Cats, Dogs & All Pets

A growing affection for pets has Americans buying increasingly creative pet products, from self-washing, toilet bowl-shaped cat litter boxes and dog strollers to tennis ball-launching doggie golf-club drivers, treat launchers and high-tech clippers. These popular new products and hundreds of others were unveiled at Global Pet Expo, the pet industry’s biggest annual trade show in the world. Figures from the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA) show spending on pets is at an all-time high-an estimated $38.4 billion this year.

So just where are these billions going?

$15.2 billion for food

$9.3 billion for supplies and over-the-counter medications

$9.4 billion for veterinarian care

$1.8 billion for live animal purchases

$2.7 billion for other services.

And it’s not just the basics. APPMA’s National Pet Owners Survey exhibits 27 % of dog owners and 13 % of cat owners buy their pets birthday presents, and 55 % of dog owners and 37 % of cat owners buy their pets holiday presents.

All this spending and pampering has prompted ingenuity ranging from low-maintenance aquariums, matching sunglasses for dogs and their owners and spa treatments for your pet, to laser cat toys and adjustable heating and massaging dog beds.

Industry experts point to a continued trend in the humanization of pet products. “Both baby boomers and young professionals who’re delaying having families in favor of careers are embracing pets to fill up the void at home,” stated APPMA President Bob Vetere. “With these families’ higher-than-average disposable incomes, their pets are enjoying elaborate high-end and high-tech products and also innovative devices made for convenience for the pet owner.”

Pet owners report in APPMA’s National Pet Owners Survey that they have a special bond with their pets and consider them a best friend, a companion or like a child or member of their family.

Vetere likens it to his experience with his golden Lab, Dakota. “I can sit and speak to him and tell him any problem I have and he just sits there with his tongue hanging out, smiling at me, just waiting for me to finish. It is like, ‘OK, you feel better now? Let’s go outside and play.’

“We have come a long way in terms of how we view and treat our pets,” concluded Vetere. “Fortunately, for pets and people, there is still lots of opportunity for healthy growth.”

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Pet owners have their work cut out for them. The responsibility involved with owning a pet is almost a full time job. You’ve got to keep them fed, sheltered, cleaned, and loved. But along with taking care of man’s best friend or your finicky feline companion you also have to contend with your home.

By no fault of their own, your pets can wreak havoc upon your carpet. They really don’t mean to. They just don’t know any better. So here are a few points on how to keep your carpet looking great despite the presence of pets in your home.

The very first thing you should do is to be sure to vacuum routinely. For non-pet owners it is strongly recommended to vacuum at least once a week. When you’ve got a cat or dog you might like to bump that up to 2-3 times a week. This will get all that pet hair up from the carpet. Always go over your furniture and tile also. Vacuuming is definitely the easiest and most effective task that can be done to regulate how much pet dander and hair your home can certainly acquire.

If your pet ends up having an accident you should treat the area as quickly as you possibly can. The earlier you take care of the area the higher probability you have of getting it completely clean. If your pet does a number two then be sure to pick it up with a paper towel first. When urine is the issue then you should start with extracting as much of the liquid as you can. This can be achieved by using a shop vac or several towels. If you utilize towels make sure you set a weight on top and give the urine some time to soak up into the towels.

When you’ve finished extracting then you’ll want to work with a cleaning agent to clean the rest of the spot. There are a selection of over the counter spot removers which you can use or perhaps you may want to mix your own. Three parts warm water to one part white vinegar is a wonderful home solution for pet urine. Simply apply it on the stain and blot with a clean towel.

Blotting is important. You don’t want to rub on a stain in your carpet, ever. Following cleaning with the solution make sure to rinse the spot with clean water and then extract once again using the shop vac or some clean towels.

If there’s still some odor after the area has dried simply put a little baking soda all over it and leave it there for a time to soak up the scent. Afterward simply vacuum up the baking soda and you should be fine.

These easy steps can go a long way to keeping your carpet looking healthy and tidy even when you have pets.

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Choosing from among the many available bird cages for one that’s just right for your pet bird can be more complicated than you’d have thought. Not only do you have to have a cage that fits well in your own living space, but you must also consider that different types and sizes of cages are specific for different types of pet birds; you also must consider your bird’s physical needs as well. In fact, even the bird’s psychological needs should be taken into account when you’re selecting a cage, because too tight a confinement can be very distressing for a creature originally meant to fly freely through open spaces.

The first factor in choosing a pet bird cage is not merely the size of the space they’ll be in, but the ambience of the room itself. You need to prepare a clear, secure space where the cage can sit or hang at eye level. It should be close enough to the activities of the room to allow for some social interaction with family members.

For the sake of bird health, though, the cage should also be placed away from drafts and windows, and should not sit in full sunlight. You also need to ensure that no other pets, such as cats, can get at it.

The shape and size of bird cages is also important. Round cages are not recommended, because some birds climb around and around the cage walls, with no stable reference points, and can become psychologically distressed as a result. They also need as much space as possible for flapping their wings and even flying short distances. Because birds are not designed for such confinement, having a pet bird cage that’s too small can also create psychological problems, resulting in aggressive, damaging behavior or even plucking their own feathers.

