Tag Archives: Prevention

Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED)

May 28, 2023   Matt

Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED)

Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED)
What is CPTED? The official book definition is “the proper design and effective use of the built environment that can lead to a reduction in the fear and incidence of crime and an improvement in the quality of life.” It is simply a goal to reduce opportunities for crime that may be inherent in the design of structures or in the design of neighborhoods. In other words, make your home or neighborhood unappealing to burglars and thugs.
Cities and Counties throughout the country are adopting CPTED ordinances requiring site plan reviews with crime prevention in mind. Law enforcement officers who are specially trained in CPTED are now working closely with Planners, Architects, City Officials, and Educators to ensure the proper design of structures, schools, and neighborhoods. These experts know how the design and use of the environment can control human or criminal behavior and reduce the fear of crime. They used natural means such as landscaping to deter criminals. Access control, natural surveillance, different aspects of lighting and its effects on human behavior, all deter crime.
Many landscape specialists incorporate CPTED into their layout & design of landscapes. Each of the following CPTED strategies are low cost guidelines that they apply to reduce the fear and incidence of crime and improve the quality of life.
1. Natural Access Control guides people entering & leaving a space through the placement of entrances, exits, fences, landscaping & lighting. Access control can decrease opportunities for criminal activity by denying criminals access to potential targets & creating a perception of risk for would-be offenders. Walkways & landscaping should direct visitors to the proper entrance & away from private areas. The design should create a perception of risk for would-be offenders. Walkways should be installed in locations safe for pedestrians & keep them unobscured.
2. Natural Surveillance is the placement of physical features, activities & people in a way that maximizes visibility. A potential criminal is less likely to attempt a crime if he or she is at risk of being observed. At the same time, we are likely to feel safer when we can see & be seen. The landscaping should be selected and installed to allow unobstructed views of doors & windows. The front door should be at least partially visible from the street. Shrubs & bushes near windows should not restrict full visibility of the property. Sidewalks & all areas of the yard should be well lit.
3. Territorial Reinforcement is use of physical attributes that express ownership such as fences, signage, landscaping, lighting, pavement designs, etc. Defined property lines and clear distinctions between private & public spaces are examples of the application of territoriality. Front porches or stoops should create a transitional area between the street & the home. Property lines & private areas should be defined with plantings, fences or retaining walls. Use thorny plants along fence lines and under windows to deter access by intruders.
4. Maintenance is a well maintained home, building or community, and creates a sense of ownership. A well kept area tends to make someone feel like they will be observed by neighbors or business owners as it is obvious people care about the area. Keep trees & shrubs trimmed back from windows, doors & walkways. Keep shrubs trimmed to 3 feet & prune the lower branches of trees up to 7 feet. Use exterior lighting at night & keep it in working order. Keep litter & trash picked up & the yard neat & free of items that might attract theft.
You can find links to more CPTED resources at www.kicklighter-landscaping.com.

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Serious Cat Urine Prevention Tips

January 24, 2023   Matt

Serious Cat Urine Prevention Tips

Many times cat owners are at a loss as to why their cat doesn’t use their litter box. Here are some great tips that can help you solve the problem.
The litter box is the first thing you should check. It should be in a quiet, private area of the house. Many people put them in their basements and leave the door open a little as this not only creates a private environment but also keeps odors to a minimum in the rest of the house.
Some use a closet but if you do this be sure and keep the box clean to reduce odors in such a confined space and don’t forget to leave the door open!
Another placement possibility is under a table. Many people find a place without carpeting is best from a maintenance point of view as tile or cement is a lot easier to clean.
Ask yourself if you changed the litter box in any way:
Has the box been moved to a high traffic area recently?
Does the box need cleaning?
Is a new litter being used or does it have too heavy a scent (clumping and unscented is best).
Has the depth of the litter in the box changed? Some cats like their litter deep, others shallow.
Your cat has outgrown the box and needs a larger one.
The box is too hard to enter and exit. This can be an issue for older cats.
Do not put food and water near the litter box. Cats like these two areas kept separate (don’t you?).
If your cat has picked out a particular room to soil try closing the door to that room if you can or cover the target area with furniture.
Put a bowl of food over the target area as cats like to keep their eating area away from their “bathroom”.
Take your cat to the Vet on a regular basis.
If you have more than one cat get each one of them their own litter box.
Have you recently moved? A cat might smell an area where the previous owner’s cat urinated.
Let the cat alone while it goes so it can have some privacy.
If it is a new cat in your home it could take from three to eight weeks to get adjusted to the new environment. Be patient!
Was there a recent addition or loss to the family? A new baby, spouse? This is usually temporary until the cat adjusts to the change in their environment.
A change in your schedule can throw off your cat’s schedule as well and cause problems. Try and phase in major lifestyle changes gradually.
NEVER EVER punish the cat by kicking, hitting, chasing, screaming or rubbing their nose in their urine (remember the smell doesn’t bother them). Cats cannot make the cause and effect connection like we can so punishment after the fact is useless and will only make matters worse.
Cats are naturally very clean animals and they know where they are going. It is important to remember this and try and help your cat overcome any stress or anxiety they might be having in a caring and loving manner.
Visit www-cat-urine-remover.com for more great advice on preventing cat urine problems and cleaning tips.

