Pet Abbey

When it’s common to find pet hair on your furniture, in your car, and even now and then in your food, something needs to be done.  Brushing your pet helps a great deal, if you don’t brush your pet at least once a week make it a habit.  Bathing your pet a couple times a month during spring and summer will also help to reduce the amount of shedding.  Despite all of this, some pets will continue to shed.  In this case, you should consider slip covers for your furniture, and a pet car seat cover for your car.  This will prevent your pet from shedding and also wiping dirt and grit against your furniture, preserving it for occasions when it needs to look its best. 

For larger dogs, you might consider keeping them outside a few months of the year to avoid a lot of fur winding up in your home.

Preparing for a new furry feline friend in your family can be a daunting task, though consider yourself lucky that cats are much easier to maintain than dogs.  You will want to buy a scratching post so that your cat doesn’t decide to claw the furniture.  In addition, you will want some kind of enclosure (even if it’s just a closed room) where the new kitten can stay until they’re old enough to be out on their own.  Cats that are left to roam freely might find their way out of the house, and not yet know to return home.  You might also want to consider cat condos as a place for your pet to sleep and feel safe.  If your cat has long hair or will have long hair, start brushing them early so they don’t dislike it once they are older. 

In addition to the essentials, toys are a fun way to interact with your cat and build a lasting relationship.

Many owners have dogs that refuse to walk without pulling you down the street or through the park with them.  To train your pet to walk with you, instead of pull you behind him or her, there are a few options.  First is the chain choke collar.  This collar is designed to tighten around the dog’s neck, giving several little uncomfortable pinches when they pull too hard.  Another option is a special dog harness, which will pull against the dog’s front legs when the leash gets too taut, causing them to slow down. 

Of course nothing beats training your dog to walk with you, giving them sharp commands when they move too far ahead, and rewarding them when they stay at your side, this combined with either of the above methods is a surefire way to avoid being pulled around.

In order to prevent pet hair from getting on your clothes, furniture, carpet, and all the other places it tends to show up, regular brushing of your pet is essential.  There are several tools ranging from standard brushes to electric clippers.  The bristle brush is a great way to remove hair from short haired pets, but won’t work quite as well for long hair.  For long haired animals you will want to use a rake or even clippers in cases where matting has occurred.

There are also products like the furminator which specifically targets shedding animals, and is great in the spring for when dogs and cats are shedding their winter coats.