ASL Solutions Blog

According to the American Kennel Club, one in three pets will go missing in their lifetime. Losing a pet can be a scary experience! Thankfully, there are tons of resources available for finding pets, and many steps you can take to be reunited with your animal companion. Image by Thom Gonzalez from Pexels What to do if your pet gets lost According to American Humane  and the American Kennel Club , there are many steps you can take to recover a lost pet! The first step, as inscribed upon the cover of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy , is Don't Panic!  (It's understandable if you panic a little, but take some deep breaths, you've got this! And, we prepared a whole list of steps you can take to find your lost companion.) First steps As soon as you notice that something seems off, start looking for your pet. The longer you wait, the more lost they might be getting themselves. Check your neighborhood or the area where they got lost. Call your pet's name or words they ...

So you already have a cat, and you just got a dog (or vice versa). How do you go about introducing the two? Can cats and dogs really get along? Where do you even start? Image by  Sharon McCutcheon  from  Pexels Where to start Good news! There are lots of different ways you can safely introduce cats and dogs. Many dogs and cats live together happily for years, some even cuddling up or playing together. Before you start, there are a few important things to understand. It's good to keep in mind that not all cats want to live with dogs, and vice versa. If you're adopting from a shelter, try to look for cats and dogs who specifically get along with the other animal. Some shelters will specify that a certain cat doesn't do well with dogs, or that a dog has lived well with cats before. Additionally, a dog who likes to play rough might not be a good match for kittens or elderly cats, who are easier to injure with rough play. Even if your cat has lived with dogs before, that doesn...

Dog body language is important for anyone who may come across a dog to know, and especially dog owners. It's a  diverse range of species-common behaviors that indicates how a dog is feeling at any given time. Nonverbal communication is pretty much what we've got when it comes to animals, and it's an important part of responsible dog caretaking. If you want to know what your canine pal is feeling, read on. You might be barking up the wrong tree if you're not sure what your dog is trying to say. Tail Did you know that tail wagging doesn't always mean a dog is happy? A wagging tail means a dog is emotionally excited, not necessarily in a positive way. The speed and direction of the tail wag can tell you a lot about what your dog is feeling, as well as the overall position of the tail relative to the ground. The faster the tail is wagging, the more emotionally excited a canine is. A calm, relaxed dog might wag their tail slowly from side to side when greeting someone, b...

Do fireworks make your dog pace, cower, whine, or tremble? Your dog isn't alone     around 45% of dogs are terrified of fireworks, according to a study published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science . Your dog doesn't have to be afraid, though     there is an abundance of ways you can help your dog cope with sound aversion. Photo by Suvan Chowdhury from Pexels In the United States, many people observe July 4th as a day of celebrating their country and its independence, and fireworks have been a big part of the traditional celebrations ever since the first anniversary of Independence Day in 1777. Unfortunately, many animal shelters report that their busiest days are July 4th and July 5th, and this isn't a coincidence. Shelters end up being flooded with panicked pets who bolted away from their families in fear, as well as worried humans trying to find their animal companions. For more information on pet safety and how to find lost pets, check out our blog post ab...

If it exists, a cat has scratched it. If you live with a cat, you probably know this well. From laundry baskets to toilet paper, yoga mats to shoes, canvas bins to mattresses, rugs to carpeted stairs, wooden furniture to curtains; cats love sinking their claws into humans' stuff. But, it's actually healthy! Runa adores the texture of yoga mats. It's just *scratch* so *scrape* satisfying! But a yoga mat is a little harder to use when there's a cat lying on it, pulling little chunks off. Why Cats Scratch Scratching is healthy and natural for cats to do--they don't do it to be destructive. Cats have scent glands on their paws, so they sometimes scratch to leave a visual mark as well as a scent. This is used for communication among cats, especially for territory-marking. Scratching also helps cats to keep their claws healthy by removing the dead outer layer. It's also a great way for cats to stretch and flex their feet and claws, and it's normal, instinctive beh...