When do kittens lose their baby teeth?

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Kittens may be cute and cuddly, but their razor-sharp baby teeth are often less than adorable. Training a kitten not to bite as early as possible is the best way to avoid much more painful bites when the kitten grows into a cat.

Baby teeth, also called milk teeth, begin to emerge when a kitten is about four weeks old. This makes nursing uncomfortable for the mother by the time the kitten is around six weeks old, making this the ideal time to start the weaning process and to use toys and distractions to teach your cat what can and cannot be bitten or chewed.

Most kittens will lose their baby teeth starting when they are about three months old and ending a few months later. From this point forward, the teething process for cats is very similar to that of dogs; both tend to chew on things more as their adult teeth emerge. This is a way to decrease discomfort as well as a way of exploring the world around them, according to http://vetmedicine.about.com/od/diseasesconditionsfaqs/f/deciduous_teeth.htm. During this time, it’s perfectly healthy and normal for kittens to swallow their baby teeth. You might also be able to find them on the floor or stuck in toys, but they are so small that finding them can be difficult.

Once a kitten’s adult teeth have grown in completely, it’s a good idea to take it to the vet for a dental exam and a demonstration of the best way to clean these new teeth. This will get kittens and their owners in the habit of brushing their teeth regularly and keeping their teeth and mouths healthy.

Children who grow up with dogs and cats are emotionally more intelligent

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Many children have a strong bond with their pet, and research indicates that this may be much more than just a friendship. Studies have shown that owning a pet not only helps children learn skills like responsibility, but can also aid in their development.

According to www.mnn.com, kids who grow up with pets tend to have a higher level of Emotional Intelligence (EQ) than their pet-free peers, developing traits such as compassion, self-esteem and cognitive development, among others.

Of course, as in many similar studies of psychological comparisons over an extended period of time, proving that high EQ is caused by owning a pet is difficult; each child who participates in these studies comes from a unique background and could be influenced by any number of other factors that could also have an effect on their emotional development. However, Professor Jay Belsky’s 1984 model describing the variables of child development has provided a standardized measurement tool for researchers. Their studies have all come up with similar findings—regardless of other factors, kids with pets are more likely to have high EQ, which suggests that the pets may be the cause of these developmental advantages.

Molly the Fire Safety Dog Teaches Kids Fire Safety, Saves Lives

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Read the original story here.

In the winter of 2008, then 5-year-old Angelica of Tulsa, Oklahoma realized that her house was on fire. She crawled out of her house and told her father, who was disoriented by the smoke, to do the same. They reached safety just before their home was engulfed in flames. Angelica was able to save herself and her father by imitating a Dalmatian named Sparkles.

Sparkles the fire safety dog was the “star” of volunteer firefighter Dayna Hilton’s fire safety education program, which she began delivering to schools across Arkansas in 2003. As part of the program, Sparkles would demonstrate to students how to get low and crawl beneath the smoke, in the event of a fire. Angelica later reported that lesson was the one she remembered on that fateful day.

For eight years, Hilton and Sparkles together spread their safety message to children and adults. The year before Sparkles passed away in 2010, Hilton founded the non profit, Keep Kids Fire Safe Foundation, to honor her and her fire safety dog work.

How to Save Money at Petco

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Read the original story here.

From toys and treats to food and grooming tools, purchasing pet supplies can get pretty expensive.

Luckily, strategically shopping at Petco can help even the most frugal pet owners work within their household budgets. These seven tips will help you get the biggest bang for your buck while shopping at Petco.

Six ways kids can help animal shelters

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If you have a kid who loves animals, encouraging them to help an animal shelter can be a fantastic way to keep them busy while they learn the value of giving to their community. Here are six ways kids can contribute to animal shelters.

  1. Make toys. Just like any other pets, shelter dogs and cats love to play, and toys can get pretty worn out after a while. As a result, shelters need a constant supply of toys, and handmade toys make perfect donations. Barkpost.com has a great list of toys that can be made from household items, such as old t-shirts.
  1. Take photos. Many people go to a shelter to adopt a pet after seeing a cute picture online, and taking shelter animals out of their kennels for a photo shoot is a perfect way for a budding photographer to hone their skills while increasing a pet’s chance of adoption.

What my pets taught me

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At any given point in my life, I have had at least one dog. Although they’ve been all different shapes and sizes and each had its own unique personality, each of my dogs has shared one common trait: all of them loved unconditionally.

This is one major difference I’ve found between dogs and other types of pets. Cats, for instance, usually seem mildly indifferent to their owners, regarding them as more of a roommate and food source than anything else. But based on my personal experience, it seems as if most dogs love their owners more than themselves. That’s a level of selflessness that even the most generous of people can never attain, but dogs do it automatically, willingly and happily, almost as if they believe that their purpose in life is to make their owners happy.

My dogs offered me the unwavering loyalty and friendship that it seemed people never could. Whenever I had a bad day, my dogs were always there to comfort me; even though they had no way of understanding what was happening, they would look sad simply because they noticed that I was sad.

