Lisa Podwirny – Page 5

October 17, 2014October 16, 2014

Taking Care of your Maine Coon

Maine Coons are one of the largest cat breeds and is considered an American original breed. Also known as the American Longhair, the Maine Coon can become over 36” in length and the males can reach an average weight of 14 pounds. That’s one big kitty! However, these cats are gentle giants, they love people and being able to socialize, and because of their curious nature they will often “help” you when doing housework or chores. But, with great size comes great responsibility. These cats need maintenance in their diet as well as exercise or they will become chunky monkeys given the chance. Here are some quick easy tips to remember when you have a Maine Coon or any other house cat really.

Brushing

When dealing with a Maine Coon, or any sort of longhair domestic breed of cat, you should brush them daily at most, weekly at least. This way you cut down on hairballs, and keep them from getting matted or knotted fur. Additionally, it helps to maintain their skin health. You normally don’t need to give a Maine Coon a bath due to having very good hygiene skills and will often clean themselves via a tounge bath.

Feeding

When deciding what to feed your Maine Coon, you are going to have to spend a little extra at the pet food store. Common cat foods like Iams, Purina, and others, contain wheat and corn. Domestic cats don’t actually have the enzymes to properly digest wheat and corn like humans do. These grains that are digested simply turn to fat and are like any high fatty foods for humans. Make sure to read the ingredients before you buy, anything that has wheat or corn by-product is something you want to stay away from. Again, while I do mention that this post is about Maine Coons, this advice can be used for any sort of domestic cat breed, not just Maine Coons.

Exercise

Maine Coons love to play! They often will invent games for themselves and are always excited to see their humans. Males are often more goofy than the females, but both are very active and will always be playful throughout their life. Some, even enjoy playing “fetch.” Maine Coons love attention but are not pushy so they won’t be hounding you all the time for you to play with them.

One final note, these gentle giants are a great big furball of love. They are great with children and other animals, especially dogs. Be careful before you introduce your kitten/cat to another cat, especially if they are another breed! While Maine Coons get along with their own, you’ll have to gauge your other pets reactions before you fully introduce your new pet.

Lisa Podwirny is the owner of Ketchum Mfg. Connect with her on Google+!

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October 10, 2014October 10, 2014

Pink Ribbon Tags for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

History of our Pink Ribbon Tags

Last year, I asked Gary to engrave a ribbon on one of our pink cattle neck tags to show our support for the men and women currently battling breast cancer. The tag turned out great and we featured it on Facebook. Then, one of our customers who wanted an order of 20 tags asked us how they could get a pink ribbon tag. This lead us to start selling the tags and what helped us raise $200 for the Cancer Services Program of Saratoga County.

We’re offering them again

Well, that time of year has come again, and we are proudly offering Pink ribbon tags once again. Like last year we will be donating $2.50 for each tag sold to the Cancer Services Program of Saratoga County. While there are many worthy organizations out there who are working very diligently to find a cure for breast cancer, we want to keep our support local.

Our goal for this year

While we did fall short of our 100 tags goal last year, we did start late in the month and it was a spur of the moment idea. This year, our goal is to sell 200 tags. If you’re interested in purchasing one of our Pink ribbon tags, you can find them here or by clicking on the image.

Finally, in support of those who are looking to lower their risk and who have someone in the family who has had breast cancer in the past, here is an infographic on some facts about and how you can reduce your risk of getting breast cancer.

Lisa Podwirny is the owner of Ketchum Mfg. Connect with her on Google+!

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September 29, 2014December 5, 2014

Some Scary Statistics on Rabies [INFOGRAPHIC]

With yesterday being national rabies awareness day, we put together this infographic detailing some of the scary facts dealing with rabies. With domestic cases on the rise are your pets protected? In need of 2015 tags? We sell 2015 Rabies tags here.

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September 10, 2014

Why Tattoo your Pets

Most pet owners know that a good secondary line of ID after a collar and tags, is to keep your pets safe when they are lost is to have a vet implant a permanent RFID chip so that if they are lost and then found, the vet or shelter can scan them and track down the pet’s owner. However, another method to keep your animal safe is by having them tattooed. It’s safe and has been routinely done since the sixties.

