Okay, so I’ve spent the whole week talking about house training dogs and puppies so I know you want to see some of the products that can help you. The dog toilets can be found on the previous post but here are some other good items to plan on adding to your arsenal.
If you are not picking up on your dog’s signals that he or she has to go–try some of the pet bells or door chimes.
Gotta Go Dog Doorbell This is a great gift because it also comes with a training book.
Tell Bell helps train you to let out your dog when he or she has to go out to potty.
If you want to get a bit more high tech you can get this doggie doorbell system.
Order the Pet Chime: Wireless Electronic Pet Doorbell.
Get Serious is one of my favorite urine clean up products on the market. Order Get Serious.
Order Nature’s Miracle Stain & Odor Remover
Nature’s Miracle has a huge following and remains one of the most popular pet clean up aids.
If you need help finding out where the accident areas are, use this black light. Order the Stink Free Stink-Finder Ultra-Violet Light & Flashlight
Will a cat suffocate a baby?
Above: Photo of baby and cat courtesy of the NobodyCallsMeThatBlog.
I recently got a call from HM (handsome man aka my significant other) because his pal’s wife had tossed the cats outside since they have a newborn. She was worried that the cats would hurt their newborn and he was wondering if that was a realistic threat.
Unfortunately this is not an isolated case of such behavior. Pregnancy forums spread rumors of cats suffocating babies and the risk of toxoplasmosis from cat litter boxes on a regular basis.
The problem is that people spread the rumors quickly without checking the facts.
Over the years members of the feline race have been blamed for cases of crib death or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). However, I don’t know of any substantiation to back it up.
I found one reference to The Annual Register in January, 1791 cited at the Messy Beast where an eighteen month old was reported by the coroner “to have died “in consequence of a cat sucking its breath.”
Hmm, 1791 Plymouth–not the most sophisticated of times–and sucking its breath?
Puh-lease.
A more recent warning appeared in You and Your Cat by David Taylor (published in 1986).
The reality of the situation is that suffocation is a serious danger because infants are not coordinated nor strong enough to push an animal away if it climbs onto its face or chest.
To prevent such problems animals and kids should always be supervised. Simple steps? Close doors, temporarily install screen doors indoors, or use Baby Safety Netting or Baby Infant Stroller Crib Nets to keep critters out of the infant’s sleeping areas and their strollers.