Wag Reflex

Answering Your Cat’s Questions

Answer your cat’s questions and become an expert at reading their mood by observing facial expressions, ears, and eyes. Although you and your cat may speak different languages, it doesn’t mean you can’t communicate with each other. While every cat is different, there is a common code of expression--a set of signals--that you can learn to read easily.

Indicators such as the look in your cat’s eyes, the tone of her voice, the position of her ears and the motion of her tail can provide important clues regarding your companion’s feelings and intentions. For example, if your cat raises his or her head and then lowers it, someone is getting too close or if your cat points his ears and opens his eyes this means it is play time.

As you become more familiar with your cat’s behavioral tendencies, you will begin to better understand their language, like if your cat crouches low to the ground, he is feeling uncomfortable. If your cat stands on his toes, you are probably being asked to pick him up and everyone knows that raised hair on the back and a puffed-out tail are universal signs of hostility or defensiveness.

Answering your cat’s questions is all about listening to your cat’s needs. You can learn a lot from your cat’s wide vocabulary of chirps and meows. You will know when it is time to get up, when your cat is feeling affectionate, or when your cat is hungry. Sometimes your cat might not even have something to tell you but will simply meow in passing just to say hello. Also pay attention to your cat’s actions like when he stops using the litter box--this could mean he is getting a bladder infection. Cats associate the litter box with the pain they feel when urinating and avoid it all costs. Other things that might disturb your cat might have to do with a change in routine. Whatever it is, make sure you are paying attention the signs so you can best serve the needs of your cat.

--Simple Solution Pet Care Team
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Simple Solution specializes in pet care products that cater to the needs of pet owners. Their team regularly contributes to Wag Reflex.

Fighting Seasonal Allergies

Here's what pet owners need to know for the fall and winter seasons.

Allergies change with the seasons and as we transition from fall to winter, it is important to understand and recognize allergic symptoms pets may experience during this season. One of the most common pet health issues is irritation of the skin caused by allergic reactions, itching, and hot spots/raw skin. As the weather becomes colder, crisp temperatures may cause your pet’s skin to become dry and itchy.

The best way to determine whether a pet suffers from a skin allergy or dryness is to observe where they scratch the most. If they tend to itch around the tail area, the irritation may be due to flea allergies. If you notice itching on the belly or along their body, the cause is likely an air-borne allergy or dryness of the skin. Other signs of skin irritation include scratching, chewing at paws or legs, scabby skin, licking fur, rubbing their face on the ground and watery eyes.

So what can be done to help you furry friend with a skin irritation this season? Owners can treat symptoms with medications and natural formulations such as Veterinarian’s Best® Itch Relief Hot Spot Treatments. Unlike typical pharmaceutical treatments for itchy skin that contain cortisone, alcohol and steroids that often times further irritate the tender skin, Veterinarian’s Best® Itch Relief Hot Spot Spray contains quality ingredients like Tea Tree Oil, smoothing Aloe Vera and Chamomile that heal and condition the skin, providing immediate relief to rejuvenate the skin.

This fall and winter season when you are considering a medication to help soothe your pet’s allergies, consider a holistic approach. For more information on natural treatments for the most common pet ailments, go to www.vetsbest.com.

--Beth Tori
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Beth Tori is the FAQ guru at Simple Solution pet care products and a regular contributor to Wag Reflex.

Prepping Your Home for the Holidays

The most important part of the holiday season is sharing and celebrating with the ones you love. Hosting a gathering of family and friends for the holidays at the house may seem overwhelming, especially if you own a pet, but there are several ways to keep your household preparation simple so you can fully enjoy all the season has to offer.

Control Pet Hair
Controlling pet hair and dander can be a big chore, but it’s a necessary obligation--especially if some family members and friends are allergic to pets. So what is the best way to clean up pet hair off wood floors and leather furniture without just moving in around into the air to settle back later? Simple Solution® Pet Hair & Lint Remover helps release and gather pet hair and makes it easy to wipe away. It’s also washable and reusable. Using a ’shedding comb’, which is available at most pet stores, takes out the dead and loose hairs helping to lessen shedding. Try to always groom your pet outside to ensure it doesn’t end up in the house!

Sometimes, ridding your house of pet hair completely seems nearly impossible. Simple Solution® Allergy Relief for Pets helps to reduce dander and other allergens that cause people to have allergic reactions around dogs. Applying the product to the dog as directed, will help relieve the potential for an allergic reaction.

Revive Your Carpet
If the carpeting in your living room is looking a bit tired and stained, revive the room with a reputable carpet-cleaning product. After all, your carpet is a key decorative item and you want it to look spic and span when your guests arrive for the holidays. Simple Solution® Stain and Odor Remover completely eliminates all organic stains and odors and combines advanced cleansers with beneficial bacteria and enzymes strengthening the effectiveness of the solution. Because this product is organic, non-toxic and harmless to people and pets, it is safe to use not only on carpets, but on upholstery, pet bedding, clothing, tile, concrete, brick and any other water-safe surface.

