Ragdoll Cats | Care, Feeding, & Grooming Tips

There are a number of supplementation products designed to enhance your cat’s health. One such product contains an immune boosting component known as transfer factors. If your cat is in ill health from an immune system disorder, a long term chronic illness, or is in a weakened state due to a recent surgery or injury, many veterinarians are saying these products may help.

What are transfer factors? Transfer factors are small protein molecules that are part of the immune system. In order to get a handle on the concept, it’s necessary to understand a bit about the immune system.

Cats, like all mammals, have an immune system that protects them from disease.

The immune system mounts an immune response when the body recognizes and attacks foreign invaders, such as bacteria. The body has specialized cells that attack the invaders and destroy them. Once the threat is eliminated, the attack stops.

On occasion, the immune response doesn’t play out as expected. A cat with a compromised immune system has trouble defending against invaders and will more easily become ill. In conditions such as feline leukemia virus (FeLV) or feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), the immune system is weakened and doesn’t cope well.

In other cases, the immune system is misdirected and doesn’t shut itself off when it should. In autoimmune diseases, such as many forms of arthritis, an immune response is mounted against the body’s own tissues.

How do transfer factors work? Transfer factors act as messengers. They call the immune system to action, and then call off the attack at the appropriate time.

The balancing or modulating effect that transfer factors have make them essential to proper immune system function. This means that they can be used on cats with compromised immune systems, as well as those with autoimmune diseases like arthritis.

Specific products are now available for your pet, including a version for cats, that contain transfer factors. This is a dietary supplement for your cat, combining the immune boosting power of transfer factor with nutrients that are beneficial to overall cat health.

You should check with your veterinarian before adding any supplements to your cat’s diet. If you’re interested in boosting the immune system of your cat with transfer factors, check with your veterinarian first to make sure there are no problems with it.

Ear Mites affect both dogs and cats. You will probably know if your pet has ear mite problems by the behavior he or she displays.

The following are sure signs that your pet is suffering from an ear mite infection; continual scratching around the ears, head shaking, restless behavior, some brown material present in the ears, a bad smell and your pet yelping if you touch the ears.

So what are the culprits to these unpleasant symptoms? The ear mite is a tiny parasite that lives in the lining of the ear canal.

Feeding on blood, they bite through the lining of the ear, which creates swelling and discomfort for your animal.

If you don’t treat an ear mite infection, secondary problems may set in, including yeast or bacterial infections, sores, blood clots, and surgery.

And if that doesn’t scare you, maybe the fact your pet will lose his hearing and will need a costly operation will.

Bad news if you have more than one pet too as ear mites can be passed from one animal to another.

This is especially bad news as an ear mite infection in one animal in a kennel or cattery can spread like wildfire throughout the whole community.

Treat all animals at the same time to ensure you don’t get repeated re-infections.

All cats and dogs can get an ear mite infection, but dogs with long floppy ears such as spaniels as more prone as they offer a greater number of hiding places for the mites.

Ear mites can be dispatched easily and quickly. The first issue to to keep the ears clean - this is where products such as PNP Healthy Ears Ear Cleanser for Dogs can help, as its gentle cleaning properties will remove debris, wax and dust from the animal’s ears.

Ideal for post-swimming, and mild enough for regular use, this Cleanser comes with a special nozzle, making it clean and easy to use.

Alternatively try Lambert Kay Ear Rite Insecticidal Ear Wash.

Ideal for cleaning the outer surfaces of the ear, it makes your dog’s ears less hospitable for opportunistic infections. For dry ears, ClearQuest Ear Powder comes strongly recommended.

Designed for cats and dogs equally, the dry powder neutralises odor and maintains a non damp environment, thus avoiding years problems.

If you are looking for a clean and easy way to do the job of keeping your pet’s ears clean, consider ClearQuest Ear Wipes.

