How to Control Pet Cremation Costs

When our beloved cat or dog passes away, it can be difficult to let go. Just as with people, there are many options with what to do with your pet's remains after they're gone. Of course, they can't make their own final requests, so you have to do what you think is best. Depending on many factors in your life, you may have to seriously take into consideration pet cremation costs. While choosing to have your pet cremated is an economical option, there are still things you can do throughout the process to keep the costs down. Here are a few things you should know when you're trying to save money having your pet cremated.

Most crematories price by the weight of your pet. The larger your pet is, the higher the pet cremation costs are going to be. For example, for an average sized cat, the cost for cremation will likely be anywhere from $50 to $150. It's a wide price range, which is why you should always call around to get prices from various pet cremation companies.

Many pet cremation services charge for pet pick up. While the fee is usually fairly nominal (from $30 to $45), it's an area where you can choose to save money in the long run. If you take responsibility for transporting your deceased pet's remains to the crematory, you can definitely save on pet cremation costs.

There is typically a fee for viewing the cremation. Some people want to ensure that their pet's remains are handled with care and dignity and they ask to view the actual cremation. While most pet bereavement businesses completely understand the desire, they will charge a viewing fee of around $20-$30 to be present at the cremation. If you trust your crematory, opting out of viewing the pet cremation will reduce your overall cost.

Communal cremation is the most economical option. This can be a particularly sensitive spot for many people, since they want to ensure that their family cat or dog is cremated by themselves. However, communal pet cremation costs are significantly lower than individual cremation costs. In fact, you could save well over 50% on the cremation services and many crematories will gladly give you a small container of the communal cremains for you to bury or spread in honor of your pet.

Shop around for pet urns. A lot of pet funeral homes or crematories offer a nice selection of pet urns; however, they are typically marked up since they rely on people choosing the urn while they are in the funeral home or crematory. Look online for the perfect pet urn at a great price to keep pet cremation costs lower.

Melody Jamali is the Founder and President of ( Une Belle Vie ), a Colorado company dedicated to bringing choice of cremation to public light. Their company offers the widest selection in decorative urns for cremation and includes a wide collection of resources designed to help families and friends in their time of need. From tool for the grieving to informative articles about planning, support and other uplifting thoughts, Une Belle Vie is a company dedicated to helping your celebrate the life of the one you love - on your terms.

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Neutering and Spaying Your Pets

When it comes to spaying or neutering a domesticated creature there is often a lot of confusion as to why the process is advantageous and not an inhumane, horrible experience to impose on an animal. This article is going to talk through reasons on why this course of action is a positive and caring one.

There is currently a companion animal overpopulation crisis in the U.K. Whilst shelters are trying their absolute best to house unwanted pets or strays; there just isn't enough room for them all. Healthy cats and dogs are put down every single day as there are not enough homes to place them in. Some do not make it to the shelters and so die in less humane ways such as exposure to the elements, a slow starvation, disease or even outright cruelty. Whilst the crowded shelters, in part, may be a result of the increasingly difficult economic situation some animal owners find themselves in, it is largely due to not enough of these animals being spayed or neutered.

Once a female cat or dog is spayed they have essentially been surgically sterilised. This is done by removing the ovaries, uterus and oviduct. It is best to have this done around the age of 4 to 6 months. In addition to helping decrease the chances of producing unwanted pets it has a number of health benefits. It eliminates the heat cycle and so will stop unneutered males from trying to mate with your female. In addition, it will lessen the urge for your four-legged-friend to roam too far, which in turn will lower the chance of your animal becoming injured or contracting a disease. Furthermore, reduction of sexual discomfort and distress will be diminished and the complications that can arise with pregnancy will be non-existent.

Neutering a male pet is the surgical sterilisation achieved by removing the testicles (again, this should be done around the 4 to 6 month mark). This is largely beneficial as it helps to fade behavioural problems (such as being destructive, aggressive and gaining the urge to fight) that a male can often display whilst looking for a mate. It will also remove any chance of the development of testicular cancer and greatly reduce any problems concerning the animal's prostate gland.

There are often worries and concerns that if a female canine or feline does not bear at least one litter before being spayed then she will not mature properly and her health maybe affected. This is not the case and in fact it will take away the possibility of her developing uterine or ovarian cancer whilst greatly reducing the threat of mammary cancer.

Many owners maintain that if their pet produces a litter of kittens or puppies then they will find homes for them all. The point that humane societies, shelters and rescue groups are trying to stress is that those homes could be going to the cats or dogs at the shelters and rescue centres whom may face being put-down as a result of over-population.

