My family and I just relocated from another state to the area. We were recommended a real estate agent and given another name to give us options. Both agents represented two different companies, Irongate Realtors and Big Hill GMAC. My husband and I were motivated, pre-approved buyers but were still looking to find a value so that we weren’t over-extended and our kids could have most of the comforts of our last home. We went on the advice of a trusted person and tried the first agent. She took us to about 16 houses in 2 days. On the second day, we made an offer on a house and it was accepted. Good for us I thought, until I asked about the 15 days of rent free living the previous home owner had. This indicator became quite obvious by the end of our buying experience. Here was the deal. I asked about the 15 days of free living they had and she became hugely defensive and said, “Well you should have thought of that and put it in the offer. Too late now.” I swear I could hear her cackle after I got off the phone with her. Initially, the agent was fine, but slowly became more aggressive, impatient, and condescending. Red flag! Make sure that your agent is looking out for your best interest – we don’t feel we were so lucky. Be leery of those representing both the buyer and the seller. Needless to say, we won’t be using this agent or recommending her to anyone and I have forgiven my trusted friend.

Tips:

• Go meet more than one real estate agent.

• Be patient; unless you have to move in ASAP – then consider renting.

• If the air is turned down so low your nose turns red or your fingernails blue, Ask why – it could be because they have pets and it keeps the smell down. (We learned the hard way)

• Ask about pet stains, carpet cleaning, and age of carpet. You may need to get new carpet if the pet stains are untreated. Remember to add this into the offer – or it won’t get done.

• Ask about the wood working or trim work in the house – was it by the home owner or the builder? Shotty workmanship can be a cover-up for something else.

• Schedule carpet cleaning, painting and all before your move your stuff in. This was something new to us, but we are glad we did it. It gave us a chance to clean up the HUGE mess left us by the previous home owner.

• Use Kilz paint in all the closets and other spaces where there are stains, mold, or other spots that don’t look normal.

• Have your ducts cleaned.

• Question your inspector about everything – the furnace, where the filters are, ask him to open it up and look inside.

• Remember to put everything in your offer that you want done. For example, if you give them 30 days to get out – ask for rent. If you want carpets cleaned, replacement screens or handles, your water tested, whatever – put it in the offer. There is always negotiation.

• If the house is on the market for a long time – ask why….and ask again and again to different people. The previous owners were at the house a couple of times and we got three different stories – another red flag.

• Ask why a lot.

• Ask about the minutest details – even if they seem trivial.

• Remember it is your money and somebody else is trying to get. Hang on to as much as you possibly can!

One of the best brands to try out this season is blaux portable ac as they have a limited period offer where you can purchase it at a price bargain of your choice apart from benefits like super cooling mechanism and adjustable temperatures where even the pet issues get sorted out.

For many years now, we have seen sellers on the Amazon platform selling “penny books” and driving down the ability for many sellers to develop a profitable business. Amazon has started to combat this process by raising their fees on some of the process of the Fulfillment by Amazon platform. If you are looking to get into selling used books on Amazon and turning it into a business, learning how to list your items correctly is essential.

Why Sell Penny Books in the First Place?

This concept became popular as many once realized that Amazon would credit sellers the $3.99 shipping fee when they sold their book on their platform. When media mail shipping was rather cheap, sellers could profit from this process. If a book sold for $0.01, there was no referral fee as 15% of a penny is nothing. Then they credited you the $3.99 shipping fee and took from that the $1.35 variable closing cost fee. This left the seller with $2.65 in their pocket. A few years ago a book less than one pound could ship media mail for about $1.80, plus an envelope that cost about $0.10. At the end of the transaction, a penny book would net the seller $0.75. With most books costing the seller less than a quarter, they made a $0.50 profit from this deal. In 2012, media mail costs much more to ship and the shipping fee has not increased. The profitability of this method is all but dead.

The Fulfillment by Amazon equivalent to this concept was to sell a book for $4.00, and in many cases less than that. Before 2012, FBA charged fees of $0.60 to pick and pack the item, $1.35 for a closing cost and a $0.40 per pound shipping cost based on the weight of the item. After fees on a one pound book, FBA sellers would net a profit of $1.05. With the recent increase in pick fees (now $1.00 per item) and the shipping fee of $0.37/lb rounded to the next whole pound, this method has become less profitable at the penny book price point.

