Owning a pet is both a delight and a responsibility. No matter how much your love your pet there are times when they need to be confined; pet gates are the answer. No one wants a pet underfoot when cooking dinner or performing housekeeping chores. Dogs are notorious for being in the wrong place at the wrong time when it comes to hot food. Always curious, cats will climb anything to see what is going on. Unless you want to risk an accident, using a pet gate to keep an animal out of a certain part of the house is an expression of kindness, not cruelty.
It is true that given their choice your pet is likely to stick with you most of the time. This is particularly true of dogs. Placing a pet gate between you and your pet can save you both from a great deal of trouble. All pets, not unlike children, need rules and boundaries. Letting your pet know that there are certain areas they can not access is good for the pet. Just how you wouldn’t tolerate your children everywhere in the house, there is no reason your pets should have free reign. Gating off your bedroom, for example, is likely to eliminate your dog sleeping with you. Keeping your kitchen gated off will allow you to make a meal in peace.
Both cats and dogs can learn to accept and utilize gates. For obvious reasons you need different materials when purchasing a dog gate versus a cat gate. A well constructed dog gate will allow you to move from one side of the gate to another; preferably using only one hand. The gate should be of a relatively open construction so your pet can watch you moving about, without feeling completely isolated. For a cat a fabric mesh gate or a diamond interlocking pattern is often most appropriate. Cats can climb mesh if they are sufficiently coordinated, and a typical slat gate used for dogs lets a cat walk right through. Consider the size of your animal before you make any purchases. Measure the opening you wish to seal, and consider taking a picture of the area to help you pick the best gate.
You can find a pet gate in just about any material and certainly any size. If you have an odd sized opening you might want to consider a custom made gate. To match your home furnishings gates are now made of wood as well as plastics, metal or fabric. For instance, wooden dog gates could go great with you kitchen or dining room and metal dog gates could go great for bedrooms or hallways. Select a height based upon your pet’s height, you don’t want them to feel that they can easily jump over the gate, but neither do you want to purchase a gate that is any larger than necessary. The slats should be spaced closely so that your pet can not get their head through the opening and get trapped. That is a trauma none of you need to experience.
In the end, a pet gate is designed to keep everyone happy and safe. Your selection must be based upon your needs.
The sad reality is that most stray dogs are not sterilized and are lose on the streets free to procreate with other dogs at will. This unfortunately results in pregnant females forced to deliver their litters on the streets. While mothers in nature have excellent instincts this is not an ideal environment for them to raise their pups so they will often seek shelter near the residences’ of humans. They often seek crawl spaces under houses, drainage ditches or under porches to provide shelter for their babies. Finding a litter of puppies can be a tricky situation depending on if the mother is present or no where to be found.
If you find a stray litter and the mother is present, be careful. While she will appreciate your help and come to trust you in the long run she might initially show aggression in attempt to protect her pups. If she appears uninjured and healthy the best thing that you can do is provide minimal assistance and let her do her job. Avoid handling the litter or moving the puppies to another location. While it might be difficult for you to resist moving the new family, it is the best thing to do if there is no immediate danger in their current location.
Instead you can help by providing material goods. Try cutting out one side of a large cardboard box and filling it with blankets for the mother to use as a nest. Calmly deliver the nest to the mother directly beside her and she will instinctually move her family to the new location. You can also provide high quality food and fresh clean water. Other than that you should let her nurse and wean her puppies in peace until they are around 7 weeks of age. Over the first several weeks of bringing the mother food, water and shelter you will likely gain her trust and be able to move the pups when the time is right. Around 7 weeks you can move the mother and the pups to a safe secured location and begin looking for homes for them all. If this is too much responsibility contact your local ASPCA or Humane Society.
The course of action changes dramatically when there is no mother present. If you have observed the pups at several points during the day then chances are, something has happened to mom. In this case the pups will likely die without your help. If you are an inexperienced dog owner you should immediately contact the local animal authorities, ASPCA, Humane Society and so on so forth. If you are the kind of person who loves a challenge and has the time then you might consider rearing the pups yourself. This is not an ideal situation as the pups’ chances of survival decrease dramatically without their mom. You will need some help, but it is possible to successfully rear a litter of puppies.
You will need to feed the pups using a pet nursing kit (available for purchase at pet superstores) every few hours around the clock a minimum of 5 times daily to ensure their nutritional needs are met. You can purchase milk replacement formula like Esbilac or you can make your own with 1 can of evaporated milk, equal parts boiled water, 1 tablespoon of Karo syrup and an egg yolk, mixed well and brought to room temperature. You should always feed the pups as they lie on their stomachs’ and begin introducing semi-solid wet dog food at 4 weeks of age.
You will also need to provide a nest for your pups. Try setting up a box with enough blankets to create a temperature of around 85 degrees Fahrenheit. You may remove blankets as they get a few weeks older, but you should always try to avoid handling them as much as possible to decrease their chances of becoming ill. Young pups mostly eat and sleep, but will defecate after feedings. You will have to stay on top of cleaning these messes to keep the environment clean and healthy. As the puppies get older you will need to stroke them and rub them to encourage grooming habits and increase socialization amongst each other. While this can be an extremely rewarding experience, remember that you are not an expert and you will need to seek proper medical care in the event that the puppies are not developing properly.
Article provided by pet-super-store where you can find dog fences, dog stairs and dog beds.
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