Pet photo contest

 

 

I had an email forwarded to me from one of our Fun Friends (my mommy) to let me know about this fun contest from PetSafe! The email reads

 

"Send us a photo of your pet in their Halloween costume, and you could win a Trick or Treat prize pack featuring Busy Buddy® toys and Lickety Stik® treats.

 

Include your name, your pet's name, your address and telephone number in the body of the email submission. Contest rules apply. By submitting an entry, you accept the Official Rules."

 

So what are you waiting for? Get a photo and enter!! Even pets love Halloween and winning!

 

 

Homemade pet treats

Recently I came across an article in the Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine with a recipe to make cat treats. They sounded simple to make, so I decided, why not give it a try.

3/4 cup flour
1 can (5oz) tuna in water
2 tbsp canned puree pumpkin
1 tsp dried catnip

Combine all the ingredients and mix till it becomes a dough. Now the recipe called for pinching off bite size pieces with floured hands, but I found it much simpler and faster to make "logs" out of the dough and use a pair of scissors to make the bite size bits. These bits were then put on a greased cookie sheet and baked at 350 degrees for around 20 minutes. And after they were done cooling, I stored them in an air tight container in the fridge.

The pumpkin in these treats is great for helping with hairballs in cats. Our male cat turned his nose up at the treats, but then again he turns his nose up at most things. Our female cats was very interested in them. Then I thought, I have so many (as I made a double batch), I wounder if they would be okay for the dog. Not only are they okay but also very healthy for him too. Did you know the effect of catnip on dogs includes helping with nervousness and soothing troubled tummies!?!?!

Why not whip up a (single) batch for your furry friend, be they cat or dog!

Don't let the Dog Days of summer end like this

We here at MAD love animals so we were extremely upset when we walked out of free craft time at Michael’s to see a dog in a car. It was over 100 degrees out. We quickly returned to Michael’s and in a loud voice told the clerk what we saw. The owner left the store with me on her heals.

I informed her that what she was doing to that dog was animal abuse. Her response “I was just at Petco and I had only been in Michael’s five minutes and I left the windows cracked.” Really? You love your dog enough to take him to a pet store but not enough not to cook him?!?!?

After a stern lecture from me and the treat of me calling 911 she left. I then went down the shopping strip area to Petco and told the manager what had happened. He was in sock and just as disgusted as I was. I asked him if it would be possible to have the clerks remind people to NOT do this to their pets. He said it was a great idea and they would.

I can not believe in this day and age people, who clam to love their pets, still do stupid things like this. But what made me sick is she really didn’t get it. It was 100 degrees. Cracking the windows does not stop the car’s interior temp from going up. Please help get the word out…..

Leaving your pet in the car in these temperatures is animal abuse.  Leave a pet in the car can and will cause death.

Free treat for your furry family

Go like Milk-bone and sign up for your FREE dog trail mix!!! So can't wait for ours to get here!! I know our old man will be wagging for joy!

Be Kind to Animals Weeks

This is the last day of Be Kind to Animals Week and it is a great opportunity to teach your children about caring for their pet. It is also a chance to teach them compassion for pets in need of forever homes! So why not do up these crafts and find a local shelter to donate them too! Who says you can only be kind one week a year!

How to Make a Catnip Toy

Supplies

• Infant or child size crew socks
• Cotton balls or craft stuffing
• Dried catnip
• Non-toxic permanent markers
• Non-toxic washable fabric glue

Instructions

1. Stuff the toe of the sock with 1 tablespoon of dried catnip.
2. Stuff the foot of the sock with cotton balls or craft stuffing.
3. Squeeze fabric glue on the inside of the sock’s ribbing to glue the sock closed or knot the top of the sock.
4. Decorate with fabric markers.

Note: DO NOT add a fabric or yarn tail. It can be swallowed and become caught in the cat’s intestines, which could possibly result in a need for surgery.

