Unlike humans, most pets eat the same food, day after day after day. When you consider this fact, it seems quite apparent that the cat food or dog food that we are feeding out pets is either helping them live a long, healthy life or or making them very un-healthy.

Like many pet owners, we assumed that giving our cats a certain premium brand of food was providing them with the healthiest choice.   After all, it was one of the highest priced pet foods on the market so it had to be good, right?

Wrong!

The reality is, cost is only one tiny indication of quality.  In fact, some of the healthiest pet food is very moderately priced.   To figure out if the food you’re feeding your pets is really good for them, you have to know which ingredients are healthy and which ingredients are just ‘fillers’, or, as I refer to them – junk!

So go and get a bag of the pet food you’re currently giving to your pet and compare and contrast it with this list of what is good for your pet and what is not: 

• Protein: the main source should come from high grade animal protein, not a vegetable or grain.  Are there animal by-products used in the formula? If so, they may be inferior sources of protein which makes it difficult to digest.
• Grains: grains like soy, corn, corn gluten and wheat gluten may be difficult to digest and can also be allergenic.   Rice has the tendency to be the most digestible, least allergy-inducing grain.
• Fats: Animal, not vegetable, fats tend to be easiest for your pets to metabolize and absorb.
• Health-promoting ingredients: Vegetables, fiber, probiotics and minerals are all important ingredients that help keep your pet healthy and strong. Does your current brand of pet food contain any of them?

If your pet is experiencing any health problems – from loss of energy and vitality, to respiratory issues, to joint aches and pains or any other symptoms – DO NOT discount the possibility that it may be caused by his food.   Just like an adjustment to your diet can improve your health, so can a modification to your pet’s food! But please don’t take my word for it…do your own research, educate yourself and try out different brands (we use Life’s Abundance which has really helped our pets look and feel great). 

The point is, your pet can’t go to the supermarket or pet store to purchase  his own food…he counts on you! Allow your pet to live his or her best life by choosing the right food and you will both be so much richer for it!

My sister’s best friend (who is like a sister to me) will be caring for my daughter while I’m away at college (NO I’m NOT "dumping the kid off with relatives"… she ASKED me if she could care for her, and my college does not allow children in the dorms, which all first year students are required to live in.) So I drew up this list of "rules" about my daughter (really just how we run our household as it stands… kind of like the little notebook the people on Wife Swap get when they first arrive.) Copy pasted from the actual e-mail, this is how it reads:
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1. Only one special treat a day (this includes all junk food and drinks). Only if she’s hungry, only if she asks for it specifically, and only if she’s already eaten a fruit and vegetable that day. NO white bread, NO foods or drinks (except her "special treat, as outlined above) that contain high-fructose corn syrup, and NO margarine.

2. Only one half-hour program per day of television, one full-length movie per week max. (preferably most of this educational and/or Muzzy. NO Spanish or inappropriate content, and try to find as many European and/or French-speaking children’s shows as possible. Also, her favourite shows are Big, Big World and Bindi the Jungle Girl, so if you could try to find others like it, of an environmental nature.)

3. No meat or dairy whatsoever, except 1 serving organic dairy per day if she’s congested (as a homeopathic remedy).

4. Animals are treated as equal family members, not "the family…and the dog." For example, if the dog barks, instead of, "Shut up you stupid dog.", it should be a two-language conversation. "Oh, look, the doggy’s saying hi." or "Kettles, who’s out there?"

5. Appreciating and learning about nature is ENCOURAGED at EVERY opportunity. Birds and trees and fish still "speak", we just don’t understand their language. This is to be respected. Take her for a nature walk every morning. This also includes heavily fostering reduce/reuse/recycle habits.

6. I’ve never personally seen you do this, and I don’t believe you would, but just as an inclusion…. if she starts to stutter…dell tells her, and allows other people to tell her, "Come on, spit it out."…but that does not allow her brain to fit the puzzle pieces together properly. Allow her as many tries as she needs, without interruption, to complete a sentence. If she starts to get distracted because she’s discouraged, repeat back to what she had so far. Encourage other people to do the same.

7. Another thing I’ve never personally seen you do, and don’t believe you ever would, but just as an inclusion… many many *many* people squelch a childs "inside memory". This includes "Mommy, I decided the sky is purple."…"No Tommy, it’s blue." at the most basic level, but…remember this. Faerie tales don’t tell children that dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Faerie tales tell children that dragons can be killed. So, if she says something about faeries or dragons or some other "imaginary" thing…let her keep it. Don’t take the "real" out of it for her. Please?

