Play and Treat Pet Service

03/27/2026

03/27/2026

🐱 Why Your Cat Follows You Around the House

Cats often seem independent, but many of their behaviors are closely connected to their relationship with their owners. When a cat follows you from room to room, it usually reflects trust, curiosity, and a desire for connection.

🐾 Attachment
Cats can see their owners as part of their family group. Following you allows them to stay close to someone they trust and feel comfortable around.

👀 Curiosity
Cats are naturally curious animals. When you move around the house, your cat may simply want to observe what you are doing and explore the environment with you.

🍗 Food Expectations
Many cats associate their owners with feeding time. Following you can be a gentle reminder that they know you are the one who usually fills their bowl.

❤️ Affection
Some cats follow their owners because they genuinely enjoy their company. Staying near you can be their way of showing affection and strengthening the bond.

🤲 Attention Seeking
Your cat may also be looking for petting or interaction. Following you increases the chance of receiving attention and physical contact.

🛋 Security
Your presence can provide a sense of safety and calm for your cat. Being near you helps them feel relaxed and protected.

🎾 Play Time
Sometimes your cat is simply waiting for a moment of activity. Following you may mean they are ready for a game or playful interaction.

Understanding these behaviors helps reveal how cats communicate comfort, trust, and interest in their daily environment. A cat that follows you is often expressing a quiet but meaningful connection.

03/27/2026

Achieving a peaceful household with a feline companion often depends on acknowledging their deep-seated instinctual needs for activity and territory.

• Providing various vertical and horizontal textures for scratching is a helpful way to satisfy their need for muscle stretching and claw maintenance. This practice gives them an appropriate outlet so they do not feel the need to mark furniture with their scent.
• Recognizing that a sudden burst of energy late at night is a natural response to their crepuscular heritage can help a person adapt to these active periods. Arranging a short play session about thirty minutes before bedtime can help them settle down more quietly for the night.
• Observing a pet watching birds while making a clicking sound, known as chattering, indicates a moment of high mental stimulation. Introducing an interactive toy during these times is a simple way to satisfy their natural hunting drive safely indoors.
• Allowing a pet to remain in a hiding spot, like under a blanket or inside a box, respects their need for solitude and quiet. Giving them this space ensures they feel secure and will emerge on their own when they feel socially ready.

A home feels much more harmonious when the natural habits of a pet are met with patience and understanding.

03/27/2026

Here is how to decode a feline companion's subtle physical signals to build a stronger bond and avoid misunderstandings.

1. Watching the specific tilt of the ears reveals much about a cat's current mental state, such as forward-facing ears signaling active curiosity. This observation helps determine if the animal is ready for interaction or needs a quiet moment to focus.

2. Paying attention to the tail's height and movement offers a clear guide to emotional intensity, where a high, vibrating tail suggests excitement or affection. Understanding this distinction helps differentiate between playful energy and mounting frustration.

3. Noticing when a feline blinks slowly or maintains partially closed eyes indicates a profound level of comfort and security. This gesture serves as a silent communication of trust, showing that the cat feels entirely safe in the current environment.

4. Monitoring the posture of the back and the condition of the fur provides a warning of defensive instincts, such as an arched spine indicating a need for protection. Giving space during these times allows the cat to regulate their emotions without feeling cornered.

5. Recognizing that an exposed belly is often a display of trust rather than a request for touch helps preserve the animal's sense of safety. Respecting this physical boundary prevents defensive reactions and reinforces the bond of mutual understanding.

Learning to read these non-verbal cues creates a more peaceful and respectful environment for every household member.

03/27/2026

Garlic for dogs 🧄…let’s clear this up 👇

Garlic often gets labeled “toxic” because it’s related to onions, but here’s the nuance: garlic contains about 1/15th the amount of the compound linked to toxicity and is actually recognized as a safe ingredient in commercial pet foods (AAFCO).

In small, appropriate amounts, garlic provides allicin, which may support:
❤️ Heart health
🛡️ Immune function
🦠 Antimicrobial support

The studies often cited to claim harm? They used extreme doses…the equivalent of feeding a 70 lb dog ~245 cloves of garlic in one week (yes, really). Even then, no dogs showed outward symptoms, just minor microscopic changes in some red blood cells.

The amounts in this graphic fall well within safe daily feeding guidelines 👍

🐈 For added context: the National Research Council has even set a historical safe intake for cats at 17 mg/kg of body weight, further highlighting that dose matters.

Bottom line:
Garlic isn’t the villain - it’s the amount that matters.

📌 Save this for reference & always stick to proper serving sizes 🐶🐱

03/27/2026

5 signs your dog needs digestive support 🐶

If digestion isn’t working well, even a high-quality diet may not deliver the nutrients your dog needs. Today’s pets face digestive challenges their biology wasn’t designed for: ultra-processed foods, enzyme-depleted foods, chronic stress, and environmental toxins. When digestion breaks down, food isn’t fully processed, fermentation increases, and inflammation can build in the gut.