Each wipe is infused with anti-bacterial and anti-fungal agents which prevent yeast and bacterial infections forming. Easy to store in a resealable container, this time saving product will do the job, and won’t need any cleaning up afterwards.

Dr Golds Extra Gentle Ear Therapy for dogs and cats is another option to clean your pet’s ears quickly, cleanly and effectively.

Be amazed how quickly this product will neutralize the odor from yeast and mite infections, and feel reassured that the product also disinfects with added natural ingredients such as Witch hazel and Tea Tree Oil.

If you want to bring in something stronger, reach for Gimborn R-7M Ear Mite Treatment for Pets.

With a natural substance that kills mites, it will speedily resolve your pet’s mite problems. This product comes strongly recommended from breeder and people who show dogs.

When the going gets tough and your poor animal is beset by repeated ear mite problems, or has a particularly heavy case of ear mite infection, Zymox OTIC Solution with and without Hydrocortisone is called for.

Seven days of treatment should resolve a nasty case of ear mites, but double it for repeated ear mite issues.

Your pet’s ears don’t have to be a problems with so many high grade products on the market.

Keep your eyes open for the first signs of ear mites and deal with the infection before it becomes a problem.

Cells, organs, blood, elements - all these work together in your dog’s body to create that mysterious thing - life!

The major organs are vital, but it is the sum of all those parts that is the key to health.

If there is a problem in the smallest of cells, it can huge effects on the whole body.

Imagine driving a neglected car, it goes, but all it takes is one tiny component to fail, and the whole thing may not function.

Try that analogy with humans and animals, through our own choices or sometimes circumstances we can let our health slide, but we do run the risk of contracting something serious by doing so.

And like an airplane component failing, it can lead to a bigger problem in the long run.

The major organs are particularly at risk as they hold the key to life for every creature.

If you think a transplant will sort the issue, remember they are expensive, donors can be hard to find and there are associated risks. Why not prevent rather than cure?

Nutramax Denosyl SAMe tablets for dogs have been developed especially with a dog’s needs in mind. The effects are that glutathione levels rise in the liver.

What on earth is glutathione I hear you say. Well it’s a powerful antioxidant which helps to repair, regenerate and protect liver cells.

Defense starts really from the individual cells, an organ made of entirely healthy cells will be resilient against attack by infection or disease.

A healthy liver will fight back much harder than one which is already weakened.

Nutramax Denosyl SAMe is best used as a way to avoid problems, but it can also help when a dog is already ill; after all there are many unpleasant diseases out there which can affect your dog including Hipidosis, Chronic Hepatitis, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Drug-induced Hepatitis caused by Prednisone or Rimadyl, and Pancreatitis.

Nutramax Denosyl tablets for dogs are well within your budget, and will greatly benefit your dog’s health, both now and in the future.

A small investment now can save a lot of heartache later on.

Dogs rely on their owner to make the correct choices for them, so be an owner who takes a proactive approach, and rest easy knowing that you did all you could to safeguard your animal’s health.

Nutramax Denosyl for dogs is one obvious and easy way to do just that.

There are a number of supplementation products designed to enhance your cat’s health. One such product contains an immune boosting component known as transfer factors. If your cat is in ill health from an immune system disorder, a long term chronic illness, or is in a weakened state due to a recent surgery or injury, many veterinarians are saying these products may help.

In order to understand how this works, it’s necessary to understand a little about how the immune system works. Transfer factors are protein molecules and are part of the immune system.

Cats, like all mammals, have an immune system that protects them from disease.

In a healthy immune system, foreign invaders, such as bacteria, are recognized and the body mounts a defense against them. Certain specialized cells are called on to attack the invaders. When the invader is defeated, the attack is called off. This is a proper immune response.

Sometimes, however, things don’t go quite right with the immune response. For example, in cats with certain conditions, such as feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), the immune system is compromised and has trouble defending the cat’s body against invaders. This is the feline version of HIV-AIDS, and causes the immune system to under perform.

