Pets Blog

State Farm Florida announced in January that it is leaving the Florida Property and Casualty Insurance Market. The only items yet to be determined are the details of the withdrawal plan and the timing around when the policy cancellations will begin.

Front and center are the estimated 700,000 State Farm Florida home insurance policies that are expected to be cancelled over a two year period – that’s over 29,000 policies that will be cancelled each and every month for two years. No matter how you look at it, this is probably the most significant shock and disruption to the Florida home insurance market in history – and it could not be happening at a worse time.

For starters, many of those State Farm Florida home insurance cancellations will begin at almost the exact same time that Citizens Property Insurance Corporation will begin raising its rates in 2010 as required by state law.

Although dumping on big insurance in Florida has become one of our favorite things to do, here are some little known facts that won’t ever make the coverage of State Farm Florida’s planned withdrawal from the state:

State Farm Florida policyholders love this company, its customer service, the multiline discounts, and the overall speed at which the company responded to the Florida hurricanes of 2004/2005.

When State Farm Florida policyholders are asked to rate their satisfaction with State Farm on a scale of “1-10″ many give them a satisfaction rating of “10″ even if their policy is being dropped by the company!

Although State Farm Florida’s 47% rate increase was turned down prior to their withdrawal announcement, most of the data that we are collecting says that the annual premiums State Farm Florida policyholders are paying are among the lowest in Florida – due in part to the multi-line discounts for auto, home, and life along with major wind mitigation credits that many customers are receiving.  Read more...

It may come as a surprise, if you’re a new cat owner, that many health problems may befall your feline friend. Some problems are easily preventable, while others are hereditary.

Hairballs

Hairballs are among the most common of cat health problems. Cats groom themselves almost constantly, and swallow the loose hair that comes off their tongues. Occasionally, the hair gathers into a ball and lodges in the cat’s digestive tract instead of passing on through the body. If your cat starts coughing and hacking, he probably has a hairball. While the end product is unpleasant for the owner, most cats don’t have a problem dislodging hairballs.

However, hairballs can occasionally pass into a cat’s intestines and cause a blockage. This can be a life-threatening problem. There are a few signs to look for to see if your cat’s hairball is dangerous. If your cat is constipated, off his feed, or is lethargic with a dull coat, then he could have a serious blockage. A vet exam is definitely in order.

To prevent hairballs, groom your cat frequently to remove loose hair. In addition, feed your cat food that helps control hairballs.

Worms

For many cats, worms are a recurring problem. Roundworms, tapeworms, and hookworms most commonly infect cats. Cats can occasionally develop heartworms, as well. If your cat seems unable to gain wait, is infested with fleas, or has white specks that look like grains of rice in his stools, take him to the veterinarian for worm testing.

Worms are easily cured with a few doses of medication, but if left untreated, they can be fatal.

Urinary Tract Infections  Read more...

For many homeowners, a garden is their pride and joy. They till and weed and plant new seed. They enjoy the freshness and aesthetics of plants, walkways and bougainvillea draped fencing. But with bird season upon us, gardens unprotected by effective bird control measures can be vulnerable to invasion from destructive pests that eat plants and fill yards with droppings. This waste is not only unsightly but can carry any number of infectious diseases–up to 60 in fact.

Bird droppings cause unsightly stains on fencing, gazebos, patio structures and awnings. Pigeons are prime offenders, leaving messy and unattractive droppings and other waste materials. Great blue heron can eat valuable fish in your pond. Woodpeckers can destroy wood roofing shingles and turn attractive siding into “Swiss cheese.” Starlings and blackbirds can eat those fruits and vegetables you nurtured all year and are so proud of. Canada geese will chew up grass and deposit nearly a pound a day (per goose) of droppings.

What to do?

Many homeowners, frustrated and angry over pest birds, may be tempted to resort to lethal bird control measures. Poisons (avicides) are not a good idea, since they can be ingested by pets and pose additional hazards to adults and children. These are also tightly controlled by the government and many species of birds are protected, so their use is extremely restricted. Firearms, even BB guns are also not a good idea, since they pose noise and harm to neighbors, pets and property. Trapping birds is one option, but this method won’t stop birds from invading your garden. If your garden is attractive for roosting and nesting, they’ll just keep on coming. Whereupon trapping birds will become your life’s work.

Some proven Bird Control Measures  Read more...

There are three different Pet Society sports that you can start playing almost immediately in the game. The ball is unlocked from the moment you hit Level 2 (which is done in the tutorial), and the Frisbee will be unlocked in a very short order after that. The third and final of the Pet Society sports is the jump rope, which will be the hardest but also the most rewarding of the three if you can master how complex it is. Together, these three Pet Society Secrets are going to allow you to reach all new heights in the game when it comes to earning Paw Points and landing those tough gold trophies.

Tips for Tossing the Ball

The ball in Pet Society is a tricky sport if you have too much space to play in. The key here is that your pet is going to start throwing it harder the longer you play. If you have a lot of space to play with, you’ll find it hard to stay behind the ball and keep it from hitting the floor. If you have a big house, go to a smaller house of a friend somewhere to play so that you can use the walls as locations for it bounce off of.

Tips for the Frisbee

The same holds true for the Frisbee, except this one is absolutely vital that you have a small house for. The Frisbee travels faster and is smaller, so it is harder to click on if your reflexes are not top notch. Make sure to have as little space as possible and you’ll be okay though.

Tips for the Jump Rope  Read more...

Hundreds if not thousands of stray dogs are found each year around the world with no one in sight and nowhere to go. These dogs are often in great danger whether it’s because of neglect on the owners’ behalf, or because of unforeseen circumstances causing the dog to become lost and scared.

What can be done in these situations can be a tricky choice, and a choice that will need to be done quickly. Simply driving past a suspected stray dog on the side of the road could end in the death of the dog minutes later.

What to do when you find a stray dog is different in almost every case, but there are guidelines to follow to help save the life of a scared stray, and put the mind of the loving owner at ease.

To begin you should always be aware that the dog in question may be very aggressive due to being scared, lost, and possibly very hungry, so approach with care. If you feel the dog is not a violent one then you should still be very careful not to startle or scare the dog in any way, a scared dog could easily run onto a busy road or dangerous area.

A good way to reassure the dog you are not there to harm them and to get them close is to use a strong smelling food such as tuna or other dog favourites as well as speaking gently and calmly to the dog.

When you finally get the dog under control and have no fears of aggressive behavior, reassuring the dog by stroking and talking to them will make it easier for others to deal with them. If you have leash or any other form of dog control with you then try and secure the dog with them, still being careful not to scare the dog.  Read more...