Best Pet Supplies and Tips for Kittens

 

You should start regular tooth brushing early, Lau says. Tooth problems can be hard to handle, painful, and expensive, but if you're brushing their teeth every day (or at minimum, three times a week) you should be in good shape. You can get finger toothbrushes that can be easier to use on young animals, or smaller toothbrushes for cats and dogs. Consult with your vet about what type of toothpaste is best.

 

You should also get your pet comfortable with getting their nails clipped. To avoid them associating it as a stressful situation that happens once a month, Lau suggests leaving nail clippers out and snipping them every so often to get them used to the sound. Both cat nail clippers and cat supply store dog nail clippers are easy to use, but I suggest asking your vet for a lesson first. You don't want to clip too high, which can cause pain and bleeding.

 

Pets can get into a lot of messes, so you should have some remedies on hand. I recently moved into a carpeted apartment and purchased a Hoover Spotless Portable Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner, which easily cleans up puke and hairballs without leaving any stains behind. Other folks on WIRED's staff have lint rollers to remove pet hair from clothing, and this lint brush does a great job of removing hair from upholstery.

 

There are some definite upsides to owning your own pet store. You have the freedom to choose your own products and supplies, offer more personalized service, and establish a rapport with members of your community. But there are some more specific benefits.Offering products and services not readily available at the big pet stores will give you an edge. For example, a customer who feeds their cat premium natural foods will likely patronize a small pet boutique precisely because this store exclusively sells holistic pet products, many of which cannot be found at the franchise outlets.

 

Pet parents are becoming more sophisticated and discriminating about the products they purchase and the services they seek. Thus, they’re increasingly likely to frequent pet stores where the staff has a lot more knowledge about pets than employees at the big outlets, the majority of whom are merely sales and stock clerks with little or no training in animal care.