Author Archives: Mia Carter

Many animal lovers would love to add another dog to the household, but they’re nervous about how their resident dog(s) will react. One reader, Leslie asked the following question on PetLvr’s article titled “How to Introduce … Read More

Introducing a new dog to your other pets can be a nerve-wracking experience for everyone involved. But really, it doesn’t have to be, as long as you know how to introduce your pets properly and how … Read More

The decision of if and when to adopt a new dog or cat after your pet dies can be a very, very difficult decision. On Sunday, April 29, 2012, my beloved dog Kota died as a … Read More

In yesterday’s article, we discussed the basics of how to make the introduction to a new home smoother and less stressful for a newly adopted cat. Today, we’ll discuss expectations as you introduce your new cat … Read More

Cats are notoriously shy when they’re placed in a new environment. This can make it very difficult for the pet owner who has just adopted a new cat. The friendly, sweet cat you meet at the … Read More

Stray cats and tamed feral cats often experience litter box-related problems. Quite simply, many strays and tamed ferals have never seen or used a litter box! There is a simple strategy that can make the litter … Read More

There are many reasons that can cause a cat to have litter box-related issues. Unfortunately, a litter box problem is among the most common behavior-related reason that pet owners bring a cat to the shelter. The … Read More

When a pet dies, the owner must make a difficult decision concerning what to do with the animal’s remains. One option is burial. Cremation is the other option that pet owners must consider after their animal … Read More

When a pet dies, the owner is faced with a difficult decision of what to do with the animal’s remains: burial or cremation. There are pros and cons to each option. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution; the … Read More

The decision to euthanize a pet can be an extremely difficult, heart-wrenching one. But the decision on whether to stay with your pet while he or she is “put to sleep” can be even more difficult. … Read More

One of PetLvr’s readers, Sandy, recently asked the following question: “When I take my dog to the vet, he wants to fight every other animal in the waiting room. It’s out of character and the last … Read More

As a pet writer, one of the most common questions I receive concerns euthanasia or the decision to “put down a pet.” As a pet owner, the decision of if and when to euthanize can be … Read More

A pet’s gums can provide you with a wealth of information about their physical condition. It’s important that all pet owners understand what to look for when they examine a cat’s or dog’s gums. Examining a … Read More

Megaesophagus is a condition affecting the esophagus — the “tube” that leads from your mouth to your stomach (and your windpipe branches off.) It’s a condition that can be inherited, meaning it’s present at birth, or … Read More

After a bout of vomiting, it can take several days before the pet returns to his or her normal feeding schedule. In fact, inappropriate feeding can result in prolonged upset stomach. There are two keys to … Read More

Vomiting is a very common ailment in dogs and cats alike. Today, we’ll discuss why vomiting is dangerous and when to take him or her to the veterinary clinic for treatment. There are a number of … Read More

In a recent article, we explored the workings of a bird’s blood feathers and why a broken and bleeding blood feather can be dangerous. Today, we’ll explore how to remove a broken blood feather and why … Read More

In today’s article, we’ll explore the topic of hives. Last night, while relaxing in bed, my pit bull Cooper randomly broke out in hives. We successfully managed the allergic reaction with Benadryl and prednisone, but despite … Read More

Every bird owner should know about blood feathers: what they are, how to identify one and what to do if it starts to bleed! A broken blood feather can be a life-threatening situation for the bird, … Read More

Many animal lovers (erroneously) use the terms “feral cat” and “stray cat” interchangeably. In reality, there are some major differences between ferals and strays. It’s important to understand these differences (and how to identify a feral … Read More

All too often, a cat owner who can no longer keep their pet will release the pet into the “wild” instead of rehoming the cat or bringing it to a shelter. In this article, we’ll explore … Read More

Virtually all pet rats in the United States are affected by a bacteria known as mycoplasma. This can cause a number of health problems, including breathing difficulties, pneumonia and a red discharge from the eyes, known … Read More

Caring for a pet’s incision following a surgery is an important part of the recovery process. Proper care, combined with monitoring, is vital, as inappropriate care may result in delayed healing or infection. Firstly, it’s important … Read More

Fabric is an economical, clean option for pet rat bedding, especially if you own “sphinx” or hairless rats. Fabric bedding has a number of benefits over traditional bedding materials such as woodchips and recycled paper bedding … Read More

Monitoring a pet’s incision after surgery is an important part of post-operative care. Infections, suture problems, and other issues can result in a life-threatening situation for the pet, so it’s vital that owners closely monitor the … Read More

Just like house cats, a stray or feral cat may develop an infection in their incision following a spaying or neutering procedure. Unfortunately, these cats often have more in common with wild animals (vs. your household … Read More

The approach for caring for a stray or feral cat after spaying or neutering will largely depend on the animal’s behavior. In the case of a fairly tame cat, it’s best to keep the cat for … Read More

In several recent articles, I’ve discussed the process for trapping adult strays and feral cats. But one issue that I have not discussed is trapping feral kittens and the mother. So today, I’ll discuss some of … Read More

Stray and feral cat caretakers may encounter a situation when they need to capture one of the colony members to treat an injury, illness or to spay or neuter the cat as part of a TNR … Read More

If you’re overseeing a feral cat colony, there will come a time when you need to trap a cat for spaying/neutering or for the care of an injury or illness. If you keep an animal for … Read More

If you’re a stray and feral cat caretaker, one of the main priorities will be spaying and neutering via a TNR — trap, neuter (or spay) and return program. In order to bring a feral or … Read More

Many communities offer low-cost or no-cost spay-neuter clinics available to stray and feral cat caretakers. In fact, yesterday, we had one of our ferals spayed at one of these clinics, which is run by the city’s … Read More

Many eye injuries are fairly minor. A minor poke in the eye with a blunt object can result in tearing and redness. Corneal abrasions — a scratch on the eye’s surface, or cornea — often fall … Read More