The Pet Supplies Blog - Pets, Dogs, Cats, Pet Supply Reviews, Equine, Rabbits, Aquariums

Pros and cons

There are a good many arguments for keeping them inside. They will live longer since the chances of being hit by a car, hurt by other people or animals, or infected with contagious diseases from feral cats will be minimized (not to mention ticks and fleas). Cats will also prey on birds and small mammals. These are but a few of the issues that arise from roaming cats. On the other hand, cats derive much pleasure from exploring around outside. If cats are allowed outside they need to be sterilized to prevent unwanted pregnancies and stray issues.

Compromises - Limiting Activity and Movement

Often, a satisfactory compromise is to allow the cat out under supervision. One method used is to let them out into a fenced yard. However, if you leave them out there, they will probably eventually climb the fence. Because of this a fenced yard is not a real solution. Using a harness and leash is a method that will work. Accustom them to the harness first, in the same way as a collar. Then accustom them to the leash by leaving it on for short periods of time. Then take them outside, and follow them where they go (do not try to take them "on a walk"). You can proof your backyard against escape with an "invisible fence" arrangement (these are usually for dogs, but our models have been adapted for cats). These give the pet a correction stimulus when approaching the property boundary.

Make it Easy on Yourself! - Pet Doors

Pet doors are a good solution for people tired of letting cats in and out. There are many kinds of doors, including those that fit into patio doors without requiring a hole cut through the wall or door. You may have trouble with other animals coming in the door, or want to let your dog but not your cat use the pet door. The solution is an electronic pet door. The door has a lock that is deactivated by a special collar designed to work with the door. Therefore only the pet with the color will be allowed access. Electronic pet doors are installed much like a regular pet door, but you plug them in or they run off batteries. The electronic doors need a firmer push to open than most. A great feature is the 4-way lock. The lock can be set so the cat can 1) go both in and out 2) go in only - great if you want to catch them 3) out only 4) totally locked.

Labels: Containment, Leash, Pet Door

There are many reason why pets are given up to a local animal shelter or left for stray. Fortunately there are many reason to adapt and ways to limit unwanted pets. The statistics behind this problem indicate that:

About 60% of households in the U.S. have a pet. 60 million dogs and 75 million cats are owned as pets. Most pets are obtained at low/no cost through acquaintances and family members. Pets obtained in this manner may not be spayed/neutered. In many cases basic pet ownership responsibilities are not discussed. These kind of numbers lead to a potential issue if pets are not contained or spayed/neutered relative to unwanted breeding. Additionally, many are surprised by the extent of the responsibilities associated with pet ownership. Some of these pets are given up to shelters or become strays. In fact, 20% of those who leave a pet at a shelter initially adopted the pet from a shelter. Those people at least had some initial education on pet ownership responsibilities. One can surmise as to the extent of the issue with those who have not been formally introduced to pet ownership issues prior to taking in a pet. The unfortunate result is that each year 4 million dogs are killed.



At least 20% of cats are acquired as strays. The cost of spaying or neutering a pet is less than the cost of raising puppies or kittens for one year. The average cost of basic food, supplies, medical care and training for a dog or cat is $400 to $700 annually. It is much cheaper to attack the issue responsibly by spaying or neutering your pet before they cause or experience an unwanted pregnancy.

Understand what to expect as a pet owner before acquiring a pet

Don't be surprised about the restrictions and tasks involved with pet ownership. Pet are wonderful companions that can show us love. But as with anything worthwhile, there are responsibilities and time that we must give in order to receive that desired companionship. If you have not owned a pet before I can guarantee you will be surprised by the extent of what is required in pet ownership. Educate yourself before taking on a pet. The Humane Society of the United States have an article on pet adoption to help. Search the Internet for other articles on the subject. It really only takes a few minutes of your time to become informed. You can then decide if pet ownership is right for you at that particular time.

Keep your pet properly contained

If your pet is not spayed or neutered than you need to keep them away from other pets or strays. There are different ways to accomplish this but you need to make it simple on yourself to assure success. Pets that are outside can be contained through tieouts and runners, electric fences or traditional backyard fencing. If you do not have traditional fencing I have found electric fences to be convenient and effective. They also now make electric fences for cats. Containment is more difficult for a cat that is allowed outdoors. In this case, if an electric fence is not used than spaying/neutering is the only other alternative.