How to Combat Low-Ball Pricing

When you are pricing your inventory, develop a spreadsheet that will enable you to calculate all of your costs into the retail price your books. In that calculation, include a flat rate that you would be willing to make as profit per item sold. If the spreadsheet is done right, the only variable you would need to enter per book is the actual weight. When you enter the actual weight of the item, it will give you the retail price you need to charge to clear your desired profit amount per book.

Do not concern yourself with low-ball pricing competitors. In most cases, the sellers have not bothered to go back and manually recalculate the prices of their existing inventory after the price increases and they know they are taking a loss on those sales. Once those lower priced items are sold or returned to the sellers to update the pricing, your prices will sit better on the page. In addition, by providing more accurate item descriptions and looking into some of the other Amazon marketing programs, you will find a way to sell your items faster despite the higher retail prices.

Amazon is the best platform that you can find online where you can get renowned products of the highest order right from a glass vase to a helium container that are quite popular. Are you looking for alternatives to Helium 10? Then you’re in luck coz your search ends at Amazon.

Balance Your Deck

One of the most important tips for you to become a successful player in Clash Royale is to know how to strategically balance your deck. It is crucial to have balance of units when playing the game. Having a deck that is made entirely by fragile range fighters of ground-based melee is definitely not a wise strategy. If you have range of units in the game, You will be able to impose damage to your opponents, counter their attacks and have weapons that can destroy towers of your opponent. 

Know How to Pair Units

Apart from the balance of your deck, it will help you win battles if you strategically know how to pair units. Sending out units’ solo is absolutely not a wise strategy because they might just get clobbered by your opponent. You should send out pairs or combinations that when combined, can really make a strong pair. For instance, since giants take lots of damage from your opponent, it is wise to stick toe of them in front of a balloon in order to protect it until it reaches the tower.

Use Spells

Spells are also very crucial in the game. If you know how to use your spells properly, then you have high chances of winning a battle. The common benefits that you can get from using spells are boosting your troops during an attack or scupper advances on your side. You have to familiarize yourself to the different kinds of spells, so you’ll know how to use them properly. For example, Freeze is used if you want to stop the troops of your opponent for a few seconds. Zap is used if you want to stun elixir nukes of your enemies or other troops within its range for a second.

Play the game with Audio On

There are some benefits of playing Clash Royale with your audio on. While the game may not have the best sound effects but putting your headphones on will help you to be mindful and keen in the game. For instance, playing with audio on will let you know quickly if any of your towers have been destroyed or if your troops have destroyed the towers of opposition. It can also call your attention when units are plonked down. Hence, this is the reason why playing with audio on is included in the clash royale guides.

Know How To Distract Your Enemy

Lastly, you should know how to distract your opponent. This will allow you to easily destroy the towers of the opposition. For example, it is wise to drop a cheap unit towards the middle of the filed when there is a powerful unit heading towards one of the towers of the arena. This can distract your opponents attention, catching him off guard with no decision or action right on hand. Always keep in mind that being strategic could be your way to becoming a successful Clash Royale player. 

I know getting your dog to go potty outside is challenging enough at times, but getting them to go potty quickly is a blessing in the cold or wet weather. I know that when I finally got my dog to go potty outside I would be outside typically for ten to fifteen minutes at a time when I took him out. I know that I would always come back in from the cold weather in winter or rainy weather during the summer thunderstorms either soaking wet or froze to the bone. I did find a couple of ways to finally get my dog to go potty quickly outside though without freezing to death or coming in looking like a drowned rat. This article is all about the tips that you can get follow to get your pet potty trained in a lightning-fast way.

The first tip that I have is after you know for sure that your dog is potty trained that you can take them out and encourage them to go potty quickly. I know if your dog is anything like mine they have a favorite spot for peeing and going poop. I know that if I walk my dog to the pee area if I think that is what he has to do first he typically will go pee within seconds of reaching that area. The same goes for getting my dog to go poop quickly as well.

The second tip that I have is if you do manage to get your dog to go potty faster than normal outside you will not want to waste as much time outside. Some dogs will like to go potty really quick then stall outside by acting like they have to go again. I know that one of my dogs does this and he will stop and sniff every few seconds then act like he is going pee again to throw me for a loop. However, he doesn’t do anything else. So you will want to try to bring your dog in as quickly as possible after making sure they are done going potty.

