We can all use a dose of good news during these times. One silver lining of the COVID pandemic has been its effect on animal shelters. With more people abiding with stay-at-home orders, the number of pet adoptions has soared, and many shelters are literally empty. If you are planning to open your home and heart to a new cat, there are a few things you need to do to welcome your new feline to your family.  Essentials. Always start with the essentials. You will need food, bowls, litter, a litter box, a bed, and a few fun items, like toys, to help your new feline friend feel at home.  Food. It’s best to feed your new cat the same food they were previously eating. Once your new cat becomes accustomed to their new home, you can gradually change their food to the food of your choice by slowly mixing it in. Speak with your veterinarian to find out which diet is best suited for your cat based on their age, health, and level of activity.  Litter. It’s the part of being a cat parent that no one likes, especially since most cats haven’t learned to use the toilet and simply flush the problem away. However, there are steps you can take to keep your household free of potty odors. Choose a superior, plant-based natural litter, like ökocat® that is made entirely from sustainably sourced wood that absorbs liquid on contact and stops the creation of ammonia and odor before it starts. And unlike traditional clay litter, ökocat® is 99% dust-free, contains no artificial fragrances, no synthetic chemicals, toxic dyes or GMOs, making it a cleaner and healthier choice for your cat, your family, and your home. Plus, it’s better for our planet too.  Cat-proofing. Cats are curious by nature so make sure your home is safe and cat-proof. Keep any poisonous plants, toxic household cleaners or chemicals out of your cat’s reach. Even innocuous items like string and ribbons can be dangerous to cats and should be stored out of reach. To find out more about household dangers, visit the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center website.  Vet Check. Take your new cat to the veterinarian for a complete check-up. Your veterinarian will perform a complete examination to ensure your cat is healthy and free of parasites and infectious diseases. They will also determine which vaccines your cat needs to stay healthy.  Transitions. If you have other pets, initially keep them in separate rooms. This allows them to get used to each other’s presence and can prevent a mini epidemic. Once they seem accustomed to each other and your veterinarian has given your new cat a clean bill of health, they can be gradually introduced to each other. By making the transition gradual, it keeps the levels of stress lower for everyone, including yourself.  Adopting a pet during these difficult times can break-up the solitude of stay-at-home orders and bring you much needed joy. By following these simple steps, you can ensure a smooth transition as you welcome your cat to their new home.

With COVID dominating the news, it is easy to overlook that April 22nd is Earth Day. However, in many ways, COVID has directed a new spotlight on the importance of the environment. The spread of new viral diseases from wildlife to humans highlights the negative impact of deforestation, habitat loss, the illegal wildlife trade, and climate change. Likewise, stay-at-home orders have resulted in less pollution and visibly cleaner air and water. Photo by Leonardo Baldissara on Unsplash This Earth Day, besides thinking about how you can reduce your carbon footprint, think about what you can do to reduce your pet’s carbon pawprint. Here are a few simple changes you can make to ensure that your pet is living green too.  Waste Management. Anyone who has ever had a pet knows that they create lots of waste. It is estimated that 10 million tons of waste from pets fill landfills yearly. What can be done?  Instead of using plastic bags to pick up and dispose of your pet’s waste, try using recycled biodegradable pet poop bags. If you have a cat, consider switching from a clay-based litter to a biodegradable litter, such as ökocat. By switching to a biodegradable litter, you can cut down on the estimated 2 million tons of clay litter that end up in landfills. If you brave you can also try teaching your cat to use the toilet. It sounds crazy but cats can accurately be trained to use a toilet. Kits are available that help you guide your cat through the process. It may be a lot of work at first but think about never having to clean a litter box again? Now if we could just teach them to flush! Give a Hoot, Don’t Pollute. Always pick-up after your pet and follow the backpacker’s motto of leaving only footprints. Leaving your pet’s waste behind is not only rude; it can pollute water sources when washed into the storm drains that empty into streams and lakes. Buy Green. Purchase pet beds, furniture and toys made from recycled or sustainable materials such as hemp. Environmentally friendly hemp can be used to make almost everything, like leashes, collars, beds and toys. Nowadays it is easy to find recycled pet products at large pet retailers all across the country. Buy in Bulk. Buying pet food and pet supplies in bulk not only saves money, it also conserves fuel and lowers emissions by saving you extra trips to the store. Consider buying a plastic bin to keep your pet’s food fresh. Some of the larger pet retail stores also sell litter in bulk- where you bring in your container and they fill it up. This saves packaging and also you a lot of money-as you get to buy the litter at a big discount. Pet Overpopulation. Make sure your pet isn’t adding to the pet over-population problem by having your pets spayed or neutered. Shelters spend millions of dollars caring for homeless pets. Be sure you aren’t contributing to this problem. Consider also donating your old towels, blankets to a nearby shelter-this helps you declutter, helps the shelter cut costs, and gives a needy pet a nice blanket to sleep on. If you have the time think about volunteering at a nearby shelter. Recycled Pets. If you are thinking about adding to your family think about getting a pet from the shelter. There are tons of “recycled pets” in need of a good home. While adopting one of these deserving pets may not lower emissions or save fuel, it can save a life.  One silver lining of COVID has been the realization of what we can accomplish if we work together for a common goal. In a short span of time, stay-at-home orders have produced tangible results, such as cleaner air and water. Across the globe, scientists have measured lower gas emissions and pollution levels as industries, transportation, and businesses have closed. In New York, pollution was reduced by nearly 50%, and in China, emissions fell 25% due to COVID restrictions. Although results are only short-term, they highlight what we could accomplish if we act as global citizens. This year, think about what you, and your pet can do to make our planet greener.  

