Archives for September 2014

Presents 4 Pets

English: dog in a wire crate strapped into a c...

English: dog in a wire crate strapped into a car for safe traveling Taken by Elf (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

Presents 4 Pets in Mooresville, Davidson and Cornelius

 

We are getting ready to start our first annual collection drive for Presents 4 Pets in Mooresville, Davidson and Cornelius.  We invite you to a be a part of this gift giving opportunity.

 

 

 

 

 

Starting November 1 and running through December 15, we will be coordinating a collection of items needed for dogs and cats in foster care or in local shelters. Presents 4 Pets is an annual project sponsored by members of the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (NAPPS).We have contacted the organizations that we have selected to be the beneficiaries but need to finalize details before listing them by name.  Later this month we will reach out to local veterinary hospitals, groomers, pet supply stores and other interested businesses regarding serving as a collection location.We will collect the items the rescues and shelter identify as most needed.   As a general rule the most needed items include canned and dry dog and cat food, stainless steel cat and dog food and water bowls, kitty litter, pet sized fleece blankets, towels, dog and cat toys, Nylabones, dog and cat collars, dog leashes, dog and cat flea and tick preventatives, Kongs, baby food (for the sick or injured little ones), formula for newborn kittens and puppies (when mommas are weak, sick or injured), cat towers, cat carriers, dog crates, puppy training pads, dog beds, cat nappers,and cleaning supplies.

If you happen to see these items on sale it would be a great time to buy some for donations. Stay tuned for further details in our October newsletter and on our social media sites.

 

 

Presents 4 Pets in Mooresville, Davidson and Cornelius

Christmas Giving Opportunity

 

We have a wonderful Christmas giving opportunity right here in our community to benefit homeless pets!! From November 1 through  December 15, 2014 Dog Walkers & More at Coddle Creek, LLC is coordinating a collection of needed items for dogs and cats housed at the animal shelter operated by Iredell County and animals in foster care with two local rescue organizations. Presents 4 Pets is an annual project sponsored by members of the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (NAPPS). http://www.petsitters.org/


combined-01cat toys

 

 

 

 

 

 

The recipients of our local Presents 4 Pets campaign for 2014 are:

 

We are currently contacting local veterinary hospitals, groomers, pet supply stores and other interested businesses regarding serving as a collection location.  Stay tuned to our social media sites and be on the lookout for press releases to find out where the collection sites will be located.

 

The recipients have identified their most needed items.  Now is the time to stock up if you see these items on sale.  Go_Pet_Food

  • Dry or canned (pate´consistency) dog/cat/puppy/kitten food
  • Collars, harnesses and leashes (any size)
  • Kong toys of any kind
  • Kong toys that unscrew
  • Rope toys, tennis balls, Nylabones, rawhides
  • Dog & cat treats
  • Cat toys & catnip
  • Kitty litter (scented is awesome in a shelter setting)
  • Disposable kitty litter pans
  • Dog & cat shampoo
  • Wire crates (any size)
  • Playpens (new or clean used)
  • Puppy pads
  • Dog and cat beds
  • Towels and blankets (new or clean used)
  • Chicken stock or broth (used as a medium in frozen stuffed Kongs)
  • Bleach, laundry detergent and fabric softener sheets
  • Lysol or Clorox wipes
  • Paper towels
  • Adams Flea Spray
  • Nature’s Miracle products
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Petco or Petsmart gift cards

Iredell County Animal Services also has some special needs for their surgery room.

  • Digital baby scale              SpayandNeuter
  • Small double sided crock-pot (to warm surgical scrub)
  • Twin size electric blanket (to warm the pets after their spay/neuter)
  • Twin size waterproof mattress cover for electric blanket
  • Pill Pockets
  • Advantage Multi for Cats
  • Ophthalmoscope
  • Otoscope
  • Lint rollers (to prepare surgical draping prior to laundering)
  • Home-made rice socks to warm the pets during & after spay/neuter surgery

 

Your participation in this  Christmas Giving Opportunity will add to the safety, health and comfort of our homeless animals and enhance their chances at finding their perfect forever homes.

Speaking of forever homes and such……foster or adoptive homes are always needed.  If you cannot foster or adopt find out if you can help with transport.  If you cannot transport, can you play with pets at the shelter?  Can you share their pictures on your social media sites?  Have you had your pets spayed or neutered??

On behalf of NAPPS Dog Walkers & More at Coddle Creek, LLC thanks you for contributing to Presents 4 Pets 2014.

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Summer Safety Tips for Pets

Summer Safety Tips for Pets

 

We love our three dogs, two male English Springer Spaniels and a female Brittany. Nothing is more important than keeping them happy, healthy and safe. As professional pet sitters we visit with multiple pets on a daily basis. Their welfare is of great importance to us also.  In that spirit we offer these summer safety tips for pets.

  • If your dogs eat kibble (ours eat Taste of the Wild) be sure to store the food in a safe manner.  It’s important to retain the bag in case of recalls. If you dog becomes ill you will also want to check the lot number in the unlikely event there was a problem with that batch of dog food.  If you dump the dog food into a plastic container without cleaning it between new bags the food can become contaminated and rancid. In summer temperatures that becomes even more likely. That’s why we store the entire bag of dog food inside an airtight plastic container. We close the bag to help keep it fresh and store it in the plastic container in our “dog palace.”  Our  “dog palace” is an over sized laundry/storage/dog shower/dog crate room that is heated and air conditioned. Luke, Daisy Mae and Trooper enter and exit our house here, eat in this room, get their paws wiped down and chill out when they are dirty.

