Pet Grooming Orange County

Help Your Cat Beat the Heat – Safety Tips for Summer

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Help Your Cat Beat the Heat – Safety Tips for Summer

Summer is an excellent time of year for trips to the beach, camping and a variety of other outdoor activities. While you’re outside enjoying the warmest days of the year it’s important not to forget about your cat. This August has been extremely hot in Southern California. Help your feline friends beat the heat and stay safe with the following tips.

Never Leave Your Cat in the Car

We hear it all the time in regards to kids and dogs, but no creature should ever be left in a hot car. Vehicles can reach dangerous temperatures in just a few minutes. If you must take your cat out of the house, make sure that they stay with you wherever you go. If you will be running errands in places that do not allow pets, it’s a better idea to just leave them at home.

Keep Their Water Cool

Cats tend to drink a lot more when they are hot. Make sure that they always have plenty of clean, fresh water available. Keep your cat cool by adding a few ice cubes to their water.

Give Them a Cool Place to Sit

Even though indoor cats have plenty of shade, they love to sunbathe. Your cat can overheat and develop heat stroke from lying too long in direct sunlight. Give them a cool place to sit instead. Freeze a water bottle and wrap it up. Place it under a pile of blankets and place the pile in their favorite spot.

Open the Windows

Opening windows in the evening is an easy way to cool off your home. The house will collect cool air while you sleep. You can trap this cooler air inside by closing the windows in the morning. Just make sure that your screens are properly secured. Cats love to sit in windowsills and they can easily fall out.

Claws N Paws Day Spa offers cat grooming in Orange County, California. Our groomers have many years of experience working with cats. Please call 714-962-1005 to schedule a grooming appointment.

Are Fleas Becoming Resistant to Popular Flea Treatments?

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Are Fleas Becoming Resistant to Popular Flea Treatments?

We’ve seen it coming for a long time. Fleas are becoming more and more resistant to flea treatments. Veterinarians are now recommending that pet parents stay away from popular flea treatments like Frontline and Advantage. These products are no longer effective at getting rid of fleas.

It appears that these tiny insects have mutated in order to survive. The more popular the treatment, the more likely it will be ineffective at keeping fleas at bay. With the increasingly warm weather we’re experiencing in Southern California, it’s obvious our flea problems aren’t going to disappear any time soon.

Fleas continue to feed on their hosts for their entire lifecycle. During that lifecycle, they also lay hundreds of eggs. For the best control, you need to treat your pet, your home and your yard.

Flea Control in Orange County, CA

Many vets are now recommending the use of ingestible flea treatments like Comfortis. Comfortis is extremely effective at eliminating fleas on both dogs and cats.

Home treatment with Flea Busters powder is also recommended. Flea Busters powder is a safe alternative to harsh, potentially dangerous chemical flea treatments. One treatment with this highly effective powder typically lasts for several years. In fact, many people report they do not need to treat their pets after treating their home. However, it’s recommended that you use a backup method if your pet spends a lot of time outside.

Orange County Professional Pet Grooming

As an Orange County pet groomer, we’ve seen many flea products come and go. We’ve also noticed many of these products becoming ineffective. We use and recommend Comfortis and Flea Busters powder. Flea Busters powder is available in our shop and Comfortis is available through your veterinarian.

Claws N Paws Day Spa offers quality pet grooming in Orange County, California. We have a full service salon and offer mobile grooming from our state-of-the-art mobile grooming van. Our groomers have many years of experience working with pets of all ages. Although we primarily see dogs and cats at our grooming salon, we are able to provide grooming services for a wide variety of animals. Please call 714-962-1005 to set up your next grooming appointment.

Common Problems Pet Owners Face

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Our pets bring so much joy into our lives. They are there to greet us when we get home, they are happy to snuggle when we’re feeling blue, and they love us unconditionally. However, living with pets is not always a walk in the park. Sometimes problems arise that can be difficult to deal with. Let’s take a look at some of the most common problems that pet owners face.

Elimination problems

Elimination in inappropriate areas is one of the most common problems reported by pet owners. In fact, it’s among the top ten reasons that pets get abandoned at the shelter. Pets may urinate and defecate in inappropriate areas for a number of reasons. The first step is to figure out why. Common reasons include:

  • Age
    Young pets often eliminate in areas where they aren’t supposed to. With training, most young pets can learn the proper place to go.
  • Medical problems
    Many medical issues can cause inappropriate elimination. If your pet suddenly begins eliminating in the wrong place, it’s a good idea to have them seen by a veterinarian.
  • Territorial marking
    If you have other pets in your home, territorial marking can become a big problem. Spaying and neutering your pets can help.

After you have determined what is causing the problem, you will need to completely clean the area that your pet has soiled. Pet supply stores carry several products that are specially designed for cleaning these areas. If you are unsure where your pet has eliminated, a black light can help. Urine typically glows under a black light.

Destructive Behavior

Dogs love to chew and cats like to scratch. This can become a problem for your furniture and your other belongings. Consider providing your cat with a cat tree and your dog with plenty of toys to chew.

Overactive Behavior

Just like us, our pets can become bored. Long hours inside can make them antsy. When overactive behavior becomes a problem, it’s important to spend more time helping your pet stay active in appropriate ways. Play with your pet regularly. If possible, take them outside for a walk.

Claws N Paws Day Spa offers quality pet grooming services in Orange County, California. Please call 714-962-1005 to schedule your next grooming appointment.

