Tag Archive for: Fort Collins Cats

Getting a Cat – Complete Checklist for New Cat Owners

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Cats make wonderful companions and are great additions to any family. They are creatures of comfort, so if you’re a first-time cat owner, make sure to have all the essentials ready for them. Getting a new kitty is a big change for you and for your new friend. To help make this time easier for you, we’ve got the complete checklist of everything thing you need and need to know.

Download the Complete Preparing for a New Cat  Checklist

Important Considerations:

Lifestyle: While it’s true that cats don’t exactly need as much time as a new dog, but they still need love, attention and a stable family life. Ask yourself the following questions before jumping into adoption.

  • Do you or anyone in the house have allergies to cat hair, dander or dirt?
  • Do you have any other pets that may not take well to a new cat? If so, do you have a plan of introducing them to each other?
  • Who will be the primary caretaker?
  • Do you want a long hair or short hair breed? Long hair breeds will take more time for daily grooming and may have more hairballs.
  • Will work or social life affect your ability to properly care for them?
  • Does your residence allow pets and is your home suited for a new cat?
  • Would an older cat or younger cat better suit your lifestyle? Kittens take more time and have more energy, but older cats may need more veterinarian care.

Costs: You want to make sure that you can always care for your vet. The best way is to create a budget for a new cat before you bring them home.

  • Does your new pet need to be spayed or neutered?
  • Is there an adoption fee that needs to be paid?
  • Monthly expenses such as food, litter, pet sitting or new supplies
  • Licensing fees and rabies shots
  • Litter box and scoop
  • Routine veterinary care
  • Microchipping
  • Grooming Brush
  • Beds and toys

Shopping Checklist:

Once you’ve decided a new cat will fit well into your lifestyle and you can afford the cost of care, the next thing to do is hit the pet store to get them their supplies.

  • Age appropriate food
  • Water and food bowls
  • Collar
  • Leash
  • ID tags (make sure your phone number is on it)
  • Hard plastic cat carrier
  • Litter Box
  • Litter Scoop
  • Brush
  • Sponge and scrub brush for accidents and hairball clean up
  • Non-toxic cleaner
  • Toys (feathers on wands, catnip mouse, etc)
  • Blanket or bed
  • Cat toothbrush and toothpaste

There’s no doubt that cats add spunk and tons of joy to any home. They may seem aloof, but in reality, they are just as caring as they are smart. A peaceful home full of warmth and love is a perfect place for a new feline friend.

Download the Complete Preparing for a New Cat  Checklist

How to Involve Your Pets in Christmas

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Christmas is a special time for family and a lot of families include fur-children too. That’s why it’s a great idea to try and involve your pets in the Christmas celebrations. And if you’re wondering how to do that, we have some great ways to include the four-legged family members this year.

 

Take a Christmas photo together

We all love getting the family together for a festive family photo. This year make sure that your pet is in the photo as well! Grab your pet and an extra Santa for the perfect (and complete!) family portrait. You can use it for Christmas cards, put it in an ornament or frame it for the perfect holiday keepsake.

Get them a special gift

Wrap a gift and put it under the tree just for them. Just be sure that if it’s a fragrant gift of treats to wait and put it under the tree Christmas morning. Their curiosity may get the better of them and they may try to break into it. Eating ribbon or string can wreak havoc on their digestive systems, so it’s best to leave those gifts locked away until it is time to open it up.

Bake them their own Christmas treats

Most of the holidays are spent nibbling on delectable foods. However, almost everything we eat is far too rich for our pups to have. Why not take a few extra minutes in the kitchen to make them their own delicious Christmas treats? There are a lot of easy recipes you can whip up for your furry pal in no time.

Bring them along to look at Christmas lights

One of the best parts of the holiday season is all of the twinkling Christmas decorations. It’s always fun to jump in the car and drive around looking at lights. This year instead of leaving your dog at home, bring them along with the whole family for a chance to see how festive your neighborhood looks.

 

Spending time with family is one of the most important parts of Christmas. We get a chance to give our loved ones gifts and shower them with love during this special time of year. Including your pet is only the natural thing to do!

 

Related Posts:

The Best Holiday Gifts for Cats

No Bake Snowball Treats for Your Dog

Easy Thanksgiving Treats to Make for Your Dog

 

Black Friday Shopping for Your Pets

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It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is almost here. Once our bellies are full, it is time to start thinking about the biggest shopping day of the year, Black Friday. After all, it is the perfect time to find the most affordable presents for our loved ones. And we can’t forget about our furry family members this holiday season. There are a lot of great Black Friday deals just for them. We’ve compiled a great list of both online and in-store deals to help you navigate the sales.

Pet Smart

Store Hours – Sales online happening now!

Online deals 11/26-11/27, in store sales 11/27

Petco

Store Hours: Closed on Thanksgiving Day. Hours vary by location

Petco is running both in store and online deals this year! Unlike other companies they opt’d not to publish a physical Black Friday ad this year.

Some items include:

  • Buy 1 Get 1 50% off Whole Hearted Dog and Cat Food
  • Buy 1 Get 1 Free Cat and Dog Treats
  • Buy 1 Get 1 50% off Dry Cat and Dog Food*
  • 50% off Cat Food Variety Packs
  • 50% Off You and Me Orthopedic and Memory Foam Mats
  • 20% Off West Pay Toys

*In Store Only

They’re also offering 50% Off entire stock Holiday Tails Collection for Cats, Dogs, and Small Animals for those who need stocking stuffers still!

