July 6, 2009
People are finding novel ways to memorialize our deceased pets. As we posted in June, the Soft-Hearted Pillow can be stuffed with the cremains of beloved family pets. Now we discover Detroit painter Gretchen Kiefer turns ashes and pet photos into textured plaster portraits.
Working off the pet's photograph, this artist paints an eight-layer plaster portrait, embedding up to 4 ounces of ash cremains for a unique pet final resting place that you can hang on your wall.
via PeoplePets
These cozy Pet Zone Doghouses
will keep your outdoor dogs and cats protected from the elements - rain, hail, wind, snow. With 10 times more insulation than other doghouses, the double-ply walls keep your pets warm in winter and cool in summer.
These houses are spacious and well ventilated. Be sure to size your doghouse correctly. Your dog should have just enough room to lie down comfortably. A doghouse that is too large will not provide proper insulation to keep your dog warm.
Easy to maintain -- the roof lifts off for easy cleaning. These impact-resistant doghouses are guaranteed for life against cracking or breaking.
July 4, 2009
Happy 4th of July! We hope this is a fun weekend for you and your pets. Since this holiday is often more stressful than relaxing for animals, following is the annual Pet-Friendly Fourth Of July Tips via AKC.org:
As we prepare for barbeques and fireworks this Fourth of July, The American Kennel Club, a not-for-profit organization which maintains the largest registry of purebred dogs in the world, offers tips on how to keep your pets safe and calm during this Independence Day.
* It is safer to keep your pets at home during Fourth of July celebrations instead of bringing him to your neighbor's party. Keep your pets in the house, rather than in your yard. He will be a lot happier indoors, and not tempted to leap over a fence to find you.
* Dogs can be startled by the loud noise of fireworks. Once the festivities begin, keep your pet in a safe room where he can feel comfortable. If he is crate trained put him in his crate covered with a blanket to make him feel secure.
* Block outside sights and sounds by lowering the blinds and turning on the television. Play soothing music in the background to counteract the cacophony during the "rockets' red glare.
* If your pet seems overly anxious, spend some time with your pet, speaking soothingly to help them to relax.
* Avoid scraps from the grill. While tempting to our pets, any sudden change to your pets' diet can cause stomach upset. In addition, some certain foods like onions, avocado, grapes and raisins can be toxic.
* Human products can be dangerous to animals. Avoid spraying your pet with insect repellent and only use special sunscreen that is intended for animal use. Keep your pets away from matches and lighter fluid. They can be extremely irritating to the stomach, lungs and central nervous system, if ingested.
* Should your dog get scared, escape and run away, help find him with microchip identification. Collars and tags can fall off so make sure you have permanent ID with a microchip. Keep contact information current with your recovery service provider
We would also advocate the use of calming products to reduce anxiety of the stressed pet.
Photo: Dog Tags Chewy Shoe
July 3, 2009
Amazon is having a Pet Supplies Summer Sale
over the holiday weekend. Save up to 60% July 2 through July 7.
Feeling patriotic? Shop the Amazon Made-in-USA Pet Products.
Save $5 on your PetSmart.com
order of $30 or more. Use code JULYPERK. Ends 7/14 at noon ET.
Get up to 20% off at PetSmart's Super Summer Sale
. Ends 7/27.
An upgrade to the powerful Dyson DC16 Root 6 Handheld Vacuum Cleaner is on the horizon. The Telegraph reports that Sir James Dyson has invented a new handheld Dyson DC31 vacuum cleaner with a motor that's ten times faster than a jet engine, and much quieter. The small, lightweight DC31 Animal for pet hair will debut in the UK and US this fall at $270.
via Blisstree / PopSci
July 2, 2009
Fleas and Ticks - New Jersey scientists are reporting the discovery and successful tests of the first once-a-month pill, N-tert-Butyl Nodulisporamide, a purportedly safe and effective means of controlling both fleas and ticks in domestic dogs and cats. From Science Daily:
In tests on fleas and ticks in dogs and cats, a single dose of the new pill was 100 percent effective in protecting against both fleas and ticks for a month. There were no signs of toxic effects on the animals. Scientists obtained the flea and tick fighter from a substance first found in a fungus that "has the potential to usher in a new era in the treatment of ecoparasitic [ticks and fleas, for instance] infestations in companion animals."
Dog Flu - If your pup is distinguished by a cute snubbed nose, meaning a Pekingese, a pug or a Shi-Tzu, s/he may be susceptible to a flu virus, H3N8 dog flu, that jumped from horses to dogs a few years ago. This virus puts a strain on short-nosed dogs' ability to breathe.
According to NYTImes it has hit hard in Florida, New York City's northern suburbs, Philadelphia and Denver. They have the scoop on the new flu vaccine just approved by the US Department of Agriculture:
It has now been found in 30 states, but almost exclusively in settings where dogs live closely together: shelters, pet stores, kennels and dog schools. Because the owners of these establishments have learned to turn away sick dogs just as school principals facing swine flu send home sick children, the disease's progress has been slowed.
"Probably over 10,000 dogs have been infected," Dr. Crawford said, "but I can't say whether it's 20,000 or 30,000. In a population of 70 million, that's a drop in the bucket."
Dr. Edward J. Dubovi of the veterinary school at Cornell University, another discoverer of the virus, said it is "probably not as well adapted to dogs as it could be." It took five mutations to let it jump to dogs from horses, where it had circulated for 40 years.
Another mutation or two "could make it a very serious issue," he said, but at the moment, "it takes a certain density of dogs to keep it going."
Rather than scooping pet poop into petroleum-based plastic bags which slowly break down over the centuries in landfills, why not try putting the 100% biodegradable pet poop into equally biodegradable pick-up bags?
Olive Unisex Poop Bags
and Olive Super Poop Bags
are made naturally from GMO-free corn starch and vegetable oil, are certified 100% biodegradable and compost in as little as 40 days.
Available in two convenient sizes -- Unisex Poop Bags (small) and Super Poop Bags (large).
July 1, 2009
We dug up a lot of fun super cool pet gear this past June -- it's summer!
Accessories and Supplies
Apparel for Pet Lovers
Apparel for Pets
Artwork
Bedding
Behavior
Birds
Books & Media
Collars and Leashes
Continue reading: "Super Cool Pets Monthly Round Up -- June 2009"
June 30, 2009
Relieve your cat's boredom and provide some exercise! The FroliCat BOLT Automatic Laser Toy for Cats
will endlessly entertain even our laziest kitty cats with automatically-generated red laser patterns.
Hold the BOLT in your hand or place it on a flat surface, turn it on and watch your cat pounce, chase, and bat at the exciting laser patterns.
The BOLT operates in two modes -- in automatic mode it generates random patterns and in manual mode you control the play. The laser automatically shuts off after 15 minutes in either mode and also includes a manual on-off switch.
via Modern Cat
June 29, 2009
If you love all things cat, how about this cat-shaped iPod dock 'LuluCat UG-038' from Taiwan's VOGUE Tech.
via DVICE / Aving
Detroit Painter Embeds Pet Remains in Portraits 
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