5 Minute Guide To Choosing A Pet ID Tag

Teri — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 16:19:55 +0000

Buying a Pet ID tag is like buying insurance – you do so with the devout wish that you’re never going to need it. The “possible cost” of not having a pet ID tag is more expensive than the “actual cost” of buying the pet tag itself.

The type of pet identification tag that you buy is important, so take 5 minutes or so to think it through. Impulsively choosing a collar tag because it’s cheap or cute often proves to be unwise, long-term.

Consider the following before purchasing any pet id tag:

1. What is the level of risk to your pet?

Lost pets are certainly common – we’ve all seen “Lost Dog!” signs tacked around town, or dead pets lying by the side of the road. If your pet is a master at escaping the fence, or a breed of dog that cannot resist following a scent, or a young pet that’s full of energy, or a new pet that isn’t properly trained, the risk of a lost pet is high. But losing your pet isn’t the only risk.

Some pets are stolen. A pet thief may snatch Fifi or Fido in hopes of getting a reward for its return, or to use in dog fights (even small or gentle dogs are susceptible – they can be used as “bait”), or for use in cult rituals.

And what is the risk to your pet if something happens to you, its owner?

If you’re a senior adult with a pet, particularly if you live alone or are in ill health, there’s a good chance that at some point someone else will need to care for your furry friend, perhaps with little notice. And anyone can be struck by tragedy or disaster which leaves you unable to care for your companion.

In this instance, will your pet’s new or temporary caregiver know that Rover hates cats, or that Fluffy needs medication, or even whether or not Max is house-trained? A pet ID tag that contains more than your name and phone number would be extremely helpful.

2. What level of risk are you comfortable with?

Some pets are simply more important to their owners, and the risk of losing that particular animal warrants a specific, more expensive type of pet ID tag. Risk is proportionate to value.

Note that there is more than one way to assess the value of your pet. It may be monetary (a rare purebred dog) or functional (a guide dog or herding dog).

But for most pet owners, the emotional attachment they have to a particular pet determines its value. For many people, cats or dogs are family members, dearly loved and impossible to replace.

3. Based on your answers to the two previous questions, what do you need in a pet ID tag?

Pet ID tags come in varying shapes, sizes and materials and hold varying amounts of information. Some contain logos or artwork, too. Most pet ID tags are designed to be hung from a collar.

At a bare minimum, a pet ID tag should contain the name, address and phone number of the pet owner in a durable, legible format. Plastic tags are lightweight but easily chewed. Stainless steel tags are durable and don’t rust or fade. These traditional types of tags can purchased from any veterinarian or pet store. They’re inexpensive but the amount of information they hold is limited to the size of the tag.

Fortunately, you have many more options in pet tags these days, such as microchipping, tattooing, digital display tags, pet registry web sites and voice recorded pet id tags.

One of the newest entries in the pet identification market is the high-tech USB drive that hangs from your pet’s collar (or is attached to their cage) and which holds 64MB of data (including complete medical and diet information). The tiny USB drive is encased in a sturdy plastic case and can be plugged into any computer, where it is easily updated and easy to print sections for sharing with your vet or pet sitter.

No matter what pet ID tag you choose, making sure your pet wears some type of pet identification tag brings peace of mind that far outweighs its costs.

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Dogs & Cats – Can Your Dog And Cat Ever Become Friends?

Teri — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 05:54:14 +0000

Cats and dogs are notoriously famous for being thought of as arch enemies. From cartoons to movies, they are always being depicted as two animals that are always at each other’s throats. This makes it easy to assume that they are not meant to get along. However, there is a way for these two seemingly opposite pets to be friends and live under the same roof in peace.

The key to success when building a relationship between a cat and a dog has a lot to do with the individual traits possessed by each animal. It is generally easier to build this relationship by starting off by introducing a young kitten to a dog that is a bit older. Kittens are still a little bit more easy to mold than adult cats and while most cats will not eagerly run up to a dog to make friends, with a little bit of time an adjustment, it can be done

Expect some hissing and spitting from your kitten…

When you bring home a new kitten and you begin initiating contact between your feline friend and your adult dog, you must be present at all times and expect the cat to display some fear by hissing and possibly spitting. This is just the way that cats express their fear as well as make an attempt to scare off a potential enemy. In order to prevent your dog from reacting back towards this behavior, just grab your kitten when you see the hissing reaction taking place and then place her back down again to associate with the dog. It just takes time.

Use the method of “exposed isolation” to help them get to know each other…

Exposed isolation means just what it says: you want to isolate the cat in one area and the dog in another, yet have them both exposed so that they can see and stiff at each other. A great way to do this is to get a baby gate and separate the two animals on either side in a room. Your cat now enough area to roam free, as well as your dog. And when they get curious they will simply come closer to the gate and sniff each other out, slowly making friends.

Do not get your hopes up…

You have to realize that not all cats and dogs will get along no matter how much conditioning and training you involve them in. Some dogs have an increasingly high amount of predatory drive, depending on their breed.

You have to remember that dogs are hunters and have a natural instinct to chase. Before you consider purchasing a kitten it would be wise to do some research and ask specific questions about the type of breed of dog you have. An obvious example would be trying to bring a kitten into the house where an adult pitbull is living. It doesn’t take much common sense to know that this would be a mistake.

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The Puppy Blog! » Other Pets

5 Minute Guide To Choosing A Pet ID Tag

Dogs & Cats – Can Your Dog And Cat Ever Become Friends?