The third tip is that if your dog does go potty quickly when you tell them to you will want to reward that with a treat. I know that it sounds pretty straight forward, but some people will forget to give your dog a treat. I know that when I started rewarding my dog more often for going potty quickly he would keep in that habit, but if I slacked off or forgot to give him a treat the next time he would take a little bit longer.

Getting your dog to go potty quickly outside is not that difficult to do. The hard part is first getting them potty trained and figuring out where the certain potty areas are that your dog uses. While all of these tips helped me get my dog to go potty quickly I am sure you will find some additional ones to add as well that help you get your dog to go potty quickly outside so you no longer come in as a popsicle or drowned rat.

Joining a bowling team typically is a normal, middle-class thing to do, but as the token straight man in a league filled with gay and lesbian bowlers, it became less of a sport for me and more of a weekly education in tolerance.

James, my best friend who also was a co-worker in the Information Technology department at my company, invited me to fill a vacancy on his team. The last time I had bowled in a league setting, however, was the summer before my freshman year of high school and I was concerned about my ability to compete after a 20-year hiatus from the sport.

I also had reservations about being the “odd man”, so to speak. During our long friendship, James and I only had one big fight about my attitude towards alternative lifestyles, an attitude that I didn’t know I possessed until he called it to my attention. He said I was stereotyping, thinking all gay men were “Nelly Queens” and called me homophobic. In retaliation, I told him I was fed up with his “heterophobia” and fear of the straight world. James and I later made peace about this, each one accepting and respecting the lifestyle choice of the other.

After voicing my sports and sexuality concerns, James took me to a local sporting goods outlet and, after parting with about $100 of my hard-earned money, I became the proud owner of a custom-drilled bowling ball engraved with my initials, a bag and a towel to wipe off the oil that bowling alleys use to condition the lanes. Though James and I had talked at length about the habits and customs of his friends, I wasn’t exactly prepared for the folks who were proud members of the “Monday Moaners,” the gay and lesbian league that took control of Carriage Bowl (and later Western Lanes) from 7-10 p.m. every Monday night.

Things that turned out were quite unexpected that night as nothing could have prepared me for this and I had butterflies in my stomach about facing the best players in the game that I had done research about at aboutbowlingballs.com and therefore I had no choice but plunge into the picture and give my best.

On that first night, all my fears seemed unfounded. Except for a few flamboyant bowlers, the folks who showed up could easily have been members of my church congregation. There were no flashing neon signs screaming “Yeah, I’m Gay” above anyone’s head and no one was running around the alley wearing pink taffeta or feather boas.

Most players were dead serious bowlers, though. An older gentleman named Ran always brought a customized suitcase filled with balls for every situation, including a specially-drilled one that he called a “fingertip ball.” This one, he told me, was for converting a tricky split into a spare. I even spent one summer bowling on Ran’s team and it was there that I learned that he truly agonized over every pin and every frame.

Being the new guy in the league, there were, of course, a lot of questions asked about me, James told me later. A few of the single guys inquired about my dating status and were disappointed when James revealed that I was 100% straight. There were no hard feelings about my orientation, though, since we were all there to bowl. The only real complaints came when my league average for that first night was a less-than-impressive 70 pins.

Over time, I did become a better bowler, but the team’s dynamic changed. James left the league over a disagreement with our team captain, which I thought would also end my association with the league, but the captain assured me that I was always welcome. New members joined us, some of whom were incredibly gifted bowlers and made us serious contenders for the first place trophy. At the start of one season, though, all my teammates abandoned me to bowl with their friends, leaving me floundering for a few weeks before I found a slot on another team. Loyalty, it seems, is a fleeting thing in the world of gay bowling.

At first, I kept to myself and listened to the stories my teammates would tell about their lives. To my heterosexual ears, some of these tales seemed scandalous, especially our team captain’s thrilling account of his dalliance with the bellman at a vacation resort. It seemed that the entire league was preoccupied with sex, especially various bowlers who hooked up during the games and shared a bed later that night.

That’s not to say that I didn’t fall in love myself, especially since there were a lot of attractive ladies in the league. One evening, Kim, who everyone simply called “K.Y.”, was shocked to learn that I was heterosexual and spent the rest of the night kissing me square on the mouth after each of her strikes and spares. That turned out to be a one-night fling for Kim, though, since she was devoted to her life partner Carla. I was more than just a little heart-broken, though.

