• Pick a set time each day to feed your cat. If you pick a particular time everyday to feed your cat, you can make sure to keep your dog away when your cat is eating.  In addition, your cat will be more motivated to eat the food right away if he or she is only eating at a certain time of day, instead of having the food sit out all day. Moist cat food, such as Earthborn Holistic,is easy to feed in this way and is more likely to be eaten by your cat right away.
• Choose a location that is not accessible to your dog. Place your cat’s food container in a higher location or in a place where your dog is not able to get to. This works out well if your cat likes to nibble on dry cat food all day long. If you have the space, you may want to use a feeder like Automatic Pet Feeder by Van Ness in a secluded or high up location.
• Use a pet gate to close off your cat’s eating area. A pet gate, like the Metal Walk Thru Dog Gate, is a great way to keep your dog out of your cat’s food. This type of gate is easy for you to pass through, while it keeps your dog out of the cat’s food and reduces the amount of hassle caused by trying to separate the two types of animals.

Cats will strain and make frequent and prolonged attempts to urinate, but usually the amount of urine passed during each attempt is quite small. Affected cats tend to lick their genital area excessively, and sometimes they will urinate outside the litter box, often preferring cool, smooth surfaces like a tile floor or a bathtub. Occasionally, there will be blood present in the urine.

There are many causes of urethral obstruction in cats, but the two most common are uroliths and urethral plugs. Urethral plugs consist of a soft, compressible material that contains variable quantities of minerals, cells and cellular debris, and mucus-like protein. Many factors interact to produce uroliths and urethral plugs; viruses, bacteria, diet, decreased water consumption, physical inactivity, urine retention, stress, and urine Ph may all contribute. 

One of the easiest ways to achieve an acidic diet it to feed a highly digestible meat based diet, as an acidic urine will naturally be achieved.

Featured to the right are Feed N Toss pet bowls - great for travel or spending time at Grandma’s over the holidays.

Mineral Deposits also have a greater tendency to form in urine that is highly concentrated or that is retained in the bladder for long periods of time. To encourage adequate water consumption, and thus the formation of urine that is more dilute, fresh water should be available to cats at all times.

Heated Pet Bowls are a “Must Have” if your pet stays outdoors when it is cold out.

NOTE: Feel free to comment on this post – but remember, I am not the humane society. Whenever I write about leaving dogs outside in the cold, I get a flood of very good people that comment on how inhumane that is. My dog stays inside. Some owners have real reasons to have dogs stay outside. Unfotunately, I cannot respond to debates on whether dogs should be outdoors for any length of time in the winter.

Heated Dog Bowls are excellent for winter. Dogs and cats that spend time outdoors in cold weather need heated pet bowls so thier water doesn’t freeze. Hydration is especially important in cold weather (and of course in very warm weather).  A heated pet dish works using coils and electicity. Plug the dish in and the coils warm the bottom and sides of the dish which keeps the water at a temperature that prevents freezing.

A heated pet water dish normally comes with a thermostat and an electric cord. The thermostat will let you know how much heat the container is generating to keep its contents warm.  The dish only works when it is plugged into an electric outlet, unless it comes with an automatic shut-off switch.  Many models have the shut-off switch, now.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Plastic Heated Water Bowl for Pets – Keeps water ice free! This low wattage heated pet bowl has a capacity of …

Heated Pet Bowl with Hutch Mount –This stainless steel Bowl will keep drinking water ice-free even in sub-zero weather .

Heated Pet Bowl 6 Qt. – Blue – This 6-quart heated water bowl allows you to supply your pet with fresh …

Heated Pet Bowl 3 Qt. – Blue – This 3-quart heated water bowl allows you to supply your pet with fresh …

Heated Plastic Pet Bowl 6 qt. – This 6-quart heated water bowl allows you to supply your pet with fresh …

One of our recent customer questions:

I just purchased a heated water bowl for a dog. It says not to use an extension cord with it, but the nearest oulet requires one. Will it really hurt to use an extension cord with this product?

ANSWER: The manufacturers and retailers must say that for liability reasons.. HOWEVER. I would recommend that if you MUST use an extension cord, use a heavy duty outdoor extension cord designed to carry the electrical load used by the water bowl.

ALSO make sure that the cord is not laying in water or wet areas. you can also buy different tapes to cover the plug into the extension cord. Make sure you are using a quality extension cord designed to be used outside.

Many people use elevated dog feeders and cat feeders for the physical benefits to their pet. They can also be
ornate and attractive in the design making the feeding area look more pleasing to us humans.

A number of physical benefits are associated with elevated feeders:

• Comfort for dogs and cats with neck or back arthritic conditions. This is especially true with older pets. We do not our pets to associate eating and drinking with discomfort. The elevated feeder keeps the head and neck in a more upright condition preventing the need for stooping thus keeping the proper posture.
• There is also less stress through the front legs.
• Easier swallowing due to the head being in a more upright position. This is advantage to all pets but can be more important with pets that have eating disorders such as megaesophagus. This is a condition of the weakening of the esophagus that causes food to collect in the esophagus (not making it to the stomach). This can cause vomiting. By keeping the head in a more upright position the elevated feeder uses gravity to help the food make it into the stomach more easily.

Another advantage is a cleaner feeding area.

Some pets (especially dogs) can be a bit messy when they eat or drink. By placing the bowls closer to their natural position of the mouth there is less head movement away from the bowls and therefore less food and water outside of the bowl. Most importantly, less clean-up for us pet owners!

How do I size an elevated feeder?

The feeder should be about four to six inches below a dogs mouth. Four inches is more appropriate for smaller dogs while six inches can be used for larger dogs. Cats would obviously use a four inch or smaller guideline.

If the above information applies to yourself or your pet consider using an elevated feeder. There are many styles available from basic to ornate.