8. No forced naps or naptime! Resting in bed by 9pm, but if not tired, allow a book by lamplight until sleepy. If sleepy before 9pm, of course, allow bedtime earlier.

9. No forced meal times or amounts. Give her fruits and vegetables first. She will eat whenever she is hungry, and if that means she’s not hungry when meals are made, she may sit at the table or be excused, but does not have to eat. Do not ask her if she is hungry, do not tell her when to eat or that her "plate is made", and do not offer food to her……wait until she asks you for food (even if it seems like she’s gone "too long" without eating. She knows when her tummy is or isn’t hungry). And NO food in front of the tv!

10. Home-Schooled (Unschooled), Waldorf, or Montessori ONLY. NO traditional public school.

11. No artificial fabrics. Cotton/Wool/Denim/Hemp/etc only.

12. Allow her to pick which clothes she wears for the day. A fun thing we do is, each day of the week corresponds with a few colours, and she picks clothes based on that. I can give you the chart if you want to use it with her.

13. Read at least one book *with* her and *tell* her at least one new story per day. Books are VERY important, and so too is the art of storytelling. I’d love for her to learn to love both.

14. She does not know the definition of truth vs lie. Please don’t introduce her to those words (they turn into angry concepts). For instance, instead of, "are you telling me the truth or are you lying?" it’s, "Is that a real story or a fake story?" (but only if you suspect a lie. Tr
Trust her!)

15. NO character, trademark, Copyright, Registered, etc possessions. Tinkerbell is faerie. Mickey is mouse-mouse. Elmo is monster. (So she does not associate name with brand and say, "I want that" just because she sees her ‘friend’.) NO Dora, Spongebob, etc.

16. No electronic "blinking-beeping-walking-talking-batter… sort of toys. She can play with jacks, yo-yo’s, marbles, pick-up-stix, twister, cards, hula hoops, jump ropes, lincoln logs, dolls, bike, skates, puzzles, etc etc etc….just nothing electronic or battery operated.

17. At least one hour per day outdoor physical activity.

18. Tell her, "that was good." or "that was bad." NOT "good girl" or "bad girl". There’s no such thing as a good girl or bad girl, only doing good things or doing bad things.

19. Allow her to write/draw with whichever hand is more comfortable, but heavily encourage writing with the other hand as well. (For practical reasons, as well as "opening up" that centre of the brain for active use)
20. Any and all bath, soap, hygiene, and cleaning products used on or for her (shampoo, conditioner, clothes soap, etc.) can NOT contain sulfates, phosphates, pthalates, parabens, and/or aluminum.

21. Her hair is to be combed, NOT brushed…and without product of any kind (except water in a spray bottle). Her hair is never to be cut unless something happens to it which renders a haircut necessary, and I am notified/consulted with prior.

22. She is a Princess, and is to be reminded of such daily. This does not mean "letting her get away with whatever". It means building her self-esteem. (i.e. "…and you are a Princess, so you know what is best in your heart." and, "I will always teach you if you need me to, because Princesses love to learn.")

23. One thing we do, when she washes her hands, is that she puts the water in her hair and tells herself "I’m so pretty" in the mirror. Please continue this. It fosters positive self-image.
24. If you decide not to attend a church regularly, do NOT discuss a Christian and/or denominational ‘God’ with or around her. If you do decide to attend a church regularly, do NOT allow her to believe she will be punished in some way if she chooses to believe differently. She should not be taught "right" from "wrong" apart from the Universal rights and wrongs that most religions accept. You are entitled to your beliefs, whichever that may be, but I’d like for her to make her own coherent un-influenced decision. Also, I understand that you may not hold my same beliefs in religion and you may not agree with what I do, and that is just fine. But please understand that my beliefs are what they are, and I really don’t want or need her seeing Momma as "wicked"…so keep her away from any and all, as much as possible, things that portray witches as evil green-nosed hags with bubbly brew and broomsticks. You know that image is not true…because you know me. C=. If it happens accidentally,
please explain to her that it’s just a story, not real.

25. Santa Claus, Tooth Fairy, and Easter Bunny are not real. She knows this. Please keep it that way.

26. Sometimes she forgets to brush her front teeth. The way we remember this is to tell her, "brush your smile."

27. Keep her shoes off at all safe and temperate times.

28. I know you may have no interest in learning the entire language, but if you pick up on things from her Muzzy tapes, and she says something to you in French, please respond back to her to the best of your knowledge in French. (For example… If she says, "S’il tu plait" for "Please", you say "D’Accord" for "Ok". Or if she says "Merci" for "Thank You", you say, "De Rien" for "You’re Welcome".)

