Here are some tips to help you to take delightful photographs of your cat:

Create pleasant backgrounds. Pictures are best taken when the background is clean and uncluttered. Neutral backgrounds are best, such as plain white walls, or various single-colored backgrounds. Furniture such as bookcases, tables, chairs and such will interfere with the quality of the picture and the beauty of the photograph might be lost.

Put your children in the pictures as well. Children are photogenic, and they do not have the awkwardness as adults do when asking them to pose in a photo. Therefore your children and your cat are able to look natural in photographs, and being able to capture moments of happiness as your child play with the kitten is most heartwarming. Let your children play or tease the kitten with some toy, and take pictures during these times, as candid photographs are the perfect ones.

Take pictures outdoors. Sunlight provides a better lighting for taking prettier pictures. The early morning sun would be the best time to take photographs. Taking pictures in natural light will prevent the annoying ‘red eye’ that occurs sometimes in photographs. With your pet cat being in the outdoors, the pictures will turn out to be more natural, as that is where a cat belongs. Before you open the door to let your cat out, please ensure that the neighborhood is safe and there are no harmful creatures that will pounce on your cat.

Get as many close up shots as possible. Close-up shots of cats are sometimes the most adorable pictures of all. Seeing a kitten’s contented and natural expression on its face up close and personal is beyond words. See below for more information on cats pictures.

For more information on Photographs of Cats, a popular website that offers information on Cats, Cats Breeding, and Cats Behavior. Please leave the links intact if you wish to reprint this article. Thanks

How does physical therapy work?

After an operation, physical therapy reduces pain and swelling, increases strength in weakened muscles and improves the flexibility of joints.

Hot and Cold Treatments

Hot and cold treatments are known as passive rehabilitation techniques. They can be used immediately after a surgical procedure, and also to help chronic conditions such as arthritis. The application of cold compresses can reduce inflammation, pain and bleeding, and they can be applied for 20 minutes one to four times daily. It is important to place a layer of material between the cold pack and the cats skin so it is not uncomfortable.

Heat therapy can be used once the signs of inflammation have gone. Heat therapy increases metabolism and, when applied at this stage, helps decrease pain. Heat is usually applied for 20 minutes two to four times daily, but the applier must check the cats skin every few minutes to check it is not uncomfortably hot. Treatment should be stopped if the cat shows any signs of discomfort.

Therapeutic Ultrasound

Therapeutic ultrasound is another of the passive rehabilitation techniques. This increases the extensibility of collagen fibres, improves muscle condition and improves blood flow to the area treated. In doing this, it decreases pain and accelerates healing. Care must be taken in cats that have had metal implants to fix fractures, as reflection of the waves off the metal can intensify the heat and cause burns.

Another modern technique being pioneered by some clinics is phototherapy, also known as cold laser. This involves applying a low power light to an area that accelerates tissue repair.

Passive Range of Motion

Passive range of motion is the next step in the rehabilitation program. This involves extending and manipulating the cats joint, and can be started before the cat is fully weight bearing. This can be very important in cats that have had splints or casts applied, when the joints have been static for some time. By carrying out controlled movement, scar and connective tissue is strengthened and the effects of contracture are minimised.

Active Rehabilitation

Active rehabilitation can start once a cat starts using an injured limb more. This further increases muscle strength, muscle endurance and flexibility. There are various techniques available, such as the use of balls, balance boards, slings and aquatic therapy.

When doing the ball exercise, the cat lies on the top of the inflatable ball and is supported. The ball is gently rolled forward until the cats front paws come into contact with the ground. The ball is then bounced gently, which helps strengthen trunk muscles as the cat maintains balance. The ball is then rolled back until the hind paws touch the floor, and then gently bounced again. Cats may resist the therapy at first, but soon become accustomed to the rhythmic movement of the ball.

Balance boards are platforms with a curved rubber bottom. The cat is placed on the centre of the board with its feet shoulder width apart, and the board is slowly rocked from side to side. This is excellent for restoring stability in the early stages of weight bearing after fracture or joint surgery. Slings help support the cat during the early stages of recovery from many conditions where the nervous system has been affected, and are particularly useful as support for cats that have had pelvic surgery.

Aquatic therapy is best performed with a custom designed water tank and underwater treadmill. It provides outstanding rehabilitation for soft tissue injuries, arthritis, post surgery fracture care, post amputation care and neurological problems. It is excellent for increasing strength, flexibility and endurance, while reducing the risk of reinjury.

How long should the therapy go on for?

The length and frequency of therapy depends entirely on the type of injury, age and general health of the cat. Most fracture repairs benefit from therapy 2 to 3 times a week for 6 weeks, while chronic conditions such as arthritis require twice weekly therapy indefinitely (though this usually occurs at home). The owners motivation is the key factor in the success of the therapy, but with some simple demonstrations and a little effort, a huge difference can be made.

Is professional physical therapy in a clinic expensive?

There is a lot of variety among clinics, largely dependent on the expertise of the therapists and the facilities available. Expect to pay US$50 to $75 per session.

Dr Matthew Homfray is one of the veterinary pet experts at http://www.WhyDoesMyPet.com. Our dedicated community of caring pet experts are waiting to offer you advice, second opinions and support.

It started from Elizabeth von Muggenthaler’s research, who used accelerometers to measure the frequencies of cat purrs.
Paula Peterson interviewed Elizabeth and wrote about it in her web site Earthcode.
Paula said: “Elizabeth has gone where no man (or woman) has gone before into the mysterious realm of the healing power of a cat’s purring, the haunting whale-song of the Sumatran rhino, and about the sounds that we feel but never hear. She is also president of Fauna Communication Research Institute, where amazing breakthroughs are being made that may forever change the way we listen to the animals.”

