In this video, Bridget Speiser of the Washington Humane Society (WHS) describes the expectations and characteristics that should be considered when a family is planning to adopt a cat into the home.

Coby 1.5-Inch Digital TFT LCD Photo Keychain DP151WHT (White)

Coby, Electronics, $4.49

Before you give a cat lover a gift, you should take into consideration what type of cat the person owns. There are several breeds out there, including tabby, pure breeds, calico, Persian, and of course the infamous Siamese breeds. Someone may own several cats as well, which is why you should know a little bit about the breed or breeds someone owns before you get them a gift.

Another thing to think about is if the cat lover has an outdoor or indoor cat. Cats, unlike dogs, are more than happy to spend all of their time outdoors. Outdoor cats can be a lot of fun, especially if the owner spends a lot of time outdoors. Cats have a natural urge to go outside, even if the owner has an indoor cat.

Cats who reside indoors are less exposed to sicknesses and common health problems that outdoor cats are exposed to. Indoor cats are almost always trained to use the litter box, which makes them easy to maintain for their owners. Nearly all gifts that you can get for a cat lover are designed for those who keep their pet indoors.

Chandelier pearl necklace for dog cat pet jewelry charm

Fancy Lulu, Misc., $30.00

If you’re looking for a humorous yet exciting gift, you can always give the gift of catnip. Catnip is one of the most popular treats for cats, as it’s a naturally occurring plant that has a unique affect on a cat. Catnip gives off aromatic oils that will often make cats appear to be drunk and very hyper – which is always great entertainment for both owners and guests. Catnip is completely safe for cats to consume, often times being included with gifts such as chew toys and play balls.

Other great gifts for cat lovers include decorative mats with cat pictures, which you can get personalized for the owner if you prefer. You can also give cat videos, musical cat dolls, cat shaped mail boxes, toys and treats, and various other goodies that are directed towards cat lovers. Something really special , a collection designed so you and your precous pooch or kitty can wear the matching necklace and be the center of attention at any party you are at!!

If you do your shopping on the Internet, you’ll find that the possibilities are endless. Cats are very popular pets – meaning that you’ll have no trouble finding the perfect gift for the cat lover in your life.
Here at Cat Automatic Shop you´ll find some awesome gifts for cats and other pets!

Author: Paul Counts

Pet Obesity is a growing concern according to a report which ranks the healthiest U.S. cities for cats and dogs based on 30 criteria, including weight, preventative care, air quality and pet-friendly legislation. As in humans, pet obesity is dangerous and unhealthy. It can lead to liver disease, heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, joint, and even back problems. People who love their pets dearly don’t realize that they could be actually slowly killing their pets by overfeeding them.

The biggest contributor to pet obesity is overeating. Most pets will eat whatever is put before them because it is their natural instinct. For example, dogs are natural scavengers that think every meal could be their last so they eat whenever food is offered to them. Many times dogs will eat even if they are not hungry because of this natural instinct. That is why it is important to feed your animals perfectly portioned meals which many automatic pet feeders can do for your animals.

Many pet owners will turn to more expensive options like special foods or even pills. The two biggest things that someone can do for their pet is get an automatic pet feeder so they can eat perfectly portioned timed meals, and also make their animal gets plenty of exercise. Those two things will help reduce weight for a pet, and they are less expensive than other alternatives.

Pet feeders generally range from $39.99 to $125.99 depending on the kind of feeder you need for your pets. There are feeders for cats and small dogs and also feeders for larger dogs. The important thing to look for with an automatic pet feeder is whether or not it has an electronic timer that will automatically provide food to your animals at a specified time each day. The goal is that no matter how busy your schedule is, your cat or dog will eat at the same time every single day. Some automatic pet feeders will provide 5 meals, others provide 6, and others provide up to 8 meals. With an 8 meal automatic pet feeder you can choose to feed your animals twice daily over a four day span for instance. Each time the food is released it will only release the exact amount each time.

Pet feeders provide multiple benefits including helping to combat pet obesity, giving pet owners a peace of mind that their pet is being fed at the right time even if they are running late, and they also are excellent for use while owners are away for a few days on vacation. It is highly recommended and encouraged that while pet owners are away that they still plan for someone to visit their animals while they are gone to check up on them and make sure everything is going well.

Pet obesity could end up killing your pets, so it is extremely important that you take action, and an automatic pet feeder allows you to take that action without breaking the bank.

About the Author:

Paul Counts is the co- owner of Petronic.com, an online retailer of innovative pet care products including the automatic pet feeder. They carry a variety of unique products for dogs and cats. For more information visit www.petronic.com.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/automatic-pet-feeders-can-stop-pet-obesity-154116.html

Even cats who don’t jump on counters to drink from faucets may drink more water using the pet water fountain. Why is this important? As the veterinarian who created the drinkwell fountain for her own cats knows, many cats may not drink as much water as they should.

Drinkwell Platinum Pet Fountain

Veterinary Ventures, Misc., $42.00

Cats with urinary tract or kidney disease have a critical need for water to support kidney function or prevent crystal formation and obstruction. Cats, and smaller pets love the free flowing fresh water the pet fountains provide and it continually aerates your pet’s water with healthful oxygen. Recirculation keeps the water fresh and oxygenated, which makes it more interesting to pets who are usually drinking stale, stagnant water.

