just an attractive addition to your home or office. If set up properly according to the principles of feng shui, it is considered to be a source of wealth chi (energy). The thing that makes feng shui aquariums unique is that they provide an ideal balance of the five elements of feng shui.

* The water element is obvious: it's the water in the aquarium.

* Plants comprise the wood element.

* The structural components are the metal element.

* The earth element is the gravel and rocks you place at the bottom of the tank.

* The lighting represents the fire element. Certain kinds of fish can also provide this element.

This kind of harmony is quite hard to reproduce through any other means and even if you could, it won't be as lovely as an aquarium.

The best location for a feng shui aquarium is the southeast part of the room. This is the place that is associated with abundance and wealth. That means twice as much wealth energy flows through that region.

The most usual kind of fish to keep in a feng shui aquarium is the goldfish or koi. They have a pleasing color and are quite hardy. The dragon fish is also appropriate for a feng shui aquarium; however they can be quite costly. Always be certain that at least one of your fish is black and don't have more than 10 in total in your aquarium.

Just like any other pet environment, you need to be certain that your feng shui aquarium is clean and well maintained so that it can go on bringing you positive chi.

Be sure to remove and replace any dead fish right away and help to keep the plants healthy and green. Your aquarium needs to be in top shape in order to positively impact your wealth chi.

Pet Owners Have Less Stress in Their Lives

When you come home from work, do you walk in the door and get greeted by a wagging tail or a cat sidling up beside you waiting to be pet by you? If so, you’re one of the lucky ones – your stress probably isn’t nearly as bad as it could be if you didn’t have an animal to show love and affection to on a daily basis.

Research has been conducted for decades about pets and their stress relieving benefits. It’s been proven that animals help diffuse your anger. All you have to do is pet them, or even watch them if the type of pet you have isn’t the kind you actually pet, like a bird or a fish.

People who have pets tend to have lower blood pressure, suffer fewer heart attacks, and live longer after being diagnosed with medical problems than those with no pet companionship to help them get rid of stress.

You might notice that many doctors' offices now have large aquariums in their waiting rooms. That’s because the stress of their patients is diminished when they’re focusing on the tranquil scene of swimming fish rather than wondering if the spot on their face is skin cancer or if their doctor will diagnose them with heart disease.

Researchers have found that pet therapy mimics the stress-busting relief that someone has when they undergo hypnosis to help achieve a calmer outlook on life. Many nursing homes are now adopting pets to help the elderly lower their blood pressure and steer clear of stress and depression.

You may have to find a pet that doesn’t require a lot of maintenance if you don’t want the added stress of having to care for an animal. Some pets require constant attention and cost more money, which can add a burden to your life.

If getting a pet is not an option for you at all, then you can still achieve the same benefits using animals to help you stave off stress – you have to find a different way! If your friends are looking for a pet sitter, offer your services.

Spending a few minutes to check in on a pet, take it for a walk, and play with it can help deter you from focusing on other troubles. Or, contact your local animal shelter and volunteer to help care for the pets on a regular basis.

You might do it daily, just on weekends – or only a couple of times a months. Any interaction you have with pets can help you alleviate stress that gets built up in your system and is hard to release.