Your pets health is the most important factor for them to live a long, healthy, happy life. When we love our pets, we want the very best for them, as well as we want it for ourselves. We want them to be happy, filled with joy and vigor, and pain free.

I am a animal lover, and have been all of my life. And my greatest desire is for my fur babies to enjoy their little short lives. When we take the time and energy to make their lives as comfortable and pleasurable as we can, we are able to make a significant impact on our pet's health, happiness, and longevity.

This is the first blog I have made on dogs and cats, but it won't be the last. You'll want to check back frequently to discover informative information on how to help your fur babies live a life worthy of living.

This page is simply an introduction on my journey with my precious lil kitties and doggies.

My Journey With Cats And Dogs

Cats

I've always been a kitty lover. I took in abandoned cats, cats that were either dropped off at my home in the country, or abandoned on the streets. I always had 4-5 cats at one time. No, I wasn't a cat lady, in fact my vet said, "you're not a cat lady, your 'THE cat mommy.'" And that I am.

I took in one cat that I named Red because of his reddish orange coat, who had one eye hanging out of his head from a cat fight. I immediately took him to the vet, and walla, soon he was as good as gold.

Another one who was an black and white Angora we named Ziggy, was hit by a car laying bloody on the street. I knocked on every door around, to no avail. So I took her home. In no time she was well and running about like nothing ever happened.

There are many, many stories, but the one that hit my heart the greatest was a white Persian cat someone dropped off at my home on a cold, winter snowy night. At that point in my life I really didn't want to take any more abandoned cats in. I only glanced at her that evening, unaware of her breed, however the next morning she was still out there, it was then I realized what she was, and she could barely breath.

I snatched her up, put her in my bathroom and she passed out. I gave her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation then she came to. I looked at her nose, and her nostrils were no bigger than a little pin hole - no wonder she couldn't breath.

I took her to the vet that day, which I did for all my cats when I got them to have them check out and for shots. The vet said she was about 7 years old. He said he could do surgical procedure called stenotic nares repair on her nose to improve her breathing, but I didn't opt for that at the time. And I'm glad I didn't.

A week or so late I was talking to a lady in church, and she happened to be a vet. I told her about Angel, and she told me to bring her in the next day. She said that a stenotic nares repair wouldn't help her because she had nothing to cut or remove, and if I had the surgery done she would die.

In the meantime I had to remove every little piece of dust in my home, purchased a quality air purifier, and filled the house with Vicks Vapor Rub by putting it in a pan, letting it boil, then moving the pan around my house. Yet, there were times she still passed out, but thank God for for mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

I did find out why her nose was like that. There were 7 babies in her litter, 6 kittens died right away from suffocation. Angel was the only one that lived. The breeder wanted flatter faces on her Persians to make more money, so she took 2 of the flattest faced cats she could find, bred them, and the outcome - disaster.

To make this long story short, Angel died at the age of 11 from kidney failure. And that was the hardest fur baby to get over. It was then I knew I wanted another Persian someday, they were different and more in-tune with humans than all the rest.

Dogs

Like I said before, I love all animals, but I never had a desire to get a doggie. Until someone came to my home with a Shih Tzu. I fell in love with her doggie. I held her, but when the lady was ready to leave, it was the hardest thing to give her doggie back to her. But of course I had to. That's when my journey with dogs began.

It was then I decided when all my kitties died of old age, I was going to have 1 Persian kitty, and 1 Shih Tzu. Well, things don't always go according to plans. I took in an abused kitty, and I also met my husband who, to my surprise, had 2 Shih Tzu's name Jassie and Jack. Well, come to find out Jack wasn't a Shih Tzu, he was a mixed breed, but none were Shih Tzu. But he was a real dolly.

We then took in a mistreated and haggled doggie who had a type 6 heart condition (on a scale of 1 to 6, with 6 being the loudest). Yes, he was a Shih Tzu, as sweet and cute as he could be. We had him for almost 5 years, then he died of heart failure. But I can tell you, that was the best 4 years he could have ever had.

Then Jassie and Jack went over Rainbow Bridge, each at the age of 12. They both passed from cancer. No more Shih Tzu's, so very heartbreaking.

But, sometimes the end is not the end. I needed another Shih Tzu, and there were none at the humane society or anywhere else. So my husband and I went on a search. We went to Noah's Ark and there she was, shaking to death, picked her up and fell in love. She was very expensive, but she was SO scared and didn't look well at all, I couldn't let her go back in that cage. So we paid for her and took her home.

Took her immediately to the vet and found she had kennel cough, pneumonia, and an upper espiratory infection. She was back and forth to the vet continually, and thank God, the vets even met us at the hospital in the middle of the night.

She was on a at-home nebulizer for 3 months and a restrictive diet. To get her well it cost thousands of dollars. Then one day, she was running all over the house, getting into things, and chewing my shoes. What a blessing. Of course we had to have a dog trainer come in, and when that was done, she was doing good.

All my kitties passed from old age, and I couldn't be with out a kitty cat. So, we bought 2 Persians from a breeder, and name them Marshmallow Fluff, and Tapioca. No, I'm definitely not a breeder fan, but the cats they used for breeding lived all their lives in cages. I'm so glad we got them out of there.

Then, years later blood tests showed Peaches had liver disease. Her enzymes were sky high. So, I researched and researched food for liver disease. But anything you purchase from companies have at least one or two ingredients that are harmful for dogs with liver disease. So that was out of the question.

Then I found a home-made recipe for liver disease, and she's been eating it ever since. Her enzymes went down, until she had gum (Periodontal) disease. I had always given her dog chews nightly to keep her gums and teeth good, but to no avail. I found that Shih Tzu's are more likely than other dogs to have gum disease.

Some of her teeth needed to be removed, but they couldn't put her under anesthesia because her enzymes went up again. So, I couldn't give her dog chews anymore because they hurt her mouth, and she loved that treat. So, back to research, I found some soft homemade treats for dogs with liver disease. And she absolutely loves them.

If your dog has liver problems or liver disease, in this blog you'll find homemade dog food recipes and dog treat recipes for pups with liver disease.

Cost For Owning A Cat Or Dog

If you want a pet, know this: They are costly. The annual cost of owning a dog or cat is $1,000 and a bitter high of $5,225 per year on essentials, and between $1,405-$6,235 for additional costs.

Please, please don't get a fur baby if you can't afford one. If they get sick, you don't want to watch them suffer an agonizing death at home, anymore than you would want to watch your mom, dad, spouse of child suffer that excruciating pain. Nor would you want to go through that.

And how in the world could someone put an animal down just because they can't afford it, when they could be cured and live a longer, happier life. I could never put one of my babies down unless it is vital. Even then I ask my vet "What would you do if this was your cat/dog?" And I act accordingly.

Conclusion:

Pets should be family and treated as such. Dogs are not wild wolves out in the wilderness, preying for food, sleeping in cold and wild winters and hot, torrid climates. They are a domesticated species and are not as well adapted to extreme hot and cold as wolves and should not be left outside in very low or hot temperatures.

Cats are not lions or tigers. The are also domesticated and need warmth; they get sick if they get too cold. They can develop health conditions like hypothermia or frost bite easily. If a cat gets too hot, they can suffer from heatstroke, fall into a coma, and other serious complications even death.

Cats and dogs also need food. They require a diet high in protein and low in carbohydrates. They also need other nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, and amino acids.

If you own a feline or canine, invite them into your home and give them the same respect and kindness you would your best friend or family. It is inhuman and cruel to leave an animal outside for various reasons. They need your love and dedicated time, not your sometime presence. And feed them nutritious food so they can stay healthy, well and alive.