I LOVE what I do for a living!!!!!!

Hello all my furr guardians, how was your 4th of July? Were your furr kids okay with all the loud BANGS! My cats spent the majority of the time under our bed, but with all the M80's that were being set off I wish I could have fit under there too!

So, as you can see from the title of this blog...I LOVE WHAT I DO FOR A LIVING! I just wanted to introduce all of you to my newest furr kid, and what a doll she is! Her name is Penny, and she's a 10 week old Bernese Mountain Dog. She is the new Sister to Oliver and Autumn, (kitties) and just arrived Monday. She is a sweetheart, who loves her Brother and Sister, (although the feeling is not mutual at this time) and adores her guardians, (and me too). She is so cute that I had to post two videos of her...I hope you don't mind.





Now, how CUTE was that!!!!!! She is also quite the people magnet, and makes everyone who runs into her smile...what an awesome talent to have. We're still working on the potty training, but she is SO smart, and is taking to it very quickly.

We have had quite the strange Summer so far...cold, hot, SUPER hot, cool, and cold again. Well, according to the news it's supposed to warm up again and I thought I would include a couple of cool doggy treats that you can whip up for your furr kid.

Blend a couple of spoons of peanut butter with mashed banana, add a spoonful of honey and mix in about a half cup of water to make a better freezing consistency. For optional extra crunch, throw in a few unsalted peanuts...and FREEEEEZE.

If you want to be a bit creative, try mixing and matching various fruit juices with your dog's favorite fruit such as apple bits or canned peaches along with plain yogurt before freezing into cubes. You may even want to go all out and blend smoothies or slushes for your dog to lap up or crunch in frozen cubes. However, stick to fruit juices and water for liquid as many dogs cannot easily digest milk. Creamy treats can be made by mixing half cottage cheese and half water and freezing into cubes.

For dogs who prefer meaty tastes, freeze chicken or beef broth, or even thin unsalted gravies into cubes. For an extra surprise, add a chunk of baby food meat, a piece of milkbone, or a cheese bit into each cube before freezing.

If you're not feeling particularly "Martha Stewart" you can also go with something like this:
http://www.kooldogz.biz/

And of course there is always:
http://www.chillow.com/chillow.html

The Chillow works for kitties too, although Blackjack wasn't fond of his he prefers the cold floor in the bathroom.

I haven't forgotten about my feline furr kids, (although they aren't fans of super cold things). I found these awesome kitty treat recipes and thought I would share them with you!

Crispy Trout Pieces
1 egg yolk
1 small trout fillet
3 tbsp oatmeal
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Beat the egg, dip the fish in it, and then coat it with the oatmeal. Put the oil in a small baking pan and lay the fillet in it, turning it over once or twice. Bake for 15 minutes, turn over and back for another 15 minutes. Remove the fish to a dish, allow to cool and cut into bite-sized pieces. If it looks a little dry, add a dash of cream.

Chicken Cheeseburger
2 oz finely ground beef
2 oz finely ground chicken
1 tsp canned thick chicken soup
2 oz whole grain bread crumbs or oatmeal
1 baby carrot, cooked until soft
1 egg
1/2 cup grated cheese

Mash the meat and chicken with the soup, then add the bread crumbs or oatmeal, mushy carrot and egg. Make into two small burgers and broil (leaving much rare than you would for yourself). Sprinkle with grated cheese and broil again until the cheese is melted. Allow to cool until warm to the touch and serve.

I often think "ahhhhhh, I would love to be some of the furr kids I watch...what a life"...and this video explains it sooooooo well!



Many of you have sent me emails asking how Blackjack is doing, which I think is SO wonderful and thoughtful! He's doing much better, although Corn is still hissing at him which hurts his feelings. His hair is starting to grow out a bit, and he's looking a bit more black than silver. The good news is that he hasn't thrown up ONE hairball!!!!! That is cause for celebration!!!!

Well, I guess that's it for now, but I wanted to mention that the annual Obon Festival is going on this weekend in Japantown so if you want to experience a lot of fun and culture you should make plans to visit...you just might run into your loyal petsitter! http://www.sjbetsuin.com/Events/HomePage

Poor Blackjack

Hello all my furr guardians, how has this awful hot weather been treating you??? I wanted to make sure to wish all my Canadian furr guardians a very happy Canada day, and hope you celebrated it in the true spirit of a Canuck!

