PetStepin'

If you are a cat owner then you know most of the time you see your baby licking himself and cleaning himself. Its true, most cats are cleanliness freak and spend up to 50 percent of their awake time indulging in some form of cat grooming. What we should know is cats licking themselves is actually good for their skin. It maintains healthy skin by stimulating the production of sebum, an oily secretion produced by sebaceous glands at the base of each hair. Licking spreads sebum over the hair coat to lubricate and waterproof the fur and make it shine. It also removes loose hair and prevents mats, and removes dirt and parasites like fleas. But when your kitty is old they reduce this, older kitties with arthritis may be unable to lick themselves enough to stay clean. Before we get to how to groom an older cat, lets get a basic idea of how cats groom themselves in general. Every cat has their own grooming ritual, but most begin with the licking of the mouth, chin, and whiskers f...

Yes, the winter is coming, that needs to remind us of some chilling facts about the dangers that cold winter weather can pose for our pets! Flu, hypothermia and even death are real dangers to your dog . Most dogs’ coats are more like our hair – if you need to wear a hat to stay warm, your dog coat may need some help too! Double-coated dogs like Huskies or Saint Bernards are exceptions, but even thick coated dogs vary in how much cold they can withstand. It depends not only on the temperature, wetness, wind, how long they are in the cold, but how much food they’ve had to keep warm while they are out for their walks or playing outside. Other factors also affect how long your dog can stay out with you safely – including how much muscle, fat and fur your dog has protecting them, and how much energy they have to burn to keep themselves warm. Just like people, many young dogs enjoy playing, walking or running in the cold with us for hours. So how do you know how much cold is safe ...