More Love for the EBD Carry All

Rachel Ray Loves Pupcentric

Check out what Rachel Ray thinks about the Everything But the Dog Carry All!

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SleepyPod for Pampered Pets

From PetSugar

We talk so much about crates and carriers, and how handy they are when it comes to travel, but the design of this carrier seems to be totally unique . . . and perfect for the kitties! Sleepypod ($149.99) is a plush resting place for your tiny pal (up to 15 pounds) that's easy to care for, and best of all — take anywhere.
Since I can't stress enough about how important car safety is, this carrier is PetSugar approved, since both the sleek Sleepypod comes equipped to be buckled in while your animal sleeps inside. I remember trying to lure my childhood cat, Precious, into one of those standard plastic carriers — there wasn't a single appealing thing about it and, I swear when she saw it, she knew it was time for the vet! This carrier, however, could easily double up as a pet's bed – with the removable top off — and it seems easier to coax a kitty inside this cuddly creation than a hard, sterile one. To make nap time even cozier, Sleepypod has an available Warmer ($67) that slips into the bottom layer, keeping your pets comfy on chilly nights . . . and, just to get a little more geeky, it even has a car adapter to keep the toasty warmth coming on the road! Maybe this should have been a Spoiled Sweet or Rotten poll, no?

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Dog Park Etiquette

It’s that time of year again where summer is just around the corner and you’d like to bring your dog to the park for a walk. Dog parks are a great place to showcase your dog’s moves or simply start a conversation with the opposite sex. However, it is important to remember a few things before you skip off to the dog park with your furry friend. Just remember good dog park etiquette can help save your local dog parks!

Keep these etiquette rules in mind at all times:

• Keep your pet on leash if there isn't a sign stating that dogs may run off-leash.
• Always carry a leash. You never know when you may need it.
• Don't let your dog harass other pets, people, or wildlife.
• Keep in mind that some dogs like rough play while others don't. Likewise, there are some people who are intimidated by big dogs or dogs they don't know.
• Make sure your dog has reliable recall. Coming back when called is for your dog's own safety as well.
• Always keep your dog in sight and within voice range.
• Don't assume someone else will keep an eye on your pet.
• Make sure your dog is up-to-date on his vaccinations.
• Don't bring female dogs in heat to the dog park.
• Don't bring young puppies. Their immune systems are not yet fully developed.
• Never bring more dogs than you can handle if a situation were to arise.
• Use common sense when bringing intact male dogs. If you know your intact dog has a tendency to engage in fights, then the leash-free park isn't an appropriate place to bring your dog.
• If your dog starts behaving aggressively, leash him immediately and leave. Leash-free areas are not suitable for aggressive dogs.
• No digging! Holes are a hazard and can cause another dog or a person to trip and injure themselves. If you catch your dog digging a hole, stop him and then fill in the hole.

Respect the rules of the dog park. Clean up after your dog... every time!

Free Kibble

Mimi Ausland, a 12-year-old, started a trivia Web site to feed homeless cats and dogs Kibbles.(Article Courtesy of ZooToo.com)

BEND, Ore. -- What began as fun and games for 12-year-old Mimi Ausland has turned into the serious business of aiming to feed dogs and cats in shelters throughout the country.

Mimi was playing an Internet vocabulary game with her parents called FreeRice.com, which donates rice to the United Nations Food Program to help end hunger for every correct answer.
Perhaps it was words like generosity, charitable, altruistic, or philanthropic that sparked the idea. Perhaps it was just the musings of a very big-hearted young lady who loves animals.
“I don’t quite remember my train of thought,” said the ambitious 6th grader. “But I do remember that I always wanted to do something bigger and, after playing this game for awhile I made the connection that I could use the computer so people all over the world could help feed animals.”

Mimi and her parents planned for about four months before launching the Web site FreeKibble.com. It resembles the FreeRice.com site in that she offers a daily trivia question with a multiple choice answer.

Instead of helping to end hunger among people, however, she aims to feed all the animals in the shelters across the country. For every person who plays, no matter if their answer is right or wrong, she donates 10 pieces of Kibble to a designated shelter.

While the project involved the whole family, “My mom did the drawings, like the dog and cat. My dad designed the Web site,” Mimi said. The site belongs to Mimi, who is in charge of finding sponsors, serving as a spokesperson and generating media attention for the site.

“She has enthusiasm, passion, and she knows what she’s doing,” said Richard Thompson, the founder of Zootoo.com, which is donating all the Kibble that Mimi generates through her Web site.

While Zootoo helps a lot of shelters around the country, Thompson says he was drawn to Mimi’s operation because it encourages the next generation to help pets.

“Right now, the generation of primary volunteers out there didn’t grow up with the Internet,” Thompson said. “In fact, a lot of shelters don’t even have a computer, so to get the next generation out there helping is good for the sheltering community.”

As part of that next generation, Mimi has been on board for years volunteering her time at the Humane Society of Central Oregon. She walks dogs and cleans out litter boxes.

To date, FreeKibble.com has donated 740 pounds of Kibble to the HSCO. It takes about a half-pound of Kibble to feed a dog per day. Mimi’s efforts have been feeding the dogs in her hometown shelter for two months and counting.

Next on Mimi’s list: feeding the cats at her local shelter through FreeKibbleKat.com and providing food to Furrytale Farms in Bainbridge Island, Washington, which takes in rescue animals and pets that are victims of foreclosures.

“My goal, and I really thought this was going to happen and it did, is that we could feed all the dogs here at HSCO,” Mimi recalls. “And then I thought that if we could do that, we could go on to other animal shelters.

