Cats learn to fear their carriers if the only time they see it appear is when it is taken out of the closet, they are shoved inside it, taken away from their home, dragged out of the case, plopped on a slippery cold, metal surface and some strange person starts poking and prodding them. Of course, they come to associate the sight of the crate with the unpleasant experience of going to the vet.  You are going to do the opposite and train your new kitten right from the very start to associate the carrier with fun, positive experiences.   And it’s not too late to get your older cat to accept one as well. In this episode, I’ll explain the steps to take so that transporting the cat is easier for you and the feline when you do have to go to the vet.  

Why keep feeding your dog’s meals from the same old food bowls, when there are so many other ways to do this that make your dog happy and mentally stimulated. In my conversation with Ben Rimbey, head dog trainer with Lucky Mutt Dog Training and for the “Fairly Odd Dogs” (Disc Dog performers) on social media, he explains that you can train your dogs and strengthen your bond with them at the same time by “Ditching the Bowl.” Then, learn a fun game for your dog that that builds confidence and makes eating more engaging called “Cardboard Castles”.

There’s a cool new app to know about. Do you like to keep track of how many steps you walk? Or have you ever walked to raise money for a charity or cause?  If you have a dog, I know you’re out there walking together and there is an app, I just found out about that combines all these things.  It’s called WoofTrax. It keeps track of how long you and your dog are walking and makes money at the same time to support your favorite animal organizations.  I’ll explain how it works to make walking your dog so rewarding and how you’ll still want to use it, even if you don’t have a dog.

We’re still celebrating reaching 100 episodes by giving away 3 months of free pet food to 2 lucky winners through the month of October 2021. Get your chance to win, by leaving a comment about one of the 100th shows, on the episode pages on the website, raisingyourpaws.com. Or tell us what you think of the podcast on our Raising Your Paws Facebook page.  We’ll randomly select 2 winners from the comments.

If you like sports, or outdoor life podcasts, be sure to check out our new producer’s other podcasts, at www.talknorth.com. They are the largest sports, outdoor, and lifestyle podcast network in the upper Midwest. 

Additional Resources for the Show.

Resource for the story about cat carriers – “Complete Kitten Care” by Amy Shojai.

Lucky Mutt Dog Training Website. 

Fairly Odd Dogs (Disc Dog performers) on Facebook

Fairly Odd Dogs on Instagram. 

About the App: www.WoofTrax.com