Cats Archives - DogWatch of Western Mass

Pet Care Apps Bring Joy & Help to Owners and Their Companions

As any good pet owner knows, having tools to help care for them is critical. From the proper diet to toys and training – everything we do for our pets helps make the time spent enjoying their company that much better. Companies are capitalizing on this need as more pet owners incorporate their furry friends into their daily lives with the introduction of gadgets, gear, and even mobile apps designed specifically with pets in mind.

A few of the hottest mobile apps out there right now aimed at pets include training apps so you can teach your pet tricks, get the potty trained and even teach them to stop nipping and other bad behaviors. With one app, you pay to have access to virtual sessions with professional trainers who will guide you through training tips via live chat and with 24/7 messaging access.

The American Red Cross has also put out a free app for pet owners to help them understand and administer emergency care for their pets if needed. The app features step-by-step tutorials for things like CPR on your pet and what to do as soon as you notice something could be wrong with your pet.

Need access to their medical records in one easy to locate the place or to see a vet immediately, no matter where you are? There’s an app for those things too! Virtual telemedicine calls with vets are now possible thanks to apps that connect pet owners with veterinarians for a monthly fee.

And there’s fun to be had too. Many apps are being offered that allow you to interact with your pet when you’re not home. Connected treat dispensers and cameras make it easy to talk to your pet and interact with them from anywhere.

If you haven’t already seen some of the viral videos on social media, pull out your tablet, because new mobile app games – like catfishing are as you guessed it – interactive, fun play for your pet to sit on your lap and enjoy with you.

Sales for Pet Treats Are Booming

If there’s one thing we pet lovers love to do – it’s to spoil our furry friends. Now, more than ever, our pets are becoming members of our households. Sharing mealtimes, vacations, and even holiday gift exchanges! In fact, one report from market research firm Packaged Facts uncovered that by the end of 2022 we could see this market hit $9.87 billion and continue soaring over the next two years to come.

Treats for both cats and dogs have been on the rise ever since the COVID-19 pandemic when many were staying home, social distancing, and bringing new furry friends into their homes.

It’s about more than just rewarding and spoiling our pets, but consumers are turning to treats to help add more nourishment and health to their diets too. Their study into these increasing consumer purchases of pet treats also found that many are looking at things like plant-based formulas, environmental impacts, and even alternative proteins for their pets.

Whether you are a new pet owner or have been an animal lover for years, it’s important to ensure that you are keeping your pet healthy and safe all the time. Not just in the foods, they are given to eat but also in their environment. Our wireless pet containment systems provide freedom and peace of mind for pet owners and their furry friends.

The DogWatch Hidden Fence is the most technologically advanced and the easiest to use, and it is backed up by a no-hassle Lifetime Warranty from a company with more than 25 years of keeping pets happy and safe.

Our number one concern is the safety and well-being of your pet. We provide the support you need to ensure successful training and happy containment.

Acupuncture for Dogs and Cats

Pets suffer from some of the same health problems that humans do, and they can benefit from some of the same treatments. Although people often think that ailments should be treated with medication, holistic treatments such as acupuncture can be effective and don’t have some of the side effects that are common with prescription and over-the-counter drugs.

How Can Acupuncture Help Pets?

Acupuncture is a type of holistic care that focuses on the body, mind, and spirit. For dogs and cats suffering from inflammation, pain, arthritis, limited mobility, anxiety, digestive problems, skin conditions, and allergies, acupuncture can be helpful. Acupuncture needles can stimulate the nervous system, improve blood flow, reduce inflammation, and relieve pain. Acupuncture may be used in addition to or instead of other treatments, such as medication.

How Does Acupuncture for Dogs and Cats Work?

Acupuncture treatments for pets are very similar to acupuncture treatments for humans. If your pet needs treatment, a veterinarian will first examine the animal and discuss its medical history. The veterinarian will insert thin acupuncture needles into your pet’s skin at specific locations to stimulate the nervous system. The needles are generally left in the skin for approximately 20 minutes.

The process isn’t painful. It may cause anxiety for your pet at first, but dogs and cats generally relax after a short time. Your pet may feel stiff or sore for a day or two after receiving acupuncture treatment.

Not all veterinarians offer acupuncture services. Acupuncture for pets should only be performed by a veterinarian with appropriate training. If your pet’s current veterinarian doesn’t offer acupuncture services, ask for the name of a qualified provider in your area.

