Tips on Taking Care of Cats & Dogs

Many animal lovers receive the wrong information on how to take care of their pets, writes veterinarian Roger L. Welton in "Canine and Feline 101: A Complete Guide for Selecting, Training and Caring for Dogs and Cats." As the president and staff veterinarian of Maybeck Animal Hospital in Melbourne, Florida, Dr. Welton believes that much of this misinformation comes from unqualified breeders, untrained pet store personnel, and, occasionally, other veterinary professionals not staying current with continuing education in the field. Learning how to care for the four-legged members of your family means talking with your family vet and searching for the knowledge to keep your pets healthy and happy.

  1. Vaccinations

    • Your cat should be on a regular vaccination schedule to prevent fatal diseases, writes Dr. Holly Nash of PetEducation.com. She recommends that cats be vaccinated yearly with the core vaccines for panleukopenia (feline distemper), viral rhinotracheitis (cat flu), calicivirus, and rabies. Your veterinarian may suggest inoculating your outside cat with the feline leukemia vaccine and the vaccine that prevents FIP (feline infectious peritonitis). These highly contagious and deadly diseases target felines that primarily live outdoors.

      The standard vaccination schedule for dogs relies on yearly vaccines for canine distemper, rabies, infectious hepatitis, leptospirosis, and the parvovirus, report the veterinarians at VetInfo.com. Most kennels and boarding facilities also require that your dog be inoculated against kennel cough, since it is contagious and spreads quickly from dog to dog. Depending on the state in which you live, your vet may also recommend inoculating your dog against Lyme disease, which is transmitted by the bite of the brown dog tick.

    Spaying/Neutering

    • The term spaying refers to the surgical removal of your female pet's uterus and ovaries; neutering describes the castration of a male animal. These veterinary surgical procedures render your pet unable to reproduce and may also prove beneficial to your pet's health, reports the American Humane Association. Besides eliminating the insistent crying of a female cat in heat and eradicating the messiness of your female dog, spaying your pet reduces the risk of mammary cancer and totally prevents uterine infection and cancer. Neutering your male pet can stop your dog or cat from urine marking his territory, aggressing against other males, and roaming in order to procreate. Neutering also prevents testicular and prostatic cancers and lowers the incidence of anal cancers.

    Housetraining

    • To housetrain a cat typically means placing the animal on top of the litter box and allowing instinct to take over. The nature of felines tells them to urinate and defecate in the litter and cover up the waste. Many cats need only a clean litter box in quiet area of the house to become housetrained.

      Dogs and puppies require human intervention to learn not to urinate and defecate in the house. To begin housetraining, the Humane Society of the United States advocates establishing a daily routine of feeding at regular times and taking your dog out after set time periods. Picking a spot in the yard for your dog to use and praising the dog after it eliminates establishes a habit in responsive animals. Keeping an eye on your puppy or dog whenever you are in the house and confining it when you are gone also trains your pet when and where to eliminate appropriately.

    Play

    • Dogs and cats need both physical and mental exercise to remain healthy and free of behavioral problems. Kristen Collins, an ASPCA animal trainer, recommends playing with your pet daily and suggests that healthy dogs need 30 minutes of aerobic exercise twice a day. Your cat also requires some type of play that may involve such distractions as a toy, a paper bag, or climbing inside an empty box. Collins suggests that teaching your dogs and cats to play with their toys when they are home alone prevents problematic behaviors including excessive barking, chewing and scratching furniture, and getting into the garbage.