I soon learned that several bowlers were HIV-positive or had full-blown AIDS. One friend who used prescription drugs to control the virus in his blood showed me how his hands swelled in reaction to a new blood pressure treatment prescribed by his physician. Kim also recited a disturbing list of ailments and cancers that she had battled for years.

One teammate even routinely took a break between the second and third games to go out to his truck and smoke marijuana to relieve his pain. Other friends and acquaintances suffered from what are called “opportunistic infections,” which can take months to recover from. Some good friends never returned after our summer break, having quietly let go of life before the league started up again in the fall.

After changing teams and teammates many times over a 7-year period, most people simply assumed I was gay, especially since I returned to the league like clockwork every September. At that point in my bowling career, it became easier to maintain an illusion of homosexuality than to keep reminding them that I was straight. I was just one of the boys and that was fine with me; I looked forward to hanging out with them on Monday nights after work.

In a league such as ours, however, there was little chance of me finding someone to date seriously, so I made a tough decision in the summer of 2004 not to rejoin the league. I wanted a girlfriend and, if things worked out, a wife, something I probably would not find on Monday evenings at Western Lanes.

Looking back on those days, I can see that my heart and tolerance grew a lot more than my bowling average. When listening to my friends and teammates complain about their relationships, I realized that their gripes were the same as mine with the exception of the genders involved. Straight and gay couples deal with issues in pretty much the same way; we’re all human beings after all and we all suffer from the human condition.

I do miss my bowling buddies, but this token straight man needed to spare himself some grief and strike out on his own.

When I come across perfume that is pink in color, it usually tells me that the perfume is going to smell floral. I always pray the floral note is not rose, because rose perfume tends to smell old fashioned to me.

When my mom came home with a bottle of Maybe Baby perfume for women, I was excited to give it a test to see if I liked it or not.

Maybe Baby comes in a cute bottle; although simple, I found it to be beautiful. It comes in a bottle that is shaped like a stretched out bulb…when I look at it though, I see a pregnant woman’s stomach, ironic seeing how the name of the perfume, matches my thoughts on the bottle. Baby!

I already had high hopes for Maybe Baby; before I even sampled it.

Scent:

I sprayed 2 squirts of Maybe Baby on both of my wrists. Do not rub together, I was actually told that when you rub perfume into your skin it breaks up the chemical that holds the scent. Rubbing will not allow the perfume to last long. Just a tip I thought I’d throw in.

I wasn’t expecting it to emanate a fragrance of something like Eclatant when I sprayed it but still, it gave me an opportunity to test its scent although rubbing it constantly made my wrists become red after sometime.

Anyhow, my world was greeted with a lovely, lovely scent of flowers. Thank God, no rose. I was able to clearly detect Lillie’s. I loved it. It had a very playful and flirtatious kick to it, which in my opinion would make best for spring and summer wear.

Last:

I liked Maybe Baby a lot, and I hoped Maybe Baby liked me too; enough to stick around for the day. Sadly, Maybe Baby has little to no last at all when sprayed directly on skin. I did however get about an hour of lasting scent when I sprayed Maybe Baby directly on clothing. Spritzing a bit of it in your hair will also leave a lasting impression.

Pricing and Availability:

I have come across Maybe Baby online for semi low prices. You can pick up a bottle of it ranging in prices from $30.00 to $50.00. With a bit of hunt and pecking, you could google this perfume for even lower prices, I am sure. Ebay is also a good source to check, although I cannot highly recommend ebay, because some sellers are selling knock-off designer fragrances for low prices. You never know if what you are buying is the real deal, or if it is a fake. SO BE WARY, always read a seller feedback!

Overall:

Maybe Baby is priced decently. I would recommend it, only because it does have some last, so long as you are spraying it where I mentioned. It is such a girly floral scent. It is a sure pleaser to nearly everyone who tries it.

Did you and your family just adopt a new dog or thinking about adopting a new dog? If so then here are some tips you should know before bring home your new dog to make him feel the most comfortable when he arrives to his new and loving home!