We here at Animal Friends are strongly for spaying and neutering as it is a lot safer for the pet's health in the long-run and also helps to curtail aggressive and destructive tendencies.

Head to our website that is shown below, to discover our excellent policies and get a quote on your friend. For every quote made online we will donate 50p to an animal welfare charity with the aim of donating a million pounds to various charities by the end of 2012.

Pet Insurance
Animal Friends Insurance Blog

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Goodbye to a Pet Bunny

Our pet bunny, Tinkle Toes, passed away this morning. Even though we were expecting his death, the reality of the inevitable did not diminish our sadness. Thankfully, our pet seemed to die peacefully in his sleep. We buried him in the forest this morning before CB had to go in for work.

Tinkle Toes was a small, black, Lionhead bunny. We got him when he was about six weeks old. CB went into the mall for new glasses and the pet store was right next door. The litter of bunnies was just too tempting and we both returned the next day to add another pet bunny to our household.

We had hoped that Tinkle Toes was a girl as we already had a male bunny and two males do not get along (unless they are from the same litter.) We looked in between Tinkle's legs to determine his gender. We asked folks in the pet shop too, but it was a mystery to everyone. However, when we brought him home our other bunny, Romeo, knew instantly we brought home a boy and wanted to bite him.

This behavior was unusual for Romeo as he was a very good natured bunny, but instincts are instincts. We had the bunnies in separate cages, but one time Tinkles poked his nose a little too close to Romeo's and got a quick nip in the schnozola. However, CB patiently introduced the bunnies to each other a little at a time and eventually they not only tolerated each other, they became best friends. When Romeo passed away, Tinkle Toes was right by his side.

Tinkle Toes traveled more than the average lagomorph. He loved to go camping. He had a cage in the back of the camper that rested on a shelf, but when we were driving he had a "bunny bin" and sat between us in the cab. Whenever we stopped at rest stops or campsites, we had a special travel bin (a mesh-like laundry bag) with two dinner-plate sized holes cut out so Tinkles could be in a safe, enclosed pen, but could still chomp on the grass. And chomp he did. Eating green grass was one of his favorite past times. He especially liked the little white flowers from clover. As sick as he was, he still managed to eat a couple of the flowers before he passed away. I brought in a couple more of the tasty tidbits, but those lay untouched in his cage that I cleaned this morning. But at least he died among his favorite things.

Losing a pet is a sad thing, even when you know death is near. Tinkle Toes did not seem to be suffering and I'm thankful for that. He brought a lot of happiness to our lives and we have many wonderful memories. Feeling both the joy and pain of loving someone is part of what makes us human. It reminds me of a quote by Anatole France, "Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened."

After we buried our bunny, the morning light filtered through the trees and created a bright spot on the ground very close to where Tinkles was laid to rest. There are many times when I bumble about and forget to notice the beauty of the world around me. It brought this quote by St. Francis of Assisi to mind.

"Ask the beasts and they will teach you the beauty of this earth."

I felt the luminescence was a sign that our little bunny's spirit was in a better place and if I shifted my consciousness, I could be in a better place as well.

I cannot truthfully say that this moment in the sun erased my sadness. I will miss our little pet. I will remember how he would stand up on his back legs to eat a treat, the way he would sneak out and make me chase him through the house, and how happy he was plop in the grass and eat dandelions and clover. It's okay that I am sad. It's okay that I take this nostalgic trip down the last five years of our fur baby's life. I agree with Lacie Petitto who said,

"A pet is never truly forgotten until it is no longer remembered."

And I intend to remember Tinkle Toes and all the wonderful pets who have shared their lives with me. It is ironic that is the love and devotion of animals that best teach us how to be human.

I do not have the funds to add a wing to a pet hospital or create a refuge for animals. However, I can do what I have always done, respect the earth and its creatures, make environmentally sound choices, support "no kill" shelters, the humane society and PETA.

One day, I'm not sure when, we will adopt another bunny or two. Even though I feel the loss of our rabbit, it would sadder still to punish ourselves further by refusing to allow another pet to enter our lives. I believe Gary Kowalski, author of The Souls of Animals, said it best.

"It is not just that animals make the world more scenic or picturesque. The lives of animals are woven into our very being - closer than our own breathing - and our soul will suffer when they are gone."

Good bye Tinkle Toes. You will be missed, but never forgotten.

Sally Marks
Coauthor of upcoming book, Erase Negativity and Embrace the Magic Within. Check out her website at http://www.erasenegativity.com/.