Floor cat fountains are particularly convenient for this purpose, make extra sure that you keep the fountain clean and free of bacteria and algae. This requires frequently changing the water, cleaning it thoroughly, and regularly cleaning the pump of debris that can accumulate from hair and food.

Do you simply want to provide your pet with the best for good health and fun? Stop worrying over your pet’s well being by knowing they have their own waterfall of freshened water anytime they want it.

The electronic feeder may be what it best for your needs. These are a great option and allow you to keep your busy schedule or even if you wish to sleep on your day off, while not forgetting your pets feed time. There are electronic automatic cat feeders designed to feed your pet at its normal meal times. Some automatic pet feeders are capable of feeding from a fraction of a teaspoon (very few pellets) to several cups per day and as many feed cycles as remote timer has “on-off” cycles (48 with supplied timer)! It also has a feed volume adjustment.

Automatic Cat Feeder-CSF-3 Super Feeder W/basic Timer (must have something to mount to).

Super-Feed Enterprise, Misc., $129.90

These automatic cat feeders also promote better cat health if you have a kitty who has packed on a few too many pounds and needs to go on a diet. You can pre-measure small portions of food for your cat and get him accustomed to the periodic smaller portions that will be offered throughout the day.

Automatic cat feeders can come in one of two designs. The first have a pre-measured reservoir of food that will release at a specific time for your cat. You can decide the size of the serving the cat needs and set the timer for the mealtime you will be missing. When the clock strikes the time, the holding bin will release, pouring the food into your cats bowl.

Lentek 6-Day Automatic Pet Dish

Lentek, Kitchen, $33.77

The other style of automatic cat feeder has separate bowls of food that will pop open when the timer is triggered. These often have 2 or more bowls side-by-side that you can fill with food, snap the tops shut, and set the timer. Opening once at a time you can offer a series of feedings with this type of automatic cat feeder. You can feel secure that your beloved animal is cared for and fed on time, every time.

• Keep the unit clean. Use baking soda or carpet cleaner to keep them fresh.

• To get your cats to accept it very fast you can set it up with litter beside your present box, but leave it unplugged. Manually scoop it for a day or so. Be diligent. Don’t scoop the old box at all. Then, plug the Littermaid in, and turn on the switch on to rake, and off when done. Do this for a day or so. Then start leaving the switch on for a few hours and off for a few hours.

• It is very important to keep the litter level low so the rake doesn’t have to constantly move back and forth because it’s jammed. If you consistently over fill the motor will burn out quickly . It can’t get through that much litter!

• The rakes need to be cleaned periodically. If the clumps are not fully dried after 10 minutes. The litter needs to be redistributed away from the collection box several times each week as a result of the rakes getting filled with wet clumps.

• The plastic rake works so much better than the metal one, the litter doesn’t spill through and the used litter actually goes into the receptacle instead of smearing across the bottom of the litter box. Sometimes the original is the best.

• To prevent sticking, you can use a light coating of heavy duty silicone spray,furniture wax or spray oil.

• If the motor jams there is a reset that many user may not know about and this may be a reason for so many returns.

• Wipe the wires down with mild cleanser regularly.

• Reuse the waste receptacles to save money.

• Mix a corn-based litter that keeps it from sticking to the bottom with a good hard-clumping litter that makes it clump well.

In short this is a great product that makes your life easier – it does require some cleaning but not close to what a not automatic litterbox needs.

A note on the litter – If you think that litter is very expensive we recommend PetSmarts ExquisiCat extra strength cat litter (comes in a red and green bag) because it is 99 % dust free which helps keep the sensors clean. You can get the 40 lb bag for about $5.00 and it lasts 2-3 months! You will be amazed at how much money you save in litter costs.

Cats are very smart and know how they should use the litter box. After the cat has finished using the litter box, someone in the family will need to scoop the waste from the litter box. This can be a very dirty and somewhat stinky job, one that is often overlooked during the day when the workload gets heavy. Cleaning up the litter box doesnt take but a few minutes, although most would prefer not to do it at all.

Pregnant women are advised to avoid cleaning litter boxes due to the risk of getting a disease called “toxoplasmosis”. A large numer of people are infected with this disease but few show symptoms.

Although the litter box will need to be scooped out daily, it will also need to be changed once a week as well, by throwing the current bag out and replacing the box with a new bag and fresh litter.

Those who don´t like to scoop out the litter box should invest in one of the best inventions of all times, the automatic litter box. These litter boxes are easy to use, and will keep the area clean. After the cat has used it, a Cat Automatic Litter Box will automatically clean the litter either by sifting or using a device that resembles a rake.

LitterMaid LM900 Mega Self-Cleaning Litter Box

Littermaid, Kitchen, $159.99

Boxes with raking systems have a rectangular design. Once the cat leaves the box, the rake will automatically come out and clean the litter including the clumps of waste as well. Once the waste is properly disposed of, the litter will be returned to its normal position in the box for the cat to use again.

Those who are often times away from home could greatly benefit from a automatic cleaning litter box. They are great to have for cats that spend a lot of time by themselves, as they virtually eliminate any scooping of litter on your part. You can find them here. They are very affordable and ideal for anyone who doesnt like scooping waste from their litter box.

• Happy litterbox shopping!