Cat

Before taking your new adoptee home and risking exposing her to any infectious disease, take her to a veterinarian for a thorough health check-up, including a test for feline leukemia, de-worming, inoculations and, if appropriate, neutering. Plan on staying home with your new kitty for several days, helping her get over the stress of the visit to the veterinarian and the move from her previous home.

Some cats are quite traumatized by a move to a new home; others take it in stride. It is best, however, to prepare for this usually upsetting time in a cat's life. Since cats are very territorial, moving one to a new territory can be terrifying, especially if the new territory is inhabited by a number of other cats.

Pets share our space and breathe in a large amount of the 7,000 chemicals found in cigarette smoke. This smoke can also cover the fur and feathers of pets, which they can eat when they groom themselves. Secondhand Smoke comes from a variety of tobacco products like cigarettes, electronic cigarettes (e-cigs), cigars or pipes.

Transitioning a new dog into a new home and environment takes time and patience to do it right, but there are ways to manage introductions that can help ease the process. Being proactive will be far more helpful and faster in the long run than being reactive. Here are some general ways to help and please note: your new dog may have more specific information and instructions that you should always follow.

It is natural for cats to spend a lot of time sleeping. A cat will sleep an average of eighteen hours a day. It is natural for a cat to be lethargic after completing a meal. The modern domesticated cat is prone to lethargy primarily because the human caregiver overfeeds and under exercises her! Of course, there are other causes of cat lethargy.

There are many reasons why cats cry excessively. A healthy cat may cry a lot because of loneliness and boredom. An older cat will cry excessively because of illness or disorientation. A spoiled cat will cry incessantly because she is constantly rewarded, usually with food, every time she cries.

Once your adopted cat has acclimated to her new home (see the Bringing Home a New Cat article), she's ready to meet the resident dog. As with any introduction (house, people, resident cat), the meeting process should be done slowly, calmly, and with lots of positive reinforcement.

As described in Adopting the Right Cat for You, set up a room as a home base for your new cat—this will allow for a gradual introduction to the family. For the first 72 hours, do nothing. It is important to allow your new cat to become accustomed to her surroundings. Your new cat is not only acclimating to home base, she also is using her fine-tuned senses to discover what is beyond the closed door of her home base, including resident cats.

Fleas are the most common external parasite of pets in North America. That means it's highly likely that your pet will encounter them at least once in their lifetime. Fleas are small wingless insects that use their specialized mouth to pierce the skin and siphon blood from their host. Learn how you can prevent, reduce or eliminate flea infestations.

Spot-on flea and tick products are liquid pesticides applied to a "spot" on the pet's skin, usually around the back of the neck or shoulder area. No flea and tick products are marketed specifically for use on reptiles, rabbits, ferrets, and other furry pets. Ask your veterinarian for advice on treating fleas and ticks on these and other exotic pets.