Thank you Jesus…it was quiet at the Cobb County Animal Control shelter this week - well relatively speaking. The cats all greeted me with varying degrees of cat talk; most of them had soft pillows and all had plenty of food.  

There were also more old timers there than I had expected. On Monday, when I went to the committee meeting at the shelter, there were more than 200 cats/kittens alone. I never heard what the count was for the dogs that day. It is mind boggling the sheer number of animals that are turned in daily, and so many by their owners.

The poor dogs languish in the heat of the day out in their kennels. Many animals are running out of time…if you have room for one dog or cat in your heart and home, please, come to the shelter and adopt. If you know someone that is looking, send them to the shelter. There is an animal there sure to fit even the pickiest of people. 

By the way, if you don’t have room in your home, but could keep a cat at your business, there is a new program that provides cats to business owners. You can contact me and I will get you to the right person.

Help save a life…make a friend. 

Absolutely no room? There are other opportunities for you: 

You can donate canned kitten or cat food, treats, canned dog or puppy food, towels, blankets, or money to the shelter. There is a special fund set up for the betterment of the animals. All money in the fund is used strictly for the animals’ welfare.

Kuranda beds can be purchased and donated allowing every dog and cat to have its own bed to sleep on. You can order them online at www.cherokeeanimals.petfinder.com - Dog beds can be ordered now; cat beds will be available for ordering soon. 

All donations to the shelter are tax deductable. 

Cherokee Humane Society (CHS) needs volunteers to wash laundry (such as towels) from the various pet stores that house CHS cats for adoption.  

Friends of the Shelter can use volunteers to help out at the shelter in various ways, including photographing animals, and helping with upcoming adoption events. 

Donate to Pet Buddies. They need pet food, flea medicine, and other pet items. The Smyrna donation bin is located at Cumberland Animal Clinic. 

Animals at the shelter really do have only two ways out – adoption or death. Please help save a life. 

For more animals available for adoption at the Cobb County Animal Control shelter check out these sites:

www.facebook.com/FOSACobb

www.petfinder.com/shelters/GA50.html

Be sure to check out my new blog: A cat in a dog’s world

http://willowwrites.wordpress.com/

Vet Tip of the Week

Here are some tips on training your cat or dog to tolerate nail trims; an often dreaded procedure. Desensitizing your pets to handling and trimming of their nails can be done in a slow, step-wise manner.

• Providing treats is the gateway for training a dog or cat to allow their feet to be handled. Treats should be in tiny, bite-sized pieces - a small amount of peanut butter will also work for dogs.
• Handling their paws should always be done in a non-confrontational manner, and with treats given ONLY while your hand is actually touching their paw.
• Never force your pet to let you touch their paw. At first it’s okay if you can only touch their paw for a few seconds at a time before they start to resist. Over time, and with a consistent and patient approach plus rewards, your pet will allow more and more handling.
• If your pet is frightened simply by seeing the nail trimmers, concentrate on handling your pet’s feet without holding the trimmers in your hand. Begin to leave the nail trimmers out in plain sight, such as near their food bowl or with treats placed next to them. Do this until your pet no longer reacts negatively to seeing them (several days to weeks). 
• After you pet allows for a gentle touch of the paws without reacting, and is no longer frightened by the sight of the trimmers, gradually increase your handling in increments (days to weeks) by:

1. Squeezing the paw and toes.
2. Handling each digit.
3. Holding the trimmers in your other hand while holding their paw.
4. Touching the paw with the nail trimmers.
5. Touching each nail with the nail trimmers.
6. Opening and closing the nail trimmers against each nail.
7. Trimming off the tip of just one nail. (better to trim just a little piece off at first)

• Eventually you can trim more than one nail at a time, but initially, the goal is to trim 1-2 nails/day without your pet reacting negatively. 
• If at any point you trim a nail too short and it bleeds, use styptic powder or cornstarch to stop the bleeding. 

If you are not comfortable trimming your pet’s nails, remember that you can do this exercise up to the point of actually trimming. Your veterinarian or groomer will appreciate this, as it will improve your pet’s pedicure manners!

Dr. Lori Germon is a veterinarian at Chastain Animal Clinic in Smyrna. You can find information on pet introduction and other pet topics at their website. You can also find them on Facebook.