blogPawsome stuff to know for loving pet owners
Autumn may not seem like too hazardous or dangerous a season, but with temperatures dropping and strange new critters and creatures emerging, it’s safe to say that things are going to change a lot for our furry friends at home, too. For dogs, it’s a wonderful new time to explore smells and sights, and to start leaping through piles of leaves and the like!
Foxes are fascinating creatures! They rather tread the line between cats and dogs in terms of their looks and behaviour, though they are very much wild critters. Therefore, it is never a good idea to domesticate a fox, no matter where you may see one!
There are plenty of great reasons to let your moggy explore the outside world! After all, our cats are some of the most curious critters we will ever hope to meet. However, that means that they are often at the mercy of whatever they might find outdoors. This means that – while curiosity is all well and good – you’re not always going to be around to make sure your pet is happy and healthy while on the move.
As the summer months start rolling in, it’s going to be hardly surprising that you’ll see one or two new birds fluttering about. However, some of the most fascinating avian species are those you’re not always likely going to see in the sunshine. The UK is home to a wide variety of owls – and these beautiful, brainy beasts are likely to be rife in your back garden and beyond as we continue through the July and August weeks.
Do you regularly pack your pooch off to the beauty parlour? Right now, that might not be possible – which is why many dog lovers are taking to setting up their own grooming sessions at home. If you have a pet that’s likely to be growing hair and fur out of all control, then you are naturally going to need to keep a close eye on them as the weather gets warmer.
Summer is just about here in the UK, and while the weather is yet to really level out, it’s safe to say that we are already seeing plenty of flying critters and creepy crawlies emerge from the undergrowth. One of the more common sights you’ll find in the UK over the coming months is the bee – and as there are hundreds of different varieties of bees out there, it’s safe to say that your pets are likely to be coming across them a lot.
As you probably already know, cats tend to like exploring here there and everywhere. Even if you have an indoor cat, you will likely know how curious they can get! However, with warm weather just around the corner, there are going to be a few things you can do to ensure that your feline friends don’t overheat in the sun. Whether they roam outside or not, there are plenty of strategies you can employ to keep them cool, calm, and collected.
Snakes are some of the most understood beasties of them all. They make fantastic pets! They perhaps get a bit of a bad rap thanks to their slimy, slithery nature, and the fact that some of them have a bit of a nasty nip – however, there are plenty of snakes in the wild in the UK which are perfectly harmless. The grass snake, for instance, is one of the nicest snakes you’ll come across. However, as there are other snakey slitherers out there which can pose a problem to our pets, it’s worth knowing what to look out for.
Dogs love walks just as much as people do – if not more so! However, some dogs need less or more exercise than others, which is why it’s always a good idea to know what the daily demands of your pet are before you adopt them. For example, a feisty Yorkshire Terrier is much less likely to need a long trot than, say, a boisterous Border Collie!
Spring has well and truly sprung, and that will of course mean that pet owners of both cats and dogs will need to look out for various new animals popping out of hibernation, with some exploring the world for the first time. It’s not completely unheard of, for example, to see hares and rabbits bounding around the place. In our previous articles sharing information about beasties, we’ve focused on those animals that your cats and dogs are likely to come across in the wild. However, this time around, we thought we’d look at how cats and dogs are likely to react to new rabbit pets in the home.
We all have our favourite and least-favourite foods. The Pawsr team can name a few dishes that really don’t sit well with us! However, did you know that even our dogs can be picky eaters? On occasion, our pups can turn their noses up at treats and dishes they’d normally devour without question. This isn’t always a cause for concern, though it’s worth keeping an eye on to ensure that they don’t fall into bad habits. Are you noticing that your dog is starting to get a bit choosy about what they want to eat?
When thinking about potential beasties for this month’s digest, we considered bunnies, chicks and bees – after all, spring has sprung! However, as our focus is always on the sorts of critters your pets are most likely to come across in the wild, we thought we’d take a slightly different route. Spring is also time for some of the slimier, less family-friendly creatures to emerge from the frost. That’s why we’re taking the time this month to look at the humble toad!
Adopting any kind of pet is going to be a big change for everyone involved. However, as we all know, cats deserve very particular treatment! Before you consider adopting a cat, you should always be well-prepared. It’s important you offer a home to your pet which is going to be safe, warm and loving. What’s more, you will need to make sure you have enough time that you can dedicate to them.
Our dogs have very powerful stomachs, but that doesn’t mean they can process absolutely everything! Therefore, it is always worth keeping a close eye on what your dog consumes from day to day. There are a number of human treats and foods which may actually end up causing your pup more harm than good. For example, we should all know by now that too much cocoa – which is still a relatively small amount – can be toxic to dogs.
They love your prize winning veggies as much as they love the soggy British climate. Making their appearance in droves whenever we’ve had a good drizzle – we’re referring, of course, to slugs! Other than being a vital part of our ecosystem, many of us can’t think of anything redeeming about these slimy, black and orange squirmers - and that’s not just because the pawsr team is still bitter about the untimely disappearance of their delicious winter vegetables!
If you share your home with a tiny house tiger, you are probably constantly on the alert for one sound in particular. At least subconsciously, in any case! It’s a sound that repulses even the most devoted cat parents. That distinct, lovely retch… and splat!
Many of us are familiar with that unpleasant aching in the jaw not long after waking up. It’s a tell-tale sign of a restless night, more likely than not due to stress. Maybe your dentist has peered at your pearly-whites and tutted disapprovingly before recommending a night guard or some similar expensive contraption to stop you grinding your teeth while you sleep. Bruxism is the official name for what most of us know as teeth grinding – it can be quite serious and cause severe damage if left untreated, but did you know you’re not the only one affected? Unfortunately, even our canine chums are known to suffer from teeth grinding.
