A Kenneling Alternative

Jennifer Houghton

Summer Time and the Living is Floofy

by Leave a Comment

Whether your Floofin loves sunbathing or finds the AC a delight, most Floofins agree that summer brings a more relaxed schedule that suits them. As we approach the unofficial kickoff of summer, we offer a few tips for maximizing your Floofins experience.

Summer Tips:

  • Make sure your information is up-to-date in the portal. It does seem like we mention this one quite frequently. Should trouble brew while you are away those pieces of information are super important. Remember, summer brings storms, AC breakdowns, and other unplanned events that make contacting you or a designated party even more important. 
  • Let us know about health changes in your Floofins. While we do our best to slow down the walks or keep the time outside limited based on our observations and experience with your pet, your feedback and knowledge is paramount. You know your pet best! If you want shorter outdoor time when the temp rises above a certain point, let us know.
  • Book your travel early. You may have seen the backlog of passport applications as Americans appear to be planning higher volumes of travel this summer. If you have plans to escape somewhere your Floofin can’t go, make sure to get on the books as early as possible.
  • Cancel your visits as soon as you know you don’t need them. While it is good to have that appointment booked, pet sitters are still in high demand and holding a spot you don’t need may impact someone else being able to book that trip. Freeing up visits you don’t need allows us to book visits with clients on our wait lists.
  • Slow down and smile. Summer gives us all a little more time to enjoy the things that make life worthwhile. Spend some extra cuddle time with your Floofin. Or, just take an extra long walk. Time is short. We hope you make as many memories this year as possible. 

National Rescue Dog Day Is May 20th

by Leave a Comment

National Rescue Dog Day is celebrated on May 20th. It is observed to bring awareness to all the amazing dogs in shelters who are looking for their forever homes all over the country.

Lisa Wiehebrink, author and Executive Director of Tails That Teach, founded the day in 2018. Her organization teaches children how to properly treat animals. 

So how can you celebrate National Rescue Dog Day? According to https://www.nationalrescuedogday.com, here are some ideas:

WAYS TO CELEBRATE

Share Photos. Post photos of your rescue dog on social media by using #nationalrescuedogday.  Add a comment about why your rescue dog is special. You may encourage someone to adopt.

Love. Give your rescue a long walk, tasty treat or toys, or any other item that they adore.

Adopt. If you are thinking about bringing a pet into your family, adopt through a shelter or rescue group. 

Foster. If you have space and the time to keep a rescue in your home for a period of time, consider fostering. It helps the dog decompress in a home setting and gives them an opportunity to improve their socialization skills. Some pets need quiet spaces to heal from medical concerns before they can be adopteed.

Shelter. Donate items to your local shelter.

Volunteer. Walk dogs at your local shelter and/or work on their socialization skills.

Spay. Spay or neuter your pets.

Education. Teach children how to be responsible and give love to animals in their orbit.

March is Poison Prevention Awareness Month

by Leave a Comment

March is Poison Prevention Awareness Month. According to the Pet Poison Hotline, fifty percent of the calls they receive are situations where an item that was not toxic to a person was ingested and was toxic to pets.

Categories

Let’s take a look at the top categories of potential toxins and identify ways to keep your pets safe:

  • Xylitol. This is a substance in many sugarless products that is toxic to pets. It can be found in anything from sugar-free gums, mints, and even peanut butter. Symptoms that you may notice include vomiting, weakness, difficulty walking, tremors and seizures.
  • Medications. Human medications can have lots of adverse impacts on your pets. From red blood cell damage to neurological problems, make sure to keep all human medications safely stored away from pets and small children. 
  • Flowers. With Easter around the corner, lilies are one type of flower that pets should not be exposed to as they can be toxic. If you have tulip or daffodil bulbs, keep an eye out for pets that like to eat them. These can also cause illness. 
  • Chocolate. In keeping with our Easter theme, those chocolate bunnies can be bad news. The real danger is in the darker and more bitter chocolate as it contains a chemical compound related to caffeine. If you pet ingests these types of chocolates, or you think it might be possible, watch symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, abnormal heart rhythm, and seizures. Death is a possibility to seek medical attention promptly if you think your pet has eaten chocolates. 
  • Pest Control and Fertilizers. You might be preparing for vermin and gardening, but keep your materials out of the pathway of your pets. Some items can be fatal in small doses, so don’t take any chances.

If you do need immediate assistance with possible poison situations, contact your local veterinarian’s office or reach out to either the Pet Poison Helpline at 800-213-6680 or contact the Animal Poison Control Center at 888-426-4435.

Shout Out to Professional Pet Sitters March 5-11

by Leave a Comment

Finding just the right person to take care of your pet isn’t a choice any pet parent takes lightly. When you find the right pet sitter, you probably do a happy dance knowing that your floofin is in good hands. Did you know March 5th through March 11th is the week dedicated to pet sitters?

Professional Pet Sitters Week kicks off Monday, March 1st. This week was first introduced in 1995 by Pet Sitters International (PSI). This year marks the 28th annual celebration. The week is observed, according to PSI’s website  to honor

“professional pet-care providers, seeks to educate the pet-owning public about the advantages of professional in-home pet care and encourages pet-loving entrepreneurs to explore professional pet sitting as a viable career.”

How To Celebrate With Floofins & Co.

Floofins & Co. prides itself on hiring staff that are “diamonds” in the pet care staff industry. In fact, this commitment is just one of the reasons Floofins & Co. was named the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters’ 2020 Business of the Year.

You probably already know about the great services Floofins & Co. provides with their in-home pet care. But, are you looking for an opportunity to do some pet care work? You can apply to become a member of our team.

We encourage you to take part in this year’s Professional Pet Sitters Week if you already use us for your pet care needs. How?

Pop on over to our Facebook site at any time leading up to March 5th and through March 11th. Send us a message about your pet care professional. Have you wanted to say thanks? Tell us who walks or cares for your floofin with the  message you want to share. It can be long or short, serious, or funny. During the week, we’ll highlight messages about our staff. Your message of appreciation is a great way to give a shout out to someone who makes your (and your pet’s) life a little bit easier. We can’t wait to hear from you!

World Spay Day is February 28

by Leave a Comment

cats

The last day of February is World Spay Day. As the world moves away from winter and outdoors into spring, consider the benefits of making sure your pet is spayed or neutered. 

Spaying your pet is just one way to help keep homeless pet populations down. Without enough homes for pets they often enter into the shelter system where millions are euthanizes each year.

While there are medical and behavioral benefits to neutering pets, let’s consider a few myths that still exist. According to the ASPCA, two common myths that simply aren’t accurate are:

  • Spaying or neutering will not cause your pet to become overweight.
  • Neutering is not a quick fix for all behavior problems. 

What is true is that you can oftentimes enjoy medical benefits from spaying your pet. For example, your female pet will be less likely to experience breast tumors or uterine infections resulting in a healthier, longer life. Your male pets will be less likely to experience testicular cancer or prostate problems. 

There are behavior benefits as well. Your male dogs are less likely to roam as far away from home when mating season rolls around. This will limit attempts to escape to find a lady friend and potentially incur injury from traffic or other hazards. Your female cat won’t go into heat which can sometimes include a great deal of yowling and urination, sometimes all over your house. 

Contact your veterinarian or seek out a low-cost clinic to find out how to spay or neuter your pet. Do what is best for your pet’s health and research what makes the most sense for your pet.