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Prevention and also Detection of Dog Ear Infections

January 15, 2020   Matt

Avoidance as well as Discovery of Pet Dog Ear Infections

Ear infections are a rather usual ailment for a lot of pet dogs– the issue is, you could not recognize that there is a problem up until its an unpleasant issue for your canine.

Detection

Do you see your pet drinking it’s head a little frequently? Does your canine scrub it’s ears with it’s paws, on the rug, on the furnishings, on your leg? Does your pet love it a little way too much when you scrape it ears? These are all feasible indicators of an ear infection.

Did your dog used to love obtaining it’s ears scraped now avoids you when you grab it’s ears? That’s a certain indicator of an ear infection.

Right here are two other signs of this particular problem: You see what looks like dirt in your pets ears as well as question what its been up to. Your canine has an uncommonly negative odor– also shortly after a bath.

That most likely isn’t dust in the pet dogs ears (unless its been messing around in some extremely filthy locations)– its most likely a build-up of ear wax and also, if it is ear wax, that’s possibly also the reason for the mysterious smell.

An excess of foul-smelling ear wax would, most of the times, be brought on by inflamed (infected) ceruminous glands (wax glands) in it’s ears. When these glands obtain infected they discharge additional amounts of ear wax. The excess ear wax creates the dogs ears to impulse in the beginning, that’s why the massaging and the blissful look when you scratch it’s ears. Eventually, if you do not find the issue as well as get the dog to a vet, the wax build-up will certainly become agonizing and the dog will not desire you to touch its ears and also the pet dog will certainly become lifeless and most likely not intend to do anything except ordinary around– waiting for the discomfort to disappear.

The situation defined over is a typical external ear infection as well as outer ear infections are by much one of the most typical pet dog ear infections. The clinical name is Otits Externa– merely suggesting “infection in the external ear.” Just to complicate matters, you must know that canines with ear infections usually end up with another issue– ear mites.

Prevention

Your dog requires you to secure it from the pain of an ear infection and right here’s how you can do it: do not wait for the indicators of an ear infection, check your dog’s ears at the very least once a week.

– Feeling the skin on the within (least haired side) of each ear. The skin must feel completely smooth– if this skin feels harsh or rough you may already have an ear infection trouble on your hands.

– Consider the ear– you need to see a typical (not red or puffy) looking ear canal. Worst case: you’ll see some type of yellow or dark discharge or possibly pus draining from the ear.

– Odor the ear– you should not scent anything undesirable.

– If you see any type of indicators of an ear infection, get your pet to a veterinarian.

– If you see a little wax or dirt in the ear but it doesn’t seem to be troubling the pet dog, tidy it’s ears. Also if the ear looks clean and also clear, and you have not cleaned up the pet dog’s ears for a week approximately, tidy the ears.

Cleansing Your Dog’s Ears

If you are not currently cleansing your canines ears often, it may attempt to obtain away from you because it’s uncertain what you are doing and also afraid that whatever it is will harm. Calm the pet dog down by cuddling it and also talking gently to it– your intonation is constantly the trick to your dog’s responses. When you have actually started cleansing it’s ears regularly the do will obtain made use of to it and even value the extra interest.

– Obtain an ear laundry service made specifically for pets. Get it from a pet supply store or from your vet.

– Apply some ear laundry remedy to the within of the dogs ears with a cotton sphere or cotton-tipped swab. (Careful! Do not have the cotton sphere or swab trickling wet– you do not intend to obtain anything down in the ear canal.).

Around now, your dog will intend to shake it’s head to get the excess moisture out of it’s ears– it’s OKAY– let him or her shake it out.

– Take a fresh cotton tab with more of the ear-wash solution on it and clean up the within the ear, around the folds up and positions where ear wax could construct up.

Do not enter into cleansing deep down into the ear canal– that’s for a vet to do. If you see any type of build-up of ear wax deep down, let your veterinarian care for it.

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