But is it true that cat purrs can heal bone injuries and osteoporosis, or is it just another old wives’ tale, like “a cat has nine lives”, or more like the folklore taught in veterinary schools: “Put a cat in a room with a bunch of broken bones — the bones will heal” ?

Why do cats purr?

Cats purr when being stroked by humans, leading to the idea they purr because they are content (In English, “purring with content” is a common expression).
But they also purr when in pain or injured. Elizabeth believes that cat purrs must have a survival value for the cats in general.

Cats and dogs

It is a fact that cats suffer much less bone injuries than dogs. Cats have been known to fall from high rise buildings and survived. The record is a fall from the 45 th building level. The average height of cat falls studied is 5.5 floors, and 90% of them survived. (Whitney, W., and Mehlhaff, C., (1987) the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association).

Healing frequencies

Various researchers have found that low frequencies at low dB are helpful with regard to pain relief, and the healing of tendons and muscles.

Some of the reported results are:

50 – 150 Hz chronic pain

20 – 50 Hz increase bone density

120 Hz counters muscle atrophy

100 Hz decrease dyspnea in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Elizabeth summarizes: “Vibrations between 20-140 Hz are therapeutic for bone growth/fracture healing, pain relief/swelling reduction, wound healing, muscle growth and repair/tendon repair, mobility of joints and the relief of dyspnea”.

Cat harmonics

Returning to cat purrs, Elizabeth measures cat purr frequencies, including those of cheetah, puma, serval, ocelot and the domestic house cat.
The dominant frequencies are 25 and 50 Hz, which are the best frequencies for bone growth and fracture healing. The harmonics are close to 120 Hz, found to repair tendons.

Another report by T.F. Cook mentioned: A dying cat who could not breath (they were considering euthanasia), was found to breath normally once it began purring. The purring opened up the cat’s airway, and improvement was “remarkable and the next day commenced to eat….” Three species of cats have a strong harmonic at exactly 100 Hz, the vibrational frequency found to relieve dyspnea. One species within 2 Hz and one species within 7 Hz of 100 Hz. It could be that the cat’s purr decreases the breathlessness by vibratory stimulation.

Putting two and two together

If we put the above together, about the healing frequencies, and the purr frequencies, can we then say that cat purrs heal bones? There are certainly indications in that directions, but a more thorough research is required. However, if you believe it or want to try it, there are various commercial cat purr CDs being offered, for example in the link below.
Links: http://www.animalvoice.com/bioacousticsr.htm

http://chetday.com/catspurrcd.shtml

Personal Blog: http://10outof10.blogspot.com

Many dog owners know the importance of teaching dog commands such as sit, stay, fetch to communicate and train their dogs in proper behavior but with so many different commands, which are the truly important and effective ones to know?

Well, here are essentially 12 dog commands that we believe your dog need to know to get along happily with you and the rest of the world.

[Come]

This is the first and most important command in your dog’s command repertoire. Usually taught together with his/her name, it’s a command that you will use actively to recall your dog back to you if he/she breaks free from the leash or is running around disturbing other people in the park.

[Sit]

This is one of the easiest commands to teach, and also one of the most useful especially to control your dog from getting too excited while you are preparing its meal. Dogs who understand the “Sit” command are easier to manage and are also less likely to misbehave like jumping on people, chasing animals or fighting with other dogs.

[Stay]

Often used in combination with commands “sit” or “down,” the command “stay” is useful to keep your dog out of harms way should he/she approach something it’s not suppose to or attempting to run across a busy street. Not the easiest command for dogs as sometimes their curiosity and animal instinct might take over instead of staying put when told.

[Wait]

Different from the “Stay” command which is more often use to keep your dog away from danger, the “Wait” command is more of a obedience command to keep your dog in check, letting him/her know he/she has to wait till your next command. Commonly use on dogs that have a habit of rushing through doors or pull ahead on a leash.

[Down]

Unlike the “sit” command, the “down” command means your dog goes down on his/her stomach. This command is an essential part of doggy etiquette. It’s also more comfortable than a sitting position when you want your dog wait for you for more than a minute or two.

[Stand]

This command tells your dog to stop moving and be still. It’s useful for when you are having a veterinarian examining him/her over or when you are bathing and grooming him/her.

[Okay]

The “Okay” command is use to release your dog from a previous command you have given earlier. For example, your dog is now free to walk through the open door after you had early given the “Wait” command.

[No]

Depending on the situation, the “No” is usually use to discourage or break up undesirable behavior such as chewing, biting or jumping. This is an important command that you should teach your puppy from the beginning.

[Off]

The “Off” command is useful to teach your dog to get off that expensive sofa or your bed and is also applicable for telling them to stop jumping on you or other people.

[Leave It]

Dogs are inquisitive animals and sometimes give in to their instinct to explore things that appeal to their senses. The “Leave It” command is perfect to stop dogs that fancies poop eating or having a fetish chewing habit to chew everything around the house.

[Drop It]

The “Drop It” command is necessary to get your dog drop whatever it is in their mouth especially items like your expensive leather shoe or unknown substances that might be potentially harmful. This command is also useful when you start teaching your dog how to “Fetch”.

[Heel]

“Heel” simply means that your dog will walk on your left without lagging behind or running ahead of you. This is extremely useful for your dog to understand this command to prevent him/her pulling you on the leash while going for walks. This command becomes all the more necessary if you have a large dog.

Knowing these 12 voice commands will give you the basic fundamentals to having a well-manner dog in your every day life.

If you are interested to learn how to execute these commands correctly and effectively, read the review of a highly rated, illustrated dog training bestseller titled Sit Stay Fetch whereby Daniel, a certified expert dog trainer will teach and guide you Step-by-Step all the basic 12 commands and many other more… to having a well-behaved dog!