Tails of a Pet Blogger

How many times have you seen it on the news? A family’s house burns down and everyone makes it out except for the pets. When a house is on fire humans will try to get out, but pets don’t know what is going on, are scared, and will usually hide. Or, the house catches on fire when no one is at home so the pets have no way of getting out. Like humans, the pets usually do not die directly from the flames, but from the smoke that the fire produces.

October is National Fire Safety Awareness month. Wag’N Enterprises has a program called O2 Fur Life which provides life-saving pet oxygen kits to first responders and private consumers. During October they, and the kit-manufacturer McCulloch Medical, are offering free shipping. The kits contain three different sizes of masks and work similarly to those used on humans. A demonstration on how they work can be seen below.

The executive director of the Pet Emergency Management Division for Wag’N, Ines de Pablo, said that the goal of the O2 Fur Life program is to have all first responders in North America carry pet oxygen masks. The program was created when she realized that most first responders weren’t equipped to handle the aftercare of pets rescued from emergencies such as fires.

Wag’N Enterprises offers an extensive collection of tools and services for people and their pets in case of an emergency. For more information, you can visit their website at veterinarian salary.

Do you have indoor/outdoor cats? If so, have you ever had an unwelcome neighbor cat enter your home? Or maybe even wildlife such as raccoons who can severely damage your home? This can be a real problem, and a danger, with regular cat doors.

For these reasons I would like to tell you about the SureFlap cat door. The SureFlap is activated by your cat’s microchip, which is inserted by a veterinarian through an injection between the shoulder blades. After storing the microchip number the door will automatically unlock when your cat approaches.

Storing your cat’s microchip number is very easy to do. Just set the product to “learn mode” and allow your cat to pass through the door. Your cat’s unique microchip number will automatically be stored, ensuring that only cats who have gone through this process will be able to enter your home. Don’t worry if you have more than one cat, as the SureFlap can store up to 32 microchip numbers.

The SureFlap is compatible with the FDXA (10-digit), FDXB (15-digit), and Avid Secure/Encrypted (9-digit) microchips. Testing is advised before installation to ensure your cat’s microchip is compatible.

SureFlap is powered by 4 AA batteries (not included). Because it only turns on when your cat uses the door the batteries generally last for an entire year. A low battery indicator light will let you know when it is time to change the batteries. When it is time to change the batteries there is no need to store your cat’s microchip number again because it stays in the memory whether the batteries are in place or not.

SureFlap is suitable for most cat breeds with its 5.59″ wide by 5.39″ tall entry portal. A larger model appropriate for small dogs should be available during the first half of 2012.

SureFlap is easy to install in doors, windows, or walls with glass mounting and wall installation kits available.

The SureFlap is available for purchase for $149.99 plus shipping and handling at SureFlap