Raena sits and poses in her new tiger harness

Service Cats: Kitten/Cat Proofing Your Home Pt. 3

Published on July 6, 2018 by Service Cats U.S.30 Comments

MeOW Welcome to Service Cats and Everything Feline on Furidays. Each week we tackle the questions and topics ya’ll have asked and suggested. We welcome all questions; just leave them in the comments below or send us an email via our Contact page. Remember, when asking behavioral questions, be as specific as pawssible and give any relevant examples so that we may know how best to answer. And, ifin you’ve missed any of the posts in our Service Cat series, you can ketch up by clickin’ the links on our Training Tips and Everything Feline page from the menu. We’ve been focusing on Kitten/Cat Proofing your home for the last couple of weeks, and we’ll be coverin’ more Tips fur you today. June was adopt a kitty month and we hope lots of kitties found their happy furever. Unfurtunately, we couldn’t find any stats on exactly how many kitties found homes this past month, but we believe every month is a great month to bring a new kitty into your life and home. So, let’s get to our next room.

The followin’ post will be written in human English fur reader and translator ease. Our Service Cat posts aren’t intended to be an all inclusive Trainin’ Manual but rather Tips, Tricks and Techniques used/developed by mommy A thru her many years of animal trainin’, cats in purrticular. And to offur insight into your questions about Everything Feline. Always remember, Training is all ‘bout Repetition and Rewards.

We started out in the living room and moved to the kitchen and dining room. Last week we focused on the bathroom and laundry room. We didn’t mention medicine cabinets, as most homes these days don’t have one. But don’t worry, we’ll get to that subject as it’s very important. So, today we’re going to cover the bedroom and those extra rooms some have, known as sewing/craft rooms or spare bedrooms. The bedroom has a few areas of concern to watch out for. Closets are always tempting to kitties because they have a door, lots of hanging things and sometimes different levels of shelving. Often times access to the attic/crawl space are located in the closet. Before allowing kitty access to the closet, make sure the crawl space access spot is securely covered. Mommy lived in an apartment once where the neighbors’ kitty used to visit others through the crawl space. This is a very dangerous area for kitty to be. Insulation can contain fiberglass or be treated with toxins.

Bedroom and Closet:

Of course, you may choose to do as mommy does and not allow kitty in the closet. Either way, before closing the closet door and leaving, especially for extended periods of time, always check to make sure kitty didn’t get past you to explore. The same goes for chests and dresser drawers. These spaces filled with comfy clothing of our humans is so very tempting. Many a kitty has spent the day closed up in a drawer because their human didn’t check before closing it.

And of course, don’t forget about all the goodies on top of the chests and dressers, such as perfume, cologne, jewelry and jewelry boxes, coins/money, knick knacks and televisions. Keep jewelry boxes closed and all jewelry stored safely inside. There’s lots of tempting shiny things that kitty may find appealing, but can cause damage if swallowed. Put away spare change, many a kitty/woofy has had to have surgery to remove money from their tummy. Push perfumes and cologne bottles away from the edge as well as any breakable knick knacks. Altho’ kitties are very stealthy and can walk in the tightest of spaces, our tails do occasionally betray us and knock things to the floor. Nope, you didn’t see me’s paw push your antique photo frame off the dresser.

Night Stand or Table:

Let’s not forget about the night stand/table located next to the bed. You know, the one with that obnoxious alarm on it? Sometimes peeps like to read before going to bed, so the night stand/table can often contain reading glasses, lamps, a drinking glass, and medicine/cough drops during times of illness. We covered cords in Pt. 1 of Kitten/Cat proofing, so we won’t cover that again. If you have a drink before bed, remember not to leave alcoholic beverages unattended on the night stand/table. Alcohol is toxic to both cats and dogs. If possible, use a plastic cup containing only water just in case kitty/woofy decides to have a drink and pushes it off the table during the night.

Medications:

NEVER leave any medication unattended or within kitty’s reach. Assume all meds are toxic and store appropriately. Cough drops and cough syrups usually contain codeine or some other form of depressant/alcohol. Keep them in the night stand drawer or a cabinet. If you think kitty has gotten into any medication, call your V-E-T immediately.

Sewing/Crafting/Spare Room:

The last room we’ll talk about today is the spare/sewing/crafting/art room. Kitties love strings, so we definitely love thread. We don’t have a specific room for these things in our house, but mommy does have a sewing area complete with sewing machine, supplies like needles, threads, pins and pin cushion, scissors, elastic, zippers, tape, glue, paint, brushes and other items. There’s more than one needle with a left over piece of thread stored in it. If these items aren’t put away and stored in a closed container, they can be deadly to kitties and doggies, not to mention small children.