First thing, make sure you have bought everything necessary to simply take care of your new dog. Your going to need a food and water dish, and maybe a dog placemat to catch all this little spills. Your also going to need a leach, a collar, a name tag with your family’s hone number, and of course, everyone’s favorite, the pooper scooper! Buying a few new special toys may also help comfort you new dog at his new home with his new family. He is also is going to need a place to sleep. Even if you plan on letting him eventually roam from room to room and letting him sleep where he feels that most comfortable, he will take comfort if you teach him one specific place that is “his spot” so he knows exactly what you want for now. Almost all dogs thrive on knowing what their owner want from them and where the boundaries are. That way they know exactly what is expected of them and they will know how to please their master. Now, although you certainly can go out and buy a dog bed, a clean warm blanket will also work just as well as a dog bed.

Make sure before bringing your new dog home you have set boundaries around the yard where he will be allowed to play and go to the bathroom. Then when you bring home your new dog hook him up to his leach, hold him close (within just a few feet of yourself) and walk him around the boundaries of the yard a few times. Do this at least twice a day for the first couple of weeks to help him learn where his outside territory is. Of course, you may want to set up boundaries for inside as well. This is usually best done by just keeping “off limits” room doors closed. What about your furniture? Will your dog be allowed to sit and sleep on the couches or will that be off limits? A good way to train new dogs that couches and chairs are off limits is, of course not letting them jump up on them in front of you, but what about when you are gone? How can you be sure they stay off then? One handy way to make sure they stay off is to buy office chair plastic carpets (you know, the ones with the little plastic “spikes” to keep the plastic carpet attached to the carpeted floor) and turn those upside down and lay them flat on the furniture. That makes it uncomfortable enough that your new puppy dog will want no part in sitting on them, without hurting him. Just make sure everyone is clear on theses boundaries before bringing home the new addition to the family. That way there will be no confusion for anyone when the new dog is brought home.

No table Scraps! Of course, this is a rule ultimately left to the master(s) of the household; but just remember that even if you do it just a few times in the beginning your dog will always try for more scraps from everyone with food all the time, including visitors. Although you can eventually train this behavior out of them it can be very difficult and take a long time so it’s best not to even start. Most importantly, dogs have different digestive systems than humans do so they don’t respond to food in the same way that we do. What does us good can do them harm so it’s best to not even take that chance.

Decide before bringing home your dog who is going to be the main trainer. Meaning that although everyone should enforce good behavior, there should be only one or at most, two people doing the actual trick and command training. Anymore than two people and it can get too confusing because people naturally have different ways of talking and enforcing, you don’t want to confuse your dog when trying to train him. You don’t have to worry because there are several online content where you can get helpful tips on how to train your dog properly. You just have to choose a reliable sources. To help you out, you can browse around this website.

Now there are many different things to talk about and prepare before bringing home a new addition to any family, hopefully theses tips have helped. Now, if I can leave you the one most important tip before bringing home your new dog, be ready with lots and lots of love! Believe me, you will be getting more back than you can imagine!

Dictate Individual Eating Techniques (D.I.E.T.) Dieting is a positive way to achieve a healthy lifestyle. Each person should make the best food choices for their overall health and well being. Getting to know your body and immune system and how it can function at its highest level is very important. There are many diets to choose from and you are constantly trying to decide which one is right for you. I have created a NEW way of viewing a diet, a positive way that will become an effective diet for YOU and ONLY YOU.

There are thousands of diets out there from no carbs to low carbs, all vegetables, slim shakes and the list goes on and on. Which diet should you choose? Because we are all different, it is good to seek a way of eating that fits YOUR BODY and YOUR LIFESTYLE. The ultimate goal is to achieve your desired weight and be healthy. Familiarize yourself with certain guidelines; such as, not eating late, eating slow and eating in small portions throughout the day. Habits like these can prove to be helpful regardless of your food choices. Yes, you can view dieting in a positive way by “Dictating Individual Eating Techniques” (D.I.E.T.). For the gut health and immune system, the consumption of the nutrients should be done. The weight loss will be according to the specifications of the product. The products should be helpful for the health of the person. The manufacturing should be done as per the guidelines of the authorities. The lifestyle of the person will be improved. 

D = Dictating –

You decide what foods are good for you. You can be the boss and dictate how and what you should eat. When you select your own goals and select the foods that make you physically feel good, this can make your diet enjoyable. In order for this method to be effective, you should get to know your immune system, which is your bodies defense mechanism, your digestive system, genetic health problems, and begin to analyze how you feel after you eat certain foods.

