It was Rez's turn to visit 1310 this morning and he was up to the challenge. Walking (actually prancing) he was thrilled to go for a car ride. Although calm in the vehicle he was ready to play once he got to the station. First thing in the door he made his presence known. He is and outgoing and playful puppy who will adapt well to a home where he gets a lot of human interaction and excersise. He is very quick to learn and very social.
Today's tip: As we are coming into hotter weather it is important to ensure that pets and livestock have easily accessible water and shade at all times. At the shelter the outside dogs have a fan, doghouse, large water pans and later will have their wading pools filled to cool off in once the real heat hits. Dogs release heat through panting and through their foot pads. It is important to make sure excess hair is trimmed off around their pads to help them stay cooler in the summer.
Voting is on until Aug 22, thank you to those of you who do vote every day as if we can make it to the top ten we could win a thousand dollars towards animal care. (food, vet care, medicine type things) We also submitted a story for another contest and if it is voted best it could win two thousand dollars towards animal care. To read this story click on the link "Buster"
 Buster

Lil M was her usual calm self while visiting 1310 this morning., she explored the studio and enjoyed her little field trip. This cat was brought to the shelter with two fourteen day old kittens and had no qualms about being examined. She watched her kittens get examined with full trust. She is only about a year old and would make a wonderful addition to any household.

We are currently at capacity for cats. There is a range of ages from six weeks all the way up to thirteen years old. Some are indoor only and some are indoor/outdoor cats but all are friendly. We currently have some that are already fixed as well.  So if you are looking for a cat there is probably one here that is looking for you.

In the pound this week:: Cats: Black and White Female.  Dogs: Black Shih Tzu Cross 

Cats can be trained to walk on a leash

Believe it or not you can train your cat regardless of age. It is best to start as young as possible but an older cat can learn new things. Our feature pet this week is an eight week old kitten now named Boots. He is at the perfect age to start leash training. Begin with brief training periods, from one to five minutes is plenty at this age. Always end on a positive note, with treats or play. Make the training session positive and fun. For harness training start out with putting the harness on the kitten (or cat) and just have them wear it until they get used to it. Remove it only after the cat or kitten has stopped noticing it on them. Do this four of five times a day. Once the pet is used to the harness add a leash but do not put tension on the leash. Depending on the cat this can take one to twenty sessions before you can apply a little pressure to the leash. Have the cat walk on the harness and leash with as little pressure as possible in the beginning. Gradually increase your control, gently, until your pet is walking comfortably. As long as training sessions are done in a positive and calm manner they are quite successful. If you find yourself or your pet becoming frustrated, stop the session. But make sure you do something pleasing for the pet at the end of the session such as a treat or attention. The idea when training cats and kittens is to make it rewarding and have them want to do what you are asking them to do.