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National Pet Week Starts May 1st

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National Pet Week began back in 1981. It is celebrated during the first week of May. The American Veterinarian Medical Association (AVMA) helped create this week that celebrates pets and encourages the best possible care of our companion animals. 

The AVMA  themes each day that you can check out by clicking here.

You probably won’t be surprised by many of the recommendations. But it is always good to see if you can make any improvements. Many of the tips can be applied to the human beings in the household, not just the pet.

For example, the AVMA recommends proper nutrition and exercise for your pet. What better way to improve your own life by being active with your best friend? Finding an exercise routine that both your pet and you can share is an essential joy that has long lasting benefits.

Unsurprisingly, they recommend regular checkups and screenings, particularly as your pet reaches the senior years. Just like humans, the preventive measures you take could extend the quality and longevity of your pet’s life. 

You could also review preparation protocols for travel and review the latest procedures for handling an emergency event. 

Whether you are looking to find a pet or already have one, your veterinarian is a great resource for making sure you understand all the facets required for a healthy, happy pet.

Let us know how you plan to celebrate National Pet Week. 

Happy 12th Birthday, Floofins & Co.!

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Today marks our 12th anniversary and we are so glad to still be in business despite the impact of the global pandemic. We want to thank each of our clients for their continued support and our staff for their loyalty and determination. 

As we kick off our 12th year in business, there are many things that we have planned that we are excited to share with you. Let’s get right to it!

What’s Ahead

First, our dog training program is up and running. If you have a pandemic pet or one that has forgotten what it is like to be around other humans, now is the time to lock in some training. Pop over to the website to check out the various options. Let our trainers concentrate on the specifics you want to work on. All classes are individual and are designed to meet your particular needs.

Second, we will be launching our Floofins Couture line soon. Stay tuned for details. After we do a test run with our staff, we will provide you all the details on how you can rock your Floofins attire. You’ve asked and one of the benefits of the pandemic was some time to develop this line of products. Information coming soon!

Finally, we know that many small pet care companies did not survive the shutdown. While we are always happy to bring new clients into our family, the influx between demand and available staff forced us to establish our first ever waitlist. We hope to add those patient future floofins family members to the fold soon. Thanks to our clients for helping us locate some additional staff!

We can’t emphasize how much we appreciate our clients. Thanks for sticking with us and we hope that 2022 – our 12th year in business – is the start to some great moments ahead. Happy Birthday, Floofins & Co.! 

Take A Walk In the Park Day Is March 30th

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March 30th is designated as Take A Walk In the Park Day! We can’t think of a better way to spend your outdoor saunter than by checking out a nearby park.

When we walk our dogs, we often stick to the same routes, the same times, and sometimes are so thoroughly in a routine that we don’t notice all the things around us. Even our dogs can get in a rut and refuse to budge from a pre-determined route.

But on March 30th, or any day really, you can mix things up. Pack up your pet and venture over to a tree-filled park or wooded area and take an adventure. You get the benefits of being fully present (consider turning off the phone or at least setting it on silent) and allow your dog to engage all of their olfactory cells. 

The benefits are two fold. You get the proven scientific benefits of being immersed in a tree-filled location. In as little as 20-30 minutes this can decease your blood pressure (and likely your stress levels). Your pet will be exercising their noses and their legs and probably will be pretty tuckered out when you return home. Who doesn’t love a tired pet?

Maybe you’ll discover a new favorite location for your walks on a summer evening or weekend. Maybe you’ll meet a new friend, canine or human. Either way, let March 30th be an opportunity to try out a new park and see if you feel better after a good walk there! Let us know how it goes.

National Respect Your Cat Day March 28th

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Do you think that your cat feels respected? Like, really valued and understood? If the answer is maybe not, take the opportunity to turn that around on March 28th.

The National Respect Your Cat holiday was designed to bring awareness to the proper care of cats. According to PetMD.com, it is also a day to draw attention to the importance of interpreting and appreciating all cat behaviors. 

Today we are going to take Dr. Sarah Wooten’s top three ways she recommends you can show care and respect for cats. Let’s see how many of these you already do.

Suggetions

  • Respect the Hunt. Since cats are carnivores and natural hunters, an indoor cat needs a way to work through those natural instincts. Providing your cat with an environment that allows them to climb and hunt is important to curb boredom. Whether you create some type of cat tree or design a puzzle game or just give them an old fashioned cardboard box, stimulation is important to keeping your cat mentally engaged.
  • Respect the Claws. Vets know that declawing a cat can lead to lifelong pain in their toes. The alternative is to provide your cat appropriate areas to engage their natural scratching behavior. Do you have a scratching post?
  • Respect the Space. Much like introverted humans, cats that are too crowded run the risk of being stressed out. And a stressed out cat can start doing things that their housemates may not like, such as urinating outside the litter box. Be sure to give your cat a safe place where they can escape when they don’t wish to be bothered.

How did you do? Are you a respecter of cats? Let us know if you have any other tips or tricks to respect your cat on March 28th or the rest of the year. 

National Hedgehog Day Pops Up February 2nd

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While most of us are familiar with February 2nd being the day we use a groundhog to determine whether spring or winter weather is ahead, there’s another holiday celebrated the same day. National Hedgehog Day!

According to MentalFloss.com, there are 17 different species of hedgehogs. But, none of them are native to America. Which might explain why we are celebrating groundhogs on the 2nd, here in the States, rather than hedgehogs!

It turns out that when German settlers arrived in America and couldn’t find any hedgehogs, they turned to a similar animal – the groundhog – to use as their winter weather predictor.

And while the popularity of these tiny creatures has blossomed, there are still some states where you cannot legally own them as pets. States like Arizona, Georgia, and Pennsylvania still categorize them as wild animals, making them illegal to possess as pets.

Let me give you a couple more interesting tidbits before closing.

Did you know that the hedgehog got its name from one of its favorite locations? Apparently, these little guys have a taste for insects that made them particularly popular in English garden. Their preference for spending time among the hedges coupled with the pig-like grunts they make earned them the name.

Hedgehogs can hibernate but not all of them do. Their poor eyesight is most effective in the dark which suits them since they are nocturnal by nature. And don’t expect to run into an “array” of them (that’s the name for a gathering of hedgehogs). They are solitary animals that don’t typically spend time with others of their species (unless it’s time for romance).

You can take a look at the entire list by going to the following website: https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/56004/16-fun-facts-about-hedgehogs