Pets Are Wonderful

Although for many people the word pig conjures up images of a farm yard with huge pigs rolling in mud, or eating at a pig trough, for some it is a well mannered pig sitting in the living room with you as you watch television. Teacup potbellied pigs are becoming increasingly popular as domestic pets around the country. Teacup Pigs come in very many colors and are much smaller than the standard farm pig and the regular potbelly pig. They are not really teacup size like one imagines except when they are born when they are around 9 oz. But compared to a full grown regular pig at 600-800 pounds or a full grown regular potbelly pig at 120 – 200 pounds then they are teacup. Fully grown at 2-3 years of age the teacups weigh in around 40 - 65 pounds and 11 - 14″ tall. The pigs require about the same amount of care as a dog and are low maintenance pets, living 15-20 years. With a teacup pigs’ small size they can make good pets for apartments. Pigs litter box train very quickly.

The regular potbellied pig originated in Vietnam, and is a combination of several breeds. They will breed with other types of pigs even farm pigs causing mixed breeds. The teacup pigs were bred first in Devon, England.

Not all veterinarians treat pigs making owning one more troublesome that a cat or dog. All pigs need their tusks trimmed every couple of years, and may need their hooves trimmed annually. A veterinarian, or an owner who has learned how from a doctor, can perform these tasks. Pigs will need to be spayed or neutered and require regular vaccinations.

Teacup potbellied pigs make enjoyable pets because they are very intelligent and affectionate. You could be surprised to learn that some think their intelligence rivals that of dogs, However, like many animals they are prone to laziness and aggression if not properly exercised and socialized. At times, an adult pig may raise a challenge against the owner in so-called “dominance aggression”, much like any pet will at first and they will need to be reprimanded gently yet strongly, and taught to respect the owner’s authority. They take well to positive reinforcement when they are behaving well, but should not be physically punished. Properly motivated these intelligent animals learn tricks very easily like sit and playing golf.

Pigs should have daily leash-led walks or they will gain weight. If you find that your pig is getting too fat you can scatter raw oatmeal where they have to search for it and doesn’t amount to much to eat. This gives them something to eat and exercise at the same time. Of course this is when they are outside. Pigs just really love to eat, just like children they lean toward the high carbohydrate unhealthy type, please restrict your pet’s availab.ility. Pigs constantly search for food so care must be taken to keep them out of the kitchen. Special pig feed can be purchased in a pet store or special-ordered and local feed stores are starting to carry the specialty feed. Pigs are omnivores, equally interested in vegetables, meats, sweets, and carbohydrate-based foods.

Pigs are social herd creatures, and it is often recommended that they be kept in pairs or groups, especially if they are kept outside the house. Pigs want a lot of attention. Like children they need toys to play with so they can amuse themselves. This keeps them stimulated and active. Left to their own if pigs get bored they will often become destructive, they are very intelligent. Inadequate attention during playtime can compel pigs to do anything from rooting up plants to taking up linoleum floors and eating drywall. Pigs can be litter trained but need to be kept in a confined area such as a single room. They are clean and essentially odor-free, so it is not usually difficult to find a room where they can roam.

Like any pet, a teacup potbellied pig is a serious commitment, and requires some specialized care that demands time and resources. Do your due diligence before getting a pig to make sure that you and a pig are compatible. Shelters are overflowing with abandoned pigs whose owners did not anticipate the kind of attention that their pet would need. However, the intelligence, affection and personality of a well trained, adequately cared for teacup potbellied pig can be very rewarding for the prepared, responsible owner.

Has this ever happened to you?  You’re noticing that your cat is urinating in places other than his litter box.  People automatically assume that inappropriate urination in cats is because of a behavior issue, or it’s because their cat is getting older.  

However there could be a medical problem causing incontinence in cats to be a problem for your feline friend.If a cat suddenly starts showing signs of feline incontinence, a trip to the vet is imperative.

Feline Incontinence Versus Inappropriate Urination

An incontinent cat has no control over his bladder at all.  He may urinate when he’s lying down, or sleeping, or even dribble as he walks around.Usually this is caused by a weak sphincter muscle.  This is not a very common condition in cats, although it’s sometimes seen in spayed females who are somewhat overweight.  

Incontinence in cats may also be a symptom of feline diabetes.  Diabetes causes your cat to be extremely thirsty.  If he’s drinking lots more water, he may not always make it to the litter box in time.

If your cat is incontinent when he’s resting, you should have him checked for feline leukemia. Both male and female cats who are positive for this virus are sometimes incontinent.  

While inappropriate urination is sometimes a behavior problem, it can be a result of feline lower urinary tract disease.    

