How to Teach Your Cat How to Sit

Although teaching cat tricks such as sitting, staying and heeling is normally not very often accomplished. Cats can be trained in much the same way as dogs. Cats are intelligent creatures with minds of their own which is why they have become renowned for not being taught cat tricks but with a few cat training tips and a little bit of patience, you will soon find that there is nothing that you cannot teach your cat to do.

If you are looking to teach your cat to sit then a few cat training tips will come in rather useful. First of all you need to have a fair bit of patience and plenty of cat treats but aside from this, it should only take you around ten minutes to teach your cat tricks such as this.

Repetition is essential for training a cat and it is better to train them when they are at kitten age as it will take considerably longer for an adult cat to pick up cat tricks like the sit trick. You should make sure that you have plenty of treats to bribe your cat and also to reward it when it has followed your commands.

Ideally your cat should be on an elevated surface with its back to one wall. Move the treat to just above the cats head in a straight line from the nose to the middle of both ears and then wait for your cat to sit and accept the treat. Praise is essential as you need to let the cat know that they have followed your command and that you are happy about it and one of the most useful cat training tips for cat tricks such as this is to buy a clicker that is the same for when you are training a dog.

When holding the treat above the cats head, you should try to say the name of the cat as well as saying "Sit" in a voice that is friendly yet stern. Do not reward your cat if he or she does not sit but make sure that you do treat them when they have completed the expected action.

Once you have done this a few times, your cat will soon have learned that the sit command from you is rewarded with a treat when he or she sits down and you will have successfully mastered one of the cat tricks!

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Three Reasons to Adopt a Pet Right Now!

There are so many reasons why if you can you really should adopt a pet. For starters, the humane society and the animal shelters are literally over crowded, bursting at the seams. As a result they have to put animals to sleep every day to make room for the new animals that are coming in on a daily basis. Another reason is that animals are a result of human breeding, we put them here, and we need to do our part to assure that they are allowed the best life that they can possibly live. Still not convinced? Here are three more reasons!

Save a life

You save a life when you adopt a pet, a pet that may otherwise have to be put down due to the lack of available funds to care for such animals at the local shelters.

Make a new friend

The companionship that you will be offered and the love, and loyalty that you will get when you adopt a pet are literally second to none.

Do your part

We all need to do our part to assure that every living creature is afforded the best opportunity at survival. This also involves being proactive. Adopt a pet today!

Kids and Cats

Your child must learn to respect the cat and treat him gently. Your influence as a role model is essential here. Supervise any interaction between your child and the cat until you are confident both are behaving properly.

Your child should be sitting calmly for the initial meeting — any fast movements will send the cat into hiding. Bring the animal to the child and help your youngster pet him, stroking with the fur, not against it. Show your child how to play gently; no tail pulling.

Teach your child how to hold the cat so that he is properly supported. And more importantly, your child should know when to let the cat go. Most youngsters can learn to read body language: If the cat is wriggling or his tail is lashing and his ears are back, it's time to put him down. Kittens are delicate and can be injured by a child's overly tight hug. And don't allow a child to tease the cat, or to disturb him when he is eating, using the litter box or in a deep sleep

Meditate with your pet

Meditation is usually viewed as a spiritual practice, but research shows that there are innumerable health benefits as well. Most physical illness is caused by stress, and meditation provides stress relief by calming down the mind and body. A regular meditation practice is one of the best things you can do for your mind and body.

I often hear people say “I can’t meditate. I can’t shut down my thoughts.”

You don’t have to. Simply making the commitment to sit quietly for fifteen, ten, even five minutes a day can have beneficial effects. Don’t judge yourself – if you find that you can’t quiet your mind, try and simply acknowledge your thoughts, and then gently let them go.

Your pets can help you meditate. If you can’t clear your mind, try focusing on the purring cat in your lap or the sleeping dog by your side. Focus on the love you share with your pet. While this may not be what some purists consider meditation, I can guarantee you that it will change your state of mind to one of peace and relaxation.

Vegan pet food – not a good choice

There’s been a recent media buzz about vegan food for pets. ABC News reported that it might be a bit easier for dogs than cats to live the vegan lifestyle. A recent op-ed piece in the New York Times suggested a vegan diet for cats as a viable option to reduce the over-depletion of fish stocks. This was followed a few days later by an article in The Huffington Post titled “Vegan Pet Food – Is It Okay To Raise a Cat Vegan?”, which generated hundreds of comments.

Dogs are omnivores and are able to suvive on plant materials alone, but keep in mind that they are meat eaters by nature and do best with at least some meat in their diet, so a vegan diet is not in the best interest of your canine companion.

Cats are carnivores, and as such, cannot sustain life unless they consume meat in some form. They are extremely sensitive to even a single meal deficient in arginine, an amino-acid that is a building block for protein. A cat’s natural diet in the wild consists of mice and birds, both of which are almost all protein. This is why diets high in protein and low in carbohydrates are best for cats.

People adopt the vegan lifestyle for a variety of reasons, some of them health related, others as a conscious choice to help the planet. While I applaud people who choose this lifestyle, it’s too restrictive for me. I’m mostly vegetarian, but I do eat fish and seafood. I even occasionally allow myself to give in to a craving for some meat or poultry – cravings that probably have very little to do with any physical need and are more emotionally motivated dating back to growing up on the heavily meat-based diet of my native Germany.

However, no matter what your reasons for being vegetarian or vegan, please don’t subject your cat or dog to the same choice. They’ll be healthier and happier if they’re allowed to be the meat eaters nature designed them to be. As for cats depleting the planet’s fish stock, I’ll worry about Amber’s carbon footprint when she starts driving an SUV.

Natural flea and tick control

Many natural products contain essential oils such as Pennyroyal, Tea Tree or Citrus oils. None of these are safe to use around pets, especially around cats. The Lavender Cat is an excellent website devoted to scientific research about cats and essential oil safety. The site is currently being revised, but it has some good basic information about why essential oils are not safe to use around cats. I realize that there are some manufacturers who claim that their oils are pure and safe to use around cats, but quite frankly, I wouldn’t take any chances on statements of that nature unless they’re backed up by research by an independent toxicologist.

It seems that the only safe natural flea control methods are as follows:

* A good flea comb with tightly spaced teeth. Comb your pet daily during flea season and drop any fleas you find into a bowl of soapy water to kill them.
* Bathe your pet with a gentle shampoo such as oatmeal. Don’t use harsh flea shampoos, most of them have chemicals in them.
* Vacuum vacuum vacuum. I came across one suggestion to cut up a conventional flea collar and put it inside the vacuum cleaner’s bag – it reportedly will kill any live fleas, eggs and pupae you vacuum up. I don’t know for sure that this will work, but it made sense in a strange kind of way.
* Adding Brewer’s yeast to your pet’s food may help deter fleas from attaching to your pet.
* Sprinkle diatomaceous earth in your yard to cut down on the flea population. Diatomaceous earth also makes a great natural pantry bug killer, it works for all insects. It’s reported to be safe around pets, but don’t sprinkle it directly on your pet!

Ultimately, it comes down to weighing the risks of conventional flea and tick products against the risks of the health problems caused by fleas and ticks. Many pets have been using chemically based flea and tick products safely and without any problems for many years. Flea contact dermatitis and anemia are unpleasant health problems that definitely compromise a pet’s quality of life. Lyme disease can be crippling, and, in its worst form (Lyme nephritis), it can kill.

Depending on your cat’s lifestyle (indoor vs. outdoor), regular fecal examinations are recommended. Discuss parasite control with your veterinarian, but be aware that many of the leading flea and tick control products are pesticides. Look for natural alternatives instead.