Bored stiff? Your pet won't be

In honor of the much-anticipated arrival of my new feeding system for the Tobes Man I'd like to introduce a lesser-known but GREAT way to avoid misbehavior and keep your furry friend healthier and happier to boot: environmental enrichment. In the coming posts I'll be addressing a few cheap and simple ways to enrich your pet's environment whether your companion meows, barks, chirps or whatnot. But first, check out Petside's video on what exactly enrichment is and why it's an awesome idea for so many animal-loving households.

Relocating Rita: Local Resources to Help Find Lost Pets

Maybe it's all the recent thunderstorms we've had or maybe it's just a product of summer but it seems like there have been a rash of lost pet posters around lately. Loosing a furry companion can be a heart breaking experience that I hope few of you ever have to go through but, in case you do, I want to share this GREAT local resource with everyone.

The Massachusetts Animal Coalition has assembled a comprehensive resource guide and to do list for anyone who has lost a companion animal. It even provides examples of the most effective lost pet posters and templates that you can use. Most importantly, the site suggests ways we can all prepare beforehand so that if we ever do come home to a missing kitty or Fido slips his lead we can largely increase our chances of getting our beloved pet back. And that's the whole point, isn't it?

Bringing Home Baby... Kittens that is

Whether you're a first time cat owner or a seasoned cat guru, it's hard to resist Sparta's cattitude. He's adorable. Hands down. But being bitten by a kitten, while cute, gets kind of old and painful as kitten gets bigger. So, in honor of Sparta and the Tobes Man (aka- my own "mean" kitty), here are a couple of ways to keep kitty happy and playful... only without the scars...

• Play with your cat a little each and every day. All cats, but young ones especially, have tons of energy to expend and giving them a safe avenue to release that energy will keep your relationship strong and your furniture intact.
• Never "wrestle" or play with your cat with your hands. This teaches them that scratching and biting people is ok. Instead, try to always keep a few toys around that you both can use (Tobes' favs include cat wands and laser pointers) and reserve hands-on contact for gentle tasks like petting or headbutting.
• If kitty does bite or mouth you let out a high, sharp squeal and stop play or contact immediately. Eventually your kitten will learn that playing rough gets them ignored and that's no fun at all!

So here's to keeping kitty's cattitude (and your skin) intact for many years to come! Need some more advice? Check out Petfinder's Top Ten Tips for a contented kitty here.