 

  • Although the temps are going down, it is still too hot to leave your dog in the car. Even if the top temp is only 78 hot-car-hot-oven2degrees the temps in a closed car will rise to 90 degrees in five minutes and 110 degrees in 25 minutes. I don’t know about you, but I have never been able to get in and out of any store in five minutes. Even in the shade and with windows cracked it will get waaayyy too hot.  It only takes 15 minutes for an animal to get heat stroke and die in a hot car!  Please leave Fido at home to chill out in the AC. If you see a dog (or child) left alone in a car please check with the store manager and if the parent does not return soon, call law enforcement.

 

 

dog-and-boy

  • Teach your children that dogs and cats are living beings with feelings.  For safety also let them know to always ask permission before petting a dog or cat. Let your children know they must leave the dog alone when he is in his crate because that is his safe space.
  • Focus on teaching your child to use gentle behavior when interacting with dogs.  Make sure your children know not to tease a dog by taking his toys or treats. Only by teaching empathy can we assure the safety of our children and our pets.

When we fail to teach basic safety and empathy we risk the danger of injured children and euthanized pets.article-2714759-2039370500000578-495_306x337

 

Pet Safety Tips

We love our three dogs, two male English Springer Spaniels and a female Brittany. Nothing is more important than keeping them happy, healthy and safe. As professional pet sitters we visit with multiple pets on a daily basis. Their welfare is important to us too.   In that spirit we offer these pet safety tips.

  • If your dogs eat kibble (ours eat Taste of the Wild) be sure to store the food in a safe manner.  It’s important to retain the bag in
    Kibble

    Kibble

    case of recalls. If your dog becomes ill you will also want to check the lot number in the event there was a problem with that batch of dog food that resulted in a recall.  If you dump the dog food into a plastic container without cleaning it between new bags the food can become contaminated and rancid. That’s why we store the entire bag of dog food inside an airtight plastic container. We close the bag to help keep it fresh and store it in the plastic container in our “dog palace.” 

  • Our  “dog palace” is an over sized laundry/storage/dog shower/dog crate room that is heated and air conditioned. Luke, Daisy Mae and Trooper enter and exit our house here, eat in this room, get their paws wiped down and chill out when they are dirty.

 

hot-car-hot-oven2

No pet is safe in the car alone.

  • Although the temps have gone down, on any given day of the spring, summer or fall it’s still too hot to leave your dog in the car. Even if the top temp is only 78 degrees the temps in a closed car will rise to 90 degrees in five minutes and 110 degrees in 25 minutes. I don’t know about you, but I have never been able to get in and out of any store in five minutes.  Even in the shade and with windows cracked it will get waaayyy too hot.

 

  • It only takes 15 minutes for an animal to get heat stroke and die in a hot car!  Please leave Fido at home to chill out in the AC. If you see a dog (or child) left alone in a car please check with the store manager and if the parent does not return soon, call law enforcement.

 

This Mom is teaching her son how to interact safely with a dog.

This Mom is teaching her son how to interact safely with a dog.

 

  • Teach your children that dogs and cats are living beings with feelings.  For safety also let them know to always ask permission before petting a dog or cat. Let your child know they must leave the dog alone when he is in his crate because the crate is the dog’s safe space. Focus on teaching your child to use gentle behavior when interacting with dogs. Make sure your children know not to tease a dog by taking his toys or treats. Only by teaching empathy can we assure the safety of our children and our pets.
article-2714759-2039370500000578-495_306x337

If his parents knew these pet safety tips, these injuries could have been prevented.

When we fail to teach basic safety and empathy we risk injury to children and euthanasia to someone’s pet.

 

 

 

 

 

Products for Cats These Pet Sitters Recommend

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Products for Cats

 

As professional pet sitters, we scoop a LOT of kitty litter. Recently we were introduced to a litter that we can rave over. That’s right..the words printed on the box were actually true. We took care of three cats in a household that share one litter box. We made visits two times a day but were concerned about the potential odor. Not one bit. It was like magic in terms of sealing in the odor and not making a mess outside the box. We heartily recommend these products for cats.

 

Another product we were impressed with was the Just for Cats Calming Spray by Nature’s Miracle. We sprayed this on our shoes and notebooks before entering the home of three cats who had a less than perfect introduction when the newest cat was brought in. We were tasked with keeping one cat in a separate room due to a history of cat fights. One day that cat managed to get out of her room, but lo and behold there were no fireworks.

 

Natures-Miracle-No-Stress-Calming-Spray-for-Cats-018065057808

We used the product in two other households where visitors typically do not see one of the cats. Well, wouldn’t you know it….the cats came out of hiding in each household. We count that as a win for felines, feline owners and pet sitters

 

 

 

 

Disclaimer:  We received no compensation for the use of these products or for blogging about them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author:  Beth Leatherman Harwell

Dog Walkers & More at Coddle Creek, LLC