Wal-Mart

Store Hours – Time varies by location

Walmart 2020 Black Friday Ad

Photo from blackfriday.com

Costco

Store Hours – Closed on Thanksgiving Day and will open at 9 a.m. on Black Friday.

Costco Black Friday 2020 Ad

Image from passionforsavings.com

After you know where to shop you need to find out what you want to get your best four-legged friend.

Here are our top products that your pet is sure to love:

For the Cats:

  1. Catit Senses 2.0 Food Tree: Give your cats a meal or treat while also providing physical and metal stimulation. Also check out the Catit Senses 2.0 Digger!
  2. Novelty Cat Scratchers: These scratches also server as a festival holiday decoration! A perfect gift for any cat in your life.
  3. Yeowww! Catnip Toy: Made in the USA and filled with organically grown catnip these cat toys are durable! The Yellow Banana is the most popular and makes for a great stocking stuffer.
  4. SPOT Skinneeez Mouse Catnip Toy: Ideal for a cat who likes to destroy their toys. Skinneeeze Mouse are stuffing free and filled with catnip.
  5. Doc & Phoebe’s Indoor Hunting Cat Feeder: Are you or a friend living with a cat that likes to pretend that your bedroom is a NASCAR track at 2AM? This feeder can help solve that problem by turning that zoomies energy into hunting energy. Comes with three feeders.
  6. Little Dove Pet Teepee: Looking for a new pet bed? Little Dove makes a wide variety of quality pet beds, made from 100% cotton canvas and New Zealand Pine Poles. Little Dove beds aren’t just for cats, but small dogs as well.

For the Dogs:

  1. LickiMat: LickiMats come in a bunch of varieties to satisfy the needs of any dog. They’re a great way to provide physical and mental stimulation. Also for cats.
  2. P.L.A.Y. Globetrotter: One of their many sets of themed toys. These are sure to be a hit with everyone! The fried chicken from the P.L.A.Y. American Classic set giggles. Check your local pet store for individual toys.
  3. Benebone: Benebones come in a variety of flavors and sizes. Made in the USA, these toys use real-flavoring to make their toys a nylon-chew dogs can’t resist. Perfect for the heavy chewer in your life. Also comes in a two pack for the smaller dogs you know.
  4. TUFFY Dinosaur Destructosaurs: This LARGE dog toy is great for the big dogs in your life. Standing at almost two feet tall, the Destructosaurs is double stitched with four layers of fabric. Did we mention it’s also machine washable
  5. Outward Hound Invincibles: This little gecko squeaks and is stuffing free! Great for a dog who is more gentle on their toys and takes longer to destroy them.
  6. Messy Mutts Double Silicone Feeder: Have a messy eater? These place mats are a great way to keep dishes in place and food from getting everywhere. Also for cats. Being dishwasher safe is a huge plus!

Still not sure what to get? Head on over to your local pet store and talk to their sales associates. They’ll help you find the perfect gift for your four-legged friend.

 

With all these deals and ideas, you are sure to find the perfect present for your pet this holiday season!

 

Celebrate Grandparents Day – With Your Pets!

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September 10th is National Grandparents Day. And even if you don’t have human kids you can still celebrate the day with your parents. You can celebrate the day by giving them presents from their grand-pets. As family dynamics change, it’s not that unusual to have families where pets are the children. They are every bit a part of the family as anyone else, so why not include them and your parents in this special day?  Here are some great gift ideas for those special pet grandparents in your life.

 

Dog-Grandparent Mug

grandparent

Worlds Greated Dog Grandma/Grandpa

grandparent

I Love My Granddogs Throw Pillow 

 

grandparent

Paw Print Magnet

grandparents

Grandkids Have Paws Plaque

grandparents

All pet grandparents are sure to love these cute little tokens of appreciation from their grandkids with paws!  Do you plan on celebrating Grandparents Day with your parents and pets? If so, let us know what you’re planning to do or have done in the past in the comments below.

How to Grow Catnip Indoors – Live with Liana!

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It’s amazing how easy it is to successfully grow catnip of your own, both indoors and out. Have you ever purchased dried catnip at the store? Then you excitedly open it for your cat only to have them sniff and it lick nonchalantly before walking away? Or maybe if you were lucky, they may have rolled in it a little bit and took a nap on it. And you’re sitting there like, “Wait, I thought catnip was so much more exciting than that for cats???”

And the truth is, it really is supposed to be more fun for them. While some cats never really take to it, most love it, especially when it is fresh. Make sure to watch the whole video for our funny story about how Liana’s cat first reacted to the fresh plant. Because that’s just it, the dried catnip at the store isn’t fresh. Plus, it’s super easy to maintain and can grow into a wonderful thick bush.

Here are some quick easy steps to get you and your cat in catnip heaven:

  1. Purchase small live plants at your local pet store. Or if you have a green thumb you can try planting and growing them from seed.
  2. Water, water water! These plants need a lot of water, so make sure to water them at least every other day.
  3. Don’t forget to trim and clip them for optimal growth. Cut stems down near the center for a fuller plant. Also, you can clip a cut stem into two segments to stimulate two new branches for additional growth.

 

Ways to dry your plant:

  • Take two or three branches and tie the bottoms together
  • Find a cool dry place to hang them upside down for 2-3 weeks until dry
  • Or tear off the leaves whole and place into a dehydrator for 24 hours
  • Don’t crush the dried leaves until you are ready to give them to your kitty for maximum freshness

 

Do you have any funny catnip stories? We’d love to hear them! Let us know in the comments below or on our YouTube & Facebook pages!

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