Hydration is an extremely important part of your cat’s overall health. Exactly how much water should your cat drink every day? How can you make sure your feline is getting enough? The amount of water consumption depends on a variety of factors, including the size of your cat, the time of year and whether your cat’s diet includes wet food or dry cat food only. If cats are given dry food only, they will require significantly more supplemental water to stay acceptably hydrated. Normally, a cat will require 2-4 ounces of fresh water in addition to its food. Dry food is only 10 percent water, while canned is approximately 80 percent water. So obviously your cat is going to drink a lot more water if you are providing dry food only.

How Can I Tell If My Cat Is Getting Enough Water?

There are a few simple signs that will give you a pretty good indication of your cat is staying hydrated:

• Skin elasticity. Gently pull the skin at the base of your cat’s neck (scruff). The skin should spring back when you release it. If it does not, your cat might not be getting enough water.
• A shiny coat without dry flakes is a sign of hydration
• Your cat should exhibit normal physical activity and not be overly lethargic
• Is your cat urinating 2-3 times per day? You can tell if this is happening by checking your cat’s litter box for medium-sized clumps.

Source: Catster

The Chihuahua is the Smallest Breed of Dog in the World. The Chihuahua has one of the largest color combinations of any breed. Chihuahuas can come in virtually any color combination. The color varieties are as big as you can imagine. Their hair also comes in long, short or mid-coat. It can be wiry or silky, and can be single coat or double coat. The Chihuahua has one of the longest lifespans. It has an average lifespan of 10 – 18 years. With many Chihuahuas living well over 20 years old. Toy breeds generally live longer than larger breeds. Source: Totally Chihuahuas

I looked at the rising Sun and asked, “What have you to teach me today?” I heard a voice which said, “Always generate more light than heat” All mornings are like Paintings. You need a little inspiration to get going, a little smile to brighten up and SMS from someone like me to color your day. ~Santabanta sms

If your cat’s eyes are closed, it’s not necessarily because it’s tired. A sign of closed eyes means your cat is happy or pleased. A cat’s field of vision does not cover the area right under its nose. Want to call a hairball by its scientific name? Next time, say the word “bezoar.” Source: AnimalPlanet

Being surrounded by wrong people is the loneliest thing in the World. Being alone is a state of being that no one wants to be in. It is easy to get caught up feeling sad and detached from the rest of the world, but one must realize that they have to use times of loneliness to build their relationships with God, and also to build upon the foundation that is considered their life.

Don’t take being alone as a bad thing, for times of loneliness are actually good times, times in which a person can focus on strengthening their own mind to push their selves towards their own dreams and desires. Alone isn’t always lonely, sometimes it may be, but most times alone is just a season in our lives, a season in which we must focus on building, or rebuilding, a season in which we have to work on the fight inside of ourselves so that we may soon take it to the rest of the world. ~By J. Johnson

Many dogs love car rides. Be sure to keep your dog secured with a seat belt or other safety device. Dogs are creatures of habit. They like familiarity and form expectations and schedules. Dogs can know you as much by scent as by eyesight (if not more!), and you can help them feel secure when you leave by providing a soft object that has your scent on it. (A sweatshirt or blanket you sleep with). Source: The Dog Guide

As we go through life, and we learn more from our experiences, it is impossible to avoid the lessons that pain will bring. The key to overcoming the pain in your life is to realize that though pain is something that is inevitably a part of life, we have the choice of whether we are going to wallow in it and suffer, or move on from it, and do our best to let it go.

Our lives are much too short to just focus on the hurtful times, and instead we should make great attempts to stay on the path towards greatness and reaching our dreams despite how much pain we may be in. Eventually the pain of your present will diminish, and if you waste time by not continuing to move forward you will be set back much further than you would have if you would of just worked through it. So hold on, be strong; keep pushing through the rough patches in life, because eventually pain ends. ~By J. Johnson

To all the girls who don’t have a special person
to send them a ‘good night’ text.
‘Good night. Beautiful and sweet dreams.’

~Unknown

A Dhammatalk by Ajahn Chah

Take a look at the example of the Buddha. Both in his own practice and in his methods for teaching the disciples he was exemplary. The Buddha taught the standards of practice as skillful means for getting rid of conceit, he couldn’t do the practice for us. Having heard that teaching we must further teach ourselves, practice for ourselves. The results will arise here, not at the teaching.

The Buddha’s teaching can only enable us to get an initial understanding of the Dhamma, but the Dhamma is not yet within our hearts. Why not? Because we haven’t yet practiced, we haven’t yet taught ourselves. The Dhamma arises at the practice. If you know it, you know it through the practice. If you doubt it, you doubt it at the practice. Teachings from the Masters may be true, but simply listening to Dhamma is not yet enough to enable us to realize it. The teaching simply points out the way to realize. To realize the Dhamma we must take that teaching and bring it into our hearts. That part which is for the body we apply to the body, that part which is for the speech we apply to the speech, and that part which is for the mind we apply to the mind. This means that after hearing the teaching we must further teach ourselves to know that Dhamma, to be that Dhamma.

The Buddha said that those who simply believe others are not truly wise. A wise person practices until he is one with the Dhamma, until he can have confidence in himself, independent of others.

On one occasion, while Venerable Sāriputta was sitting, listening respectfully at his feet as the Buddha expounded the Dhamma, the Buddha turned to him and asked,

”Sāriputta, do you believe this teaching?”

Venerable Sāriputta replied, ”No, I don’t yet believe it.”

Now this is a good illustration. Venerable Sāriputta listened, and he took note. When he said he didn’t yet believe he wasn’t being careless, he was speaking the truth. He simply took note of that teaching, because he had not yet developed his own understanding of it, so he told the Buddha that he didn’t yet believe – because he really didn’t believe. These words almost sound as if VenerableSāriputta was being rude, but actually he wasn’t. He spoke the truth, and the Buddha praised him for it.

”Good, good, Sāriputta. A wise person doesn’t readily believe, he should consider first before believing.”

Conviction in a belief can take various forms. One form reasons according to Dhamma, while another form is contrary to the Dhamma. This second way is heedless, it is a foolhardy understanding, micchā-ditthi, wrong view. One doesn’t listen to anybody else.

Take the example of Dīghanakha the Brahman. This Brahman only believed himself, he wouldn’t believe others. At one time when the Buddha was resting at Rājagaha, Dīghanakha went to listen to his teaching. Or you might say that Dīghanakha went to teach the Buddha because he was intent on expounding his own views…

”I am of the view that nothing suits me.”

This was his view. The Buddha listened to Dīghanakha’s view and then answered,

”Brahman, this view of yours doesn’t suit you either.”

When the Buddha had answered in this way, Dīghanakha was stumped. He didn’t know what to say. The Buddha explained in many ways, till the Brahman understood. He stopped to reflect and saw….

”Hmm, this view of mine isn’t right.” Continue reading →