Guides
Plain, practical guides to the everyday jobs of living with a dog or cat, from measuring for a harness to lifting hair out of the carpet. For anything about your pet's health, ask your veterinarian.
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Guide
How to Wash a Dog Bed, and How Often, Including Beds That Don’t Unzip
De-hair it, read the care label, wash it gently with fragrance-free detergent and dry it all the way through. Here is how often to wash a dog bed, what to do with beds that don't unzip, foam and gel mats, and how to wash a cat bed without upsetting your cat.
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Guide
How Long Should You Play With Your Cat? Daily Sessions and a Hunt-Catch-Eat Routine
Most cats do best with two or three short play sessions a day, ideally before meals. Learn how long to play by age, how to move a toy like prey, how to end with a catch and a snack, what to try if your cat won’t play, and where automatic toys fit.
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Guide
My Dog Doesn’t Play With Toys: How to Spark Interest, Step by Step
Does your dog ignore every toy you bring home? Learn the common reasons, a few-minutes-a-day plan built on movement, treats and shared play, how to go slower with a rescue or older dog, which toys suit a beginner and when to call your veterinarian.
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Guide
How Many Toys Should a Dog Have? A Simple Toy Rotation Plan
Three or four toys out, a few more in the cupboard and a weekly swap. Plan the mix by play style, size every toy for your dog's mouth and adjust the rotation for puppies, senior dogs and multi-dog homes.
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Guide
Indoor Games for Dogs: Ways to Burn Energy on Cold, Dark or Rainy Days
Stuck inside on a cold, dark or rainy day? Tire out your dog with tug, hallway fetch, hide-and-seek and five-minute tricks on floors with grip, then follow a 30-minute plan that ends calmly.
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Guide
How Often Should You Wash Dog Bowls? Food, Water, Slow Feeders and Lick Mats
Wash water and dry-food bowls daily and wet-food bowls after every meal. Here is how to scrub off the slimy film, when the dishwasher is enough and when to disinfect, how to reach into ridged slow feeders and lick mats, and how to care for travel bottles and cat bowls.
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Guide
How to Slow Down a Cat That Eats Too Fast: Spreading, Splitting and Play Before Meals
A cat that gulps its meals usually needs a different setup, not a different food. Spread wet food thin, split the daily amount into smaller meals, feed each cat apart, try simple homemade food puzzles and let your cat hunt a toy before dinner.
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Guide
Enrichment for Senior Dogs: Gentle Brain Games, Sniffing and Easier Food Puzzles
Gentle ways to keep an older dog's brain busy: unhurried sniff walks, find-it games on the rug, easier food puzzles and lick mats, one-minute trick refreshers, comfy footing, and the changes that mean it is time to call your veterinarian.
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Guide
Food Enrichment for Dogs: 8 Ways to Turn Mealtime Into Brain Work
Eight ways to turn your dog's daily food into a job, easiest first: scatter feeding, towel snuffles, find-it games, a muffin tin, lick mats and slow feeders. Plus a weekly rotation, portion tips and the safety basics.
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Guide
How to Slow Down a Dog That Eats Too Fast: Bowls, Spreading Tricks and Mealtime Changes
Spread the food out, split the daily amount and feed dogs apart. How slow feeders work, free alternatives from your kitchen cupboard, what to do when your dog beats the bowl or refuses it, and when fast eating needs a veterinarian.
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Guide
How to Get Dog Smell Out of a Car, and Keep It From Coming Back
Dog smell in a car lives in hair, damp and fabric, not the air. Clear out the hidden sources, wash the cover and mats, lift the hair and deodorize cloth seats, then dry your dog at the car door and do a five-minute weekly reset to keep the smell from coming back.
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Guide
How to Keep a House Clean With Cats: A Daily, Weekly and Monthly Checklist
A cleaning schedule built for cat homes: what to do daily, weekly and monthly about the litter box, bowls, bedding, rugs and loose hair, plus shedding peaks, litter box odor, holiday guests and a printable checklist.