“I really wanted that to happen. I had no idea that it was going to be this big.”

Already, Mimi has an international audience helping her raise Kibble for the shelters -- friends of the family who live in Spain have been passing along the word and playing often.

“I don’t think we’ll run out of Kibble,” Thompson said. “But if she gets that big, we’ll have to buy another pet food factory.”

Sidewalk Dangers

From the Pages of http://www.petsugar.com/

In addition to releasing heat with those dangly tongues, doggies also sweat through the pads of their feet. Now imagine what that would be like if they were trying to get rid of their own excess heat . . . onto already scalding sidewalks. Hot pavement can burn puppy paw pads – and since animals are much closer to the ground, they heat up quicker than we do and can be in special danger.


When walking your pup in scorching climates, try to stick to shady sides and save longer strolls for when the sun is low, like morning and evening. If you're not sure how sizzling the street or sand is, test it out on your bare foot or hand – if it feels too hot for you, it's probably also too hot for your pet!

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Some Don't Like it Hot

Brought to you by: Doody Calls

It’s a beautiful day, sunny and warm. You park your car, with your dog inside, and dash into a store. “Hey, it will only take a few minutes,” you say. Even a few minutes is sometimes all it takes to fry a dog’s brain or kill him. Cars heat up fast. On an 80-degree day, a parked car can become twice as hot in minutes. Parking in the shade or rolling down a window or two may not help much. One expert advises that if the temperature is over 60 degrees, don’t even think about it. If you put in him in danger in this way, in some states, you’re breaking the law! And as for jogging in the summer sun: Don’t take him running on a hot steamy day. Remember what dehydration does to you and your children. Dogs need water – and, sometimes, plenty of it. Remember: dogs get heat stroke too – this isn’t just a people thing!

Heat stroke (hyperthermia) happens when the body can no longer successfully regulate its temperature. This occurs when air temperature exceeds body temperature and the body sends excessive amounts of blood to the surface of the skin. This deprives critical internal organs of adequate blood supply. The vital organs then begin to shut down. This process is accelerated when the body lacks sufficient fluid. The signs of heat stroke are easy to spot: excessive panting, blackened tongue and/or gums, anxiety, lethargy, vomiting, disorientation, dizziness, rapid pulse, confusion, uncontrollable thirst, glazed eyes, and uncharacteristic clumsiness or lack of coordination. If you see one or more of these symptoms and it’s hot, suspect heat exhaustion. The first thing you should do is cool your dog off: squirt some cool water into his mouth, give him a bowl of water (not ice cold water), wet his body, especially chest, neck, and throat (but do not cover him, even with a wet towel), and you might even immerse him in cool water. And, of course, move to a cool location. The point is to get his temperature down and hydrate him. Then call your vet – in severe cases hydration or the use of drugs may be necessary. The very best way to “treat” heat stroke is to be an intelligent dog owner and NOT allow it to happen. If it does, it’s hard to think of an instance when it won’t be your fault.

Dog’s perspire a little around their paws, but their primary means of controlling body temperature is panting. They wear a coat throughout the year, and they simply cannot control their temperature as well as humans. While you may be perfectly comfortable, your dog may feel awful. Young, old, sick, or overweight animals or breeds with narrow nasal passages are particularly sensitive to the heat. The latter include the Bulldog, Shihtzu, and Pekinese. Overweight dogs have a problem because heat does not quickly escape through the extra layers.

Dogs, of course, are both sensitive and tough. The trick is not to ask them to do things in the hot weather that evolution has not designed them for or that conditioning has not prepared them for. No dog would ever choose to be locked in a hot car – he’d instinctively know that he could get really sick or die in there. If you and your dog are out running or walking, give him small amounts of water regularly – this is far more beneficial than a long drink each time you think one of you is thirsty. Be a good friend: carry a bowl and a water bottle just for him. Also, swimming or running in water is a pleasurable way to exercise a dog in warm weather. And, of course, place his dog house in a nice cool, shady, breezy location – raising it off the ground on a platform that air can flow through will help keep it cool.

For additional information on the proper care of your dog in the summer heat, visit the following Web sites:

• About.Com: Dogs
• Dogs and Heat Stroke
• Dog Owners Home Veterinary Handbook
• Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke

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Who let the Cat out?

Outdoor Enclosures - from Cats International

Aside from leash-training, there is another way to let your cat enjoy the stimulation of being outdoors without the risk of being lost, stolen, or injured--build an outdoor enclosure.

It can be any size, but a 6' x 6' x 6' area is sufficient. The vertical space can be utilized by attaching perches to the sides of the structure. If the enclosure is against the side of the house, then only three sides plus a wire roof (cats are great climbers!) are necessary.

A pet door will allow the cat free access to the enclosure
and eliminate your job as doorman or taxi (if the pen is further out in the yard). Solid redwood two-by-fours and 2" x 3" galvanized wire makes a very attractive play area, but you can choose the materials that best suit your budget.


The primary requirements are that the structure be sturdy and escape-proof. A wire door will provide you with access to the inside to clean it and to rearrange the decor from time-to-time. Wooden cat trees, logs and other natural items placed inside the pen will give Kitty choices for perching and scratching.

If the enclosure is not attached to the house, there should be a solid wooden box, or "dog house" inside to provide Kitty with a safe, dry, place in which to hide, take refuge from a sudden rain shower, or just take a catnap.

It only takes a little bit of effort, a small financial investment in materials, and a modicum of imagination to add a wonderful new dimension to your cat's life.



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