The Not So Great Outdoors

Hi Everyone,

Fo the cat here.  I had such a big scare recently. It was so scary that I think it cost me one of my nine lives.

The door to the outside of our house was accidently left open.  I was walking by and the sounds and smells coming in from the garden were so interesting, I followed my nose out the door and into big trouble.

It started out as a wonderful experience.  I loved feeling the grass under my feet and the sun on my back but remember I’m blind.  I wasn’t outside long when I realized I didn’t know where I was and I could hear other animals all around me. I panicked and ran and ran.  I don’t know how long or how far but it was suddenly night time.

Meanwhile my girl was at home crying because I was gone.  It was too late to come looking for me but early the next morning her Dad did come looking.  He looked and looked and then a nice lady told him she heard a noise coming from a grate in the street.

He looked in the grate and saw that was where I was hiding.  I was so happy when he brought me home again.

As much as I liked being outside at first, it is too scary and I will never, ever go outside again.  There are lots of dangers for cats outside but there is a way for humans to let us experience the outside while keeping us perfectly safe.

All they have to do is get a catio.  In case you hadn’t heard, a catio is an enclosed space that lets cats enjoy fresh air, exercise and simply sit in the sun and watch (or listen to) the birds and other animals.  It’s just an escape proof screened in box but with a little imagination, it can be a really wonderful place.

A catio can be small, fitting in a window, or a big, set in the yard or on a deck.  There are lots of ideas for catios on the internet.   If they are handy with tools a human can build one with a little bit of lumber and some chicken wire.  They can find plans on line or can buy kits that have all the material so they only need to be assembled.

For those who aren’t very good with a hammer, catios can be bought fully assembled.

Add a scratch post, soft pillow and water bowl and your catio can be a vacation paradise for your cat.

I have had enough of the outdoors for the time being so I think I’ll just sit in the window and soak up the sun.

Love,

Fo

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Take A Hike

It’s summer time in Northern New Hampshire. Majestic is the word Mom likes when she describes New Hampshire’s mountains.  I know, the Rocky Mountains are nice, but, being New Englanders we think we live in the most beautiful part of the world.

Every summer people from all over the place come to hike our mountains.  And every Monday morning our newspapers are filled with reports of people who have gotten themselves lost.

I usually don’t pay much attention to such reports but this weekend a lady was rescued after she got herself lost when her dog bolted off the trail and she went looking for her.  The lady used her cell phone to get help and her dog found some other hikers who took her to safety.  Luckily it was a happy ending for all but when you realize that New Hampshire has something like 4.8 million acres of forest land, getting lost is very serious.

We do a little hiking, mostly at a place called Cherry Pond Reserve because it is close to home.  It’s only about 125 acres and has really well marked trails but Mom and Dad are very careful when we go there.  I can go off leash for most of the walk but DixieLee is NEVER off leash.  She’s a hound and if she gets on a scent, she could end up in Canada.  I worry because she doesn’t have a passport so she won’t be able to get back into the USA!

We follow trail regulations and practice good etiquette.  Well, most of us do.  DixieLee thinks everyone is her best friend and, even though she is on leash, tries to run at people and other dogs.

We always give non-dog hikers the right of way.  We step off of the trail and wait for them to pass by.

Even though we are in the woods, Mom still brings poop bags and cleans up after us.

Our hikes are only a couple of hours long but we still bring bottled water and a small bowl to drink from.  And we are not allowed to drink from the pond or any of the water we find along the way.

Cuz our hikes are short we don’t need a lot of equipment but I know some dogs who have their own backpacks and have to carry food and water and even a first aid kit with them.

We don’t hike on very hot days either.  Dogs need to be in top physical condition to go on hikes so older or sickly dogs might enjoy a day at a dog park more than a hike up a steep mountain trail.

I hope you get to spend some time out of doors with your humans this summer and if you are vacationing in Northern New Hampshire, we know you will have a great time!

Happy Trails

,

Your friend,

Zeva

P.S. Blatant self-promotion.  Check out the large selection of dog and cat gift baskets at our website PawPalsBoutique,com and follow us on Facebook at PawPalsBoutique. 

Five Second Rule Challenged

My sister DixieLee and I love to watch Mom and Dad eat.  Although it hasn't happened yet, there is always the chance that some of their yummy food will fall on the floor and we will get to eat it.

We all know that there are human foods that are very, very bad for dogs.  Foods like chocolate, grapes and raisins, onion, garlic and leeks, candy and baked goods with sugar and the sugar free ones with artificial sweeteners and cooked bones.  Some of these foods are so bad that they can make a dog be died!

What we don't hear about so often are the human foods that are good for dogs.

I was talking with my friend Beauregard and he said his Mom feeds him a raw diet made up of totally human foods.  Boy is he a lucky dog!