If you decide pet ownership is for you - Adopt a Pet

Stray/unwanted pets are euthanized if not adopted. Therefore you can save a life and get a companion all at one time. There is a vast selection such as purebreds , mixed breeds and mature pets that you can select from at your local animal shelter. Even pets like rabbits are available. The following link gives further information on this :

http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_adoption_information/.

Petfinders.com is a organization that tries to place unwanted pets from various shelters. They provide information on pet ownership and adopting to help the potential owner understand the issues we discuss above and prepare for a new arrival. There is a search mechanism to locate a pet. We obtained our dog through this organization and were very happy with the process and result.

Another website called dogsindanger.com is dedicated to listing pets at shelters that need adoption. They give information on the pet and indicate how much time the pet has before it will be destroyed - an unfortunate reality and why I took the time to write this!!! You can search for pets based on criteria.

Hopefully this information give you a start in the understanding the reasons behind the need for pet adoption and what we can all do to assist in the issue.

Labels: Containment, Electric Pet Fence

In a different article I discussed the three types of outdoor electric fences available for pets, Inground Fencing, Instant Fencing (known as a Wireless Fence), and Above Ground Fencing. Here I will explore the wireless fence system. At the time of this article the electric wireless fence product that dominates the market is made by Petsafe which is a RADIO SYSTEMS CORP brand. Radio Systems makes both Petsafe and Innotek products.

Why purchase a wireless dog fence?

You can read the benefits of electric pet fencing in a previous article. Basically it offers pet owners and pets significant freedom over other containment methods. They also cost less than traditional fencing. The specific benefits of wireless electric fences are:

• The units are portable and can be taken with you. Although you need to consider retraining your pet to a new boundary area. This is not a one day event.
• You basically turn on the unit to operate. There is no installation to speak of. Inground systems require that a trench be dug to lay the wire which defines the boundary. This can be a time consuming process. The boundary wires also need to be attached to the transmitter which must be mounted in an enclosed area (garage for example) that has access to the boundary wire.
• The boundary is formed by a signal emitted from the transmitter that forms circle with the transmitter as the center. This circle boundary can be increased or decreased with the turn of a knob. There is an inherent flexibility with this feature.
• The basic draw backs of wireless fences (as compared to inground fences) are are cost and boundary definition. Inground fences can have larger available boundaries and more complex boundary definition capability.

Note that you can use this product with a cat if they will tolerate the collar receiver size and weight.

How Does Wireless Fencing Work?

Installation is performed by setting the transmitter in the center of the circular boundary you wish to define and adjusting the transmitter signal strength to get the desired boundary diameter. The signal is received by your pets collar receiver while they are within the boundary area. When your pet approached the perimeter the collar receiver then responds by emitting a warning tone. If the dog approaches further and/or hasn't retreated, the tone is followed by a mild electrical stimulus. The receiver stimulus can be set to different levels to match pet temperament. Animals properly trained typically learned to avoid the boundary very quickly and do not test the perimeter. The system also detects if a power failure occurs and will shut down the collar receiver so that it will not shock your pet.

What to consider when buying

Fortunately, the wireless fence product offered by Petsafe has an LED indicator on the collar receiver when the battery is low on power. This is probably the most important product feature as a low collar battery is the most common reason that pets breach the boundary. Therefore this is not a consumer concern.

Make sure that a circular boundary is sufficient for your needs. Consider things like gardens, flowers, pools, etc. that you may not want your pet to have access but are within the boundary area. If this is a major concern than perhaps an inground system is more appropriate for you.

Also consider the maximum boundary diameter of the product. You can extend the range of the boundary by adding a second transmitter who's boundary overlaps the first transmitter. This works if you have a second location protected from the elements that has electrical power the second transmitter can be located in.

I currently use a wireless electric fence and have no complaints with it's performance. As I stated before, I would not do without an electric dog fence. The freedom it offer my pets as well as myself is worth far more that the cost of the item.

Labels: Containment, Electric Pet Fence, Innotek, Petsafe