Feline Cystitis Is The Most Common Reason For Urination Outside The Litter Box

A cat with a feline bladder infection has an inflammation of his bladder.  This causes him to need to empty his bladder frequently.If you use clumping cat litter, you should see only a couple of big clumps of urine when you scoop it.  If you find many small clumps, this is a sign of cat urinary problems.

Crying out in pain as he tries to use the litter box is another symptom to watch for.Be on the watch for him crouching over, straining to pass urine.  Many cat owners mistake this for constipation, which can be a fatal mistake if he has a urinary blockage.  A blocked cat is a veterinary emergency.  Your cat will die within a day or two if he’s completely blocked.

What Your Vet Needs To Know

Your vet will ask the following questions:

• Has your cat been under a lot of stress lately?  Have you moved, or added a new person or pet to the household?  Have you changed his diet?
• Where is your cat urinating?  In a corner?  On your bed?  Where he sleeps?
• Is he drinking more water than he usually does?
• Is he dribbling urine or is he just urinating more often than usual?
• Does he have blood in his urine?
• Has your cat ever been injured?

Your vet will check your cat for a urinary blockage that could be caused by cat bladder stones.

Treatment For Feline Cystitis

Antibiotics are usually prescribed to clear up any infection.  What you need to do at home is to increase the amount of water your cat is taking in.  The easiest way to do this is to switch him over to canned food, which has a much higher moisture level than dry.By increasing the amount of liquid going through your cat, it’s been shown that you can prevent feline bladder infections.

You may also want to consider a natural remedy for feline urinary support.  Look for one that contains both herbal and homeopathic remedies that support bladder health in animals.  Uva ursi and barberry, along with Cantharis and Staphysagria have stood the test of time in humans, and they can be very effective for cats, too.

Your next step? To take what you’ve just learned and determine what’s causing feline incontinence in your furball.

Learn more about solving the problem of incontinence in cats, and find feline urinary support information at Natural Pet Urinary Health.

By Sandra Scott

Dogs are instinctively aggressive and we all realize that dogs are able to seriously injure humans and other animals. This does not mean that dog owners are completely helpless in their ability to stop aggressive dog behavior. It is essential that dog owners who have an aggressive dog make sure that he is given obedience training, before he hurts you or someone else.

For a really great dog training book, I strongly recommend that you take a look at: Training Aggressive Dogs.

The most common types of aggressive dog behavior are aggression levelled at strangers, and aggression levelled at family members. Dog aggression can be triggered for many different reasons so it should be dealt with in different ways.

Aggression Towards Strangers

Dogs will often dislike unfamiliar people and other animals until they have an opportunity to get used to being around them. Getting dogs accustomed to being with people and animals they don’t know is called socialization. Socialization is critical to training your dog. You may be wondering how socialization can stop aggressive dogs from attacking the postman or pizza delivery boy. A dog that has been socialized will start to realize that these new encounters can be amusing instead of being scary.

Your dog needs to learn this lesson as a young dog. If your dog is frequently amongst various kinds of people (such as, men in uniform, elderly people, young children, teens, people carrying umbrellas or wearing helmets in a relaxed and fun environment, the chances of your dog being being aggressive towards strangers are much less.

Just a reminder, if you are looking for a great free site to help you solve your dog’s aggressive behavior, you should check out: Stop Dog Aggression.

If you are looking for a good spot for socializing your dog, group training sessions, frequently held by large pet stores or at a veterinary clinic, are a good idea. Your puppy will learn how to relate to strange dogs. He will also learn that he need not fear the unfamiliar people at these sessions. It is important that he is not overwhelmed - allow his tolerance to build gradually by starting off slowly.

Aggression Towards Family Members

Dog aggression towards human family members is most commonly for these reasons:

• Your pooch is protecting his belongings from a perceived danger (in his mind, that’s you!). Such overly possessive behavior or resource guarding is not unusual in dogs.

• Such resource guarding behavior is brought on by a feeling of dominance and relates to your dog’s perceived ranking in the hierarchy of your household. Dogs see the family structure as being no different from a dog pack. If your dog sees himself in a higher position than you or your family members, he’ll become aggressive.

Resource guarding is definitely an act of dominance - a lower ranked dog would never be aggressive towards to a higher ranked member of the pack.

Dog obedience training is the best method to stop aggression in dogs, which will ensure that your dog understands that you are the “top dog”. This fact may be emphasized with rewards such as praise and treats when he complies with a command, and by imposing “time out” when he misbehaves.

I hope you have found this article useful. For a review of the top selling dog training product, see: Secrets to Dog Training