Our Mom is a horrible cook but there are some human foods we get that are super good for us.   Here are some of our favorites:

1.  Peanut butter.  Mom hides pills in peanut butter.  We know she is doing it but the peanut butter is so good, we don't care.  You have to be careful which peanut butter you buy.   It should be unsalted and have no xylitol in it cuz salt and artificial sweeteners are bad for dogs.

2,  Carrots.  Carrots are our favorite snack.   We like carrots even better than cookies.  Mom likes us to have them cuz they have vitamins and the crunchiness is good for our teeth.  We like them because they are sweet.

3.  Broccoli.  Dad doesn't like many veggies but he loves broccoli which is alright with us cuz he give us a taste some times.  Not too often though cuz it can make our tummies irritated.

4.  Yogurt.  Yogurt is another food that Mom can hide pills in.  Dogs that are 'lergic to dairy shouldn't eat yogurt and no dogs should eat yogurt that has sugar or any artificial sweeteners.

5.  Sweet Potatoes.  This is Mom's very favorite food.  Some people consider it a “super food” which means they have lots good stuff in them.  We like them because, like carrots, they satisfy our sweet tooths.

I could tell you about others but just writing about all these good foods is making me hungry.  I think I'll wander in the kitchen to see if anything is in danger of falling on the floor.

Bone appetite,

Your friend,

Zeva

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Are You A Helicopter Pet Parent?

My sister DixieLee isn't feeling so good. She doesn't want to play with me and she is not hungry. DL will eat anything at anytime so when she is not hungry, there is definitely something wrong. DixieLee has an appointment with the vet but not for some days yet. Mom is worried but Dad is really upset.

Mom said he was acting like a helicopter parent. I know that peoples Moms and Dads can be helicopter parents but I was surprised that there are helicopter pet parents too. While helicopter parents have a bad rep in the people world, they are may be the best kind to have in the dog world.

Unlike human babies who grow up to be teenagers and adults, dogs stay as dependent as babies and need close supervision and attention all of our lives.

We found a lists on Google that mention some of the traits of a helicopter pet parent. Although Mom didn't match all of them, she did find lots of things in common with other pet parents. Like:

1. Refusing to board us. Mom and Dad are going to a wedding later this summer and are stressing about having us stay in a kennel. At the other house we knew lots of people so someone would always stay with us if they went away.

2. Having more photos of their pets than other family members. Just check out Mom's Facebook page and guess whose photos you will see most. It could be that I am just so photogenic and DixieLee does such cute things all the time that she can't help it.

3. Avoiding vaccuming because we don't like it. Geez, we are only protecting them from that big, noisy monster.

4. Spending more time shopping for us than for themselves. Of course they do. It's important to choose just the right toy or treat.

5. Being particular about our food. We feel a little deprived in this area. We have friends like Bumo and Miu who get home cooked or raw food diets. We're stuck with dry kibble. Granted, it's high quality but it's still dry food. But, Mom did bring home some fancy canned food to see if she could get DixieLee to eat. Boy, she inhaled that and I did get a taste too.

There were tons more Mom found that described her but there were some that . Lots of dogs like my cousin Sophie who wear sweaters,coats and boots and we have two friends, Bella and Bekka who dress in dresses and all sorts of cute clothes. They, like lots of littler dogs ride in a stroller when they go out.

The bestest part of having a helicopter parent is that they make sure we get the best care all because they love us as much as we love them.

Your friend,

Zeva

p.S.  Blatant self-promotion.  We forgot to mention, buy gifts for their pets.  We recommend Paw Pals Boutique where we believe that pets are people too.

Our Least Favorite Holiday

Mom and I usually choose a blog topic together. Since the 4^th of July is only a few days away, I thought I would be good to remind people that loud noises, like firework, are very, very scary for pets. I realize that the 4^th of July is a very important holiday for all Americans, human and dog, the loud noise made by fireworks is more than most of us dogs can handle.

I wanted to talk about what humans can do to make their pets feel more safe and unafraid while the humans can enjoy the sound and colors of a fireworks display. 

Lots of our friends already know how to keep their pets safe and unafraid but there were people who never lived with pets before and they may not know that loud noises are dangerous for dogs and cats, and horses and ferrets and…. Well all animals.

First of all, most pets don’t pay attention to the calendar so, unlike humans, they don’t know it is the 4^th of July.  They aren't expecting the day to be any different from the 3^rd of July so it's a big scary surprise when all the big noise starts. And please, as much as you might like to take us along to see the community fireworks, we would prefer to stay at home.

You know our sense of smell is much greater than that of humans, well, our hearing averages about four times greater than yours too. That means fireworks are very, very loud.

So, while you may enjoy the sight and sound of fireworks on the 4^th of July, your pets may not. While you are sitting on the front porch, enjoying the display, your pet may experience an increase in heart rate, a rush of adrenaline and increase in stress hormones that could cause him or her to bolt. The stress can be so intense that dogs jump fences and break chains trying to get away from the noise.

