Pet Treats Dos and Don'ts!

People Food as a Pet Treat

We love to pamper our pets with tasty treats. So what's more natural than sharing a tidbit or two from our own plate? Although a nibble of chicken or steak is usually fine, go easy with giving pets people food. A well-balanced pet food contains the nutrients your pet needs for good health, and should make up 90% of your pet's daily calories.

Pet Treats: Calories Count

Overfeeding can lead to life-threatening obesity. Vets advise limiting treats to 10% of your pet's total daily calories. How many calories he needs depends on his weight, age, and activity level. For example, a small 10-pound dog may only need 290 to 450 calories a day. Limit his treats to 29-45 calories. Ask your vet about your pet's needs. And beware: some treats can weigh in at more than 75 calories each!

Lean Treat Options for Cats

Cats need fewer calories than dogs of the same size. In general, for every pound your cat weighs, he only needs 24-35 calories a day. Plus, indoor cats can live pretty sedentary lives. Tailor your treating habits accordingly. Looking for non-fattening treats? Catnip is a good low-calorie option. Your cat also may enjoy toys that encourage him to chase and hunt.

Steer Clear of Toxic Foods

You may love avocados, grapes, macadamia nuts, coffee, onions, and chocolate, but these and other people foods can be toxic to cats and dogs. Not sure if a treat is good for your pooch or puss? Talk to your vet. Worried your pet may have eaten something toxic? Call the Animal Poison Control Center: (888) 426-4435.

What's in Pet Treats, Anyway?

Most packaged pet treats provide the serving sizes and basic ingredients. But how can you tell if they're healthy? One hint: Look for an Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) statement on the label. The AAFCO sets pet food manufacturing standards and verifies nutrition claims. Check with your veterinarian if you're unsure what treats are right for your pet.

Training With Pet Treats

Training with treats works with cats and dogs. The keys are consistency and moderation. If you're using treats to train your pet to stay off the couch, for example, always keep the couch off-limits. Instead of practicing a good behavior once with one large reward, try training frequently with tiny, low-calorie treats.

Making Your Own Pet Treats

For homemade treats, try cooking up tiny bits of wholesome chicken, liver, or eggs. You can also bake pet biscuits with recipes found online. There are also a variety of recipes for pets with medical conditions, such as allergies or organ diseases. And some canned prescription diets can be thinly sliced and baked in the oven for a tasty, crunchy alternative. It's a good idea to run these recipes by your vet first, especially if your pet has health issues.

Treats Can Encourage Exercise

Treats are great motivators. Boost your pet's brain and body by using treats to train for agility exercises. You can also help your cat or dog get moving by hiding dry treats around the house -- an especially effective tactic with indoor pets. Another option: some toys are made so you can hide a treat inside them. Your pup then has to play, paw, and tussle with the toy to retrieve his yummy reward.

Begging: Say No to the Mooch

Reward your pet with treats, but only for behavior you want to encourage. For example, if your pet sits quietly at your feet while you cook, offer a treat. If that initiates begging, stop. Don't give in to whining, barking, or loud meows. If it works once, your pet is sure it'll work again if he's persistent.

Pet Treats to Avoid

Cats may love milk but it's a bad idea for kittens and adult cats. Drinking it can cause diarrhea. And not all treats sold in pet supply stores are great for your pet either. Think twice about giving your pooch hard chews like animal bones, hooves, and nylon bones. They can break teeth and become stuck in the stomach or intestines.

Pet Treats for Dental Health

Certain pet treats can do double-duty by also helping your pet keep his teeth healthy. Ask your vet about safe chew toys, like rubbery balls or bendable bones and dental diet-approved kibble. You can also check the Veterinary Oral Health Council's web site for approved dental treats.

The Best Pet Treat? You

Although most pets relish a tasty tidbit, the treat they probably like best is time with you. Making time daily to play with your cat or dog helps them bond with you, keeps them fit, and bans boredom. So drag string, throw a ball, and give them what they're hungry for: lots of praise and love from you.

Source: pets.webmd.com 

The 10 Incredible Ways Your Cat Shows You Love

Even though my cat can’t speak aloud, she is constantly trying to find ways to communicate with me. Whether my cat is “meowing” because she’s hungry, or pawing at my legs because she wants attention, she finds ways to let me know exactly what she is thinking. While I can’t read her mind, I know that she is also constantly finding new ways to tell me she loves me. And just as there are specific behaviors through which a dog communicates love, there are specific, unique ways that our cats are saying “I love you.” This exclusive list of behaviors delves into the incredible ways that our cats attempt to communicate their love for us. And while I knew a few of these already, most of them were quite surprising. In fact, I was shocked by just how often my cat has been trying to show me how much she loves me!

