Articles tagged “Cats”

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Visit the Animal Planet Expo By Jasmin Malik Chua IN Travel & Outdoors Apr 24 2008 Animal Planet and our partners have teamed up to bring Animal Planet Expo to a community near you in 2008. Check out this free and fun event as it makes its way to your neck of the woods. + READ MORE

Reduce Your Pets' Chemical Exposure By Jasmin Malik Chua IN Food & Health Apr 17 2008 Your pets could be polluted with higher levels of many of the same synthetic industrial chemicals recently found in people, including newborns, according to a study by the Environmental Working Group. The results of the analysis by the Washington, D.C.-based consumer-advocacy group, which examined 20 dogs and 50 cats, discovered that the animals were contaminated with 48 of the 70 industrial chemicals tested, 43 of which were at levels higher than those typically found in humans. + READ MORE

Make Practically Free Cat Toys By Jasmin Malik Chua IN Home & Garden Apr 4 2008 Is your cat yowling its tonsils out from pure boredom?If, in cereal-box jargon, you can insert slot A into slot B, grab a piece of kraft cardboard-used packing boxes work great-and follow brandiggity's instructions on how to cut and assemble a cardboard mouse, ball, and jumping jack to generate pure feline bliss. + READ MORE

Make Dancing Dollies Out of Newspaper By Jasmin Malik Chua IN Home & Garden Feb 29 2008 Make a chain of funny characters with your kids-if paper dolls are old hat, try a row of dancing frogs or a string of prancing cats. Cut around your figure, leaving the part of the body that touch alone.Unfold the chain and then decorate your figures with markers or crayons. + READ MORE

Keep Your Pets Safe in Winter By Jasmin Malik Chua IN Home & Garden Feb 26 2008 The ASPCA provides some helpful tips on how to protect your pets when the weather outside is frightful: 1. Wipe their paws: Thoroughly wipe off your dog's legs and stomach when he comes in out of the sleet, snow, or ice, because he can ingest salt, antifreeze, or other potentially dangerous chemicals while licking his... + READ MORE

Keep Pets in Fit Form By Jasmin Malik Chua IN Home & Garden Feb 22 2008 Humans aren't the only creatures who need to fight the battle of the bulge. Other potential health risks include decreased heat tolerance and stamina, increased dermatological conditions, decreased immune function, and multiple musculoskeletal and orthopedic problems, according to Craig Thatcher, D.V.M., Ph.D., a... + READ MORE

Repurpose a Suitcase into a Purrfect Pad By Jasmin Malik Chua IN Home & Garden Feb 21 2008 Here's another take on the vintage-suitcase-turned-pet-bed concept that's simply the cat's meow. Note that while a small cat or kitten can snuggle down comfortable in a large briefcase, you'll need a suitcase that measures at least 18x24 inches to give a large cat or small dog a one-way ticket to Contentmentville.... + READ MORE

Make Your Own Cat Treats By Jasmin Malik Chua IN Home & Garden Feb 19 2008 I was taking our own advice, and cutting my household clutter over the holiday weekend, when I unearthed a cat-themed memory book my sister-in-law gave me many Christmases ago.Take teaspoons of the mixture, one at a time and knead into tiny mice shapes.Broil under medium heat for 5-7 minutes, turning them regularly,... + READ MORE

Repurpose a Vintage Suitcase into a Pet Bed By Jasmin Malik Chua IN Home & Garden Feb 12 2008 My cats love sleeping on top of our luggage-or inside if we happen to be packing for a trip-so maybe it's time I took the hint and gave them one of their own. Beside adding a snap-on strap on the back to prevent the suitcase from shutting on itself, Schueler also tucked a handmade squeaky dog toy into the interior... + READ MORE

Apply Essential Oils Safely By Jasmin Malik Chua IN Home & Garden Feb 4 2008 Most of the green cleaning recipes we recommend involve infusing several drops of pure essential oils, which not only imbue the formulas with their heady natural fragrance and aromatherapeutic prowess, but in some cases can even boost a solution's cleaning power. Don't use them on kids: Not much information is... + READ MORE

