It’s perfectly understandable that many pet owners worry when their pet dog or cat eats grass, only to throw up later. However, you really don’t need to worry at all because grass is good for your pet. Their bodies need it and it’s the way of nature. See animals like dogs and cats have been eating grass forever. There’s even a grass names after dogs! It’s called dog grass, quackweek or couch grass. Grass is like a pet purifier or a detox treatment. When your cat or dog eats grass, they’re cleansing their insides.
Eating grass will help them to clean out extra mucus, bile, parasites, etc. It gives a thorough cleaning to their bowels, which is important to your pet’s health. Certain grasses called cereal grasses also provide your pet with enzymes, amino acids, vitamins and minerals. In addition, grass contains chlorophyll, which helps your pet with pain relief, healing infections, diseases, wounds and anemia before taking antibiotics. It’s a good idea for you to grow grass specifically for your pet to eat.
It helps with a variety of problems such as digestive problems, shedding, and even tumors. Feeding your pet grass that you grow means that your cat or dog will be much less likely to eat the grass outside. If you use pesticides or fertilizers then indoor grown grass is the best choice for your pet. You can also start a mini garden of barley or rye sprouts. These are better than wheat grass due to possible sensitivities to wheat that your pet may have. Growing sprouts is a little more complicated than grass, but it can easily be done inside your home.
First you’ll need to soak one cup of the grain (organic is preffered) in a quart of clean water for about 10 hours. Then you’ll need to drain all the water and place the container on it’s side in a warm place, but well away from sunlight. In 1 or 2 days you’ll notice tiny roots sprouting from each grain. If they aren’t there, then the grain is no good and you’ll have to throw it away. Take a gardening tray covered in one inch of slightly moist potting soil. Alternatively you can use top soil instead. Now place the grains onto the soil and cover the tray for the next 2 days.
After 2 days have passed, uncover the tray and water your grains well. Put the tray in the sun and keep watering the soil to keep it lightly moist. The grass will start to grow and it will be ready to eat when it’s about 7 inches tall. You can cut it with clean scissors and store the grass in ziploc bags along with a moist paper towel. Keep these in the refrigerator until you’re ready to feed them to your pet. It helps to but the grass into small pieces or even puree it before feeding it to your pet.
You can mix a tiny bit with their meal and increase the dosage gradually until you’re feeding them 1 Tbsp per 50 lbs of body weight. Your pet will get the nutrition they crave and will now leave your grass alone! The grieving process can be especially hard for cat owners who have grown attached to their cats over the years. But the grieving process can be compounded by well-meaning people who think that they are being helpful, but who end up saying the same thing. Are you one of them?
What to Avoid Saying to Cat Owners Who Are Grieving the Death of Their Cat: You’ll Save a Packet on Vet Bills It does not matter whether Kitty cost her owners just a few dollars on her annual vaccinations or several hundred dollars as she was treated for cancer; the truth of the matter is that cat owners will not take too kindly to being told that the death of their cat will save them money and time spent rushing the cat to the local vet’s. Cat owners often view their cats as part of the family and any money spent in an effort to help provide them with a better quality of life should not be underestimated.
What to Avoid Saying to Cat Owners Who Are Grieving the Death of Their Cat: My Friend’s Cat Just Gave Birth. Do You Want a New Kitten? Many well meaning friends and family members want to do what they can to help and often think that a new cat will help fill the void that the dead cat has left. While some cat owners are amenable to the idea of eventually obtaining a new cat, many would rather not plunge right into cat ownership again very soon after their cat’s death. By all means, keep the grieving cat owners in mind if you hear of the birth of a litter of kittens during the weeks or months following their cat’s death.
But do not think that it will be the immediate solution to their woes as they get used to life without their cat. What to Avoid Saying to Cat Owners Who Are Grieving the Death of Their Cat: The Cat is Better Off Dead Would you say this to someone whose mother had just died? If not, then refrain from saying this to cat owners who have just lost their cat. The thought behind this statement might really be “Kitty is better off now she is no longer suffering, as she had lost her appetite and had lost so much weight”.
But it can come across as very harsh and unfeeling to cat owners who would rather have their cat with them rather than dead. Cat owners who have recently lost their cat need empathy and support. Listen as they talk through their feelings and do not offer any unsolicited advice or make comments that can be taken as offensive. Entrepreneur’s planning to start a pet store will prosper. In 2010 the American Pet Products Association estimates Americans will spend $47. 7 billion on their pets, up from $36. 3 billion in 2005. As sales steadily rise, so do prospects for new pet store owners.
Getting Started Write a marketing plan. Itemize potential inventory and determine a niche, if desired. Decide if the store will sell pet supplies, pet medications and/or live animals. Weigh the cost of pet care, feeding and veterinary services against the profit margin of live products. Choose what services the pet store will offer. Adding a pet groomer, pet photographer, veterinary clinic or boarding services will generate more traffic and increased sales. Customers will come to the store for a particular service and leave with an awareness of the additional amenities.
In the United States pet parents spent $17. 56 billion on pet foods in 2009. That same year Americans spent $10. 41 billion on over-the-counter medications and supplies, according to the American Pet Products Association. Live animal purchases accounted for $2. 16 billion, while grooming and boarding services yielded $3. 36 billion in 2009. Finances and Supplies Secure funding for start-up costs. Contact local banks and financial institutions where you’ve built credit. Be prepared to show a well-planned marketing plan and answer a variety of questions. Rent or buy a pet friendly business location.
Choose a store front that sits away from a busy road, preferably with a fenced area for pet guests during special events. Ensure it has the appropriate layout for the services offered. Look for a separate room to hold dog obedience classes or rough plumbing to accommodate a grooming salon. Call wholesalers and set up accounts for the store’s merchandise. Contact with small local businesses, such as a dog biscuit bakery or independent contractor that offers grooming services. Then, advertise on job boards, in veterinary office lobbies and the local newspaper for sales staff.
Marketing the Business Design a website and start marketing the pet store products and services. Offer online shopping, printable coupons to bring into the store and pet care information. This will make you the knowledgeable go-to source for pet owners. Hire clowns, set-up a pet care information fair and hand out flyers of coupons during a grand opening event. Call the local television stations, newspapers and radio for promotional coverage. Provide excellent customer service and valuable products at reasonable prices in a clean, welcoming atmosphere to gain repeat customers.