29. She is to be expected to follow Princess manners at all times. This does not mean stuck up or whiny, but rather, composed. If she cries, no "Aww" unless it’s a tummy-ache or something of the sort, and no "Stop crying, it’s not that bad." Instead, tell her,
"Take a deep breath, calm down, and say it to me in gentle words." If she gets grabby or selfish about something, she is told, "Uh Oh. Please act like a Princess. You know what to do." (and be aware that if you take something from her or someone else without asking, she may tell you, "That is not Princess. You know what to do." =P) If she gets mouthy, screams, throws, hits, or kicks, she is given one "Princess" warning per incident (as stated above), and if she does not correct her behaviour, she is placed on restriction, not time-out, for the remainder of the day. No privileges until the next morning. If she does not want to do something, we say, "that’s alright, you don’t have to want to do it, you just have to do it." If she does not know a person as family or close friend, she is not allowed to hug them or allow them to pick her up. This teaches her to respect her own personal space and expect it to be respected. If someone approaches her (not a stranger of course, lol) who is not
close family or close friend, she is to offer her hand. As a safety precaution, whenever she’s in a car with someone and gets out before the driver, make sure she knows every time to leave her door open until the driver gets out. If you hear her making a "You are…." statement, remind her that it’s most appropriate to say, "I think…." instead.

30. If she is sick, anything mild enough that does not require a trip to the Emergency Room is to be treated naturally. A daily kids multivitamin, tea, and naps. If medicine is required, please either look up the natural version and dosage, or call me and I will find out for you. NO processed medicines.

31. Do…NOT…*ever*…allow her to talk "gangster" or "ghetto". If you catch her speaking this way, have her repeat it back to you or whoever it was directed to cleanly and clearly.

32. If you are ever angry at her or around her, no yelling, screaming, or shouting! If you are angry at her, speak in gentle words, explaining more than
reprimanding. If you must get loud when angry, please keep it behind closed doors.

33. If her teeth require further care than cleanings and/or checkups, NO silver or amalgam! White caps and ceramic or ionomer fillings only.

34.I am to be notified of and able to participate in any and all medical decisions.

35. When the time comes for her to be returned to me, there is NOT to be any sort of struggle/hassle involved. Beginning either when I marry or when I am in the proper position to care for a child, she will return to me for a few interspersed months out of the year, for two or three years, and then periodically be asked where she would like to live until she chooses with me (if this means immediately, so be it. If this means never, so be it. But it is to be HER un-influenced decision.)

Again, this is how I would raise her myself if she were living with me. I cannot tell you what or how to run your household, but please try to accommodate most if not all of these.
I will also print this if you’d like, so a copy is always available. C= If any of this sounds pompous, it’s not intended to be…just realise she is my Princess, perfect in every way, and I want to make sure she stays that way. I know you’re not my mom in any way, but it’s hard to let go. Also, I am more grateful than you will ever know that you chose to care for her. It means the world to me. I know this is a lot, and I know you know half of these already, but I like to be comprehensive, so if it’s something you already know, just consider it an indication that we’re on the same page. Love You!!!!!! SO much!!!!!!

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As a parent, what is your opinion of these rules (ASIDE from the fact of "Omg that was soooo long."?
Really, "Hope", I make you sick? How about the bastard that raped me. Does he make you sick too? Tell me again how being sexually attacked equals choosing to get pregnant, cos I must have missed that part….

We think that dogs do not personal spirits and do not appreciate colours in what they see.  Truth is, the exact thought is neglected.  They have spirits and are capable to determine in colors.  They reside and interact the way we do.  They’ve the capacity to learn too.  

Their primeval function to humans benefited them predominantly inside the surroundings we both dwell.   Dogs received main benefits from residing with people, like food, shelter and protection. In addition they benefited the benefit of humans, in the method we walk, for them to offer wider range to determine prospective predators and prey, along with color vision that provides us better ocular discrimination. They also benefited from our skills and technologies, which will provide them ease and comfort.

In return, dogs imparted their abilities by serving us. It is far better to possess dogs in our house than to employ a security guard to look for our property.  No matter how we upset, abuse and harm the dogs, they’ll in no way turn their tail versus us instead they’ll continue to be loyal.  Hiring a man to guard is costly and has the tendency to move against us. It’s fine for dogs if we feed them or not, or wherever we want them to sleep as extended as they exist in essence of living together with individuals.

