CAT SCRATCH FEVER Protecting Your Home from Kitty Claws Birds fly, dogs dig, and cats scratch. It’s an instinctive behavior that helps your cat stretch,
According to Animal Planet’s cat expert Jackson Galaxy, positioning is crucial. If your cat
de-stress, groom, and mark their territory. But it's not cute when your cat destroys your furniture, carpet, drapes, or molding. It’s downright expensive. Training a cat to stop using their favorite scratching spot (also known as your couch) typically requires both positive and negative reinforcement. Let’s start with the negative. Avoid scaring or punishing your cat for their natural behavior, as it will only teach them to fear you and result in other forms of acting out. Instead, try temporarily covering surfaces with aluminum foil, double-sided tape, or a citrus scent — all things cats dislike. But this is only the beginning. If you only remove your cat's favorite spots to scratch, they'll soon find new ones. Cats need to scratch, so you need to provide them with appropriate options they can use instead of your favorite rug.
likes scratching the couch in the middle of the room, sticking a scratching post in a faraway corner won’t work. You have to provide your cat with a scratching option more attractive than the one they’ve chosen. So, you should put the decoys where the cat wants to be, not where you want them hidden away. You’ll also want to find a material your cat enjoys. Before spending a lot of money, try several inexpensive options like cardboard, sisal, and rope. Cat scratchers also come with carpet coverings, but experts warn against these options — once your cat gets used to scratching carpet, they may think all the carpet in the house is fair game. It may also help to keep your cat’s claws neatly trimmed. Overly long nails can become painful and lead to more frequent scratching. By clipping them every couple of weeks, you’ll do your cat and yourself a favor.
All of these options are better than declawing your cat. Declawing removes approximately one- third of a cat’s toe, is painful, and prevents them from engaging in instinctive
behaviors. Further, the procedure often trades one undesirable behavior for another, as many declawed cats become aggressive or refuse to use the litter box. If you need additional tips for keeping your cat happy but your home intact, we’ll be glad to discuss the matter during your next visit.
Homemade Meatballs for Dogs Inspired by HouseThatBarks.com
Clien th ts e SWpr o e r a d ding
INGREDIENTS
CJ Cannell
• •
2 oz low-fat yogurt 1/2 cup almond flour
• • •
1 lb ground beef
1 tbsp chopped parsley, fresh or dried
1 egg or 1/4 cup applesauce, unsweetened
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. 2.
In a large bowl, mix the ground beef.
3. Chop parsley and add it to the bowl. 4. Lightly beat the egg with a fork and add it to the bowl, or add applesauce if using as a substitute. 5. Add the yogurt and almond flour, then mix all ingredients well. 6. With hands, form the mixture into small meatballs. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper and place the meatballs on top. 7. Cool completely before giving to your dog as a treat. Freeze extra meatballs for later use.
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