Indoor or Outdoor Cat ... a Message from Boots

Hello all Boots the Cat here. Ya know when we get visitors to the house I may be hiding under the bed but I'm still listening. Every now and then someone tells my human that they should let me outside to play.

Now I'm here to set the record straight I'm perfectly happy right here inside where it's safe!

Our vet told my human that the average life expectancy of an outdoor cat is only 2 to 5 years while an indoor cat can live for 15 years or more. I remember my old friend Fitz he lived for 18 years before he got sick.

There are all kind of deadly things waiting for a house cat like me cars, dogs , coyotes or foxes just to name a few. There's also those little biting bugs like fleas and ticks just waiting for a nice furry guy like me to happen along.

There is also a bigger exposure to cat illnesses like rabies leukemia and distemper. Not to mention WORMS ... ew can you imagine those crawling around inside you? Just thinking about it makes me want to hide under the couch.

When my humans are watching the box with the moving pictures, I'm watching the birds but I'm still listening. They say there are people who watch dogs fight for the fun of it. Now I"m not a big dog fan, let me tell you, but that sounds cruel even to me. My owners were talking of how those people steal other people pets like small dogs and cats to use as bait. Can you imagine the horror.... out for a nice stroll, stalking a bird or mouse and someone grabs you up hauls you away from your comfy home and throws you to a dog who proceeds to rip you to shreds.....

NO Thanks I'll stay inside! Thanks for your concern I'm happy, healthy and well intertained by my big picture window and my playful owners.

Now if you have been letting your cat out and want to keep him safe and not missing the outdoors make sure he has a nice window seat to look out from.
Play with him often and when your not home make sure he has so toys to play with. I love my empty box to climb in and hide out. I also love paper bags and tissue paper is a blast. Don't forget the Catnip (send some to me to please I LOVE the catnip its just soooo purrrfect.)
Keep his litter box clean.
Spay or neuter them to help reduce the wanderlust and un wanted kittens
Last don't forget those vet checkups to head off any problems.

Thanks for listening I'm off to make one of those mad dashes that leave my humans scratching their heads and wondering what I"m up to. Hey I gotta keep them guessing right?

Flea Control

We have had a lot of people coming in to the store lately looking for a way to get rid of fleas.


While there are several really good flea control formulas on the market there are reasons to try some natural remedies first. The reasons may be your own but here are a few. Its a Poison! Now most commercial flea formulas are designed to only kill the fleas and not harm your pets but you must use caution. We had tried one brand of flea collar on our cat and it made him drool uncontrollable. If you have little ones there is no telling what it will do to them. A manufacture can give you all the assurance they want but they have never tested it on children (an ethical impossibility) so they don't know! Last I haven't met a pet yet that when you put those little drops on the back of their neck shake to dry themselves sending drops of flea killer everywhere but where you want it.

Try some of these non-pesticide remedies first.

1. Start with a bath and a flea comb. Make sure you suds up from the face down as the tenacious little buggers will move in that direction if you start from the other end. Get your fingers in and scrub making sure you get all the way to the skin. Then rinse, once again from the head down washing them down the drain. Then use a flea comb to remove any stragglers.

2. Take care of the carpets. Mixing four parts borax and one part salt can create a powerful flea killer for your carpets. Make sure to keep an eye on the kids around borax though, as eating it can be harmful. If you have a washing machine big enough go ahead and throw the dog or cats be in the with some borax to kill any hiding there.

3. Build your own flea trap using a shallow bowl and some soapy water and a light. Put the soapy water in the bowl and place it in the affected area. Place the light about 6 inches over the bowl and turn on the light. ( A small desk lamp works great for this.) Then leave on all night. The fleas will be attracted to the light.

4. Keep your yard clean of debris. It makes an excellent place for the little buggers to hang out while waiting for your pet to come by. Also try planting some pennyroyal, fennel, peppermint, rosemary or citronella which are natural bug repellents.

Now if there are any eggs they will hatch anywhere from 2 days to 2 weeks so keep vacuuming and combing your pet and if any fleas are noticed time for another bath.

Is Your Doggie Driving you nuts?

Try increasing his play time. Playing with your dog works wonders on their behavior. Not only do you both have a wonderful time but it helps cure boredom and helps calm him down. Now a couple of quick tips...
1. Play before your Rover can cause trouble not after. If you start a play session after he has done something he's not suppose to it will only reinforce the bad behavior.
2. Check the weather. If its going to be extremely hot or nasty out, get your play time done early or try some indoor games like hid and seek. Hide yourself some where in the house then call your dog and wait for him to find you. Then reward with lots of love.
3. Don't forget if your taking him to the local dog park take along some plastic bags for cleaning up that which comes naturally. Nothing recks a nice dog park faster then lazy people who don't take care of their doggies messes.

Now are you ready for some fetch?

Becoming an Expert

It is not easy to become knowledgeable enough to be called an Expert. Right now I hold that title for small animals, birds and reptiles at work. I'll admit to having learned a lot working at Petco, but there is so much to know about these animals that I don't know if I should have the title of expert. So I do what any so called expert does. I keep learning more!

Now I'm working on becoming the Companion Animal Expert which means I have to learn fish as well and I have to know all the sections well enough that if one of my coworkers has a question I will have an answer or know where to look to quickly find it. I even asked for Freshwater and Saltwater Aquariums for Dummies for Christmas now I have even more reading to do lol.

Go ahead ask me a question if I don't know the answer I"ll find it!

Watch Those Paws!

Baby it's cold outside and if your going to be taking our best buddy out for a walk don't forget to check those paws when you get back.

The Ice and snow can be harsh on dogs paws. It can build up between the pads and cause problems. There is also the salt people dump on their sidewalks to melt the ice. It's great for preventing slips and falls but isn't so nice on tender pads.

You have two choices:

1. Get some doggy foot covers they are available for all size dogs and will protect their feet from the elements.

2. Carefully clean your dogs paws after your walk making sure to get in between the pads where ice can build up.

Remember your dog can't tell you something is wrong and will keep going as long as his buddy wants. Its up to you to keep an eye out for trouble.

Cute Pics From the Pet Shop

Here is a couple of our pet waiting to go home. The piggy was playing in my apron pocket while I cleaned his home and I caught the baby corn snake peeking over his log. Normally they are hiding under it and are very hard to see unless you go in and move the log.

Cute Pics From The Pet Shop

Say Hi to the beardey. This bearded dragon just couldn't wait to say hi to us this morning. He stood up at the side of the tank an waved his little hand at us so he could get his breakfast.