Bird cages don’t just provide a setting from which a bird will adorn your home with its colorful plumage and add sweet songs to the sounds of your household. The cage you choose can be regarded as part of the pet care you give your bird. Having the right cage is as vital to the bird’s physical and psychological health as choosing the right food. The cage will keep it safe, house its food and water, and contain entertaining toys. But it also must keep the bird’s mental health in good shape as well.

Learn about the different types of bird feeders that will attract birds to your yard, from decorative bird feeders to squirrel proof feeders, at the Outdoor Bird Feeders site.

With the holidays just around the corner, it is time to start thinking of gifts to give your friends and loved ones. Finding unique gifts can give you a challenge, and most people never consider giving pet-related presents. Since the chances are good that a lot more than one person on your holiday gift list includes a pet that he or she loves, why not give a special gift that your recipient will cherish? Listed here are five great gift ideas to get you started:

1. Fine Art Animal Prints

Dogs may come in many shapes and sizes, but each has a personality all its own. One of many most delightful gifts you can give to a pet lover is a fine art print of his or her breed. One of the most notable artists offering fine art animal prints is Lorena Pugh. Her print, “Princess,” for instance, depicts a white toy poodle laying atop a stack of twelve colourful pillows, while “Angel Face” showcases a beautiful pug who has just snagged a cluster of grapes off of a dining room table. In “Chocolate Craving,” she realistically captures the yearning of a chocolate lab as he reaches for a tennis ball against a beautiful background of blue sky. These limited edition animal prints are sure to be cherished, as each comes with a consecutively numbered dog tag to match the tag in the print.

2. Crystal Animal Statues

Regardless of whether your gift recipient has a dog, cat, horse, or rabbit, he or she is certain to enjoy an elegant crystal animal statue. Usually made from 24 % lead crystal, hand-finished animal statues are beautiful yet whimsical. Crystal animal statues can depict a wide selection of pets, from a sitting cat to a dog with a bone; from a turtle to a frog; from a horse to a mouse; and from a duck to a dove.

3. Stone Animal Statues

Who would not enjoy a playful stone animal statue showing their much loved pet? Animal garden statues are perfect presents, much like stone animal statues for the home and office. While some statues – such as a sleeping spaniel puppy or an eager dachshund – make you feel warm inside, others – like a cat holding a pair of binoculars up to his eyes, ever watchful for a bird – make you chuckle. Stone animal statues are available for practically any type of pet, and are certain to be cherished.

4. Animal Posters

If you’ve ever owned a pet, you know how funny they can be. Animal posters illustrate pets in a number of extravagant situations (bear in mind the cat in “Hang in There”?), and are eminently inexpensive. An animal poster is sure to bring a smile to your recipient’s face.

5. Entertainment

When it comes to gifts for pet lovers, there’s nothing more unique that pet-related entertainment. There is actually a music company that creates music for animals, so think about giving a gift of music about and for cats, dogs, or birds. One more great gift idea is to purchase a DVD or video that’s created to entertain your recipient’s dog or cat. Your friend or loved one can play the DVD or video while he or she is at the office or out running errands – guilt free!

It is both original and thoughtful to give a gift that appreciates your recipient’s pet as being a central part of his or her life. Pet lovers will appreciate and treasure your gift, regardless of whether it is a fine art animal print or an entertaining DVD.

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Pigeon racing is a sport of elite society that involves the release of these domesticated birds in spatial speed competitions that last over a predetermined distance. The key to the win of a particular bird is not just determined by the time it takes in its flight but also by other facts such as velocity since many of these take to the finishing line at the same time. This is why there has been developed a winning system where all units of measurements including those of aerial dimensions such as yards are counter-related to that of time. In this way a win can often be separated by split seconds.

The other interesting fact about pigeon racing is that these charges are tied with a dark band on the lower part of their legs. The purposes of these considerations are twofold. One, the string leads to the easy recognition of the bird by the owner especially in the case where all of them have similar shades in their plumage. Secondly, this is a time honored mark of professionalism that has been known to be used since the Roman times when this kind of sport is believed to have begun.

The distance that can be traversed by these birds is relative. It generally ranges from about one tenth of a kilometer to about a thousand kilometers. This does not however restrict the more enterprising connoisseurs in the art of bird flight from making the 1800 km record that was made by a pigeon once in the same tournament.

In the training segment, several facts about pigeon racing come to the fore. First, it is mandatory to domesticate the bird from an early date so that it can be involved in competition when it just half a years old. Similarly, it is important to tie the aforesaid dark band round the leg of the bird when it is merely 5 days after being hatched. Because of lack of probability that the newly hatched bird will prove a winner for the owner, and the requirement to brand it in this way at this extreme date, owners rear seasoned birds that have been offered training before.

The birds must be breeds that are known to respond fast to domestication and can be able to fly in a systematic manner often in a return flight. The latter form of flight is what is used to measure the time the bird has taken from the moment of its release to the moment it makes its return to the base after making a detour in the air. This often happens in competitions that cover longer distances.

Racing pigeons are usually released at the same time from a ground when they are bound to cover extremely short distances. The displacement that they cause in the air when each is looking for free space to fly through is considered a test of their training capability such that the fittest of these alights first in the designated destination. Pigeon racing can also take place a solo endeavor where one bird is sent out to cover hundreds of miles on air.

Learn more about Racing pigeon. Stop by Markees Jacob’s site where you can find out all about Pigeon racing and what it can do for you.