If you are looking to give the entire carpet a facelift, you can do the job of a professional for a fraction of the cost. Simple Solution® Carpet Shampoo is formulated with the same advanced cleansers used by professional carpet cleaners and deep cleans and helps renew carpet and fabric color.

--Beth Tori
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Beth Tori is the FAQ guru at Simple Solution pet care products and a regular contributor to Wag Reflex.

Trick-or-Treat Safety Tips for You and Your Pet

Halloween is just around the corner and many people do not realize the haunting dangers around the home during the Halloween season. Here are some tips to keep you and your pet safe for a spooktacular Halloween!

1. It’s hard not to want to share your treats with your pet after an evening of trick or treating, but always remember that chocolate is a threat to the health and lives of dogs. Never feed your dog chocolate. If you want to treat your pet this season, there are plenty of recipes for pet friendly treats, and can easily be decorated or shaped as spooky bats, jolly jack-o-lanterns or wild witches!

2. After trick or treating with your kids, make sure to keep all treats out of Fido’s reach. Wrappers and small toys are harmful, sometimes fatal, if swallowed. Always make sure to keep treats and small toys out of reach.

3. Try using a glow stick or flameless candle in your Jack-o-lantern or better yet, paint a face on. Dogs have wild tails and curious snouts and can knock over a Jack-o-lantern causing a fire in the home. If you do use a candle, be sure to keep it out of reach of your dog, on a table or outside stand that is heavy enough to withhold a wild tail!

4. Be cautious with costumes on your pet. Make sure it is loose fitting so it doesn’t disrupt your pet’s normal movement and behavior or interfere with its breathing. Costumes look great and can be used if they fit appropriately; but often dogs are not as receptive to a costume causing irritability and stress. You can always decorate a leash and collar with festive Halloween colors and decorations

5. NEVER leave your pet outside while you are off trick or treating with your family. Halloween sometimes brings out mis-behaving kids and young adults who may be cruel to your dog while he is on a leash waiting for his favorite ghosts and goblins to come home. The constant coming and going of people at your door may also cause stress and anxiety possibly resulting in bites. Always keep your dog inside, away from the door with a comfort item to keep him or her calm while you are away.

6. Are you having a Monster Ball or Haunted House at your home this year? It is best to keep your pet in an enclosed area like your bed room, or home office where they will not be bothered. Too many people may make your pet irritable. Also, keeping cats and dogs in an enclosed area where guests will not be helps to prevent your beloved pet from escaping through the front door as it is opened and closed for guests and trick or treaters.

7. Are you taking your dog trick or treating with you? Make sure to have a reflector vest or harness and leash to avoid any accidents on the road as well as make other friendly ghosts, goblins, and witches aware of your Fido treat seeker. And don’t forget to take along Bags on Board to pick up after your dog on the road!

We hope you have found these tips helpful and have a happy and safe Halloween!

--Beth Tori
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Beth Tori is the FAQ guru at Simple Solution pet care products and a regular contributor to Wag Reflex.

What's That Stench? Detect Pet Odors in Your Home

Ever walked into a room or a friend’s home and smelled a stench so powerful that you gasp for fresh air? Often, we become so immune to the smell of our own home that we don’t notice odors that may be offensive to others. Pet owners are particularly susceptible to having malodor in the home and detecting pet odors is no easy task.

When a pet has an accident on carpet, you may be just cleaning the surface stain, but the residue remains beneath the surface. Pet urine contains glue-like proteins that are very difficult to remove. To make matters worse, urine can spread up to 6 times its size, down to the sub-floor. As a good rule of thumb, treat the visible stain with a bacterial enzyme product and then saturate the surrounding area making sure that the product penetrates through the carpet padding and backing.

For successful pet odor removal, use a black-light pet urine detector. This product will illuminate pet urine that isn’t detectable to the human eye. 

Here are a few suggestions for detecting pet odors using a black-light urine detector:

• Ask a trusted friend or family member if your home has a noticeable odor. Try to identify the room or area in your house that has the most prominent smell.
• Assemble the necessities before you get started: masking tape to mark the spot, the black-light urine detector, and your pet stain and odor remover.
• Make the room as dark as possible, so shade the windows and turn off all the lights.
• When you turn on the black-light urine detector and look for the yellowish-white spots (dry pet urine) or blue-white spots (fresh pet urine). NOTE: On occasion, you will find other fluorescent material that will show up under the black-light urine detector. Optical bleaches found in most detergents and soaps fluoresce a brilliant blue-white. Lubricant oils and greases fluoresce green-white to blue-white or brown. Pet urine will appear as a weaker fluorescence compared to most of these other materials.
• Mark the urine spots with the masking tape, so you can find them later when you’re ready to treat the stain.

--Beth Tori
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Beth Tori is the FAQ guru at Simple Solution pet care products and a regular contributor to Wag Reflex.

Outdoor Fun with (Wo)Man's Best Friend

Taking your canine out for some exercise can be more than a doggone good idea. Outdoor exercise is a good chance for you and your dog to make new friends, burn off excess energy and bond with each other.

