Regardless of your cat’s age or health, scheduled playtime with specific time allotted to the activity can be extremely beneficial for the overall health and happiness of both you and your favorite feline.  Obviously the activity of playing is an excellent way to give your cat much needed exercise, but there are some key elements to scheduling and timing your playtime that can really boost the overall quality and health of both you and your feline.

Improved Sleep at Night

Taking ten minutes in the morning and another twenty minutes in the evening to do nothing but play with your indoor cat can bring tremendous results to YOUR overall sleep at night.  If you can get your kitty to jump around, chase, run and climb for twenty minutes straight in the evening, your cat will zonk right after feeding.  Make sure you are timing your play dates by setting a timer (maybe on your microwave) and begin the session.  Encourage lots of running and jumping by using small mice to throw and a pole with a toy on the end for dragging across the room.  Your cat’s natural instincts to hunt and tackle will kick in and offer loads of energy release.  Getting into the habit of routine playing sessions will pay off tremendously.  After you have finished at least twenty minutes of playtime in the evening, reward your kitty with his meal.  As you are putting your pajamas on and getting ready for bed, your kitty will be grooming and snoozing after a good work out and a full belly too!

Focused Attention can Fix Behavioral Problems

By scheduling your play dates and sticking with a routine that allows your total attention to be on your cat, certain issues like soiling outside the litter box, over grooming, meowing loudly at night and scratching or chewing furniture can be improved greatly.  Felines are very emotional creatures, and although they do not show it or voice it in the same ways we do, they do require love and attention.  With busy schedules, and a hectic life, sometimes playtime with kitty gets put on the back burner or becomes less of a priority.  Unfortunately, this can lead to dramatic behavioral issues with your cat, and in the long run cause a great deal of time and frustration to address on a daily basis.  By taking the time and being disciplined about a scheduled play routine, your cat will start to know that even if you are gone during the day you will be coming home and spending time playing.  The focus and attention should be 100% on your cat during his playtime.  He will start to understand and appreciate a schedule and not become quite so stressed during times you cannot be there or provide 100% attention.  Less stress equals a happier cat and fewer issues caused by anxiety.

Teach Cat New Tricks

Who says only dogs fetch?  Not true at all!  Cats can actually learn all types of tricks; it just takes the time and patience to invest in routine and scheduled play dates.  In addition to the benefits of a happier kitty and you through play dates, another benefit is teaching your feline some nifty tricks.  During play sessions, see if you can get your cat to start learning simple gestures like “sit” or “lay down”.  Most kitties are pretty stubborn, but if you have a young cat, many tricks can be quite easy to teach!  In addition to the general learned behaviors, kitties can also play fetch.  If a cat has scheduled and routine fetching lessons a few times a week, you will be surprised how eager your cat might become to chase a toy and bring it back to you for more.  Always remember to reward good behavior with frequent pets, nice talk and of course your kitties favorite treats.  Helping your cat learn new tricks can be an excellent bonding technique to incorporate into scheduled and routine play sessions. 

The overall health of your cat can greatly improve through scheduled play dates.  Setting a timer and staying true to your routine is key.  Twenty minutes will feel like two hours when you first start out, but overtime, your play sessions will fly by.  If you do not set a timer in the beginning, you might think you are spending more time playing with your feline friend than is actual.  Staying self disciplined and true to play sessions,  your investment will reap rewards in no time at all!

 Hi, my name is Lisa and KrittersthatTwitter.com is my Blog.  My kitties are Finnegan and Abigail.   They are my inspiration for this Blog and an outdoor kitty cat enclosure product line I designed called the Kritter Kondo.  I love my kitties, animals and social media.  These are the topics you are likely to read about when you stop by.   I frequently have guest bloggers write too, if you are interested in the topics I mentioned, please email me lisa AT kritterkommunity DOT com.  Leave a comment, we love them and will write back!
 

-Lisa, Abigail and Finn

“Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.” Helen Keller

Job Description

In a field that garners tremendous customer passion, PetCareRx wants to increase its engagement with the pet parent/owner community. The Associate Marketing Manager will be integral in achieving that goal by supporting the development and implementation of new and ongoing marketing initiatives across various channels, with a particular focus on outbound calling initiatives.