If the immune system gets confused, it may not know when to shut down, or it may identify healthy tissue in the body as foreign and attack it. This is what happens in an autoimmune disease, such as forms of arthritis. Essentially, the body attacks itself.

Transfer factors act as messengers, alerting your cat’s body to the presence of foreign invaders. These proteins also have a modulating effect and tell the body when not to attack.

In this respect, transfer factors are essential to proper immune system function. Also, notice that they don’t just increase disease fighting capability, they balance or modulate the immune system. This means it can be used on cats with autoimmune diseases as well as cats with under performing immune systems.

Dietary supplements are available for your cat, combining the immune balancing power of transfer factors with nutrients that are beneficial to the overall well-being of your cat.

You should check with your veterinarian before adding any supplements to your cat’s diet. If you’re interested in boosting the immune system of your cat with transfer factors, check with your veterinarian first to make sure there are no problems with it.

Ear Mites affect both dogs and cats. You will probably know if your pet has ear mite problems by the behavior he or she displays.

The following are sure signs that your pet is suffering from an ear mite infection; continual scratching around the ears, head shaking, restless behavior, some brown material present in the ears, a bad smell and your pet yelping if you touch the ears.

So who are these tiny pests, the ear mites? They are minute parasites that live in the lining of the ear canal.

Feeding on blood, they bite through the lining of the ear, which creates swelling and discomfort for your animal.

Left undetected or untreated you are probably looking at more problems, with opportunistic yeast infections, bacterial strains, sores and painful scabs to contend with.

And if that doesn’t scare you, maybe the fact your pet will lose his hearing and will need a costly operation will.

Bad news if you have more than one pet too as ear mites can be passed from one animal to another.

This is especially bad news as an ear mite infection in one animal in a kennel or cattery can spread like wildfire throughout the whole community.

The best advice is to treat the whole group for ear mites simultaneously.

Spaniels are particularly susceptible with their long ears and abundant hair, as are any dogs with similar ears, but every dog and cat can get ear mites.

Ear mite treatments are available over the counter. Clean ears are a must so try PNP Healthy Ears Ear Cleanser for Dogs to get rid of any discharge or dirt in the ear.

It can help prevent ear infections, and is easy to apply with a specially designed nozzle. Use regularly and apply after swimming.

Alternatively try Lambert Kay Ear Rite Insecticidal Ear Wash.

Use it to clean the outer areas of the ear in order to stop infection taking hold. To combat yeast infections and mites, ClearQuest Ear Powder is a good solution.

Designed for cats and dogs equally, the dry powder neutralises odor and maintains a non damp environment, thus avoiding years problems.

ClearQuest also make Ear Wipes - a quick and convenient way to keep your cat or dog’s ears clean and healthy.

Formulated with anti-bacterial and anti-fungal components, infections are kept at bay. They come in a convenient container which means clean and easy storage and no waste.

Dr Golds Extra Gentle Ear Therapy for dogs and cats is another option to clean your pet’s ears quickly, cleanly and effectively.

Be amazed how quickly this product will neutralize the odor from yeast and mite infections, and feel reassured that the product also disinfects with added natural ingredients such as Witch hazel and Tea Tree Oil.

A stronger alternative is Gimborn R-7M Ear Mite Treatment for Pets.

With a natural substance that kills mites, it will speedily resolve your pet’s mite problems. This product comes strongly recommended from breeder and people who show dogs.

Zymox OTIC Solution with and without Hydrocortisone is another strong solution to an ear mite infection. It is used in cases where the animal has severe inflammation of the external ear due to ear mite, yeast and bacterial infections.

Seven days dosage at once a day should resolve severe inflammation, and fourteen days for chronic conditions where the animal is persistently infected.

Your pet’s ears don’t have to be a problems with so many high grade products on the market.

Keep your eyes open for the first signs of ear mites and deal with the infection before it becomes a problem.