Here are some ideas for outdoor fun with your dog:

• Take a long walk. Vary the length and direction of your walks from day to day to keep them interesting. Dogs need variety to stimulate their senses just the way people do.
• Play games. A simple stick, ball or chew toy is all you need to play fetch with your dog.
• Go hiking. Dogs love to explore new terrain but if you’re hiking through woods or tall grass, be sure both you and your dog are protected from ticks. Before you go on a long hike, consider if your dog needs to build up his stamina with shorter walks.
• Enjoy the park. If you go to the park, be sure there are no restrictions. Can dogs walk there? Must they be on a leash?
• Visit a dog park. Many communities offer dog parks and trails, which offer dogs plenty of opportunities for exercise and a chance to meet new friends.

When you do take your dog outside, a few pointers can make the experience more pleasant:

• Don’t forget the leash. Most communities require your dog to be on a leash and it helps you keep a hold on your dog should he become startled and tries to bolt. Leashes also help when training a new pet. Make sure your dog wears identification just in case he does break loose.
• Stay hydrated. If you are heading out for more than a few blocks, don’t forget water for yourself and your pet so you both stay hydrated.
• Take a break. Be sure to take plenty of breaks if it’s hot or humid so neither of you gets overheated.
• Be a good pet neighbor. Don’t forget to clean up after your pet in both your own yard, neighbor’s yard and anywhere else they may roam. Cleaning up prevents the spread of   disease, keeps your neighborhood clean and beautiful and could save you a fine. Many communities now charge fines of a few dollars to over $350 for people who don’t clean up after their dogs.

Fortunately, there are easy ways to pick up after your pet. For example, you can make it easy on yourself by using products such as Bags on Board, a refillable waste pickup dispenser that comes in a variety of designs including either a fire hydrant or bone shape in fashionable colors, zebra and geometric designs. Each dispenser houses a roll of 15 biodegradable bags and the dispenser can be refilled as needed. The dispenser attaches to any kind of re-tractable or standard leash and fits neatly under the leash handle. For more information, visit www.bagsonboard.com.

Exercise is an important part of every dog’s day and can help prevent destructive indoor behavior and make for a much happier pet.

--Beth Tori
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Beth Tori is the FAQ guru at Simple Solution pet care products and a regular contributor to Wag Reflex.

Tips for Cleaning Pet Stains and Odors

Pets make mistakes. There is no doubt about it. Although we all know to be patient with our new puppy during the housetraining process, it gets a little old when he still has an accident in the living room when he's more than middle aged in dog years! Fortunately, it’s a lot easier to forgive and forget your pet's mistakes when you follow these special tips for pet owners.

Soak it up
The first step to effectively removing a pet stain is to remove any excess liquid or solid waste with a white cloth or paper towel. Make sure the cloth or paper towel has no prints or colors as the material may transfer ink or dye to your damp carpet.

When soaking up the excess, start by applying pressure to the outside of the affected area. This will prevent the stain from spreading.

Do not scrub or brush the carpet. This may cause damage and fraying of the carpet fibers. Simply apply pressure by patting the area with your hand or foot.

Select a Good Cleaner
There are many choices when it comes to carpet cleaners, but keep in mind the following the next time you’re shopping.

1. Use cleaners that are specifically formulated for pet stains and odors. Pet urine has a unique molecular structure that is different from typical household messes, so venture to the pet section to find a formula that’s right for you.
2. Natural formulas with both enzymes and beneficial bacteria have been proven to work best on organic pet stains. Look at the ingredients for natural enzymes and non-pathogenic bacteria.
3. Make sure the product is safe for pets and carpets. Some of the most effective products will have a seal of approval from the Carpet & Rug Institute that certifies that the formula completely removes residue without harmful effects to your carpets. You can learn more at www.carpet-rug.org.

Saturate The Stain
Always test for colorfastness when using a new cleaner in your home. Test in an inconspicuous area, such as behind a door or in a closet.

Natural enzyme and beneficial bacteria formulas work great on all kinds of pet stains, but they need time to work. Make sure to penetrate the area with the formula and let it dry naturally for 24-48 hours. The formula isn’t harmful to pets, so it’s not necessary to block off the area while drying.

To completely remove the stain and odor, it’s important to note that the stain is typically 2x the surface size underneath your carpet. So, apply the product liberally to the stain you can see as well as the surrounding area.

Treat The Dog
Even if the stain and odor seem to have disappeared or our human noses can no longer smell the odor, a dog will repeatedly return to the same spot if he can smell his own scent. So, follow the steps and tips to help prevent your dog from re-soiling the area you worked hard to clean! 

Remember that you should never punish your dog for having an accident in the house. If you see him in the process of eliminating, firmly but gently say “NO” then immediately lead him to his training pad or outdoors. If you do not catch him in the act, clean up the accident with no comment. Yelling, hitting or rubbing his nose in the elimination will not communicate the appropriate behavior. This will only scare your dog and may lead to aggressive behavior.

--Beth Tori
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Beth Tori is the FAQ guru at Simple Solution pet care products and a regular contributor to Wag Reflex.