Always unplug the foot pedal to your sewing machine when it’s not in use. We also recommend covering your sewing machine so that kitty isn’t tempted to check it out. Pick up any errant pieces of thread and throw them out. Crafters, never leave a hot glue gun unattended and put your supplies away in a closed container when finished or taking a break. Be mindful of the products you are using. Some should only be used in well ventilated areas. When using these kinds of products, keep kitty out of the area. Our lungs are much smaller than a humans and can succumb to toxic fumes much quicker. Keep buttons, sequins, glitter and other small accessories stored in closed containers and only take out what you can work with at one time. Mommy also paints. It’s important to keep paints and paint brushes in a closed container especially when not in use. Put canvases or other painted pieces out of kitty’s reach to dry.

Well, there sure are a lot of dangers ‘round the house.Unfurtunately, peeps offen overlook a lot of these till it’s too late. Anyways, we’ll be wrappin’ this topic up next week when we take a look at the garage, yard and furinally our toys. Can you believe there are dangers in the very toys intended fur us to play with? Well, join us next week and find out. In the meantime, we’re joinin’ Comedy Plus fur Feline Furiday. Don’t furget to leave you questions and topic suggestions in the comments below or by sendin’ us an email via our contact page. And, you can ketch up on any post in the series by clickin’ the links on our Training Tips and Everything Feline page.

Till the next time………………………………………………Be Blest!!!

Luv and Hugs and Kitty Kisses

Deztinee and RaenaBelle

Service Cats: Kitten/Cat Proofing Your Home Pt. 2

Published on June 29, 2018 by Service Cats U.S.19 Comments

MeOW Welcome to Service Cats and Everything Feline on Furidays. We’re runnin’ on our 3rd no sleep day and adrenenline cuz of early meownin’ ‘pointments. But, we didn’t want to skip postin’ today, cuz our current topic is very ‘purrtant, and we hope lots of kitties find their new furevers befur the end of the month. Anyways, as always you can ketch up or re-read any of the posts in this series by clickin’ on Training Tips and Everything Feline from our menu above. And you can submit your questions or suggest topics fur us to cover by leaving a comment on this posty or sendin’ us a purrivate email via our Contact page, also in our menu bar above. Purrlease ‘member when askin’ behavioral questions to be as specific as pawsible and use any examples you feel best describes the behavior you’re askin’ ‘bout. Alrighty then, let me turn on me’s human speakin’ and spellin’ voice and get this posty started.

The followin’ post will be written in human English fur reader and translator ease. Our Service Cat posts aren’t intended to be an all inclusive Trainin’ Manual but rather Tips, Tricks and Techniques used/developed by mommy A thru her many years of animal trainin’, cats in purrticular. And to offur insight into your questions about Everything Feline. Always remember, Training is all ‘bout Repetition and Rewards.

Last week we started a mini-series on Kitten/Cat Proofing your home. Most of these tips are also good for puppy/dog proofing as well. You can read Pt. 1 here. Cats are curious by nature, and that can spell trouble if we get into something we’re not supposed too. Like two legged children, we rely on you, our human to make sure our home and surroundings are safe for us. We started inside the house since we think it’s important for kitties to live inside. It’s just too dangerous for kitty to be outside roaming the streets.

The Bathroom and Laundry room:

Let’s take a look at the safety issues in the Bathroom/Laundry room. Now, we know that not all laundry rooms are in the bathroom, but clumping them together just seems natural. After all what other 2 rooms are designed for cleaning something dirty? Anyways, whether you have a vanity or just a sink, be prepared to find kitty lounging about the porcelain on those really hot days of summer. Mommy prefers cleaning with steam, but she also makes a homemade all purpose cleaner using 1/2 cup of Vinegar, 1 Tbsp. of Dawn dish detergent and water in a 16 oz. spray bottle. Mommy’s also used this same concoction to mop the floors, clean mirrors and windows. It’s a great all natural and safe cleaner. If you use bleach or other harsh chemicals for cleaning, be sure to store them out of kitty’s reach and rinse all surfaces thoroughly after cleaning. Remember, kitty will walk across most surfaces and then lick their paws.

Keep the toilet seat down, especially if you have or plan on adopting small kittens. Did you know one can actually drown in as little as 1 inch of water? So please keep that toilet seat in the downward position. We don’t recommend using those leave in toilet bowl cleaners just in case you or perhaps company forgets and leaves the toilet seat up. Accidents happen and it only takes one time to turn your life upside down.

Most laundry rooms have a small shelf up high for storing dangerous chemicals. Always keep washing machine and dryer doors closed and check and double check before turning them on. It’s a good idea to have a vent cover over the dryer exhaust vent outside to keep small animals and cats from trying to crawl in that way. If you don’t have a dryer but have the vent, it should be covered from the inside too. The exhaust vent isn’t meant to be a kitty/doggy door.