Key Responsibilities:

• Create compelling monthly promotions to be used in inbound and outbound calls to hit call center sales goals. 
• Serve as the marketing team’s liaison to the call center.  Provide call center with necessary collateral, scripts and training materials for all marketing programs to ensure a seamless customer experience across channels.
• Work with marketing team members to support the execution of key marketing initiatives across channels.   This includes oversight of the marketing promotions calendar, implementation of email marketing campaigns, creation of timelines for key initiatives and managing against those timelines to ensure projects remain on track.
• Complete and distribute regular and ad hoc reporting and insights to optimize existing marketing programs and inform new initiatives.
• Identify and manage external vendors to meet marketing department program goals as needed

APPLY HERE

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• Director of B2B Sales Management and Marketing, PetCareRx – New York, NY

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See more jobs at PetCareRx

Job Description

Fetch … for pets! is looking for salespeople to help support our growth. We are looking for aggressive, self-motivated & passionate salespeople to assist us in world domination! The posotion is NYC-based and requires a lot of domestic travel.

Company Description

Fetch…for pets! is a manufacturer of a variety of  innovative pet products with an emphasis on brands.

Products include:

Grooming & Oral Care, Collars & Leashes, Stain & Odor Control

Pet Clothing, Waste Management, Pet Beds, Treats & Chews,

Pet Toys, Bowls & Feeders, Aquariums & Accessories

Brands include:

Pet Head, Arm & Hammer, Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Looney Tunes, Barbie, Hot Wheels, Dr. Seuss, Little Miss, Livenation, Greatful Dead, Grease & many more!

APPLY HERE

Concatulations to Melanie J.

You are the winner of a $100.00 Visa card for voting on Naming of the Kitten.  Your name was randomly picked as the lucky recipient; thanks so much for voting!  Please email us your physical address to info AT kritterkommunity.com so your card can be mailed to you.

Thanks to all who pawticipated.  FINNEGAN loves his name and responds to Finnagan, Finny, Finn. 

xoxo

Lisa, Abigail & Finnegan

Finding the Purrfect Vet for Your Feline Companion

These days, pets are more pampered than ever. Rather than property, pets are looked upon as members of the family. Walk into any pet store and you can easily become overwhelmed with the amount of food, grooming and entertainment choices for your feline companion. It can be just as overwhelming trying to find the perfect veterinarian for your furry friend.

It has long been thought that cats did not need the same routine health care as dogs. After all, your pampered cat rarely, if ever, steps foot outside. There’s no way that they can contract disease, become flea ridden or get heartworm, right? Unfortunately, the answer to that question is, “Wrong!” Indoor cats are just as susceptible to disease as dogs. Here’s how to find the best vet for your favorite feline:

Talk To Friends and Family

One of the best ways to find a veterinarian for your cat is to talk to your friends and family who also have cats. Find out who they use and ask their opinion. Find out why they use that particular veterinarian. Does the vet have great bedside manner? Are their prices reasonable? People will have different reasons for using the vet that they do. Be sure to ask about any negatives as well. What would your friend change about their vet clinic if they could?

Look Online

Most vet clinics have their own websites. Get online and do a Google search for vet clinics in your area. When you find websites, look to see what services the clinics offer. Do their services fall in line with your wants and needs? Does the clinic practice holistic or traditional medicine? Is the clinic open when it’s convenient for you? Look for a veterinarian for your cat in the same way that you would look for a physician for your child.

Visit Clinics

Once you’ve created a short list of clinics, phone them and explain that you are interested in becoming a client and would like a tour. Some clinics may ask you to come in at a certain time, and others may allow you to stop by whenever you like. When you’re taking your tour, be sure to look for things like cleanliness, organization and staff interaction. If you need to take notes to remember things later, do so!

Before you leave the clinic, ask for a list of prices for common procedures. Ask whether or not the clinic has emergency hours and if there are extra charges associated with emergencies. Find out if the clinic uses the latest surgical and diagnostic technologies or if they are stuck in the dark ages. Keep in mind that low prices don’t always mean the best medicine.

Make an Appointment

Once you’ve decide on a clinic or two, make a meet-and-greet appointment. You’ll need to pay for the veterinarian’s time, but it will be well worth it if the appointment helps you choose the best doctor for your cat! Remember that you’re putting the health of your fur-kid into the hands of this doctor; your comfort and the comfort of your pet is important. If you aren’t comfortable with the doctor or their bedside manner, continue your search for the perfect clinic.

Finding a veterinarian for your feline companion is of utmost importance. You’ll be placing the health of your cat into this person’s hands. When choosing a clinic, consider the opinion of friends, the clinic’s prices and the convenience of the location and hours of operation. Above all, consider the bedside manner of the doctor. Your cat will thank you for it!

Reginald Russell is a freelance blogger and is writing on behalf of www.octopusloans.co.uk.