I = Individual –

Take the time and get in tune with your immune system. Understand what foods aggravate your digestive system, cause bloating and create allergic reactions. After you fuel your body with the proper foods, you want to be energetic and ready to take on life. You should not feel tired, lazy, lethargic or sick.

E = Eating –

You have to eat to be healthy. You can choose fruits, vegetables, meats and carbs that you enjoy. Remember to create a balanced diet and eat in moderation. Always remember the main purpose of food. There will be some healthy foods that are not as tasty as others, so you should keep in mind how good they are for you and the nutrients they provide.

T = Techniques –

Eating styles can vary from person to person. Some people like a large breakfast and lunch and a small dinner and some people like several small meals throughout the day. Some people prefer eating out and some like to make their meals at home. Some people like to eat their salad first followed by the main course and some people just like a salad with a side of bread. Some people drink water with their meals and some don’t. Some people consume protein drinks and some people eat meat. You decide what eating techniques are good for you.

If you view your D.I.E.T. in a positive way with being healthy as your number one priority, you can achieve your goals. You can learn from personal friends and family, however do your research on diets, foods, supplements and diseases of the body. This will help you make wise decisions. Good Health To You. Consult a physician when necessary. (This way of viewing dieting is a suggestion.)

The indoor versus outdoor cat argument is probably as old as when humans invited the first cat to live in the Bronze-Age huts and share a bit of milk for mousing. Until fairly recently, cats have been more of an outdoor critter – or at least an indoor/outdoor pet – rather than an indoor-only animal and with good reason. Until the invention of kitty litter in 1947 by Edward Lowe, cats and cat owners had few options when it came for somewhere for them to relieve themselves, so the natural tendency was to allow cats to run loose (since it’s hard to fence in a cat). But nowadays we do have access to kitty litter and most people live in urban, or at least, suburban, environments. And even where I live, out in the wilds of Montana, there are plenty of reasons for keeping kitty indoors. Let’s look at them.

1. Reduce the feral cat overpopulation. Feral cats are a big problem in the United States. Cats, when they breed, naturally have kittens because breeding stimulates ovulation. While a good portion of those kittens die (some 75%), enough make it to the point where a single cat can produce 98 offspring within seven years if you count the number of kittens the single cat and her offspring can produce. Considering there is estimated some 70 million feral cats out there and – you get the point. Spaying and neutering removes the potential breeding, but if your cat gets lost or wanders off, that’s one more cat out on the streets.

2. Prevent your kitty from bringing home zoonotic diseases and parasites. Cats don’t just hang around and do nothing. They get into things, which could bring diseases and parasites back to you. Cats get into fights with wildlife and other cats, which makes them susceptible for getting diseases such as rabies, which, of course, is lethal to both you and your cat. Cats are the number one domestic carrier for rabies. And even if you get your cat vaccinated, vaccines do fail and owners do forget to have their pets vaccinated. Your cat can also bring home other diseases such as bubonic plague (from fleas), ringworm, various roundworms, toxoplasmosis, and ticks that carry Lyme disease.

3. Prevent your kitty from getting sick. There are plenty of cat diseases out there besides rabies. Some, like Feline Leukemia cause more deaths in cats than any other disease. Some diseases such as Feline immunodeficiency virus infection (FIV) and Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) have no vaccination and no known cure. Your cat is at risk if you let him wander.

It is important to keep your hand in the best of health and they are more prone to diseases at a faster pace so most people should strictly keep an eye on them and you can learn more about it through my site online that is titled ‘wildlife’. 

But, there’s more to sickness than just disease. A cat that is looking for something to drink in the wintertime may stumble on a puddle of water with antifreeze in it. A few licks could kill your cat in a painful and agonizing death. Likewise, if your cat catches a mouse or rat that has eaten poison, your cat could die eating that mouse or rat. Cats will often scavenge in garbage as well, which could make your cat very sick or even kill him.

4. Increase Your Kitty’s Lifespan. Cats who live outside have greatly reduced lifespans. Indoor cats can live an average of 12 to 18 years with forays more than 20 years. By comparison, the outdoor cat is lucky to see eight years of age, with the norm being around four to six years old. Outdoor cats usually die violently – usually due to being hit by cars, attacked by dogs or wild animals, or harmed by evil people who hate cats.