Designing ‘Adopt Me’ Bandanas for Shelter Dogs and Cats

Looking for a creative service project? Why not design pet-sized bandanas and donate them to a local shelter? Wearing a colorful bandana is a wonderful way for shelter animals to get noticed by potential adopters, so you’ll really be helping animals if you decide to donate them to a local shelter. Materials Needed Colored markers (fabric markers work the best, but don’t use washable markers) Solid-color bandanas. The size will vary based on dog or cat. The bandana should be folded once in a triangle and must be able to tie completely around the dog’s or cat’s neck. You can also find special doggie-sized triangle bandanas online Instructions 1. Place the folded bandana on the table. Draw only on the side that faces up. 2. Your goal is to get the animals who wear these bandanas noticed — so they are more likely to get adopted— so your bandanas should be colorful and fun. It’s a good idea to include some words or phrases on your bandanas. Some are listed below, or you can make up your own. Examples of phrases for your bandanas: Adopt Me! Shelter Dogs are Cool! Or Shelter Cats are Cool! I’ll Be Your Best Friend! Help Me Find A Home!! 3. When finished decorating your bandana, lie it flat for a minute to make sure that your design doesn’t smear.

Live, learn, love

One of the greatest things (in my opinion) about being a parent, is the chance to share the world with my children. I love exposing them to nature and teaching them to be caring and compassionate. Maybe that is why we have a house full of critters!

Nothing makes me prouder then when our 5 year old sees the dog is out of food and stops long enough to feed him. Or when he lets us know the chickens are low on water. The fact that he cares enough about the animals to be nurturing is an amazing things. I think these are skills all children should develop. Whether you give them a horse or just a goldfish, that responsibility helps them realize they are NOT the center of the universe and to have caring feelings for others even if they are “just” animals.

Now I am not advocating everyone run out and get a new puppy! But might I suggest a new fish or hermit crab? Or if you already have a pet at home, why not let your child take the lead on caring for it. You will, of course, have to make sure they do it, but let them be responsible. Explain to them that the animal can’t feed itself. Express how happy it makes you when you see them stepping up. It will in the long run do a few things:

1.) Teach your child to be responsible

2.) Teach your child to be compassionate

3.) Bring a little more fun into the family by having a pet

4.) Move one of the many chores YOU do, to the capable hands of your child, allowing you to have 5 minutes to yourself.

Disc Dogs are Fun

Flying Aces Professional Flying Disc Team from Grass Lake, MI, brought some of their disc dogs to our local library in the park program. Their dogs are rescued animals, which to me, makes them even more special.

Brian Hayes who fonded the Flying Aces did an introduction on Frisbees. Did you know the first Frisbees were based on pie pans from the Frisbie bakery? Who knew! He also showed the children how to throw and do tricks with a disc.

Spinning a disc on his finger

 Then out came Ulysses, Wild Man Chase, Bad Lad, & Miss Maggie who all put on a wonderful performance! The children (and I, hey I am a big kid at heart!) truly loved the show.

Now I didn't have the best seat in the house for videoing (darn park grill) but the video is still fun to watch. Not only was the crowd having fun, but you can tell these dogs where having fun as well. Just looking at their faces you can imagine them saying "throw it, throw it, throw it!!"

I am not sure of prices or any of that such business nonsense, but if you have a group who wants to hire these guys to do a show, you can! They also do school fundraisers.

Disc dogs are really fun to watch. Try googling disc dog and your state to see if there is a demonstration or compitition in your area. Get out there and have some fun watching some dogs do what they love.

Chickens are pets too!?!?

Okay, yes, we might be a bit strange having chickens for pets but look at the joy on his face! He LOVES chickens and he has done a great job taking care of them. And as an added bonus, we will be getting fresh eggs sometime soon! I think it is important for children to have the responsibility of a pet, even if it is a chicken. Our chicks have grow so much in the last few month. *sniff* Look at me getting all sentimental! Here our our "babies" now:

Kids and crittors, fun!

Does your child love animals? Mine does! We currently have 1 dog, 1 rat, 1 snapping turtle, 2 chicks, 3 cats and too many fish to count! Here is a neat website from the ASPCA just for kids! There are games, videos, cartoon and even areas to ask about pets and learn about jobs working with animals. So if it rains tomorrow like the forecast is calling for and you can't get outside, let them visit this site for some educational fun.

Dog show!?!!?

Today my son and I found the cutest game on Facebook called Dog Show Friends. It is too cute. Well of course after playing for a while we started talking about dog shows and my son asked if we could go to one. What a great idea! So I looked on the Internet and found some resources and wanted to share. The American Kennel Club has a by state list and I found another site that lists show too. Looks like we will be having more MAD Family Fun at a dog show soon!