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Facts About Common Types of Hamster Diseases

Despite the fact that there are several types of hamster diseases, there are some that are considered to be common and at the same time major especially if not avoided when they are still in their initial stages. I is imperative for owners to be very observant on their hamsters especially if they discover them behaving in a weird manner. To be able to come up with the best results, owners of these animals are advised to carry out their monitoring sessions when they are in their most active stage which is at dawn as well as dusk. This way, the owners will be bale to determine whether they are suffering from hamster diseases or not. Having said this, here are the common and major types of hamster diseases.

Glaucoma

This is believed to be the single eye ailment that these animals can acquire. However, it does not affect the whole lot. The ailment simply affects the animals that are small sized commonly known as dwarfs. Hamster diseases are believed to very prone to these dwarf pets. However, for the larger ones, this ailment is not applicable. An animal that has been affected by this ailment tend to have watery pressure that has build up in their eyes. Eventually, this can result to blindness. While this is the case, the only remedy to this is to have the eye of the animal surgically removed permanently.

Cancer

All these pets are very vulnerable to this ailment. Huge tumors are commonly brought about by this ailment and the only remedy to it is to remove the tumors surgically. However, in case an owner spots this early enough, necessary medical measures can be taken to ensure that the pet has fully recovered and ready to have a better quality of life. The symptoms to look for that will alert you that your pet is suffering from this ailment are; peculiar lumps appearing on testicles of the male pets, internal tumors on the ovaries of the females, neglected grooming as well as impulsive weight loss.

Diabetes

Just like in humans, these pets also suffer from diabetes. They mostly suffer from diabetes type one which is very common to humans. The only difference is that in these pets, it is spotted at an early stage when the pet is about seven or nine months old. In order to rule out that the pet is suffering from this ailment, there are symptoms to look out for which include; frequent urination, shaking due to cold and having a low blood pressure. In case the hamster is not taken to the vet immediately, it might fall into a coma and eventually die. So it is important to take it to the vet immediately you spot these symptoms.

Hamlet diseases pose a great risk to wonderful pets. The common types of hamlet diseases include digestive and skin problems as well as cancers.

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A Pet Obesity Problem Is Usually a Pet Owner Obesity Problem

People can be very conscientious when it comes to taking care of their pets. They'll think about the right diet, they'll notice when their pet seems to be putting on a little weight and they will always be regular with taking their pet out on a walk. But usually, there is a limit to how much person can take on in a day. That limit is usually reached when a new baby arrives in the family. In many families, that's when they first begin to deal with pet obesity.

It isn't just fewer exercise opportunities that makes pet obesity common in homes with new babies. They also have a lot more food than before. Guests come in all the time in homes with new babies - they usually bring lots of goodies as gifts. And who do you think eats all those goodies? But after the new baby is three months old or so, parents usually take their babies out on walks in a stroller, don't they? Couldn't the dog come on a walk like that? Newsflash - most parents aren't comfortable having their dogs around when they take their baby out on the stroller. They don't feel it's safe for the baby.

A survey done by a pet supplement company finds that pet obesity is common in homes with new babies. In fact, one out of three people who contact a vet about a pet with weight problems have a new baby in the family. One out of three elderly pet owners have fat pets too - because they are often unable to provide them with the walks they need.

Of course, anytime a pet owner is unable to take a pet out on walks, he feels guilty. And how do you think he compensates for the guilt? With more treats given to the pet, of course. There is such as thing as dog years being longer than human years. Animals don't live as long as humans do. A human lives for 80 years - as against 10 years for a dog. Everything is accelerated for a dog; you can't neglect a pet obesity problem for as long as you can with a human. All those things that happen to a person who neglects his health - heart problems, blood pressure, diabetes and cancer - all those things happen to pets a lot faster.

So what are you supposed to do with a pet obesity problem when you just have your hands full with a new baby? You can to begin with, a visit to the website of the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention to find out what exactly would be a target weight for your pet. And then, you need to restrict yourself with how often you feed your pet. Make sure that you get a high chair food catcher so that you dog isn't around to clean up on anything that's falling off your child's highchair.

And as for exercise, you don't need to take out time separately for this. If your pet is overweight, chances are, you aren't getting any lighter yourself. You can take time out for exercise together with your pet.

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Natural Cat Treatment Tips to Give Comfort to an Aging Cat

It's amazing how well cats do even when they are stiff and soar from cat join pain. Feline arthritis usually creeps into your cat's joints once he turns five, sometimes earlier. He'll still try to hop into bed, but now it's more a climb into bet. He may still have a few of his 9 lives remaining, but the diseases of old age slow him down. There are steroids to help, but many cats (and dogs) enjoy relief with natural cat pain therapies.

Mild or not, cat pain is commonly associated with feline arthritis or osteoarthritis, a condition that breaks down worn-down cartilage and in doing so, allows the bones to rub against one another bringing your feline a pain so bad that he feels his body about to break.