Now is your chance to be a stylist - for your pet dog.

From designer dog apparel to ’seatbelts’ for dogs, your best friend can benefit from unique products designed especially for canines.

Your dog will be turning heads with the selection of fab dog accessories on offer.

There’s nothing cuter than a pretty little dog with a charm collar; that tiny addition sparkling around the neck especially of a small dog, Aria make some great charms for dog collars including the Bone Charm, Pawprint and Majestic Crown in a variety of colors and stones.

Charms are a really popular accessory for tiny dogs, as they give a ‘toy-like’ look and the charm can be color co-ordinated to match an outfit.

The Sweetheart charm is just lovely for a female dog, the Skull and Crossbones is recommended for young tearaways!

Remember that your dog is part of your “look” when you go out, after all Hollywood starlets tuck a tiny pup into their handbags as the nip out to go shopping or meet friends, as if the tiny dog is an integral part of the overall look.

For any dog, how he is turned out will say quite a bit about it owner, a raggle-taggle dog, dirty, unkempt etc might be a perfectly happy dog, but you will be seen as a neglectful owner.

And it’s not just ladies who like to pamper themselves in the bath - there’s a wide range of dog bath time products to make your beloved hound smell less like.. well, a dog.

8in1 produce some excellent products such as Crisp Apple Spray, ( also available in an array of alternative tantalising fragrances) to keep your dog smelling fresh between baths.

Maybe it’s time to get some very individual accessories to complete your look; cue Pet Checks.

Regular checks with a difference - the great design of a dog or cat. Ideal for Christmas presents!

A travel harness could save your dog’s life, making it a wonderful gift.

While the whole family is belted up in the car, the poor dog is loose and could jump out the window or be thrown about in an accident.

Cruising Companion Harnesses are a must for any dog who travels.

There is a seemingly endless range of clothing, bath products, charms and gadgets for dogs on the market.

You will just love creating that new look for your pet with all those great accessories.

Have you have ever wondered about the fate of dogs whose owners leave them, or are lost by accident? The unlucky may finish their days in a pound before being put to sleep.

An alternative is an animal shelter, a much happier option as they care for abandoned dogs and attempt to find new owners, and they have been instrumental in encouraging spaying and neutering. This alone has resulted in a reduction of stray dogs reproducing unwanted puppies.

Not all animals which end up in the shelters are unwanted pets. Sometimes the owner can no longer look after their animal due to sickness; death, neglect and handicap can also force a hard choice.

Aggressive dogs also end up in shelters when the owner can no longer cope; it must be said though that training and environment play a great role in the temperament of the dog.

If you want a new dog, look first at a shelter. They have mixed and pure breeds desperately waiting for a new owner.

The points to remember when you choose a dog from a shelter are something to think about. Usually there is no clue as to treatment or health of the animal prior to its arrival at the shelter, so you might be in for a surprise in terms of chronic infections or inherited disease.

The personality of the dog too is somewhat a gamble, so if you have children you might want to study the animal carefully and choose a breed who are tolerant with kids. He may have also gotten into bad habits in his previous house so a little training might be in order.

You will have to be patient as the dog settles into your home, and be prepared for the odd accident, as it can be very stressful for an animal to change locations to unfamiliar circumstances.

The Humane Society is the largest organization for animal protection in the USA. Its central offices are based in Washington DC. It works on a local level with many regional branches across the USA. It is funded by donation.

Its the largest organization for animal protection in the USA. Its central offices are based in Washington DC. It works on a local level with many regional branches across the USA. It is funded by donation.

Both domestic and wild animals are in the remit of the work of the Humane Society. It defends animals through the courts, the classroom, the senate, the authorities and more. You can find many unwanted pets at regional branches, which should be your first place to look for a new pet.

You might feel you want to support the Humane Society; if so there are three ways you can do it. Offering a home to an abandoned pet is an enormous help. You can support the Society by giving a regular amount of money to their fund raising efforts. You might also consider lending a hand in a shelter.