Keep Your Pet Safe from Harm

Pets often need acupuncture and other forms of care because of injuries. While it’s not possible to prevent all injuries, you should do as much as you can to keep your pet safe. One way to protect your dog from harm is to keep it in your yard when you’re not taking it for a walk or a ride in the car.

Constructing a physical fence around your property can be expensive, and it can block the view of the neighborhood and the landscape surrounding your home. In addition, a fence can require expensive and time-consuming maintenance.

An outdoor hidden fence is an effective way to keep your dog in your yard, and it’s more affordable and easier to maintain than a physical barrier. An outdoor hidden fence can encircle the perimeter of your yard, or you can give your dog access to a portion of the property and keep other areas, such as a garden, off-limits.

DogWatch of Massachusetts has been making hidden fence systems since 1990. We’ve earned a reputation for selling quality containment and training products and for providing customer service with honesty and integrity. Contact your local dealer today to learn more.

4 Tips for Keeping Indoor Cats Comfortable

Cars, dogs, and wild animals can cause serious harm to cats, which is why it’s best to keep your pet feline indoors. Cats can be healthy and happy living inside a house, as long as they’re provided with opportunities to exercise and plenty of mental stimulation.

Here are some tips to keep your indoor cat comfortable and content indoors.

Encourage Your Cat to Exercise

Being active is important for your cat’s physical and mental health. If they don’t exercise, cats can become overweight, anxious, and destructive.

Purchase a variety of toys that will encourage your cat to run, jump, climb, and pounce. Those may include toys that your cat can bat around with its paws, a laser pointer with a light that your cat can chase, a piece of string that the cat can jump and reach for with its paws, and toys that will require your pet to solve a puzzle to access food inside. Switch the toys out regularly so your cat doesn’t get bored.

A cat tree is a structure that has several levels so a cat can jump and climb. It’s a great way to let your cat act on its natural impulses and get some exercise. Having your pet jump on a cat tree is also better for you than having it jump on your kitchen counters.

Let Your Cat See What’s Going on Outside

Cats are naturally curious, and they want to know what’s going on in the world around them. You don’t have to let your cat outside, but you can allow your pet to see what’s happening there. Let your cat sit or lie on a windowsill so it can watch people and cars pass down the street and see birds and other animals fly and run. Observing the scene outdoors can give your cat lots of mental stimulation.

Provide for Your Cat’s Physical Needs

Talk to your veterinarian about what type of food to feed your cat, how much, and how often. Make sure your pet has access to quality food and fresh water. Also be sure to clean the litter box regularly, especially if you have two or more felines who share a litter box. Not doing so may cause a cat to act out.

Use Indoor Pet Boundaries to Keep Your Cat out of Trouble

Cats like to explore, and they sometimes go places where they shouldn’t, such as in trash cans, on countertops, and on new furniture. It can be difficult to teach a curious and stubborn cat not to do what it wants to do.

DogWatch sells indoor pet boundaries that you can use to keep your cat out of areas that you want to be off limits. You can block off small areas or entire rooms, depending on your needs. Contact us today to learn more.

October is Adopt A Shelter Dog Month

According to the American Humane Society, there is an estimated 3-4 million animals in shelters each year looking for a loving home where they can feel comfortable and happy to share their time. To help bring awareness to this need, the society created an entire month for the cause.

Each October since 1981, has been known as “Adopt-a-Dog-Month.” We are total advocates for helping precious animals make it to their forever homes. This month, we’re taking time to recognize all those shelters working, foster pet parents and adopters who take the time to care for these animals and welcome them as pets in their homes.

Here are a few tips to help you with your pet adoption or rescue.

Find a Companion That Fits Your Lifestyle

It’s important to remember that many of these pets have been abandoned from other homes or experienced abuse. THey’ll need some gentle care in the beginning, but they can be great friends and companions. Humane and canine interaction is known to help boost emotional health, increase socialization and can even add to your quality of life if you let them!

Consider how active you are, will you be able to incorporate increased activity for dog walks. How much time you spend at home. How other pets and members of the household will interact with the dog.

Prepare Your Home in Advance

If you know you will be bringing home a rescue of adopting a pet, it’s important that you have a pet-friendly home. That means ensuring they cannot get to garbage cans or other dangerous decorations as they explore the home and run around. You’ll also need to tuck out of reach of any toxic foods, like those with Xylitol in them, and any other chemicals, plants or other items that could lead to injury in your pet. Consider a wireless pet containment system installed both indoors and outside that will give you and your new pet ultimate freedom!

