Vaccinating your cat is going to cost you. Unfortunately there’s no getting away from that fact.

So why should you even consider paying out for something that, on the face of it, your cat doesn’t need? After all, they’re not sick, injured or in pain, so why should you take the trouble to book a trip to the vet’s surgery and then have an unwelcome bill to pay afterwards?

Death, is the reason. Painful death and the heartbreak it will bring to you and your family should your cat catch one of the preventable diseases that will needlessly end her life.

Can you genuinely say that the lifelong protection from these diseases that vaccination will give your cat is something that you can decide to ignore?

So, why vaccinate your cat?

To make sure that she has protection from the most dangerous diseases.

To do all you can to give her a healthy life.

To prevent the spread of infection amongst unvaccinated cats.

To save having to choose to put her to sleep.

And as a bonus, minimise the potential vet’s bills in the future!

There are three main diseases to vaccinate against:

Cat ‘Flu or Feline Influenza

As with human ‘flu, cat ‘flu is highly contagious but, unlike human ‘flu, accounts for a very high animal death rate.

If your cat is unlucky enough to catch cat ‘flu, her eyes, nose and windpipe will become inflamed. She will feel very unwell, will have unpleasant discharges, have a high temperature and consequently will appear very apathetic and disinterested in life. In addition, your pet will have little appetite and may have painful sores and ulcers on her tongue. So, your poor cat will be dribbling, and unable to eat, lose weight and condition, be sneezing frequently and struggling to breathe.

Every time your cat, sneezes or coughes, every droplet of mucus will carry the infection and the virus can spread through cat communities like wildfire.

So, if an infected cat is being boarded in a cattery or is competing in a cat show, all the other cats are at risk. Even taking an infected cat to the vet’s surgery poses a significant risk to other patients who will already be in a weakened state because of their own health problems.

However, some cats are fortunate enough to recover from cat ‘flu but even so, they can remain a carrier of the virus for the rest of their lives, continuing to pose an infection threat to every unprotected cat they comes across.

Feline Infectious Enteritis (Distemper) - Feline Panleucopenia

Unborn or newborn kittens are particularly susceptible to this disease and it is not uncommon for it to prove fatal within a very short time after the symptoms appear - it’ really is that severe!

During an incubation period of between two to nine days, the cells of the gut wall, spleen, bone marrow, liver, lymph nodes and even sometimes, the brain will become affected.

Symptoms of distemper include vomiting, diarrhoea, apathy, a distinctive hunched posture and pitiful crying when handled. If your cat becomes sick with this disease, she has only a very slim chance of recovery.

This highly infectious disease is passed on by direct or indirect contact and fleas can also be instrumental in transmitting the virus from one animal to another.

Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) The cat form of AIDS

This disease is harmless to humans but incurable in cats and is easily spread between animals by direct contact. Once infected, a cat may show no symptoms but will almost certainly go on to develop health problems that will end its life.

Outward symptoms of this disease are vomiting, weakness, diarrhoea, breathing problems and loss of weight. As this virus attacks your cat’s immune system, any infection will quickly spread and overwhelm your cat’s defences.

Sadly, any cat found to be infected will need to be put to sleep immediately as they pose too great an infection risk to other cats. Thankfully, vaccination will give your pet the protection she needs against contracting FeLV in the first place, thereby removing any future threat to her life or the lives of other cats.

So, as a cat owner you really have no option but to choose to have your cat vaccinated. Not only will you be protecting your pet but also the cat population at large. Don’t delay - vaccinate today!

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When you’re trying to figure out how to train dogs you may feel like pulling your hair out at times but relax it’s not as hard as you might initially think. There is a way to make training your dog a positive experience for both of you.

I know that spanking a dog with the rolled up newspaper is the dog training method of choice for some but this just doesn’t cut it for many Dog Owners. (Not to mention that poor dog!) Many dog experts will tell you that you’ll get far better results with positive reinforcement than any other method. Plus your dog will love you for it!

The first thing that you need to be aware of is that your dog wants your praise. You are the leader of the pack, and your dog definitely wants to please you. This is an evolutionary trait that you can use to your advantage, so make sure that you do!

Two really great features about using the positive reinforment method when training your dog are that this method is really easy to pick up and it can be used for puppies and older dogs as well. You can teach your puppy basic things like potty training as well as teaching your older dogs basic commands like “fetch,” and “roll over.”

When you start training your dog, start by making sure that you give him a cue. Whether this is a word or gesture, make sure that it is consistent. This will signal your dog to perform the trick or action that is desirable, so make sure that it is very clear.

As an example you may choose to train your dog to sit down. Start out by telling him in a clear, moderate tone, “sit.” You follow your command by assisting him in that task by pushing his back legs down. Once the task is completed be sure to lavish your dog with lots of praise. You may even want to give him a little treat. Your dog needs to know you’re happy with what he’s done.