All of these will help the Humane Society in their work. Animal shelters are the last resort for sick, injured and homeless animals. Make sure you don’t forget about the animals no-one remembered.

Pet store temptation - we have all suffered from it when viewing the cute and curious menagerie of animals on sale. Do you ever give some thought to where these animals come from?

To be honest, most of those puppies and kittens you see don’t come from reputable breeders, they are bred in puppy or kitty mills. You are probably wondering what a puppy mill is. Well, here is the shocking truth.

Puppy mills are canine intensive breeding plants, where literally thousands of puppies are bred to supply the pet industry. It’s a sad life for a puppy mill puppy, from the very start.

A Puppy Mill puppy is likely to suffer from ill health, behavioral problems and diseases due to unselective breeding. Add to that a lack of socializing skills, which stems from early separation from the mother, rather like dysfunctional children.

Their substandard living conditions, where they are housed in cages, sometimes with many others also lead to health and temperament issues, as they receive little chance to bond with humans before being shipped to the petstore.

It is responsible when breeding puppies to take into account any diseases a breed is prone to, and to carefully select dogs to mate, otherwise you end up with a walking wagging time bomb. Good breeder will make proper vet care, immunization and health a priority.

They should be able to provide a breeding line for the dogs, papers and any other information necessary for looking after the puppy. In addition, pedigree dogs should come with a guarantee, each breeder will differ on this, so check your small print, but the guarantee should not require you to give back the puppy if he falls ill.

There is no such ethos at the Puppy Mill, where money talks fast and loud. They breed dogs regardless of health, disease or family history, which is a recipe for disaster.

The bitches have the worst deal, as they will be made to breed relentlessly in miserable health conditions. And once spent from this terrible life, they will be rewarded with abandonment or death.

Puppy mills are still in operation despite laws to control them. The way to combat these farms is to remove the demand for puppies by only purchasing your puppy from a good breeder, or adopting one from an animal rescue centre; don’t trust pet stores, which may be ignorant or misleading of the truth.

Although it is tempting to save a puppy by buying him, don’t. You will create a space for the next puppy from a mill. If you want to do something, contact the authorities or an animal shelter who will be able to do something constructive.

Puppy mills, tragic and inhumane as they are, are a problem caused by the consumer, so use your spending power wisely and put an end to these hellish establishments.

Ear Mites affect both dogs and cats. Behavioral changes will give your the clues that your are dealing with an ear mite infection.

If your pet starts shaking his head violently or won’t stop scratching at his ears, even to the point where he is crying out because it is painful, you are probably dealing with ear mites.

So what are the culprits to these unpleasant symptoms? The ear mite is a tiny parasite that lives in the lining of the ear canal.

They penetrate the skin to feed on the blood supply, resulting in swelling and pain for your pet.

Yeast and bacterial infections are in store for your pet if you don’t take action against an ear mite problem.

If you still do nothing your pet could lose his hearing or require expensive surgery.

Bad news if you have more than one pet too as ear mites can be passed from one animal to another.

Ear mite infections are a particular problem in places where there are large numbers of animals, such as pounds, boarding kennels and breeders.

So if you have more than one animal it is wise to treat them all as if they had an ear mite infection.

Although both dogs and cats may contract ear mites, you should take special car if you are the proud owner of a spaniel as their glorious long haired long ears are especially attractive to ear mites.

Ear mites can be dispatched easily and quickly. The first issue to to keep the ears clean - this is where products such as PNP Healthy Ears Ear Cleanser for Dogs can help, as its gentle cleaning properties will remove debris, wax and dust from the animal’s ears.

It can help prevent ear infections, and is easy to apply with a specially designed nozzle. Use regularly and apply after swimming.

Lambert Kay Ear Rite Insecticidal Ear Wash is another great ear cleaner product in the battle against ear mite infections.

