PET TRICKS

The absolutely precious little kitten has grown up into a little monster, scratching the furniture to shreds, leaves hair everywhere and chews up the cords.

Chances are if you have pets, especially of the four – legged variety, you also have some pet peeves. Hopefully some of the tips below will help.

You can teach a cat not to scratch the furniture by supplying it with a pet scratching post. Some cats are resistant to using one. The best solution is to have the animal declawed. This is not cruel, just uncomfortable for a few days. Only the front claws, do not leave your pet totally defenseless.

Flea proofing can be done by combing your pet often with a fine toothed metal comb to get rid of fleas, flea larvae and pupae. Do it outdoors to prevent flea droppings from getting on the carpets, rugs or furniture. Or groom your pet over an old sheet, then wash the sheet immediately in hot water. Take an old margarine container and fill about halfway with warm water and a few drops of dish detergent. Drop the fleas and larvae into the water for instant death. Flush down the toilet.

Wash your pet regularly with a flea shampoo that contains pyrethrum or citrus oil. They are less toxic than regular pesticide shampoos.

To keep fleas out of the house, wash pet bedding regularly at a high temperature to kill eggs and larvae. Vacuum furniture, rugs and baseboards often and thoroughly.

Wipe animal hair off of furniture and clothes easily with a lint brush or a damp sponge.

Avoid getting doused when bathing your pet. You can create a cover for yourself by cutting holes in a large plastic garbage bag.

If your cat, kitten or puppy is chewing on electrical cords, spray them with hot pepper spray or bitter apple spray. You can also cover the cords with cardboard tubes.

To contain the clutter from your cat or dogs toys, place a basket in the corner of the room. Your dog can retrieve his or hers favorite without all the toys being scattered. Makes cleanup easy as well.

Keep a cat from nibbling on plants by dabbing the leaves lightly with a bitter liquid such as white vinegar.

Stop your plant pots from being used as a secondary or primary cat box by putting some aquarium rocks over the soil.

When feeding your pet, rather than using ceramic, or plastic bowls, try using paper plates. These can be thrown away after each feeding.

Place a rubber mat or a plastic place mat under the animals’ food. Will help keep everything in place and catch spills.

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