Any time a dog's environment is changed, he/she can become uneasy and anxious about the new situation. The last thing you want to do is stress your beloved pet out when you make the step and move to a new home. Here are a few tips to follow in order to make the transition less stressful for your dog.

1) Include your dog in the packing process. Allow your dog to be around you as you pack up your belongings. You may want to put your dog in another room so he/she doesn't get in your way, but this may have a negative emotional effect. While you are moving your boxes and furniture out of your home, make sure to pay some attention to your dog. As you walk by, pet your dog to make him/her feel included and present in the process.

2) Pay more attention to your dog during the moving process. Dogs may feel that they will be getting left behind as they see everything in the house disappearing. Reassure your dog that you will be bringing him/her as well. Talk in a soothing manner and show your pet lots of love. Don't forget to take some time out so you can give one-on-one attention to your dog. Take your pet for a walk or play with him/her in the yard.

3) Even though moving is a hectic process, try to maintain a sense of normalcy for your pet. Make sure to feed him/her during the same times you would on any other day. Take your dog out to go to the bathroom on a regular schedule. When you are packing and clearing items out of your home, try to keep your dog's bed and favorite toy for last.

4) Prior to your moving day, you should request a copy of your dog's records from the veterinarian. If he/she is on any medications, make sure to have enough of a supply to last until you can find a new vet, if need be. If your dog needs to be groomed, take care of that before leaving your area and moving to a new one.

5) When you move and your house begins to empty out, don't keep your dog home alone while you are transporting your items to your new house. If your dog is left by him/herself in an empty house, you might be causing more stress on your pet. Your dog may feel that you are abandoning him/her if placed in that type of situation. If you are unable to take your dog with you every time, see if a neighbor or friend can pet sit while you are gone. This will help make him/her feel more at ease.

Your pet has been a loving member of your family for years. So what do you do when they pass away? This can be just as traumatic as losing a human family member and it is important to treat the process of handling their body with respect and integrity.

Talking about the death of your pet may feel taboo but doing so before your pet dies is much easier than making rushed decisions that you may regret later. Whether you have a dog, cat, bird, or horse there are many ways to create a lasting memorial of them. Some are more physical while others are more spiritual.

What happens to the body?

If your pet dies at a veterinarian clinic you can take the body home or they can take care of it for you. They can also arrange for your pet’s body to be cremated and you can have the ashes returned if desired.

So, Mr. Fluff son from across the street just mocked your Mittens for not being fashionable enough and tipped his top hat while enjoying his afternoon tea before you could say anything? What a snob, right? But you needn’t worry, for we have the fanciest solution for you. What else can make your cat more formally prepared than the all-time classic bow tie? Why, nothing, of course! Staying in trend is becoming harder and harder for the ordinary cat nowadays, as not all of them has the time (nor the dedication) to tackle the diversity of their attire.

    •    What we need and how will they be used

So it’s up to you, the owner, to pump it up a notch! Today we’ll be making a bow tie for our very own Mittens and we hope he’ll like it just as much as we do. We’ll need a pair of scissors, an iron and a board, some thread and needles, (or maybe a sewing machine), Velcro and a safety pin. Also, we’ll need this pattern:

 Just so you can make sure the pattern you printed was sized correctly:

Today we’re cooking for our furry friends. Because we know that they love food almost as much as they love us, we will bake them some sweet potato treats. These treats have all the benefits that one could ask for, they’re natural, made from healthy whole foods, no added supplements or other creepy stuff that you find on the market and, as a big bonus, they’re chewy – taking our dogs longer to eat them makes this treat a great one by regulating his system in times of need, namely, during indigestion or other bad times like that.

    •    What you’ll need:

    •    Large sweet potatoes
    •    A sharp knife
    •    Cutting board
    •    Baking sheets
    •    Oil for greasing the pans

    •    The actual cooking part!
First things first, you need to preheat your oven to the lowest setting. Around 175 degrees should be just fine. Take your sweet potatoes and slice them up lengthwise into about 1/3 inch thick slices. You don’t need to peel the skin off, as you want them to be thick for the dehydration process and this also helps with the chewiness.
Now comes the long part of this process. Since we want to dehydrate the sweet potatoes, we will need to grease the baking sheets, arrange the slices on a flat surface and then place the pans on the top racks inside the oven, where we will let them do their thing for… pretty long, actually. Eight hours, to be precise. Yep, that’s dehydration for you. If you really want to get it over with, you can crank up the temperature, but the outcome won’t be as good and fleshed out if you’d let it properly do its thing.

Here’s a tip:

If you want the treats to be softer, you can leave them for less time in the oven, that’s make for some chewier ones that break a little harder, something close to the texture of taffy, but if you want them dryer and tougher, leave them for a longer amount of time. We found that the best ones are left for longer in the oven, turning it off when they were almost fully dry to the touch and letting them in the oven overnight – perfection greeted us the next morning.

    •    Time to feast!
Is it morning already? It’s treat time for the doggy! Call him to the kitchen; let him feel the smell, then serve him the delicious goodies you spent so much time making him. I’m sure he’ll love them, Rover sure did and he didn’t leave any for his brother, Spot. Oh, well, I guess the early bird gets the worm. He thanked us with a big grin on his face. I must admit, I was really tempted to try some, they looked and smelled absolutely delicious but I had to restrain myself. And I barely could.
That’s it! A simple recipe for some delicious dog treats that are sure to make his tail wag. Bon appétit!

People with pets are used to their pet's daily habits and behaviors. Cats and dogs will have a special area where he/she enjoys resting. Even birds develop certain behaviors and routines that we are accustomed to observing. When these behaviors suddenly change, it can be a sign that your pet is sick. If you are used to being greeted by a singing bird or a special greeting, and your bird stops this action then it may be suffering from an illness. It is important to notice any changes so you can address them immediately. Birds are especially sensitive to illnesses because they are delicate creatures. You may not even see any obvious sign of sickness until it’s too late. Here are several signs of sickness to watch out for if you have a bird.

1) Runny Droppings
Every type of bird has a specific, normal look to their droppings. If you notice that your bird's normal droppings are different, then he/she may be sick. Generally, bird droppings consist of a center that is more solid and darker in color, while the outer areas are whiter and more liquid. If the droppings are more watery than they usually look, this is a sign of infection.

2) Runny Nose
Just like humans, birds may develop a runny nose when they are ill. If you are noticing this type of discharge that is not normal, then you should determine if your bird is well or not. Do not ignore symptoms such as this.

3) Feather and Posture Changes
Birds have a way about them when they enjoy fluffing their feathers at certain times. However, if you notice that your bird's feathers are staying more fluffed than not, then it may be ill. Pay attention to the general posture of your bird. It may be hard to observe, but make a note of it. That way, if there is a change in your bird's posture, you can see that something may be wrong.

4) Appetite Changes
When your bird suddenly has a loss of appetite or just eats less, this is a sign that your bird may be sick. When any animal doesn't want to eat like it normally would, this is definitely a warning that something is wrong. Your bird may lose the ability to play with toys as he/she typically would because of the loss of energy from not eating. Pay attention to those signs as well.

5) Changes in Coloring
If you see that your bird has lost color in his/her body parts, then you may have to address the possibility of an illness. Always pay attention to any discoloration in your bird's facial features, like eyes and beak. If they don't look as they always do, have your bird checked for disease. Also make note of the coloring of your bird's feet and legs. If those change color, he/she may be suffering from a sickness.