Raise Chickens in Your Backyard By Jasmin Malik Chua IN Home & Garden Jan 29 2008 If you have a backyard (and oh, do I envy you)-and the blessing of your city's zoning laws and ordinances-you can raise chickens. But once they grow into full-sized hens, the cats will know that they've met their match and will negotiate a truce.If this feathery situation sounds like a hoot and a half, Mother Earth... + READ MORE

Compost Your Pet's Poop By Jasmin Malik Chua IN Home & Garden Jan 28 2008 American dogs and cats create 10 million tons of waste a year, and no one knows where it's going, Will Brinton, a scientist in Mount Vernon, Maine, and one of the world's leading authorities on waste reduction and composting, was quoted by the San Francisco Chronicle as saying. You can compost the poop-just don't use... + READ MORE

Detox Your Home: Maintain a Poison-Free Home for Your Pets By Jasmin Malik Chua IN Home & Garden Jan 25 2008 In 2006, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) fielded more than 116,000 calls to its Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) hotline, several of which involved seemingly innocuous household items, including plants. Be aware of foods that are inappropriate for pets: Avoid feeding your... + READ MORE

Use Eco-Friendly Cat Litter By Jasmin Malik Chua IN Home & Garden Jan 18 2008 Cat owners should avoid clumping clay litter at all costs. Because sodium bentonite acts like expanding cement-it's also used as a grouting, sealing, and plugging material-it can swell up to 15 to18 times their dry size and clog up your cat's insides.Eco-friendly alternatives-popular brands include Feline Pine, Swheat... + READ MORE

Organize a Towel Drive By Jasmin Malik Chua IN Home & Garden Jan 16 2008 Animal shelters are always in need of gently used towels and blankets, whether it's to use as bedding or for bathing shelter animals. Then, put the word out to your neighbors, co-workers, relatives, and friends-or turn it into an event, complete with publicity materials, by assigning a date and time you'll be stationed + READ MORE

Build a Birdbath From Household Items By Jasmin Malik Chua IN Home & Garden Jan 8 2008 Feathered types flock to birdbaths, especially during dry spells and when the mercury begins to rise. To keep your setup from freezing, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds suggests dipping in a thermostatically controlled immersion heater, or adding a lightweight ball that will be moved by the gentlest of... + READ MORE

Rein in Your Pets, Protect Natural Wildlife By Jasmin Malik Chua IN Home & Garden Jan 4 2008 Always keep your dog on a leash when outside, and confine your mangy feline indoors. The estimated average life span of a free-roaming cat is less than three years; an indoors-only cat gets to live an average of 15 to 18 years. + READ MORE

Find 14 Uses for Orphan Socks By Jasmin Malik Chua IN Home & Garden Dec 20 2007 It's one of life's greatest mysteries: Two socks enter the washing machine, one sock leaves, its mate gobbled up by laundry goblins. Send to Operation Happy Sock, where it'll be stuffed with polyfill and catnip for cats at the local animal shelter 11. + READ MORE

Keep Animal Overpopulation in Check, Neuter or Spay Your Pet By Jasmin Malik Chua IN Home & Garden Dec 17 2007 Just think about it: Every day, tens of thousands of puppies and kittens are born in the United States because of the unchecked overbreeding of pets, strays, and abandoned companion animals. The ASPCA has a list of other reasons you'll want to spay or neuter your pet, including mitigating certain cancers, as well as... + READ MORE

Recycle Used Magazines, Catalogs into Holiday Ornaments By Jasmin Malik Chua IN Home & Garden Dec 6 2007 If you have hyperactive cats (or children) who like to dash your Christmas ornaments to the ground with one well-aimed swipe, these unbreakable paper ornaments may be just what you need to gussy up the Ol' Tannenbaum. + READ MORE