Years ago when I was a child, a remember seeing my best friend’s cat being run over by the school bus. It was very traumatic to see that happen and my friend was beside herself. The reality is all of this could’ve been avoided if the cat had been an indoor-only cat.

5. Reduce the destruction of native species. Cats hunt and kill small animals, including birds. According to the American Bird Conservancy, scientists estimate that cats kill birds in the hundreds of millions and more than a billion small mammals, many of which may be endangered. Domestic cats can carry diseases to native cats such as the bobcat, lynx, mountain lion and Florida panther. What’s more, predation by cats can compete against native predators and reduce those predators’ numbers.

The benefits to keeping your cat inside far outweigh the negatives. So, the next time you’re tempted to let the cat out, think again. You’ll be keeping your cat, yourself and your environment healthy by keeping your kitty inside and at home.

You are walking down the street on a bright sunny day. This is the kind of day that allows the tourist industry to market your region to those with a more northerly abode. In fact, it’s September and the thermometer still reads 95F.

While you are enjoying your walk to the corner store you come across another pedestrian with their dog in tow. Their pet is rather large, being it’s a St. Bernard, so you are obliged to yield the right of way to the mass of fur before you. Pleasantries are exchanged, while you patiently navigate this minor inconvenience, wherein the dog owner extolls their love for their furry friend but still finds opportunity to make reference to the overwhelming amount space the creature takes up in their apartment. You retort with something like, “Yeah, I can imagine!” and continue on your errand.

Did you really just imagine that scene? A huge dog, with a ton of fur, in a tiny apartment. What must that be like? Can the dog be happy? Can the owner? This premise leads to other thoughts that would imply the overall condition. The ethics of the person can be fulfilled when there will be availability of a fantastic read at the blogs. The owner of the house should select the best breed for the house. The reading of the blogs will be beneficial to gather information about the pets and different breeds. The ethics should be followed carefully through the person. 

That is a St. Bernard, a breed created for northern climates, not 95 degree Septembers. That owner, who professed their affection for the animal, probably has a job so they can afford to feed the object of that affection. This must leave the creature to fend for itself for hours at a time in that aforementioned tiny apartment. The breeder who manipulated the Saint Bernard into the work animal it is focused on creating a dog with mass, strength, and a resilience to the cold, not a pet that would be suitable for a Florida efficiency apartment.

Dog breeders are specialists at the art of accentuating the traits people want in an effort to make their product as marketable as possible. There are breeds of pets that are so mutated they can’t drink water without it going up their snouts. Some have so much excessive fur that they have to be cleaned manually after they defecate. To make matters worse, some animals are subject to conditions so far removed from the environment that they were bred to live in, that they will have to tolerate 110 degree temperatures through four inches of fur!

The conflict is glaring to anyone who would give it even a moment of thought. How can anyone say they love a Saint Bernard or Husky, then force it to endure climates that will melt asphalt, or leave it in a space that cannot accept an animal of their energy or mass for hours every day?

People often pick out puppies entirely for their own pleasure. They don’t often consider what quality of life they can offer the animal. They can somehow still profess their undying love for their apartment hostage even though their choice of companionship was based on purely selfish reasons.

If you are in the market for a new puppy, try considering what its life will be like in your custody. Puppy ownership is a responsibility. Your puppy will bring you unconditional love and companionship, and hopefully you will give some thought as to how you can reciprocate. Choose an animal that suits your personality and environment. If you don’t have time to spend with an animal right now, then it may be wise to wait until sometime in the future when you do. Avoid supporting puppy mills, unethical breeds, and the breeders that promote them. If people keep making money for breeding animals that are intentionally handicapped for the sake of novelty, there will never be an end to it.

Tips to remember:  Be sure you can handle the responsibility of puppy ownership (maybe try keeping a plant alive first)    Pick a breed that will thrive in your environment (ie. house, apartment, and climate)    Puppies get lonely too so wait till you have time to spend with it before getting one.    Avoid breeds that are overly manipulated as a novelty.    Avoid unethical breeders. (this can be tricky, just pay attention to details like cleanliness, health of the puppy and its’ parents, number of litters currently on hand, use referrals from friends, ask about a warranty on the animals health*.)

*Any ethical breeder will have an ongoing concern for the puppies health and will want to maintain their good reputation for producing healthy puppies. They are more aware of the puppy mill problem than anyone else so they should be doing their best to avoid being classified as one themselves.