Consider Donations

Even if you cannot adopt a pet to bring it into your home, you can also consider donations to your local rescue or shelter to assist the veterinarians, trainers and animals with their healing, food and care. There are typically also opportunities to volunteer your time if you’d like to help out!

Don’t Let Fleas & Ticks Ruin Your Pet’s Summer

The summer months are arriving here in New England, and with temps fully warmed now there is a giant concern for ticks on our pets if they travel outdoors. Both fleas and ticks can be bothersome and risky to your dog and cat’s health.

Here are some tips for treating and preventing these pesky parasites from invading this summer’s fun.

Take Steps for Prevention

Flea and tick medications specially formulated to help ward off the insects are critical in the line of defense for your pet. Whether you choose an oral tablet, collar or special spray or shampoo, it’s important to follow up with daily checks of your pet’s coat to ensure the medication is working and no ticks have attached to them.

Treat the Spaces They Frequent

You can also be proactive about prevention by treating the areas of your home inside and outside where your pet frequents. Special non-toxic sprays can be purchased for application to your lawn or your pet’s bedding. You should also ensure you are combing and bathing your pet regularly as well as washing and dusting areas around the home where they typically lay.

Set-up Safe Perimeters

If you want your pet to enjoy more freedoms while outdoors but are worried about a key area in the yard – such as pine trees where ticks might be in greater frequency, you can set-up a hidden wireless fence around your yard that dictates specifically the areas you feel safe letting your pet roam. Total control and peace of mind.

DogWatch Western Mass serves the Pioneer Valley and provides installation, training, and great customer service for all DogWatch Hidden Fence products.

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Caring for Your Pet’s Skin

We all know the furry and cuddly feeling of snuggle with our pet. Cats and dogs can be great comfort givers and they surely love having their coats combed and fur rubbed. One thing to also consider when it comes to your pet’s health is the condition of their skin underneath the fur.

Skin conditions are common in both cats and dogs and sometimes they can signal a larger issue. It’s important to recognize the difference between a regular itch and something that’s irritating your pet – or worse.

Here are some tips for caring for your pet’s skin and what signs to look out for.

Allergic Reactions

It can be difficult to spot an allergy to your pet. Unlike humans who may sneeze or sniffle during allergy season, our pets could display signs they’re also suffering from allergies by obsessively scratching or even nibbling at their own fur. In addition to dander, mold, and other common allergens, your pet could also be having a reaction to a food such as soy or wheat. If this is happening to your pet you will need to have a professional look further into it and perhaps start a regimen of allergy shots.

Infected Skin

Another common skin condition you should know about in pets is commonly referred to as “hot spots” and they appear in the form of red lesion-like inflammation. What starts as a small cut can quickly grow into these painful spots and antibiotic and medicated topical will be needed to aide your pet in clearing up the condition.

Facial Acne

Yes, you read that right. Our four-legged friends share in our human experience of zits on the face! They too can end up with small pimples on their chin area if they become too stressed (sound familiar) or are not being properly groomed. Similar to treating human acne, benzoyl peroxide or other topical will be needed to treat the pimples.

Perimeter Training and Wireless Fencing Go Hand-in-Hand

We talk a lot on the blog about the ways you can make living with your pet a more pleasing and comfortable experience for both. We care about your dog’s health and safety and want to help make that process a smooth and seamless one for you.

With our DogWatch hidden dog fence, you can keep pets out of dangerous situations and those areas indoors or outside that you’d prefer they keep away from.

Anytime your pet gets close to a boundary they receive a warning signal – either an audible warning or a vibration – so they know to stop the action.

Our transmitters and receivers come with a lifetime equipment warranty when you choose DogWatch of Western MA for hidden dog fence installation and our patented FM radio signal protects your pet from unintentional correction.

In addition to electric dog containment systems for both indoors and outdoors we also offer professional perimeter training services that help dogs and cats feel more confident about their new boundaries and freedoms. We believe these elements go hand-in-hand for long term success.

As your pet learns the warning needs corrective action to be taken (turning back away from the boundary) over time they will adjust to their new space.

In the training sessions, we work with dogs on an individual level to teach them based on their unique personalities. Working through voice commands and visual flags a few minutes each day over the course of a week can help build the confidence your dog needs to run and play safely.