Six more ways kids can help animal shelters

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Going to a shelter in person to volunteer can be a great way for animal-loving kids to help, but what about those who don’t live near a shelter, or who don’t meet the age requirements to volunteer at shelters? Fortunately, there are many ways for kids to help shelters from a distance.

  1. Hold a supplies drive. Kids can collect items that might otherwise be thrown away but that can be used by shelters, such as old towels and sheets. A supplies drive is also a great way to get other kids involved and thinking creatively about ways to recycle used items into pet toys or beds.
  1. Donate to pet food banks. These food banks often donate pet food to shelters or to the pets of needy families. Meals on Wheels, for example, brings food to their clients’ pets.

Fun facts about goldfish

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Despite their misleading reputation, goldfish are intelligent animals with highly developed physical traits. Here are 20 things you might not know about this common household pet.

  1. Goldfish can live much longer than other types of aquarium fish. Some can live to be as old as 30, but most healthy pet goldfish will live for five to 10 years.
  2. There are more than 100 distinct breeds of goldfish, all of which live in cold water.
  3. Goldfish do not have stomachs. Instead, certain parts of their intestines break down food and absorb its nutrients. Because they do not have a place in their bodies where food can be stored as it is digested, goldfish should be fed several small meals rather than all at once.
  4. Because they naturally tend to live in groups, goldfish do not like to live alone. Ideally, at least two goldfish should be kept in the same tank.
  5. Goldfish should not be kept in a small bowl. Instead, they should live in a large tank; a 20-gallon tank for one to four small or medium fish is recommended for first-time fish owners. The large tank makes it easier to maintain healthy water conditions.
  6. “Jaws” is the most common name given to a pet goldfish.
  7. Goldfish do not have eyelids, so their eyes are always open, even when they sleep. They can also see many colors that human eyes cannot, including ultraviolet and infrared light.
  8. A group of goldfish is called a “troubling.”
  9. Goldfish have been popular pets for more than 2000 years.
  10. The first goldfish came from China. They descended from carp after fish owners began selectively breeding their carp to try to get more fish with a gold color.
  11. Goldfish were brought to the United States in the 1800s.
  12. As omnivores, goldfish eat insects and other small creatures in the wild. Many pet stores sell food products that can supplement this part of a goldfish’s diet.
  13. Goldfish can learn to recognize specific human faces and, if they become completely comfortable with their owners, can even be trained to eat out of a person’s hand.
  14. Contrary to popular belief, a goldfish’s memory is much longer than three seconds. They can learn to recognize and keep track of when they can expect to be fed throughout the day.
  15. Some goldfish can be taught to respond when their names are called.
  16. Goldfish change color naturally for a variety of reasons, such as changes in lighting, water quality, eating certain food or aging. This is fairly normal and is really only cause for concern if the goldfish changes color very suddenly or if the color is not consistent; spots can indicate disease.
  17. If a goldfish is left in a dark room, it will eventually turn white.
  18. Around the world, there are more than 180 koi and goldfish enthusiast groups and societies.
  19. Goldfish can discern differences between songs by different composers.
  20. A goldfish named Tish holds the Guinness World Record for being the oldest goldfish. Tish lived for 43 years after being won as a prize at a fair in 1956. After his death in 1999, Tish was buried in a yogurt carton.

Sources:

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/wild/fish-bowl/articles/fun-fish-facts/

https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/small-pet-care/fish-care

http://thegoldfishtank.com/goldfish-facts/

http://thegoldfishtank.com/goldfish-types-about-types-of-goldfish/

http://thegoldfishtank.com/why-do-goldfish-change-color/

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/214268.html

http://www.ducksters.com/animals/goldfish.php

http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Carassius_auratus/

http://www.findfast.org/facts-about-gold-fish.htm

http://www.myfunnypets.net/articles/interesting-facts-about-goldfish/

http://www.kokosgoldfish.com/Clubs.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk/414114.stm

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/pets-health/10132614/Pet-subjects-can-you-train-goldfish.html

http://www.factslides.com/s-Fish

Shelter dog helps boy with autism hug his mom

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Many dog owners share a special bond with their pet, but for one boy, an adopted dog has also made it easier to connect with other people.

According to today.com, Joey Granados, 14, who was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome at age seven, struggled with a “loathing of physical contact” that worried his mother, Amanda, for years. But when Joey met a shelter dog named Roxy, he was so happy that he kissed his mom on the cheek for the first time.

Joey was first introduced to Roxy, a gray pit bull, at a shelter dog adoption event at Best Friends Animal Society in Los Angeles. Amanda’s concerns about pit bulls disappeared when she saw how happy the two were together.

Fun facts about hamsters

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Despite their small size, pet hamsters can require a lot of care and time. These little pets have a long history and many unique attributes that make them distinct from other small pets.

  1. The name “hamster” comes from the German word for hoard, which is what hamsters do with their food. Because they often store treats in various hiding places in their cage, hamsters’ food bowls do not always need to be refilled as soon as they are emptied; despite their active lifestyles, hamsters can become overweight if they have constant access to both a full bowl of food pellets and their personal stash of snacks.
  1. Syrian hamsters, also called golden or teddy bear hamsters, are the most common type of pet hamster.