Keeping Your Pet Cool This Summer

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Keeping Your Pet Cool This Summer

The scorching heat of summer in Southern California can be tough on our pets. You probably already know about the dangers of hot vehicles and pavements, but you might not know how to keep your pet cool this summer.

Bring Them Inside

One of the quickest and easiest ways to help your pet cool off is by bringing them inside. If bringing them into your home isn’t an option, you should never keep them in a shed, garage or similar structure. These can become incredibly hot, increasing the chance of heat stroke. If you must leave your pet outside, make sure that they have access to plenty of cool, clean water and at least a couple of shady spots to rest.

Walk in the Morning or Evening

Hot pavements can cause burns and discomfort. If it’s too hot for you to walk barefoot outside, it’s too hot for your pet. Consider walking your pet in the evening or in the early morning when temperatures are lower. It’s a good idea to walk on the grass whenever possible.

When spending time outside, it’s important to remember that flat-faced breeds such as pugs and English bulldogs overheat much faster than other breeds.

Keeping Them Cool At Home

There are a few things you can do to make your pets more comfortable at home. Put ice cubes in their water and turn on the A/C. Cooling wraps, vests and mats can be purchased online. These innovative products help keep your pet cool.

Grooming

Pets with thick hair can benefit with regular grooming during the summer. Although shaving isn’t recommended for double-coated breeds, a good bath and brush out can help remove their thick undercoat.

It might be a good idea to shave your pet’s belly. This gives them the opportunity to keep cool by laying on cold surfaces. Ask your groomer if this is a good option for your pet.

Claws N Paws Day Spa offers quality grooming services for both dogs and cats. Our experienced groomers can help keep your pet cool this summer. Please call us at 714-962-1005 to set up a grooming appointment.

What NOT To Do When Removing Ticks

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What NOT To Do When Removing Ticks

Many people enjoy going outdoors during the summer. If you will be spending time camping or hiking this year, you might come across ticks. Ticks bury their head in their host and feed on their blood. They can be tricky to spot and even more difficult to remove. Although the internet is full of tips on how to remove ticks, many of these methods are ineffective and dangerous.

Ticks carry several diseases. Just one bite can lead to serious illness. It’s extremely important to protect yourself against these common pests. When spending time in wooded or grassy areas, wear long pants, long sleeves and other protective clothing. Always keep your grass cut short and store wood neatly, away from wooded areas.

If you find a tick on you or your pet, it’s important that you remove it properly. Improper removal increases the chance of infection and can cause the tick’s head to break away from its body. The following techniques should NEVER be used to remove ticks.

Twisting the Tick

Although using fine-tipped tweezers can be an effective way to remove ticks, you should never twist the tick as you remove it. Using a twisting motion can cause the tick’s head to break away from its body, leaving it stuck under your skin.

Burning the Tick

Aside from the possibility of burning yourself, burning a tick can irritate it, causing it to regurgitate. This increases the chance of contracting a harmful disease.

Drowning/Suffocating the Tick

Attempting to drown or suffocate a tick with gasoline, rubbing alcohol, petroleum jelly or something similar will not work. It can take hours for the tick to die, which gives it ample time to spread disease.

Safe Tick Removal

After spending time outdoors, check your pet thoroughly for ticks. Check between the pads of their feet, their ears and through their fur. If you find a tick, try not to panic. Use fine-tipped tweezers or hemostats to grasp the tick close to the skin. Pull straight up slowly to fully remove it. If you are nervous or unsure how to remove ticks, consult with your groomer or veterinarian.

Claws N Paws Day Spa offers pet grooming from our full service salon in Orange County, California. Please call 714-962-1005 for more information about tick removal.

Support Our Rescue – Shop At This N That Consignment!!

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Support Our Rescue – Shop At This N That Consignment!!support our rescue

You probably already know that Claws N Paws Day Spa offers pet grooming services in Orange County, CA. What you might not realize is that we also offer rescued cats and kittens for adoption. These felines come from a variety of different places. Some are given to us by their owners when they are unable to care for them anymore. Many others were found as newborns. We bottle-feed and socialize these babies until they are ready to find homes.

Cat and Kitten Rescue is Expensive

It’s expensive for us to rescue and care for abandoned animals. Cats require food, litter and medical care. Newborn kittens require formula as well. Kitten formula costs just as much, if not more, than human baby formula. While we do receive donations occasionally, most of the costs are paid for from our own pockets. With proper support, we can care for more animals.

Support Our Rescue

One of the easiest ways to support our rescue is by shopping at This N That Consignment Shop for your pet supplies. This N That is located just two doors down from our grooming salon. They offer brand new pet supplies such as carriers, collars, leashes, toys and more.

When you purchase pet supplies from This N That Consignment, 100% of the profits are given to our rescue. As an added bonus, This N That is offering 20% off your purchase of $20 or more during the month of June! There’s never been a better time to shop.

Of course, there are other ways you can support our rescue. Consider donating used blankets or towels. We also accept cat and kitten food, litter and toys. If you would prefer, we take cash donations as well. Anything you can offer us will help! When you donate towards our rescue you can rest assured that all donations go directly to our rescued cats and kittens.

When shopping for pet supplies this summer, consider checking This N That Consignment Shop first. You’ll love the fun and friendly atmosphere of the shop. You might also find something you can’t live without!

Visit Claws N Paws Day Spa to see our rescued cats and kittens. Please call 714-962-1005 for more information.