Probably the most extensive form of interspecies relationship in background takes location between individuals and dogs. The bond of two is acquiring much better in as well many ways each and every era. Dogs have no souls but they’ve spirits, to which most known as Dogmanship.  It’s a fresh tactic of judgment for individuals with canines.   They’re able to see in colours via our aid.  Dogs who are with us see life as colorful as we see it.  To know more about dogs, check www.bestdogofall.com

It is often a verified truth that some canine breeds are a lot more aggressive than other people. When the intense tendencies of your dog are not checked by an proprietor then the animal can grow to be risky. The puppy owner will find it incredibly hard to get dog insurance policy cover for this kind of a canine. There is certainly affordable pet insurance statistical evidence to demonstrate that particular puppy breeds are majorly involved in attacks on humans. Understandably, dog insurance policies organizations are usually loath to offer insurance for dogs thought to be to be potentially dangerous. About the other hand, a puppy proprietor with out dog liability insurance policy can get into a piquant circumstance and lose money on claims filed by individuals injured by an aggressive puppy. Two puppy breeds, the Rottweiler and Pit Bulls, are most commonly linked with violence and injury to folks. Other dog breeds regarded as dangerous include Akitas, Chow-chows, and Doberman Pinschers.

If you’re contemplating obtaining a dog dog regarded as to be a hazardous breed then you would do perfectly to first discover out about your puppy insurance options. With out insurance policies to defend you in situation your puppy bites someone you risk fines as well as legal action for not obtaining enrolled for pet legal responsibility insurance coverage in case it is often a requirement inside your city. There are several insurance companies that it is possible to take a look at to compare and contrast the extent of coverage and also the cost for insuring a hazardous pet. The important point to find out is regardless of whether the pet wellness insurance lets you claim the cost of damage that your dog puppy may possibly trigger. When you zero down to this kind of a policy then you definitely must gear up to ensure which you in no way have to use that coverage. This implies you train your dog to ensure that it gets used to individuals, maintain it on leash whenever you take it out for a round, when the animal is incredibly intense then you definitely could even have it muzzled. Maintain the animal secured when at home. Continue to keep the pet’s location no cost from trespassers, particularly children. Your care and instruction will have a wonderful influence in your dog’s temperament as it grows. Be considered a type and loving puppy parent and see to it that it doesn’t get upset in the presence of other people.

In addition to the obvious limits that are stated in an insurance policy coverage for example annual maximum, per-incident optimum, insurance deductible, and co-pay amounts, there is certainly an additional variable that isn’t so obvious that’s an critical element in identifying how significantly a dog owner is reimbursed by the insurance firm when they file a state. This is the easiest approach for dog owners to understand and usually provides rspca pet insurance owners the biggest reimbursements. Because it can be depending on the actual costs from the vet, it keeps up with inflation. Most of the newer corporations use this method. One criticism of this technique is that premiums may perhaps rise quicker because the only limit on reimbursements of covered expenses is whatever the vet fees.

Want physical fitness and far better mental health for your pet? In case yes, it is time you motivate your dog to play more games. While there are plethora of games that may interest your pet, there are chosen few that may well meet the need of physical and mental stimulation of your pet. Here is a list of some prevalent games that could assist achieve the purpose.

Fetching is perhaps the oldest dog games. Yet, it stands to be one of the most successful games for your pet dog. It will tire your dog absolutely offering him the appropriate exercising. But, since this game is just so normal, your dog can simply lose interest. So, try looking for uncommon options to involve your pet in this game. You may climb up the steps or reach a height and then throw your pet dog’s favourite treat or toy. In case the running around and climbing causes back pain, then do not worry as you could treat the issue naturally.

Another efficient physical activity for your pet dog is swimming. Swimming is well-known to offer a comprehensive body exercise to your pet dog. In case you have a private pool, you too can take a plunge in to the pool alongside your pet. Nevertheless, do not forget to remove your contact lenses prior to diving in pool. Moreover workout benefits, swimming can also deliver advantages such as relaxation for your pet dog.

In case you’d like to provide your dog with some mental as well as physical stimulation you may get him or her to indulge in the game of backyard tunneling for the same. Such games need your dog to use his mental faculties and also make him more mentally agile. You can get readymade apparatus for the game from your local pet shop. In case you’re on a tight budget, you could dig up the tunnel on your own and place problems along the way. Not only is thissignificantly economical; the many hours spent digging outside will aid you acquire a glorious sun tan as well.

The traditional game of hide and seek is just as pleasant and exciting for your pet dog. This will not only provide your pet with some much needed workout however also strengthen his sense of smell. This game will also make your pet more mentally flexible. In case you’d rather not cover yourself, you can hide 1 of your pet’s fave toys for the same.

Hence, these fantastic pet games won’t just keep your dog healthy and fit however additionally aid you bond with your pet. So, do indulge in them as often as you could!