You should also store human soaps, shampoos and conditioners closed and out of kitty’s reach. Altho’ most of these won’t kill kitty, they could result in sickness or other long term health diseases. If you’re a bath taker, never leave kitty/woofy unattended with a full tub of water. Do Not use human bubble baths, bath oils or bombs when bathing kitty/doggy. Please be careful when using products like hair spray, deodorants, perfumes, hair dyes, lotions, toothpaste and other hygiene and grooming products. Never use them directly on kitty/woofy and be careful they don’t get caught in 2nd hand sprays or applications. Only use toothpastes and shampoos specifically made for kitty/woofy.

The bathroom probably has the fewest electric outlets and the most hanging cords in the house. Blow dryers, curling/straight irons, shavers, toothbrushes, and other small appliances can all be shock hazards. Make sure all cords are properly stored and unplugged. Remember, kittens get into everything, and even older cats are curious about new surroundings and things. Keep trash cans covered or under the sink if possible. Bathrooms that come with windows, usually have very small ones, none the less, keep them closed or at least keep an eye on kitty so he/she doesn’t try to get out of it or fall out by accident.

One last thing before we leave the bathroom as we have personal experience with this one. Any over the toilet storage/shelving units should be anchored to the wall or have a sturdy base that allows it to be a stand alone product. Choose non glass items to display on the shelves. You never know when kitty’s curiosity might get the best of him/her and the unit including all it’s contents come crashing to the floor.

Can you believe it? Mommy cut half mine’s face off and

got all that goopy stuff in mine’s eyes. Just one of the many bloopers we have.

Well, fur the smallest rooms in the house, they sure do have a lot of dangers. MOL Anyways, we’ve got just a few more rooms befur we’re finished. So, get your questions and topic suggestions in now. And don’t furget, you can ketch un on any post on this series by clickin’ the links on our Training Tips and Everything Feline page from the menu above. We’re gonna be joinin’ Comedy Plus fur Feline Furiday and the Cuddlywumps fur Pet Photo Fails and Bloopers. And do we ever have bloopers. ‘Course, we wouldn’t x’pect anythin’ else with mommy behind the camera. MOL We plan on sleepin’ soon and we’re not settin’ any alarms. So, we’ll be ‘round to visit just as soon as we can.

Till the next time…………………………………………………..Be Blest!!!

Luv and Hugs and Kitty Kisses

Deztinee and RaenaBelle

Service Cats: How To Have A Furry Successful Halloween

Published on October 23, 2017 by Service Cats U.S.36 Comments

MeOW Welcome to another Service Cat Monday. The holidays are fast approachin’, so we’d like to share some Tips to make the holidays safe and fun fur everypawdy, your furry family members included. Today, we’ll focus on halloween. The followin’ post will be written in human English fur reader and translator ease. Our Service Cat Monday posts aren’t intended to be an all inclusive Trainin’ Manual but rather Tips, Tricks and Techniques used/developed by mommy A thru her many years of animal trainin’, cats in purrticular. And to offur insight into your questions about Feline Behavior. Ifin you have any questions or topics you would like us to cover, purrlease let us know in the comments section or send us an email. When asking behavioral questions, purrlease be as specific as pawssible. And, ifin you’ve missed any of the posts in this series, you can ketch up by clickin’ the links at the end of this post. Always remember, Training is all ‘bout Repetition and Rewards.

Remember, we think every anipal is much happier with a bit of Training. The first holiday quickly approaching is halloween. We don’t celebrate halloween for religious reasons, but a lot of people do; and it’s very important to remember your fur family doesn’t necessarily find it as much fun as humans do. Let’s look at the costumes first. With the popularity of social media and sharing cute animal photos, more and more costumes for your furry family are appearing. But, not all anipals like getting dressed up. Obviously kitties are less likely to enjoy wearing a costume than dogs, but there are quite a few dogs out there that would prefer their own skin and fur to some elaborate costume. You will know fairly quickly if your pet likes getting dressed up or not. If you happen to have one of those that goes limp, fights, bites, chews at, or tries to shake or scratch off the costume, Please respect your pet and don’t force them into wearing something that makes them uncomfortable. NOTE: A costume is different than a harness worn for safety while walking or being in public.

Me didn’t mind the suit. But the hat’s a little more than this kitty likes.

