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Volunteers work to keep stray cat numbers down

Posted on: October 31st, 2010 by

A feral cat hides in the wild.
Posted by: H.R.
Pets Best Insurance Editorial Manager

There are many different types of homeless cats: strays who are lost or abandoned, others that are waiting in shelters, pounds and foster homes, and an estimated 70 million “wild” feral cats in the United States alone, according to a 2004 National Geographic News article.

“The Humane Society of the United States believes feral and stray cats produce about 80 percent of all kittens,” wrote Patrick McCallister in a Daytona Beach News-Journal article entitled Oak Hill Seeks to Tame Feral Cat Growth.

The October 2010 article explains that the city is trying to establish a trap-neuter-release pet health program, in which feral cats are trapped and fixed to avoid further breeding of homeless pets. Because feral cats have never lived with humans and are usually not eligible for cat adoption, they are then released back into the area where they were found.

Volunteers across the country run similar programs in a never-ending effort to keep the number of stray cats down. With an estimated 6-8 million homeless pets already waiting for homes in pet adoption centers, according to a recent article in the Gary Post-Tribune, spaying and neutering is an important issue for animal advocates.

Low-cost spay and neuter clinics have opened in cities across the country in hopes that more pet owners will choose to spay or neuter their pets if the price is more affordable. The clinics also provide services for trapped feral cats. Such clinics are able to keep costs down by releasing pets hours after the desexing surgery rather than keeping them overnight for observation. And because they provide limited services, they can see more pets in a day than veterinary clinics.

The American Humane Society asks pet owners to help with pet overpopulation by spaying and neutering all pets. According to fact sheets on the Society’s website, it is safe to spay or neuter healthy pets as early as 8 weeks of age, and when fixed young, puppies and kittens heal faster and with less pain and stress than adult pets. Fixing pets can also help diminish cat and dog health care issues.

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Plastic, Q-tips and other weird things cats think are yummy

Posted on: October 29th, 2010 by

Posted by: H.R.
Pets Best Insurance Editorial Manager
A cat plays with string, which is a pet health concern.
Quirkiness is one of the reasons we love our cats. It’s also the very reason why cat health insurance is a good idea: cats love to eat strange things.

Many cat owners lament about having to baby-proof their home for their cat. Often, this is following cat health issues that develop after objects start disappearing from the home.

Recently, I asked cat lovers what delicious oddity their cats can’t resist. The list of responses included rubber bands, photos, Q-tips, ointment, mylar, and lots of plastic, string and ribbon. Plastic was the number one culprit; two cats even ate shower curtains to get their plastic fix.

As funny as some of these stories are, this behavior can be a sign of illness that causes many cat health symptoms. Pica, a disorder that drives one to eat non-nutritive or non-food items, has been said to be caused by a nutrient imbalance, boredom, and recently, a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Author Jacquie Lewis-Kemp’s cat will do anything for dried flowers and artificial foliage.

“I know this is a problem because my girlfriend had to take her cat for emergency surgery where they found Easter grass and a Barbie shoe in his stomach,” said Lewis-Kemp.

Any owner of a cat with pica will want to look into cat insurance. String is a common cat toy, but also one of the most dangerous.

PR Consultant Sekita Ekrek learned this the hard way during the holidays, when she found her cat Rohmer coughing up blood with a piece of gold band from a Christmas present on the floor in front of him. Ekrek rushed Rohmer to the vet.

“He apparently had swallowed the band, which could have proved deadly if it had tangled around his intestines,” said Ekrek. “They were able to remove it safely. Thank god he was ok and I learned my lesson!”

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Pet health issues could be lurking in your trick-or-treat bag

Posted on: October 27th, 2010 by

Posted by: H.R.
Pets Best Insurance Editorial Manager
A dog plays it safe with his pet health this Halloween.

Trick-or-treating and dressing up are the hallmarks of Halloween. Kids of all ages enjoy this fun holiday. Some pet owners like to get into the holiday spirit by dressing up their pets, too.

While Halloween is a fun holiday, it can also present an array of potential pet health dangers. If accidents still occur despite your best efforts, you can still protect yourself by having dog health insurance.

It is a well known fact that dogs shouldn’t be fed chocolate as it is toxic to them. Pet owners often feel bad for their dogs because they are unable to enjoy the chocolate candy that is so dearly loved by humans. Dog owners may decide to give their dogs other types of candy thinking that they are making a wiser choice.

The truth is, candy in any form should not be given to dogs. Dogs that eat candy can develop pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas. This condition is not only very painful for the dog, but it is potentially fatal. The symptoms of pancreatitis may not show up for two to four days after consuming candy.