If you feel that your pet deserves something to soothe the pain away, here are five tried and tested natural cat pain treatment options for him to enjoy:

Heat Therapy Diet Modifications Movement Acupuncture Natural Supplements

This isn't big news, yet it's often overlooked as an ongoing cat pain treatment. It doesn't have to be blowing snow outside for your cat to benefit from heat therapy. There are electric throws and pet warming pads you can place where you old boy likes to sleep. Heating pads for humans aren't the best because they can accidently be set too high making the bed uncomfortable for your kitty.

If you kitty is a fatty, his additional weight is putting a lot of stress on his joints. Cat food formulas are vastly improved to reduce caloric intake while maintaining proper protein levels. Arthritic cats now have specially formulated diets complete with fatty acids which helps lessen inflammation. Talk to your vet about a diet to help kitty lose weight or at least not add on more pounds.

Exercise. Oddly enough, movement helps your cat. Moving causes natural fluids to activate between the cat joints. An inactive body does more damage as the cartilage and joints stiffen when your cat doesn't move. Take your cat for a stroll or, if he really can't do so, let him play with his ball of string. It doesn't have to be a road march, just gentle movement. It serves as time well spent between you and your feline partner.

Humans benefit from acupuncture and so do cats. I reduces inflammation and pain and improves your cat's overall wellbeing. Some vets are actually qualified to do acupuncture on your pets and since they are used to having animals around them, the felines actually tend to relax more. And the best part is that a veterinary acupuncturist does house calls, so cats really don't feel threatened.

Nutritional supplements like glucosamine, Arthro ionx, and chondroitin also help to repair worn out and damaged tendons. Herbs and medicinal plants such as Devil's Claw and Spirulina also help in relieving painful arthritic episodes.

You can find these natural cat remedies to help give your kitty relief from painful cat joints associated with feline arthritis. It's easy to give you cat as it comes in a liquid format that you can mix in her food or water. Natural help at http://arthritiscatstreatment.com/.

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Poisonous Plants in Gardens and Parks - A Danger to Dogs and Cats

Oleander: The stomach symptoms, like salivation, vomiting, diarrhea, are in the foreground. Other symptoms include arrhythmias, cardiac arrest, dilated pupils, cramps and hypothermia and coughing with respiratory distress.

Yew: The whole plant is highly toxic. The most common poisoning is caused by careless handling of garden waste. Hyper-acute to acute poisoning occurs. The following symptoms are observed in dogs and cats: fever, disorientation, vomiting, diarrhea, lack of light reaction of the pupil, increased heart rate, and shortness of breath, abdominal hemorrhage, coma and death. No specific antidote is available for therapy.

Boxwood: Similarly to yew branches, the branches of boxwood are very often used in floristry for Easter and Christmas arrangements. The alkaloid cyclobuxin present in boxwood causes excitement first and then paralysis of the central nervous system. As with yew, the toxicity of the plant is not reduced after drying. The lethal dose for dogs/cat is 5 g of leaves/kg of the body mass. The most common symptoms are vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions, agitation and paralysis. Death occurs as a result of respiratory paralysis. The intake of fresh plant material is rare because of the very bitter taste.

Laburnum: 2-7 g seed/kg of the body mass may be toxic. Your animals are endangered for the seeds and roots have a sweet taste. The cases described in literature were caused by chewing laburnum branches (stick throwing). The poisoning starts after a very short time. The animals react with violent vomiting, diarrhea and collapse after a few minutes only. Forms of epilepsy seizures can be added in the final stage. No specific antidote is known.

Wonder tree: This herb, derived from castor oil, is dangerous for pets in several ways: on one hand, this is a popular ornamental plant in gardens and parks and on the other hand, one finds the attractive brown marbled seeds in jewelry chains. Furthermore, oil cake is used as fertilizer.

The poison "ricin" is only found in the seeds. It develops severe stomach - intestines - inflammation and causes damage to the liver and kidneys as well as decomposition of red blood cells. The lethal dose for dogs/cats is estimated at 1 to 2 g/kg of the body mass. The initial vomiting and bloody diarrhea, fever, convulsions, uncoordinated movements, circulatory collapse, signs of kidney infection, urinary retention and signs of resolution are accompanied by damage of the red blood cells after a latency period of a few hours to 3 days. Death usually occurs after 48 to 72 hours. The use of an antiserum is ideal for therapy. Castor oil is available in pharmacies as it is nontoxic.