It helps clean the external ear surfaces, preventing infection. If you want to keep your pet’s ears dry, try ClearQuest Ear Powder.

It is suitable for both dogs and cats and helps to control odor and keep ears dry and therefore more resistant to yeast infections.

If you are looking for a clean and easy way to do the job of keeping your pet’s ears clean, consider ClearQuest Ear Wipes.

Formulated with anti-bacterial and anti-fungal components, infections are kept at bay. They come in a convenient container which means clean and easy storage and no waste.

Cleaning your pet’s ears with Dr Golds Extra Gentle Ear Therapy might be good for your conscience too.

Because it’s made with tea tree oil and witch hazel, you can rest assured you are cleaning your pet’s ear with a product that contains natural ingredients.

Gimborn R-7M Ear Mite Treatment for Pets is a good choice for severe problems.

It contains a natural miticide that will dispatch ear mites and ticks promptly leaving your pet pain and infection free. Popular among breeders and showers.

When the going gets tough and your poor animal is beset by repeated ear mite problems, or has a particularly heavy case of ear mite infection, Zymox OTIC Solution with and without Hydrocortisone is called for.

Seven days of treatment should resolve a nasty case of ear mites, but double it for repeated ear mite issues.

As you see there are plenty of products available to keep your pet’s ears clean and mite free.

Keep your eyes open for the first signs of ear mites and deal with the infection before it becomes a problem.

We have all seen those adorable faces and tiny whiffling noses pressed up against the glass and been tempted to get a puppy from the pet store. Have you ever considered though where those puppies are sourced from, if not a local breeder?

In a relatively small number of cases that might be true, but the fact remains that puppy mills supply huge numbers of puppies every year to pet stores, internet sales and even apparently reputable dog breeders’ sites. What is a puppy mill? you may ask. The answer may shock you.

Puppy mills are canine intensive breeding plants, where literally thousands of puppies are bred to supply the pet industry. It’s a sad life for a puppy mill puppy, from the very start.

Poor health, temperament issues and hereditary diseases are often the legacy of being bred at a Puppy Mill. Socialization rarely occurs as the puppies are taken away from their mother early, thus depriving them of these skills.

Their substandard living conditions, where they are housed in cages, sometimes with many others also lead to health and temperament issues, as they receive little chance to bond with humans before being shipped to the petstore.

Responsible breeders will be aware of any hereditary factors which affect a particular breed, and will screen and selectively breed their dogs, always putting the welfare of their animals, be that breeding stock or pups, first. They will ensure puppies receive the correct medical attention and shots before selling them to a properly screened home.

A good breeder will have spacious, clean and humane premises, and should voluntarily be able to show you the bloodline of your puppy. A breeder ALWAYS gives a guarantee (although details may differ), tips on care, and would never make you return the puppy if dissatisfied, as they would have properly interviewed the family.

There is no such ethos at the Puppy Mill, where money talks fast and loud. They breed dogs regardless of health, disease or family history, which is a recipe for disaster.

Breeding dogs are kept in miserable conditions, without proper attention to their diet, health or exercise regime, and forced to breed every time they are in season, physically exhausting the dog, and leading to weaker puppies. At the end of their breeding life, the dogs are often killed or abandoned.

There is legislation in place but puppy mills still exist. Consumers can help stamp out these intensive dog breeding plants buy only buying puppies from reputable breeders ( visit the premises, get recommendations), consider adopting ( this is the most humane way to stop the industry and to help rescue a dog who has been abandoned), refuse to buy from pet stores ( many of them do not know or mislead their customers as to the origin of the puppies).

It is imperative that you don’t buy a puppy from a mill to rescue him. It is creating a demand for another puppy to be bred into a life of suffering. Contact the appropriate bodies, and demand they take action.

Puppy mills only exist because of the end consumer, so buy puppies responsibly and ask some tough questions the next time you see puppies for sale.