It’s safe to say we’re firmly in an age of hi-tech everything! It truly is astounding what we can now do with the touch of a button or a casual command. We’re probably not too far off being able to actually communicate verbally with our pets. However, until that tech is available on the market and we can actually converse with our furry roommates, certain aspects of their day to day lives remain a mystery to us.
Chinese New Year is almost upon us, which means that a new zodiac animal is going to have a whole year to itself – in 2020, we’re going to be celebrating the year of the rat. But how much do we actually know about these clever and resourceful creatures?
Happy new year fellow animal lovers! 2020 sees not only the start of a new year, but also a new decade, and at this time of year - usually while feeling slightly worse for wear after over-indulging during the Christmas period - many of us make solemn vows that we would never dream of breaking.
Cats sometimes get a bad rap. While dogs are the affable happy-go-lucky pets who are willing to learn new tricks just to keep their owners happy, cats are often seen as aloof or even uncaring – unwilling to budge! As many of us actually know, that really isn’t the case.
The cold weather’s here, which of course means that it might start getting a bit tricky to take your pet pooch out in the sleet, snow and ice. Regardless of how the weather turns in this season, there are always going to be a few great things you can do to keep your furry friends happy when they’re unable to get out so much. We’ve already talked about keeping your pets safe in the cold recently, however, this time, we’ll be looking at things you can do to keep your dogs from getting bored in the cold snap.
We all feel a little glum sometimes - that feeling of chagrin, a deep craving of comfort food and a warm blanket is familiar to many people. It’s especially the case around this time of year, when the days are chilly, far shorter, and darker than usual. It may not surprise you that cats feel the same. According to PetMD, it is perfectly possible for your cat to get depressed.
It’s safe to say that we’ve all seen a robin or two in our time! They’re on almost every greetings card this time of year, and a garden visit from one of these British icons pretty much guarantees feelings of festive cheer no matter what the time of year. Their gorgeous bright red throats are instantly recognisable and their sweet song is so beautiful, they are frequently mistaken for nightingales.
We all know that owning a dog is a one of life’s great pleasures – however, it’s also a great responsibility. One of our main duties to our pets is to make sure they have plenty of exercise. This can be tricky when we don’t necessarily find time to hit the gym ourselves. It happens! Maybe you’ve had a change in work hours, or perhaps you’ve been unwell and simply can’t get out. Either way, your canine pal will still be desperately in need of walkies, even more-so if you live in a home without a garden.
Throughout the country, we are already seeing the undeniable signs that winter is upon us! Though many of us relish the crisp, frozen mornings, the drop in temperature can present a couple of hurdles for our beloved furry sidekicks.
It’s November, it’s after Bonfire Night, it’s official - Christmas is here! The ads are invading our airwaves and stores are swapping their typical pop filled playlists in favour of seasonal songs on loop.
If your pets are anything like ours, they love the great outdoors! Every mud puddle must be swum in and each tree must be tested for scent, scratch-ability, and a bird-watching/hunting vantage point! It’s only natural they encounter non-domesticated critters along the way.
The most festive time of the year is on the approach! With three major holidays on our doorstep – Halloween, Bonfire Night and Christmas - everyone starts to make party plans, and what party can be considered truly festive without seasonal and themed food?
Any seasoned cat owner can easily recognise the gut-wrenching sound of little nails being dragged across a beloved piece of furniture. It’s one of the very few downsides to co-habiting with a feline. Fortunately, there are many ways to prevent your pet from shredding your soft furnishings. One method which has been highlighted for its controversy in the press recently is declawing.
As pet owners, it's safe to say we would all like to know how animals feel. It can be extra tricky to spot behaviour patterns with unfamiliar animals. When you have a dog who just has to be best friends with every other canine in the park, things can get a bit worrisome.
Your cat’s teeth are extremely important to them. As carnivores, they’re going to need those sharp-and-pointies on a daily basis! However, did you know that cats can suffer from similar dental problems as humans do? With that in mind, we should be paying more attention to how we look after our pets’ dental hygiene, and what we can do to protect them moving forwards.
It’s probably pretty easy to assume that all dogs need is a little physical exercise and active stimulation once in a while. However, our beloved pooches need much more than the odd walk or fussing from day to day! As you likely already know, dogs are extremely perceptive and actually have the ability to learn very quickly. Did you know that some dogs can actually learn numbers, as well as words? It really is fascinating that we can train dogs at all, if you think about it!
Anyone who owns a cat will tell you that they are endlessly curious. Cats and curiosity, naturally, come hand in paw – and that’s why plenty of pets find themselves getting caught into many a scrape! Keeping a cat means keeping an eye out for all of their crazy adventures. That means making sure you don’t have anything valuable on mantelpieces that they can weave through, and ensuring you don’t have anything too shiny or interesting for them to bat around.
As we roll into autumn, the nights are starting to draw in sooner, and with that, plenty of people will be purchasing fireworks for the celebrations and festivities ahead. However, while this may be great fun for people, our dogs can often get very scared or anxious due to the loud, frequent noise. While some dogs can cope well with the rolling noise of fireworks, others can show signs of high anxiety.
All cat owners know too well that litter trays can be a bit of a nuisance! However, setting up a convenient toilet space for your cat is always going to be preferential to you finding mess on the carpet. Once you’ve got the hang of filling up and disposing of litter, there’s really nothing to it. But what if there was a more convenient option?
pawsr is the new social network just for pets.
It's the purrrrfect place to share and enjoy beautiful photos and videos of our four-legged friends in a loving community.
Connect with like-minded pet owners by giving your cat or dog a dedicated social media presence.