Mistletoe: Vomiting, diarrhea, excessive thirst, fever, cardiac arrhythmia, convulsions, uncoordinated movements, paralysis, changes in sensitivity, coma and cardiac arrest can develop in a few hours. Deaths are rare.

Rhododendron and azalea: They lead to paralysis of the skeletal muscles. The first symptoms that appear are drooling, rubbing the head against objects, nasal and eye discharge, vomiting and diarrhea. These are followed by a slowing of the heartbeat, a drop in blood pressure, cardiac arrhythmia, muscular paralysis and respiratory disorders. Death occurs due to respiratory paralysis. Literature has reported a poisoning case in dogs, caused by rhododendron containing bark mulch.

Giant hogweed: It contains so-called fuccomarine substances. Those are phototoxic substances that absorb UV light and trigger energy chemical reactions that damage the genetic material and the cell. Giant hogweed on the skin or mucous membrane and then exposed to sunlight leads to severe sunburn with bubble formation and subsequent hair loss. The little hairy and non-pigmented body parts (head and abdomen) are particularly vulnerable. The healing process is lengthy and often leaves behind scars and pigment changes.

Hydrangea: The plant contains saponins, also known as cyanide-releasing substances (for example hydranin). The symptoms manifested in animals would be painful stomach or intestines inflammation with diarrhea, which may also be bloody. Furthermore, the animals present fear and hesitation. No deaths in dogs/cats have been registered so far.

The plants listed are only a small selection of plants that are poisonous to your animals. They are the most common plants found in the garden and park. Homeopathic treatments for poisoning can help the animals and save them. Poisoning leads to great weakness, bloody vomiting and bloody stool, which also has an unsuitable thickness. It is also accompanied by severe hypothermia and collapse. A different homeopathic remedy is used for each animal, even if the cause of poisoning is the same. There is no antidote for the poison, so this problem is treated symptomatically.

Always keep your cats and dogs safe. Make sure that they also have fleas collar for cats. It can help in managing ticks on cats. It is a huge help for them.

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Pet Shop Supplies

There are some pet shop supplies that are much more important than others and all pet owners should have them when it comes to owning a cat, a dog, a hamster, bird or any other pet that is held and played with regularly. They are items that are necessity pet shop supplies, as well as items that make life for any pet much more comfortable too. There are items that should be purchased if they have not been already, as well as items that may not seem like a necessity, but really are. The important pet supplies to have include:

Water Bowls and Food Bowls - Any pet that is owned should have a separate water bowl and food bowl. This is true of any pet, even the ones that are kept in cages. The obvious reasons being that they need to eat and drink daily, however they should be separate bowls since many times vitamins needed to be added to them or the pet needs to be able to eat and drink at the same time. Depending on the pet that is owned will determine the size and type of food and water bowls that are needed. For instance, birds typically can have a water dripper that attaches to the side of the cage and food bowls that sit in a slot in the cage. While dogs and cats require different sized bowls based on their size. Not to mention that large breed dogs may require a water and food bowl that is elevated from the ground so that they do not have to lean down as far to eat, which is better for their digestion.

A Bed - This can be a cushion that is made for a dog or cat or it may be a small hutch for a bird. While gerbils and hamsters have small homes that fit inside their cage as well. Either way, the pet needs a place that is comfortable for them to sleep in. Many pets spend a large portion of their day sleeping and laying, so having a bed or home of some sort is very important. It will be better for them, since they will be more comfortable and they will be in a better mood too when they have slept well, just like humans. Providing a bed for a pet also gives them a space that is all their's, as well as this is useful when it comes to keeping pets off of furniture too.

Grooming Pet Supplies - Maintaining their fur, wings and nails is very important. This also includes teeth in cats and dogs, as well as other pets too. A pet's health is directly tied to making sure that they are groomed, especially when it comes to their mouth. Making sure to clean their teeth, clip their wings so they can not be injured when flying or brush their fur to remove mats is very important. Animals that have matted and knotted fur are not going to feel comfortable, nor will they look appealing either. Ensuring that their fur is clean and brushed is important so that it does not build up oils, hold in dirt and so their skin is not hurt either.

Toys - Just like people, animals like playing with toys. Toys are necessary so they have something to do when there is no one else around. Toys also allow them to spend time on their own as well. This is extremely important for breeds and animals that are very active and need regular exercise as well.

Travel Pet Shop Supplies - This can be a necessity for people that need to travel with their pets often. It is important to have the right carrying cages and items to travel easily with the pet, as well as ensure that they will not be injured too.

Which pet supplies are purchased will vary from pet to pet, however these are the basics that all pets should have in one form or another.

For further information regarding pet shop supplies, please visit MyReviewsNow Online Shopping.

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