The American Humane Society reports that July 5th is the busiest day of the year at animal shelters, as pets that fled ran away because they were scared the night before are found miles from their homes  They were disoriented and exhausted.

Here are a number of thing you can do to make sure your pets are comfortable and safe this July 4^th.

1. Leave them at home and inside. If it is warm, leave the air conditioning on.

2. Provide a "safe" place for them. Our crates are our safe place but during thunderstorms and on the 4th of July, DixieLee likes to hide in Mom’s closet.

3. If possible keep the windows and curtains closed.

4. Make sure your pets are wearing their ID tags and that their collars fit properly just in case they bolt.

5. Give them something to keep them occupied. I’d vote for a Frosty Paws frozen dog treat but a favorite toy can comforting too.

It’s only a few hours out of a whole year but those few hours can be very traumatic for a pet. Make sure your best friend doesn’t end up as a statistic on the American Humane Society report for next year.

Wishing America a Happy Birthday and all of our friends a happy and safe July 4^th!

Zeva

P.S.  Blatant self-promotion.  Did you know that gift baskets make the perfect gift for pets as well as humans?  Check out our huge selection of pet gift baskets at PawPalsBoutique.com 

If It Fits, I Sits

Hi everyone, Fo here.

Like most dogs and many humans, Zeva finds cats to be very mysterious creatures. For example, she asked me why cats like to sit in boxes, bags, flower pots or other weird places.

Well, we cats like being mysterious. As far as why we like to snuggle in boxes and other small spaces, there are several reasons.

Cats are hunters and a box makes a great hiding place. We can watch our prey and ambush them when they get close.

It's also advisable to have good hiding places when you need to hide from predators and enclosed spaces like boxes help us to feel safe. Cats sleep a lot. We need anywhere from 12 to 16 hours every day. A good box makes us feel safe while we are sleeping.

Don't let our nonchalance fool you. We may appear to be calm and indifferent but we get stressed out too. We also like to avoid conflict so retreating to a box is a way for us to get away. Zeva tells me she like to go into her crate when she is feeling stressed. A crate is nothing but a big box.

Boxes also keep us warm. If we can't find a nice sunny window, we'll look for some other cozy place to curl up in. We're most comfortable when the air temperatures are some where between 86 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Most people keep their houses much cooler than that so curling up in small spaces helps us keep warm.

So the next time a human buys an expensive cat condo and their cat prefers the box it came in, understand that the box gives her a warm and stress free place where she can hide, sleep or track her prey.

One last thing, be sure to check before you close any open drawers or closet doors, there just might be a cat sleeping in your sweaters or shoes.

Hope the rest of your day is purrrrr fect,

Fo, the cat

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Are You Talking to Me?!?

I don't know why peoples think that dogs don't talk. We talk all the time. We talk with our ears and our eyes and our tails, not just with our mouths. But unless you know what to listen for, we could have a big communication problem.

Take for example my tail. Just because it is wagging does not mean I am happy. It could mean I am afraid and there is a big difference between happy and afraid. Dogs don't have so hard a time understanding what another dog means when she wags her tail but peoples can get confused.

My sister DixieLee is very clear in letting you know if she is happy or afraid.  When she is afraid, she wags her tail.  When she is happy, she wags her tail so hard and fast, her whole butt wags.  Me, I'm a little more subtle.  If I am wagging my tail because I am afraid, you shouldn't just walk over and try to pet me. It could be a bad move for both of us.

We dogs talk with our voices. We bark, whimper, whine, growl and howl. We don't have as many words as humans, but we don't seem to need as many to get our point across. 

I use my very soft voice when I want Dad to wake up and feed us breakfast or when I need to go out and pee. I use my very big voice when I am warning my pack that someone is coming into our yard. Dogs often combine voices with movements like when I use my little voice and do a little dance when we are getting ready to go for a walk. Going for walks are such fun, I want Mom to know I appreciate them.

I use my eyes a lot to talk. Every dog should master the art of using puppy eyes. Puppy eyes are good for getting you out of trouble. The stare is another good way to communicate. Using the stare is good when you want something. I stare very hard until Mom gets the message that it's time for a cookie. If I ask for cookies too much in one night, Mom tells me a stern no and I turn my head away so she knows I'm sorry. Okay, some times I do push it, but you won't get anywhere if don't try.

Like with a tail wag, humans need to be careful when interpreting a hard stare. Sometimes it means we just want you to pay attention to us but sometimes it's a warning to back off.

Another way we dogs get attention is to just walk over and put our heads under your hand or nudge you with our noses.  We can be pretty clear and insistent when we want to be petted.  But we don't like hugs, so back off on the hugs.

One of the most effective communication methods a dog can use is the head tilt. The head tilt is guaranteed to melt the heart of almost any human.

It takes time and patience for different creatures to communicate but it's well worth the effort.

Happy tail wags,

Your friend,
Zeva

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