An important aspect to remember when training your dog is to only give praise when your dog performs on cue. If he does something without you prompting him be sure not to reward him. This will teach your dog only to perform when you want him to.

When you’re learning how to train your dog using positive reinforcement it’s important to keep in mind that dog training does take time and focused effort. Don’t lose control and start yelling at or hitting your dog. Don’t forget that your dog loves you. If he behaves badly reprimand him firmly but don’t be so harsh that you make him afraid of you.

This dog training thing takes patience and lots of practice but it’s well worth it. You’ll have a happy well behaved pet who loves you to pieces not to mention a nice, clean floor!

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Separation anxiety is the kind of sensation that we can relate to. Young children have the same sort of anxiety when their parents leave for a night out. They learn that their parents will return and do not feel anxiety anymore. The same process has to happen for our dogs so that their anxiety is reduced. Anxiety in dogs will often manifest as disconsolate howling, chewing things or uncontrolled urination. If the dogs stays indoors this can be a problem for you. This article will give you some ideas on how to ease separation anxiety in dogs.

Separation anxiety prevention should begin at birth. A puppy that is not allowed to wean off it’s mother could display separation anxiety in later life. It should be weaned off and relatively independent by around the eight week period so don’t get a puppy that is younger than this.

Start teaching your puppy about separation anxiety as soon as it gets into it’s new home. although it is hard not to cuddle a puppy, try not to be too affectionate. This is pertinent at night times when you are going to bed. Place you puppy in it’s sleeping basket and walk away. Don’t make a fuss of it. It will learn that there will be times when it is alone.

You need to communicate through actions that your puppy will be alone at time but that you will return. This will prevent separation anxiety when the dog gets older.

Training a puppy is relatively straightforward, however it may not be as easy with a grown dog that is suffering from this problem. The dog may have been given to you by a previous owner or you found him at the dog shelter.

If it has spent anytime in a shelter or pound it may have been neglected before this. This may lead to insecurities and anxiety. It may have also been deprived of affection whilst in the shelter too which may add to it’s insecurity.

If the dog has come from a previous owner there is often a reason for this. And this is not always the fault of the dog. The family may be experiencing problems themselves, like redundancies, money difficulties or relationship problems. A dog is a social animal and will pick up on this tension. These tensions may lead to behavioral problems like separation anxiety.

So for an older dog the first step is to heal old emotional wounds. In terms of separation anxiety, you will have to leve at some point so start off slowly. Practice leaving. Leave for a few minutes and then return. Don’t make a gbig deal of the leaving and returning, so as to imply that this is a normal process.

Do this repeatedly, gradually increasing the length of time that you are away from the dog. If you notice that the dog is beginning to get anxious then go back to a separation time period when it was content. Continue this process until the dog is not displaying any signs of anxiety.

To break up this process you could also try taking the dog’s mind off the fact that you have left. So you could give it a tasty treat or a meaty bone. This should keep it interested for a while by which time you may have returned. Although this will not solve the problem, it may break up the training for you.

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Foxhounds were the very first of the canine races in Great Britain to come under the domination of scientific breeding. There had been hounds of more ancient origin, such as the Southern Hound and the Bloodhound; but something different was wanted towards the end of the seventeenth century to hunt the wild deer that had become somewhat scattered after Cromwell’s civil war. The demand was consequently for a quicker hound than those hitherto known, and people devoted to the chase began to breed it.

Head:-

Somewhat broad, not peaked like the Bloodhound, but long from the apex to the frontal bones, eyebrows very prominent, cheeks cut clean from the eye to the nostril, ears set low and in their natural condition thin and shapely, but not large, nose large, jaw strong and level, and small dewlaps, expression fierce, and with the best often repellent.

Eyes:-

Very bright and deeply set, full of determination, and with a very steady expression. The look of the Foxhound is very remarkable.

Neck Should be perfectly clean, no skin ruffle whatever. The length of neck is of importance, both for stooping and giving an air of majesty.

Shoulders:-

The blades should be well into the back, and should slant, otherwise be wide and strong, to meet the arms, that should be long and powerful.

Legs and feet:-

The bone should be perfectly straight from the arm downward, and descend in the same degree of size to the ankles. The knee should be almost flat and level; there should be no curve until coming to the toes, which should be very strong, round, cat-shaped, and every toe clean set as it were.

Coat:-

The coat is hard hair, but short and smooth, the texture is as stiff as bristles, but beautifully laid.

Colour:-

Belvoir tan, which is brown and black, perfectly intermixed, with white markings of various shapes and sizes. The white should be very opaque and clear. Black and white, with tan markings on head and stifles. Badger pied a kind of grey and white. Lemon pied, light yellow and white. Hare pied, a darker yellow and white.

Height: Dogs from 23-1/2 to 24 inches; bitches from 22 to 22-1/2 inches.

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