Posts Tagged: cats

The team at Felton Veterinary Hospital loves spoiling our personal pets (we’re talking about you, Dr Atton!) and our pet patients. We have a few ideas to share if you’re searching for the best holiday gifts for pets this season. And because we want to spare you a holiday visit to the pet emergency room, we’ve also included a few gifts to avoid. Let us know what you think! 

Best Holiday Gifts for Cats

Many cat owners wouldn’t dream of leaving their kitty off the holiday gift list, but this can be challenging for the cat who has it all. Here are our favorite ideas for making your cat’s holiday purrfect. 

Bring the outdoors in. Even cats who spend their days inside can enjoy the rewards of watching and interacting with nature. Cats love to perch, so create a perfect spot near a window and hang a window bird feeder that they will love to watch. Cat-proof aquariums, both fake and real, can be a great choice. And if you’re into DIY projects, create an indoor kitty garden or build a catio to give your cat a place of their own outdoors.  

Interactive fun. Interactive and puzzle-type toys are a great way to keep your cat engaged and entertained. Whether it be a flopping fish toy, an indoor hunting feeding system,  an automatic moving ball, or an interactive moving track toy, your cat will surely enjoy it! 

Get scratching. Paws have claws, and they need to be stretched and maintained. Ensure your cat has a scratching surface that they can enjoy. Consider your cat’s preferences (vertical, horizontal, cardboard, rope, wood, carpet) to ensure they have a scratcher they will use and love.

Embrace the future. Modern pet ownership can be so cool. Whether you invest in a new robot litter box, an automated feeding system, or a robotic cat toy, it will surely make your cat’s holiday merry and bright.  

Best Holiday Gifts for Dogs

Clothes always stay in style. A new stylish collar, harness, or leash can be just the ticket. You can also consider a festive sweater, a new set of well-fitted booties for the winter, some snazzy rain gear, or a new safety harness for the car.

Toys, toys, toys. The Internet is an almost never-ending source of toy ideas for your dog. Whether you are looking for an interactive option, something to stand up to a tough-chewer, or a cuddly buddy, you are sure to find something. Subscription boxes are also an excellent option for a gift that keeps giving. 

A new class or activity — Consider signing your dog up for an obedience class to help you bond with them and give them mental and social stimulation. Getting into agility or flyball can also be fun for more advanced dogs. 

The luxury of a nap. Cozy winter days beg for naps by the fire, and your dog won’t turn down a comfy bed. Go ahead, pamper your pooch! Choose a snuggly option and put it under the tree.

Gifts to Avoid

When considering holiday gifts for pets, the list of choices can seem endless. However, there are some you should avoid. These include anything that contains small parts, plastic inserts, or other items your pet can ingest; bones, rawhide, and antlers, which can cause splintering or choking emergencies; string, yarn, or thread; and any items containing chemicals or possible toxic materials.

When in doubt, don’t hesitate to contact the team at Felton Veterinary Hospital. We’re happy to point you in the right direction to make your pet’s holiday wishes come true! 

Novel Gifts for Pets

Of course, some of our favorite holiday gifts for pets are things you might not consider. Have you been putting off that dental cleaning? Is your pet due for wellness lab work? Do you need to invest in heartworm prevention for the year? Wellness care is essential for your pet and can be a good alternative for the pet with everything they want. Contact us to schedule an appointment before the holiday rush, and give your pet the gift of good health this holiday season. 

Halloween is just around the corner, and for many of us in Santa Cruz County, this is the favorite holiday of the year. You can tell by all the Halloween decorations that have been up for weeks! For children and adults alike, the costumes, treats, and parties surrounding Halloween can be great fun. But this holiday can be particularly spooky for our pets. Felton Veterinary Hospital cares about pet safety as much as you do, so let’s explore some ways to make “Fright Night” safe and fun for pets and the entire family.

Summer and fall in our valley are prime times for construction projects, but with all the maintenance required for our mountain homes, other times of year are likely filled with drilling, concrete mixing, or hammering. Although these projects are necessary, they pose a particular safety risk for pets, not to mention the aural assault on pet’s sensitive hearing. As you don your hard hat, Felton Veterinary Hospital gives some tips for how to keep pets safe during remodeling.

Your pets may enjoy their time in the sun as much as you do this summer. And although they may love basking in the warm rays, skin cancer is a risk for pets just as it is for humans. According to the American Kennel Club (AKC), skin cancer is the most common type of cancer diagnosed in dogs. Cats, too, are often affected by skin cancer, especially cats with short hair, light-colored coats, and lots of sun exposure. Regular annual wellness visits with your veterinarian are essential, including a complete nose-to-tail physical exam and looking for signs of skin cancer. Your pet’s veterinarian can detect skin cancer at these visits, but it’s also essential for pet owners to understand and recognize signs of pet skin cancer, especially as pets age.

Indoor cats have a pretty good life. They stay safe from the elements and are protected from neighborhood predators and speeding cars. Still, the indoor cat life can be…shall we say, boring? Although your indoor kitty loves attention from you, they get far less activity overall than their outdoor counterparts. 

Unfortunately, a lack of activity can affect indoor cat health. Obesity is one of the most common conditions affecting cats, and a sedentary lifestyle can lead to being overweight. In addition, a lack of social interaction, destructive behavior due to boredom, and overlooked health issues are all side effects of an indoor lifestyle. 

Luckily, enriching the lives and environment of indoor cats has become top of mind recently for pet owners, veterinary professionals, and all those who love cats. In this post, we share ways to give your indoor cat the best of both worlds – safety, and well-being. 

February is a short and feisty month and also National Cat Health Month! If you own a cat, you know what beautiful, intelligent, and unique beings they are. They are also often independent and self-sufficient, but this doesn’t mean they don’t need and deserve thoughtful care to feel their best. There’s a lot we can do as responsible cat guardians to give them a long and happy life, and it starts with these top 5 tips for excellent cat health. 

Record-breaking rainfall, flooding, power outages, and road closures are just a few of the weather-related tribulations our communities have experienced in the past year (and some the past month!). Each time we read the news, a different natural disaster affects one or more parts of the country. And, as you may have learned from Scouts or a first aid course, being prepared is your best line of defense in an emergency. Yet, fewer than half of U.S. households have a disaster response plan, and fewer still have one that includes pets.

Today, Felton Veterinary Hospital includes some tips and guidance for caring for your pets should you lose power or need to evacuate. 

Have you made any New Year’s resolutions yet? 2017 has wound down, and with 2018 just beginning it’s a great time to look ahead and think about what we want to do differently this year. Maybe you want to eat better, hit the gym more frequently, and enjoy life more? Well, why not include your pet in some of your new year’s resolutions? Not sure where to start? The team at Felton Veterinary Hospital has you covered. Below are some ideas for New Year’s resolutions for pet owners, to get the New Year started off right for your pet.