Take the next step to peace of mind and comfort. Contact us today!

Planning a Vacation with Pets

Summer vacations are fun for the whole family. If you have pets, taking them with you can make a vacation even more special, but it will require some extra planning and research.

Preparing for a Trip

Contact your veterinarian to make sure your pet is up to date on vaccinations and doesn’t have any health issues that could be problematic. Ask about medication for car sickness and diarrhea, just in case. If your pet isn’t microchipped, consider having a chip implanted so you can be reunited with your pet if you get separated.

Many hotels, campgrounds, and other places are advertised as pet-friendly, but what that means in practice may vary widely. Some go out of their way to welcome pets, while others simply tolerate them and charge extra fees, have strict weight and breed restrictions, only allow pets in designated areas, and don’t allow guests to leave pets unattended in rooms. Before you make a reservation, ask plenty of questions so you understand the business’s policies. Online reviews from previous guests can help you figure out which places do the best job of accommodating families with pets.

Pack any supplies you might need for the trip, such as your pet’s food, bowls, medication, bed, toys, and leash. Bring your pet’s vaccination records since they will be required at hotels, kennels, dog parks, and other locations you may visit. It’s also a good idea to have recent photos of your pet in case it gets lost and you need to create posters or fliers.

How to Have a Successful Vacation

Your pet should be in a carrier, crate, or car harness when riding in a vehicle. Dogs and cats will move around if they can. Having an animal suddenly decide to sit on your lap while you are driving could cause you to lose control of the vehicle and lead to a serious accident.

Don’t try to cram too much into your trip. The most important thing for your dog is to spend time with you and your family. Your dog would rather wander through a park or play fetch for an hour than be rushed to a new place without having enough time to enjoy the first one.

Stick to your pet’s routine as much as you can. Bring along the same food your pet eats at home and keep mealtimes as close to normal as possible. If you walk your dog at the same times each day, stick to that schedule as closely as you can while on vacation.

Make Vacation fun for the Whole Family

If you are thinking about taking your pet on vacation, conduct research to find the right hotels and activities and bring everything you will need to keep your pet comfortable and to deal with any emergencies that might arise.

At DogWatch of Western Mass, we care about your four-legged friends and want you both to feel comfortable and secure at all times. If you’d like to offer them the freedom to roam in the house or the yard, contact us to learn more about Pet Containment Systems and obedience training.

Pet Products Industry Heats Up: Top Must-Haves and Splurge Items

There’s no doubt that we live in a consumer’s world. Today with easy access to just about anything we can think of, it’s become important for brands to be innovative and offer the “next best thing.” The pet product industry is the latest market to see some steam in the way of new fun things you can buy for your four-legged friends and other pets.

Our pets have always kept a special place in our homes, but lately, they are becoming even more incorporated into families – many even taking them along on vacations, eating meals at the same time and admitting to letting them share snuggling time in their beds at night.

It’s no surprise that products targeted at pets are also on the rise. From fresh, healthy food options to tech gadgets – there are start-ups and longtime pet brands all vying for a piece of the emerging market.

According to one estimate from the American Pet Products Association, U.S. consumers spend about $72 million on their pets in 2018. Here are some of the latest trends. We’ll let you decide if they’re a must or just a splurge.

Pet Subscription Boxes

Why not let pets get in on the fun everyone else in the house is having to get a monthly curated subscription box sent to them with fun things like new toys and treats to try out. There are companies emerging each targeting a specific need. From fun themes to boxes for the big, rough chewers.

Activity Tracker for Your Dog

And what would new product development be for dogs without the ability to track and manage their daily activity levels? Much like humans, dogs are required a certain amount of exercise each day. Now you’ll never be left wondering if your pet has had enough of the requirement when retiring for the day.

CBD Products for Pets

This is still a new emerging market even for the rest of consumers, but it’s taken off in just about every avenue. Naturally, there are companies developing products for the market that they claim help dogs and cats relax and keep a more, “normalized”, “healthy” state.

Nothing beats allowing your pet to have the freedom to run around and enjoy themselves. This doesn’t have to come at a cost to their safety. With DogWatch pet containment systems we help you set-up pre-determined perimeters indoors and outside.

Give your pet the ultimate freedom and let one of our experts at DogWatch of Western Massachusetts guide you through the process.