Here are 5 signs and what you can do:

1️⃣ Frequent gas or bloating 💨
Undigested proteins or carbs can ferment in the gut and produce excess gas.
💡 Tip: Slow down fast eaters and feed smaller meals. Nutrients may break down more efficiently with enzymes like amylase (carbs) and cellulase (plant fibers).

2️⃣ Burping, lip licking, or reflux-like symptoms
Often linked to incomplete protein digestion and food lingering in the stomach.
💡 Tip: Avoid large late-night meals. Natural enzymes like bromelain (pineapple) and papain (papaya) help support protein breakdown along with protease.

3️⃣ Loose, inconsistent, or foul-smelling stools
Incomplete digestion can disrupt the microbiome, stool quality, and reduce nutrient absorption.
💡 Tip: Add gentle fibers and fermented foods like pumpkin or kefir to support microbial balance.

4️⃣ Greasy stools or trouble digesting fatty foods
This may signal difficulty breaking down fats and extra stress on the pancreas or gallbladder.
💡 Tip: Introduce richer foods slowly and avoid fatty treats. Lipase helps digest fats, while ox bile supports proper fat emulsification.

5️⃣ Frequent grass eating or loud stomach gurgling
Often a sign food isn’t being fully broken down before reaching the intestines.
💡 Tip: Focus on moisture-rich, minimally processed foods and support early digestion with enzymes that help break down proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.

Because modern diets often lack natural digestive enzymes, many pets benefit from extra enzyme support to help break down food and improve nutrient absorption.

👇Drop DIGEST below and we’ll send you the link to Prime Enzymes™ and explain how digestive enzymes help pets actually absorb nutrients from their food.🐾

03/27/2026

03/27/2026

Cold paws? Tiny shivers? 🥶
Your indoor cat might be colder than you think…
Watch for these signs and make sure your kitty stays cozy and warm🥹❤️

03/27/2026

We understand that visiting the vet can be a stressful experience for both cats and caregivers. Our top tips will help reduce some of that stress and anxiety 👇

🐱 Choose a sturdy and secure carrier, place a blanket from home inside for a familiar scent.

🐱 Leave the carrier out at home as an extra bed or safe space, so your cat doesn’t always associate it with leaving.

🐱 Spray the carrier with synthetic feline pheromones at least 15 minutes before putting your cat in it.

🐱 Cover the carrier with a cloth or towel while you are travelling to help keep your cat calm. Rather than holding the carrier by the handle, which can cause it to swing, carry it with both hands from underneath.

🐱 Visit an accredited Cat Friendly Clinic so you know your cat will be handled gently, with respect, and their unique needs will be understood. Find your nearest 👉 https://icatcare.org/cat-friendly-clinic/for-owners-and-caregivers

Take a look at our website to find more of our tips for making vet visits less stressful, including a free downloadable guide! 👉 https://icatcare.org/articles/taking-your-cat-to-the-vet

11/14/2025

This week’s blog includes update about Maggie’s recent adventure with a ZZ plant. Summary: It was awful. Now it’s okay. Whew.

When Maggie was at her worst, I reached out to ASPCA Poison Control, but after a frustratingly dropped call, they later reached out to me to figure out what went wrong. That resulted in a great discussion with some of their experts about what “toxic” really means, why oxylates cause so much trouble for dogs, and the depth and breadth of resources at the ASPCA Poison Control Center.

If you have pets, whether with plants or not, I’d check out this post—you just never know when you are going to have an emergency (like the time Maggie ate a gummy that a visitor dropped in the living room?). The ASPCA is there for us, thank heaven! Most importantly, join in by sharing your experiences, categorized under “Things my dog/cat/ferret/horse/rabbit ate that definitely did not belong in their stomach."

Read it here: https://bit.ly/4hQpPPA

11/12/2025

Tomorrow’s the day! 🐾

For years, I believed, like most veterinarians and devoted dog lovers, that early spay/neuter was the most responsible and healthiest choice for every dog. I came from the shelter world, so it felt like the only ethical option. But over time, I started to see something I couldn’t unsee: far too many dogs developing preventable hormone-related issues that didn’t make sense.

That’s what led Dr. Peter Dobias and me to create Hormone Health for Dogs,
a free 5-part video series exploring hormone-sparing sterilization alternatives, what happens to the body’s endocrine system after spay/neuter, what hormones do throughout a dog’s life, and how we can better protect long-term health.

Episode 1 launches tomorrow, Wednesday, November 12th; rooted in science, and designed to spark an open, informed conversation about the future of canine health and wellbeing.

Sign up for free—link’s in the comments ⬇️