Well, before any of you worry about our kitty mascot, Blackjack is just fine, but the hot weather lead me to try something that I never had before...yes, I had Blackjack shaved. The utter embarrassment and humiliation in his face was absolutely heartbreaking for your loyal pet sitter, and although I tried to reassure him that he will be MUCH happier without his thick black coat he just looked at me with this pathetic "I'm ruined" face. It was quite the traumatizing experience for him, as he had to be sedated...well, it was either that or the tech who gave him his trim would have been walking with a sever limp. Blackjack is not one to go for a car ride quietly, in fact he yowled the entire way to Fremont, (yes, my Vet is in Fremont, but he's the best in the world...in my opinion that is) and a few times it was quite the ear piercing howl. My Mom went with me for moral support, so we both chuckled at some of his very strange howls...under our breath of course not to make him feel bad. Not surprisingly he was absolutely quiet on the way home, probably a mixture of the drugs and being exhausted after his horrible day, (he was there for nearly 6 hours). When we got home he was wobbly, but quick to escape the HORRIBLE cat carrier. I'm sure he was feeling so embarrassed, but it was made worse when our other cat Corn hissed at him!!!! We're not sure if it was the Vet smell, or maybe Corn just didn't recognize this no furr kitty in front of him. So, Blackjack wondered the house looking for somewhere, ANYWHERE to hide. He seems a bit better today, but still staying clear of Corn and looking uncomfortable with his new haircut...believe me, I know how he feels! But as you can see in the first photo, he still doesn't mind showing off his gut, and although the Vet said he was "chunky" I still tell him "no you're not, your just "big boned" like your Mom".

I have heard many of my furr guardians complain about the lack of options for pet travel via air, and how most airlines are being super difficult regarding arrangements and most of all fee's for our beloved furr kids to fly with us. Well, I came across a very cool new service that offers furr kids first class air travel! It is SO cool, your furr kid flies in the front cabin, (in a kennel for their safety) which has temperature control and fresh air pumped in. They are monitored by an attendant and get this...NO HUMANS ON BOARD, (well besides the flight staff of course). This is all about your furr kid!!!! You can go online and track your pet, they have a "MyPaws" club that will save you money on flights and pet friendly hotels, and a bunch of great information regarding traveling with your pets! Unfortunately the closest "hub" is Los Angeles, but who knows it might be worth the drive down!

As you all well know, 4th of July can be such a blast for us Humans, but can be HORRIBLE for our furr kids. Here are some tips on how to keep your furr kids safe this coming 4th of July, (supplied by the wonderful Humane Society of the United States.

• Resist the urge to take your pet to fireworks displays.
• Do NOT leave your pet in the car! With only hot air to breathe inside a car, your pet can suffer serious health effects - even death - in a few short minutes. Partially opened windows DO NOT provide sufficient air, but they DO provide an opportunity for your pet to be stolen.
• Keep your pets indoors at home in a sheltered, quiet area. Some animals can become destructive when frightened, so be sure that you've removed any items that your pet could destroy or that would be harmful to your pet if chewed. Leave a television or radio playing at normal volume to keep him/her company while you're attending 4th of July picnics, parades, and other celebrations.
• If you know that your pet is seriously distressed by loud noises like thunder, consult with your veterinarian before July 4th for ways to help alleviate the fear and anxiety he or she will experience during fireworks displays.
• Never leave pets outside unattended, even in a fenced yard or on a chain. In their fear, pets who normally wouldn't leave the yard may escape and become lost, or become entangled in their chain, risking injury or death.
• Make sure your pets are wearing identification tags so that if they do become lost, they can be returned promptly. Animals found running at-large should be taken to the local animal shelter, where they will have the best chance of being reunited with their owners.

Remember, taking precautions can help your furr kid get through the loud 4th of July without too much anxiety. Fireworks are fun for us, but not so much for our furr kids...especially when you get the M-80's exploding outside!!!!

Well, many of you have been asking, and now we have the answer...YES, we will be doing Bark in the Park 2009! We look forward to this every year, so how could we NOT! So, mark the date because this is one doggy fest you DON'T want to miss! Saturday, September 19th! It will be a blast, and make sure to bring your furr pups to visit their loyal pet sitters.

Well, I guess that's it for now! I hope you all have a wonderful, and SAFE 4th of July. Nanny Carolyn, Katy, Allison, Chandel, Stacy, Maria and Jennifer all sends hugs and kisses to your wonderful furr kids, and we thank you for being a part of the SVPN family!