1. Kneading Your Legs

Kneading is when your cat uses their paws to push in and out against a soft surface, such 
as your lap. This is one of the main ways your cat tries to say “I love you.” According to 
PetMD, “If your cat is curled up and kneading your lap while you’re petting him, he’s 
returning the affection and telling you he loves you right back. Unfortunately, this can 
be quite painful, since the happier he is, the harder he’ll dig in with his sharp nails.” They recommend that you ease the painful part of this kneading by “placing a thick, soft barrier between the cat and 
your lap.”

2. Bringing You a Present

You may be familiar with your cat bringing you presents, such as toys or small, dead animals. 
This is your cat’s way of showing love. Certified Animal Behavior Consultant Amy Shojai
writes, “Cats love with gifting. Mighty hunter cats that catch everything from toys to bugs, 
mice or frogs, often share the bounty with those they love. Kitties who present you with this bounty deserve praise.” While it might seem odd, Shojai says, “They wouldn’t bring these 
special gifts if they didn’t love you.”

3. Head-Butting You

Head-butting may seem like an odd behavior, but it actually shows that your cat truly cares
about you. According to Mother Nature Network, “Cats have secret glands concentrated on certain parts of their bodies, including their cheeks and heads. When your kitty rubs her
head or face against you, she’s marking you with her scent and claiming you as part of her
family group.”

They continue, “This scent is a source of both comfort and familiarity for your kitty.”

4. Staring Into Your Eyes

Staring at you and slowly blinking is a way in which your cat shows you great affection.

Dr. Karen Becker writes, “This might be the display of cat love that is easiest for humans to understand. If your kitty first stares at you, then blinks, then opens his eyes wide, then slowly blinks a second time, he’s telling you he loves and trusts you.”

She says this is an extreme sign of affection. “It’s the equivalent of being kissed.”

5. Showing You Their Belly

The flashing of the stomach is one way that your cat is saying “I love you.”

According to IHeartCats.com, “Like most animals, cats do not show their stomachs to
just anyone. If your cat rolls over on its back to give you a flash of that fuzzy belly, this is
an indication that they feel comfortable around you.”

They continue, “Not only this, but they feel loved and protected by you, rendering
themselves defenseless while on their backs.”

6. Curving the Tip of Their Tail

The tail can actually be an incredible barometer into how your cat feels about you.

In an essay entitled, Ask a Behaviorist: How Do Cats Show Affection to People?, Catster
writes, “Kitties express happiness and warm feelings by fluffing out the base of their tails
while subtly quivering them. Simultaneously, they hold their tails upright with a slight
curve at the top.”

They continue that this tail curve “is sometimes called the happy tail dance.”

7. Nipping You

Don’t get mad, because gently nipping at your finger is another way your cat is saying
that they love you.

According to Dr. Karen Becker, “This show of love from your kitty can prove to be a
bit painful... [but] your cat really doesn’t understand her love bite isn’t always
pleasant for you.”

These love bites can also be seen as your cat interacts with other cats. “Kitties nip
each other affectionately, and their skin is tougher than ours.”

8. Rubbing Against Your Legs

When your cat just can’t seem to get enough of your legs, that is likely a sign of true love.

Dr. Karen Becker writes, “Rubbing against another creature is how cats show affection.
If your kitty rubs up against your leg... he’s putting his scent on you as a way of
claiming you as his own.” This is quite similar to the head-butting behavior.

“It’s important to your relationship and bond with your cat to allow him to rub
against you.”

9. Purring

You’ve heard your cat purr before, but you may not have realized that this was a love purr.

According to certified expert Amy Shojai, “Cats love with purrs. Her purrs can mean
a variety of things, from delight to expressions of concern. And kitty purrs range from
soft and subtle to Mack-truck loud.”

In case you had any doubt, she writes, “When your cat purrs in your presence, you
can be sure she’s expressing her love for you.”

10. Following You Around

If your cat can’t seem to get enough of your company, you know you have a loving connection.

According to the Mother Nature Network, “If your feline friend follows you from room
to room, jumps onto tables and counters to be near you, and always seems to be
right where you step, she clearly enjoys your company.”

A good test is if your cat continues to follow you, “especially if it’s not near feeding time.”

Paying attention to these common cat behaviors is the best way to be sure
that your pet truly does love you.

Source: Phil Mutz, writer at LittleThings.com