Blog Posts by Webvet

By WebVet.com
Dog riding in car The Dog Wars reached new heights at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, as President Barack Obama decided to make the issue a central part of his comedy routine -- complete with a fake Romney "super PAC" ad warning of the dangers that Obama supposedly poses for the canine population.

By now, everyone knows the story: years ago Romney strapped his dog Seamus (in his kennel) onto the the car roof during a family trip. His admission -- and defense -- of the controversial action have made him a target of animal advocates and members of the public who feel the act was a demonstration of his compassion (or lack thereof).

Related: Obama Beats Romney As Best President For Dogs

Romney aimed to retaliate by recently criticizing the President's revelation in his book, "Dreams From My Father," in which Obama admitted he was fed dog meat as a boy in Indonesia.

The dog wars have been raging for months -- and Saturday's dinner proved they're unlikely to fade before November.

By Steve Dale for Webvet.com

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Q: When my cats are affectionate, they knead with the claws and lick like they're in a trance. Because they still have their claws, this is painful and they soak whatever they're working on - which is often the bed covers. What causes this behavior? I hate to punish them for being affectionate. Do you have advice?

J. G., Warner Robbins, Ga.

A: Indeed, this is all about affection. So, I certainly hope you would never consider punishing them for expressing how much they care in cat language. Sometimes particularly expressive cats get really excited, some might even say emotional, and they drool. However, it's unusual for cats to knead with their nails extended. Cats have retractable nails, and typically in play or when expressing their affection there's no reason to use their nails.

"I can't tell you why these cats didn't learn as kittens not to extend their claws if they knead; perhaps they were taken away from their mother before they had the

By WebVet.com

Chris Brown is adding dog breeder to his resume. The controversial singer is looking to find homes for his two-month-old American pit bull terrier puppies, who were born to the pups he keeps at his mother's Virginia home.

Although his mother is marketing the dogs as "Chris Brown puppies" on Twitter and has set up a website, CB Breeds, a rep for Brown insists this will not be an ongoing business pursuit.

Related: How To Find a Responsible Breeder

There are eight puppies listed on the website, available for $1,000 each. The price tag includes registration, current vaccination, veterinarian examination, health guarantee and a "four generation performance pedigree."

Responsible breeders

We can't say if Brown is a responsible breeder, but if you're interested in his pups -- or any other -- here are some questions that you need to ask the breeder:

• Will the breeder help you pick out a dog that matches your own or your family's needs?
• How has the breeder assessed the

By WebVet.com
Dog waiting for momWhile tipping for good customer service is common practice, this hasn't always necessarily included pet services. As our pets continue to become more a part of the family, pet owners are becoming increasingly generous when it comes to tipping those who take good care of their beloved pets. And this practice is not limited to dogs and cats.

Take for example, Pixie Merrick. "Kahlua" and "Kiwi" might sound like something you'd find at a bar in the Caribbean, but to Pixie, they're just two of the six parrots she takes care of for a client in Boise, Idaho, where she owns a local pet-sitting service.

It's tricky business, she said, changing the birds' paper and meeting each of their dietary needs. For that reason, her client always leaves her a big tip. Not unusual, given that many pet owners across the country practice the art of tipping.

Ask Genevieve Thiers, founder and CEO of Sittercity.com, a service that connects owners to approximately 10,000 pet sitters

By WebVet.com
Happy woman with dog Have you ever judged someone or made assumptions about their character based on the type of dog they owned? If the answer is yes, you had good reason to do so. A new study found that a person's choice in dog breed is indicative of their personality.

Study author Dr Lance Workman, explained, "People tend to report that their dog's personality is quite similar to their own, but we wanted to see if these stereotypes actually stand up to scrutiny."

Related: Most affectionate dog breeds

He found that -- similar to romantic relationships -- people tend to subconsciously match themselves with pets they share something in common with. Workman and co-author Jo Fearon surveyed 1,000 dog owners through an online questionnaire designed to test the so-called "Big Five" traits that govern our personality: extroversion, agreeableness, emotional stability, conscientiousness and intelligence.

Related: Cat's color can indicate its personality

"I think when you look for a dog at some

By Gayle Hickman
Affectionate cat Are there some days when your cat just won't be quiet? When you hear meow after meow after meow and don't understand what your furry friend is trying to tell you?

Here are 7 possible reasons behind your cat's calls:

1. "Look at Me! Look at Me!"

Just as a child learns to cry when he wants something, excessive cat meowing sometimes is the feline's way of getting what what he wants. If your cat is always meowing to initiate play or to seek your attention, stop responding every time you hear her meow. Give her attention only when she is quiet. When she begins meowing again, walk away.

Don't completely ignore her - spend quality time with her every day, playing and talking with her. Let her know she is loved. Consider getting a pet sitter if she's left home alone for most of the day.

The attention-seeking meows are not quickly stopped; nor are they easily brought to an end. Breaking this cycle will take time and patience. Teaching your cat that she will be rewarded

By WebVet.com
Puppy
With estimates putting the number of pets who die in U.S. shelters every day at 16,000 -- it's obvious how dire the need is for help in the pet community.

Yet with all of the love and effort that advocates shower on the cause, fundraising for our furry friends is becoming a crowded market -- and one needs to get creative in order to raise the big bucks.

Enter the North Shore Animal League of America and Waggytail Rescue, who will be joining a Chihuahua named Piper and a Pomeranian mix named Boo in holy "pet-rimony" next month. The nuptials will be lavish -- but they won't be cheap -- with tickets to extravaganza ranging from $125 to $250. (Don't worry, it's all for a good cause.)

Related: Have your wedding benefit animal welfare

The May 14th reception will kick off with a "Yappy Hour," before Piper trots down the aisle in a "mermaid-styled gown of ruched organza and satin" to meet Boo in front of the Justice of the Pooch. In case the photos aren't featured in People

By WebVet.com
Dog with collarIt's National Pet Identification Week -- the perfect time to make sure you've taken every precaution to be reunited with your pet if he or she becomes lost. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) recently found that only 33 percent of pet parents admitted to always having ID tags on their dogs and cats.

In addition to that crucial step, pet owners should also have their furry friend microchipped. Collars with pet identification are accessible to anyone who finds your lost pet. But, tags can become hard to read, and collars can be broken or removed. Microchipping your pet is a method of permanent identification. Microchips cannot be easily misread, and the permanent identification number is tamperproof. The information about the pet and owner is usually readily retrievable.

A microchip is a very tiny transponder that is encoded with a unique identification number. Before insertion, the sterile microchip is scanned in the package to confirm