Next up would be the decorations. Maybe you go all out and have stringed spider webs, carved pumpkins, plastic spiders, bowls of goo or slime, cauldrons with dry ice, etc., or you simply buy a big bowl of candy to hand out; you need to know the dangers to your anipal. String of any kind is harmful to your pet if swallowed. Ya’ might get blessed and the string will pass through the digestive system without difficulty. But, more likely it’s going to cause some serious problems resulting in surgery and VET fees. Silly String, or the string in a can is a sticky plastic and manufactured to keep it’s sticky stringy shape no matter what. Not something you’d want wrapped around your anipals’ intestines. Small plastic/pipe cleaner spiders and decorations are more likely to be chewed by dogs, however some kitties might try as well. Again, not something you really want in your anipals’ tummy. And that cool “eerie” dry ice…well it can burn your anipals’ paws, skin or tongue.

Nuffin’ but kitty treats fur us.

Most people know that chocolate isn’t good for your pets. But what about all those other candies one might buy to pass out? A lot of candies are made with xylotol, which can lead to liver failure. At the very least, your furry friend might end up with gas and tummy upset. Candies made with pure sugar, like a halloween favorite, candy corn, can cause a bad case of diarrhea. Other hard candies and candy in wrappers can cause obstructions. Another trip to the VET and more green papers. Caffeine, also found in many candies, is also toxic to anipals. Raisins, grapes and other healthy for humans treats are toxic to anipals. So, be sure to keep the candy dish covered and out of your furry’s reach. And, please remember, alcohol, carbonated drinks, caffeinated drinks, marijuana, and other human spirits, are all toxic to your furry family member. You can always buy your pet some of their favorite treats to celebrate with. You might even want to make kitty a nice catnip/chamomile tea (boil catnip leaves in water for approx. 15 minutes, let cool, strain and serve).

Kitty lays atop a floating balloon emoji

So, you’re planning a party with all of your friends. Remember, not all animals like loud noises, strange people and commotion. And what about the “Door Darter”? You know, we’re quite happy to stay inside with mommy even when the door’s wide open. But, some anipals look for any chance to slip outside for a quick sniff of fresh air. MOL It’s a good idea to set up a “Decompression Room” (described here) for your pet during the party or when you’re passing out candy to trick or treaters. The last thing you want is for your cat/dog to escape through an open door or to get startled by someone’s costume and bite. Pets ARE NOT Decorations for your holiday party or anything else!!!

As most of you know, we’re against letting your anipal freely roam outside without you. This is especially important during halloween. This particular holiday seems to bring out the kooks worst in people. Whether it’s kids playing pranks or actual Satan worshippers (yes they do exist), black cats in particular are are often targeted for torture. And yes, ANY Animal Abuse is Torture. Altho’ we’re not familiar with it, it’s been brought to our attention the last few years that all white cats are also at risk, as well as dogs of the same colors. PLEASE, keep Fluffy or Fido of any color inside or on a leash with you at the other end during the weeks surrounding halloween.

Taking a few extra steps to ensure your pet is safe and comfortable can make your celebrations a success. You might want to keep the number for animal poison control on hand (888-426-4435), and be sure to check with your VET about after hours emergencies. Better safe than sorry. Be sure to tell your guests not to feed kitty/doggy or better yet, put them in the Decompression Room.

Well, we hope we’ve offured some tips you didn’t know or maybe refreshed the ones you did. There’s no way we could cover every possibility, but ifin you implement just a few of these Tips, everypawdy can come out winners. ‘Member, ifin you have any questions or topics you’d like us to cover, leave a comment below or send us an email. And you can always ketch up on any posts you may have missed by clickin’ the links below.

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Bedroom and Closet:

Night Stand or Table:

Medications:

Sewing/Crafting/Spare Room:

Till the next time………………………………………………Be Blest!!!

Luv and Hugs and Kitty Kisses

Deztinee and RaenaBelle

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Share With Friends:

Like this:

The Bathroom and Laundry room:

Can you believe it? Mommy cut half mine’s face off and

got all that goopy stuff in mine’s eyes. Just one of the many bloopers we have.

Till the next time…………………………………………………..Be Blest!!!

Luv and Hugs and Kitty Kisses

Deztinee and RaenaBelle

Rate this:

Share With Friends:

Like this:

Me didn’t mind the suit. But the hat’s a little more than this kitty likes.

Nuffin’ but kitty treats fur us.

Till the next time……………………………………….Be Blest!!!

Luv and Hugs and Kitty Kisses

Deztinee and RaenaBelle

Service Cats

When the Handler Dies Proper Training Methods Pt. 1 & Pt. 2

Discipline: Stop Countersurfing Kitty Internal Disputes

The Rest of the Story Raena & the Wheelchair Pt. 1 Pt. 2 Pt. 3 Pt. 4

Stop Kitty’s Begging Calling For Help Options Pt. 1