Now more than ever, animal shelters and rescues around the country need your support. Shelters are reporting staffing shortages, decreased adoptions, and sadly, an increase in owner surrendered pets. Many shelters are trying to reduce their in-shelter pet population in order to make it easier for their limited staff. However, you can make a difference. Besides donating money, you can volunteer to foster animals. Foster pet parents have always played an important role with shelters and rescues. The impact of fostering is even greater during these challenging times.Under normal circumstances, shelters often need assistance caring for animals that require additional attention, such as young animals that need frequent feedings, or sick and injured animals that need additional medical care. This problem becomes magnified as shelters operate with reduced staff during the COVID crisis. Shelters still need fosters to care animals that need more care, but they also need fosters to decrease the number of animals their limited staff can care for during this pandemic. Fostering a pet can have a positive impact on the whole family Fostering animals doesn’t just help shelters, the benefits are reciprocal, and this is especially true now. With most of the country following social isolation and working from home, many people are experiencing increased stress, anxiety and loneliness. Having a foster pet to care for during these difficult times can give you a sense of purpose, can help reduce stress, and can provide much needed companionship. And if you have kids, fostering a pet can have a positive impact on the whole family. Having fostered many animals over the years, my own children have seen how our love and care helped these animals grow and get healthy for their adoptive families. Fostering has taught them to be gentle and to develop a respect for life. It has also showed them the importance of hard work and dedication. There is a great sense of gratification knowing that your efforts saved a life and helped a deserving animal find its family. Photo by Tran Mau Tri Tam on Unsplash   Fostering is a great way to try out being a pet parent There are other benefits to fostering. Being a foster parent is also a great way to try out being a pet parent without the long-term commitment. If you aren’t sure if you and your family are ready to take on a pet for life, fostering may be the answer. You can have a pet in your home for a few weeks to months and determine if your family is ready to make a long-term commitment. It also allows you to determine if a particular pet is a good fit for your family or not. While you might be interested in a puppy, after fostering you may decide an older more settled dog may be better for your home or you may decide you want a cat instead of a dog. After all, becoming a pet parent is a major commitment and you want to be as sure as possible that you are making the right choice. There is one other benefit to fostering shelter animals. Sometimes, when you open your home to a foster animal, you open your heart, and you realize that you are their forever home. This is how two of my cats, Starlite and Mr. Smee joined our family. It’s an unintended consequence, but under the right circumstances, fostering the right animal at the right time will serendipitously lead to the realization that your foster animal is a perfect addition to your family.   Foster pet parents play a vital role in helping shelter animals that need extra care and can mitigate the current challenges facing shelters operating with reduced staff. Fostering during these challenging COVID times is a win-win for you, the shelter, and the animal you foster. If you are interested in becoming a foster pet parent, contact your local animal shelter or rescue today. Article by Dr. Ruth MacPete, D.V.M., well-known veterinarian and author.    The makers of okocat® natural litter are not only dedicated to making the best cat litter, they are also committed to helping cats live longer, healthier lives. By providing educational articles like this one, they hope to educate pet parents about important cat health topics.  

Healthy Pet® Welcomes Dr. Ruth MacPete, “the Pet Vet,” as Pet Expert Authority Nationally-renown veterinarian and media correspondent, Dr. Ruth MacPete, aka Dr. Ruth “the Pet Vet,” is joining the Healthy Pet® family to help promote its natural “Best in Home” brands. For over 30 years Healthy Pet has been a leader in the pet category with small animal bedding and litter product offerings made from sustainably sourced, responsibly rescued natural plant fiber. “We’re so excited to be partnering with Dr. Ruth to share our combined passions of providing earth-friendly choices that also provide the very best home for pets and entire family,” said Jane Wasley, Head of Marketing at Healthy Pet. “Her passion for pets and professional knowledge, are a welcome addition to the Healthy Pet family.” Dr. MacPete is a practicing veterinarian of 20+ years and an experienced media personality, speaker, consultant, author and blogger. She will specifically support Healthy Pet’s cat and small animal brands, ökocat® and carefresh®.“As a veterinarian, pet parent, mother, and consumer, I want pet products that work, are safe for my family, and environmentally-friendly. I am passionate about pet care and educating pet parents about making Earth-friendly choices, and I admire Healthy Pet for making products that are good not only for your pets, but also your family and the environment.” About Dr. Ruth Dr. Ruth MacPete, aka Dr. Ruth, “the Pet Vet,” has appeared as a veterinary correspondent on numerous radio and television shows around the country, including frequent appearances on the Emmy Award-winning hit show The Doctors, Good Morning America, Hallmark’s Home & Family, Fox & Friends and the Weather Channel’s America’s Morning Headquarters. In addition to her television appearances, she has written about cats and cat health for various magazines such as Cat Fancy, Kittens USA, Fetch!, Pet Business and recently published her first children’s book Lisette the Vet. She is a featured blogger for Pet Health Network and can often be seen lecturing at national veterinary conferences and cat conventions. She has worked in private practice and in shelter medicine for over 20 years and also volunteers her time with several local animal rescue groups. Dr. MacPete believes that through education and awareness of pet health-care, we can improve the lives of animals everywhere. She lives in California with her human family, three cats and one big dog who thinks he is a cat. To learn more about Dr. MacPete go to: www.DrRuthPetVet.com