This is important as you might not even know your dog has gotten into your candy stash. If you suspect your dog has been sickened by Halloween candy, he should be seen by a vet. Having pet insurance can help defray the costs of the treatments associated with pancreatitis. Avoid the risk of your pet getting pancreatitis altogether by not feeding him any candy. Be sure to store candy in places that pets do not have access to to prevent this accident from occurring.

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Pets Best Insurance and The Rescue Train: A shared goal

Posted on: October 26th, 2010 by

The Rescue Train's logo.
By: Chryssa Rich
Pets Best Insurance Marketing Associate

A former professor once used this analogy to describe solving societal problems: Imagine you’re standing at a river bend, and one by one, people are being swept down the river while calling to you and others for help. You can spend all your energy pulling them from the river, or, you can go upstream and stop them from falling in the first place.

A similar choice faced two volunteers at Poochville Animal Rescue in Los Angeles nearly a decade ago. They’d started an effort to save adoptable animals from euthanasia, but over time, realized it was impossible to keep up with the demand of such a metropolitan area. Only one thing could make a long-term difference: education.

The Rescue Train was born from this new focus on education. The group’s mission is “to reduce the number of animals entering shelters by promoting education through creating unique programs and solutions.” From The Rescue Train website:

…including awareness, community involvement and events, responsible pet ownership, support for the Good Samaritan who rescues an animal, dog training, spaying and neutering and supported adoptions, and support for other rescue groups.

The group operates a no-kill shelter with an educational twist. Many of their dogs are taken through six-week obedience classes, and adopters are encouraged to continue classes post-adoption. They also provide details on each animal’s needs and behaviors so new pet owners will know exactly what to expect. Each animal is backed by a team of experts ready to solve problems and smooth transitions to forever homes.

In addition, every animal receives the best pet health care available. All are micro chipped, spayed or neutered and vaccinated. Readers familiar with Jack’s story understand why affordable pet health care and preventing euthanasia are so important to the Pets Best Insurance family.

Every week, the team at Pets Best Insurance is given the opportunity to help a number of worthy animal charities from coast to coast. Because we’re pet owners and pet lovers, it can be difficult to decide who to help first. With its dedication to long-term solutions, The Rescue Train certainly stood out as a worthy cause, and we are proud to be a sponsor of this year’s Race for the Rescues. The event happens to be star-studded, with Glee’s Jane Lynch, Carrie Ann Inaba from Dancing with the Stars and Seamus Denver from Castle, among others.

Visitors will find a wealth of information at www.TheRescueTrain.org, including training tips, pet health and safety information, plus opportunities to sponsor animals, make donations and donate volunteer hours. There are even comprehensive pages explaining what to do if you’ve found a stray animal and how to take great pictures of an animal you’re looking to adopt out.

If you’re passionate about education and would like to make a long-term difference in the homeless pet population, consider working with The Rescue Train. Dogs, cats and loving families across the United States will thank you for it.

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Does pet health insurance pay for itself?

Posted on: October 25th, 2010 by

A dog with pet health insurance goes for a stroll.

By: Leigh A. Peterson
For Pets Best Insurance

If living with pets wasn’t rewarding and full of love, there would be a lot less pet owners in the world. As wonderful as it is however, caring for pets comes with hardships, too. They are completely dependent on us for their health and well-being, and when they get sick or injured, it’s a terrible experience for pet owners; especially when it comes to veterinarian bills. Nothing is more heartbreaking than being told how much it will cost to save or help your pet and having no idea where you’ll be able to come up with the funds.

Jennifer Neal of Salt Lake City, Utah, who has pet health insurance for her two Labrador Retrievers Buddha and Stella, knows this all too well.

“It has allowed me to truly care for them both in ways I would have otherwise not been able to afford,” Jennifer said of pet health insurance.

Jennifer had to use her pet insurance for truly unexpected events, when Buddha stepped on glass at the dog park and Stella swallowed some items that she was unable to pass on her own. Luckily for Buddha and Stella, their mom was able to give them the best care possible when they needed it most, and unthinkable outcomes were averted because she had purchased pet health insurance for her pets.

Pet owner Amy Reiley also has pet care insurance, although she hasn’t needed to use it yet and hopes she never will.

“With my trainer’s advice, I got my dog insurance when he was a puppy so it was very affordable,” said Amy. “I really have it for peace of mind so that if my dog gets in an accident I don’t have to make a difficult snap decision as to whether to pay for an expensive procedure.”

Is all this assistance and peace of mind affordable?

“They have far better coverage than I would ever be able to find for myself,” Jennifer said of pet insurance. “If I could find affordable insurance like that for me I’d also purchase it.”

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