Tattoo vs. Microchip

Tattooing your pet is a great and permanent way to protect your companion if they ever get lost. This relatively painless procedure uses inks or pastes that won’t react with the animal’s blood or tissue. Also, unlike a RFID chip which needs to be scanned, the tattoo is visible to the naked eye. Additionally, implanted microchips can migrate within the animal, so when they are scanned, there is the possibility that no information will be found. Finally, tattooing your animal will protect them if they are accidentally donated to a research lab, as labs are prohibited by law to use tattooed animals in experiments.

Interested? Here’s a video detailing the procedure.

Where can I get my pet Tattooed?

While Ketchum doesn’t offer pet tattoo supplies, we do carry tattoo equipment and ink for identifying your cattle and live stock. For pets, tattoos can be done by veterinarians and then are registered. Different animal organizations (humane societies, breed clubs, etc.,) have registry procedures, ask your local vet on what the procedures are to get your pet’s tattoo ID registered. The largest organization that does pet tattooing is tattoo-a-pet.com, who has been providing a pet tattoo registry since the early 1970’s.

One Final Word

No single method can keep your pet safe. While tattooing is a great alternative to microchipping your animal, it does not guarantee their safety. You should always have multiple methods of identifying your animals. Collars and tags should always be your first line of defense when ID’ing your pets, these other methods should always be a back-up method. We have a full line of different pet collar ID tags and vaccination tags available on our website.

Lisa Podwirny is the owner of Ketchum Mfg. Connect with her on Google+!

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September 2, 2014

The Introductory Guide to Raising Cattle

Introduction to Raising Cattle Back in August we wrote about the benefits of raising chickens (and tips for starting). One of the reasons the activity is becoming so popular is that you can do it in such a small space for such a small amount of money.

Raising cattle isn’t exactly the same. Yes, the benefits are outstanding. But you need more time, more money, and more space. Let’s go into it a little further.

Know Your Space

Sure, raising beef cattle is going to take up some space. But you certainly don’t need an enormous property. If you’re planning on grazing the cows on pasture you will need roughly 2 acres of space per animal. Also, cattle can be raised in a feedlot situation where you provide all the roughage and feed for them in a smaller enclosed space. Make sure you have a strong perimeter fence made of either six-strand high-tensile or four-foot high woven wire, a strong pen or corral, a shelter, and clean loafing and eating areas.

Choose Your Cattle

Many farmers might tell you that before you buy a cow take a look at their cattle. This couldn’t be more true. When purchasing your cattle make sure they are healthy. The cows should be alert, but not wild. Their eyes should be clear and free of discharge. Their breathing should be smooth without any irregularities. Their body should be full and rounded, and they should be able to move with a free and easy stride. Absolutely avoid buying any cattle with mucus coming out of their nose or if you notice any swollen legs or joints as this can be a sign of illness or infection which can possibly infect your other cattle.

Feeding Your Cattle

One of the main things that you can do to make sure your cattle stay healthy is to take care of their nutritional needs. Water is the most important nutrient to provide for your cattle, and make sure that you have a lot of it. The average full grown cow will consume somewhere between twelve to twenty gallons of water each day. Also be prepared for big appetites, as a cow can consume up to 3 percent of its body weight in dry feed per day.

Keeping Your Cattle Healthy

While nutrition is a big part of keeping your cows healthy, preventing disease and injury is just as important. Make sure to provide a stress-free environment for your cattle. Stress can make them more prone to diseases, so when handling your cattle make sure to do so in a calm and patient fashion. Also, make sure to monitor how much they eat. A decreased appetite can be an early sign of sickness in cattle. Finally, make sure to develop a strong working relationship with your veterinarian. Your vet can be a fantastic advisor to make sure that your cattle stays healthy and disease-free.

I hope this short article helps you get an idea on how to get started with raising cattle!

Lisa Podwirny is the owner of Ketchum Mfg. Connect with her on Google+!

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