How To Tell If Your Cat Is Sick

About the author: Tristan Andrews writes useful articles about cats and kittens. Discover and explore the feline world. Find out how to better care for, train and live with your cat at the cat forums at http://www.i-love-cats.com

Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/how-to-tell-if-your-cat-is-sick-93826.html

Frequently Asked Questions

1. QUESTION:
   Help for a dog costume?!?!?!?
   so i have 2 dogs a boy and girl there poodles and there gonna be in a dog costume contest and i need help deciding what costume to make them. So i was thinking cowboys, bugs, a prince and princess, cops, pirates, bride and groom, a fairy and knight,... so i don't know what else which do you think would be the best?

   • ANSWER:
     bride and grooom

2. QUESTION:
   Remember that crazy van with the dog costume that Jeff Daniels drove in Dumb & Dumber? Guess what?
   I could SWEAR I just saw it going down the street in front of my building! It was called, "Proud Puppies Grooming Service" and it had dog ears!

   How cool is THAT? lol

   • ANSWER:
     chicks dig it.............its a shaggin wagon

3. QUESTION:
   What are some dog magazines I should buy?
   I would like to get a monthly dog magazine...

   I am into GSDs and other working/herding dogs, I don't want a magazine full of dog costumes and fun things to do to your dog, I want a magazine that has dog training, grooming, working, and new things that come out for dogs (like new brushes and new toys that seem to occupy their time)...

   And what is the monthly price?
   I am not looking for an all grooming magazine, I want a magazine with some grooming advice and it shows some of the new brushes and combs... I really want a magazine that has training advice and info on breeds and stuff like that...

   • ANSWER:
     Whole Dog Journal has lots of what you want, but won't have much grooming info. They do product reviews, have training articles, discuss different health issues, etc. You can also purchase some individual articles online. Sorry, don't remember what the subscription price is.

     Bark! is also a great magazine, also has training and health articles, advertising, etc.

4. QUESTION:
   What products sell best in your grooming shop?
   We are thinking about starting a small shop in our dog grooming shop and are wondering what products are the 'hot sellers' in other people's shops. We would definately sell the most commonly asked things: brushes of various kids to work with different coat and skin types, combs, and cologne.

   We have tried to sell stuffed toys, tennis balls, rawhide bones and bandanna's with absolutely no success after two years. We are located in a very small town so we need to be able to accomidate the middle class rank. Nothing too frilly or expensive would ever sell. (costumes, custom photography, dog furniture, ect.)

   Any recommendations?

   • ANSWER:
     Price-wise, you simply can't compete with the big box stores on most items. Therefore stick with the basics or the unique. Basic grooming supplies - brushes, combs, etc. do well because we recommend them. Same with dental care items and ear care products. Various flea & tick products did well because owners wanted to take care of the problem in one stop rather than go to a big box, too. We sold extra and holiday themed bows and bandanas, and fancy treats, too, mostly as impulse items. We tried to carry items that the big box stores didn't such as breed stationary and notepads, breed magnets, trivets and other gift items. Want to move those toys and rawhides you've had sitting around a while? Try repackaging! For the holidays we'd buy fancy boxes and put together an assortment of treats and toys and sell it as a gift box!

5. QUESTION:
   If it's wrong to dress up a dog then...?
   ...why is it not wrong to groom a dog & give it fancy hair cuts & put ribbons on hair? "The dog is a dog not a human." I hear this line all the time especially from those who don't believe in dressing up dogs but what I don't understand is, why is fancy grooming allowed then?

   Why does the dog need cute teddy bear hair cuts, or poodle cuts, or Bichon cuts & whatever else when you could just shave the bugger or just simply do it yourself at home & just chop off all the hair without any care. Doesn't matter if there's hair sticking out here & there. Why need to care if it's nice, cute or neat? The dog is a dog. It does not care about how nice or how cute it looks like.

   Now don't get me wrong, I don't believe in dressing the dog up all the time because it is absolutely unnecessary. I only dress my dogs up during events, competitions & photoshoots. This is all harmless fun & definitely not cruel or abuse unless the owner dresses the dog up in thick clothes/costumes under the sweltering hot sun. My dogs' costumes never stay on for more than 10 min & they're only dressed in A/C places. Sometimes I put a tee on my Dalmatian when she gets cold. I also put tees on my GRs when they got spayed. Other times they are never dressed.

   So can someone tell me why? I don't want to start an argument here. I just want to know a good relevant explanation to this

   • ANSWER:
     As long as it doesn't affect the dog's movements or physical well-being, such as causing it to overheat etc. then I don't mind people dressing up their dogs.

     The problem in my opinion is that many, not all, but many people who do dress up their dogs, keep them as accessories and don't let them be dogs. Admitted, I seldom see a dressed up dog, but of the ones I've seen, I've never seen one be allowed to romp around and roll in the mud and come to think of it, I rarely even see them walking on their own. Usually they are being carried by their owners, either on one arm or in a matching handbag. So I guessed a dressed up dog represents a certain stereo-type, although it may not necessarily be true for that particular dog.