 |
| 2002 - 2014 |
This Valentine's Day, Cozy Critters of Bellaire celebrates it's twelfth anniversary! We are so grateful for all of our wonderful clients, both two and four-legged. We love meeting other animal-loving people in our area. We love getting to know each and every pet, caring for them and loving them as if they were our own. So many memories and funny stories are made over the years. But most of all, we love providing a great service: Pet Sitting! Looking forward to making more friends and memories....
To all of our clients...
I am not a big proponent of dry food to begin with (the more I learn, the less I like it), but some of the ways in which I see people storing dry pet foods are less than ideal. I suppose a lot of people haven't even really given it much thought. I didn't think much about it either in the beginning, but how you store your pet's dry food is important.
Our pets don't get to choose what they get to eat. Their only choice is what we give them. It's up to us to learn not only what they like but also what's appropriate and healthy for them. They have to rely on us to figure that out. Each pet is unique and has it's own preferences, just like people. They like a variety, just like we do. It's not natural for them to eat the same thing every meal, day after day, for years on end, any more than it is for us. It's not natural for carnivores to eat highly processed dry kibble.
Just like whatever we put into our body has an effect on us, the same goes with our animal friends. Though unlike us, typically pets eat the same food every meal, day after day, month after month, year after year and so for this reason, the effects of the ingredients (or lack of) in the food (and the water) they consume really have a big impact on their health and well being and can mean the difference between just surviving (or worse) or thriving. Are your pets consuming healthy ingredients or ingredients known to be unhealthy or even detrimental to their health?
With all that being said, dry pet foods (which, by the way, are technically considered feed not food) are highly processed. Because they are highly processed and use preservatives, they are packaged and stored in bags that are intended to keep them as fresh as possible until the expiration date or shelf life, which can be between one and three years.
Also, some of the dietary fats that pets require are very sensitive to air, heat and time. As soon as a bag of kibble is opened, those fats begin to go rancid. Pouring the kibble from the bag to a container, or into a bowl accelerates the process as the kibble is exposed to more air each time and sits there waiting to be eaten.
Another thing is that in the final step of the kibble production process, palatability enhancers are sprayed on the food (because few animals would eat it otherwise), which consist of metal oxides and sulfates that promote the oxidation of fats.
Most bags of dry food have a plastic liner on the inside for this reason. Some of the better quality foods are lined with foil inside. The packaging is protecting the food from air (oxygen), heat and moisture. No matter what type of preservative is used in your pet's food, it can quickly turn rancid if exposed to air and hot temperatures. You are supposed to store pet food in a cool (under 80 degrees), dry place, which (especially here in the South) does not mean the garage.
I realize that sometimes there is the issue of bugs getting into the food and that's why people began putting the food in other containers to store it. However, you can store the food still in the bag, in a container to keep the bugs out. It will stay fresher this way. I used to pour out the dry foods into plastic containers too, until I learned more about pet foods and plastics.
I have seen dry pet food stored in all kinds of containers. The most popular is plastic of course. What most people don't think about is whether or not the plastic is food grade plastic. Our food items, along with pet foods are stored in food grade plastics. Some (if not all) plastics can leach toxic chemicals into the contents of the container. Some plastics can actually absorb much of the vitamin C out of the food; it leaches out and gets sucked into the plastic material. This effects shelf life as it causes the fat to oxidize and accelerates spoilage. Most people don't realize this. Another reason to leave it in the bag.
I've seen pet food poured out of the bag into plastic containers for storage that are not even made to store food items (like trash cans or storage containers that are not air tight). How long do you think that food stays fresh considering all the things I just mentioned?
Not only that, but Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical that can be found in many plastic containers, including food-grade plastics. BPA has been shown in several medical studies to be harmful and may even cause cancer. BPA has been linked to thyroid and neurological problems. If you are going to pour the dry food into a plastic container, make sure the plastic is BPA free.
If you keep your pet food in a food-grade, BPA free plastic container, be sure to wash it out and dry it thoroughly before putting new food in. If you dump new, fresh food on top of remnants of old, rancid food, those remnants of oxidizing old food can spread the oxidation to the new food.
I've seen metal garbage cans (kept in the garage) or other metal cans used for storing pet foods. I've seen not only foods kept in containers that are kept in the garage but in the freezer as well. Freezing it isn't going to keep it fresher -- keeping it in the closed bag will. Dogs and cats do not like frozen food (unless it's a frozen yogurt-type treat). Eating frozen foods is not natural for them. They prefer foods at room temperature (or live temperature for live food!). Ask yourself this: If you were to pour a box of your favorite cereal in the container you store your pet food in, how long would your cereal stay fresh?
Even if they are food grade plastic containers which are BPA free and made for storing food, there are two important reasons why keeping it in the bag is a good idea. One is that the bags, which were made specifically to keep that food fresh, would likely keep the food fresh longer than it would after being poured into another container (letting air in), which is likely to allow for more space (air) as the food level gets lower. (A bag you can roll down to keep the air out.) The other (very important) reason to keep it in the bag is in case of a recall of the food. If your pet ever gets sick and you suspect the food (or treats), you will need the product information code and expiration date on the package.
That may bring to mind the big pet food recall in 2007, but you know about that one because it was huge and effected so many pets and got lots of coverage in the news. What you may not realize is there are pet food recalls all the time. (I post them on our FaceBook page.) Long before 2007 and frequently since. If there is a recall on the food you buy, you want to have the information on the bag available because the manufacturer always lists the lot numbers of the food in addition to the brands or types that are affected. I had a client who's cat suffered sudden renal failure due to some of the recalled food in 2007 and having that product information helped in her claim for financial reimbursement from the food manufacturer for the veterinarian bills. Happily, her cat did survive and went on to live a normal life after many months of treatment.
We need to be conscious of not only how we store our pet's food but also about handling it. People have gotten salmonella from handling bad pet food. Never let children handle it or put it in their mouths. Always wash your hands after handling pet foods and treats.
Do you buy too much food at a time? For example, do you buy the largest bag of pet food for a single pet so you get it cheaper and don't have to buy it as often? Just how long does it last? Does it last so long it's most likely stale or rancid once you get to the bottom of the bag? You might want to consider buying in smaller quantities so it's always as fresh as possible. If not, be sure to at least keep the bag closed and in an air tight container to keep it fresh longer. Once I gave my cat some high quality dry food that a client had given me after her cat passed away. Turned out the food in the bottom of the bag was rancid and made my cat very sick. (He was okay after being treated at the vet's.) So just be aware! Foods can make them sick and often do. Be more discerning of not only what you give your pets to eat but also how and where you store it.
If you ever notice the food looks or smells funny, don't feed it to them. If your pet refuses to eat something, don't make them. Remember that client who's cat suffered renal failure from the food? She told me that looking back, she specifically remembered that her cat smelled the food but did not want to eat it (which was unusual). She encouraged her to eat it and she did eat some of it. Of course my client felt bad afterwards for getting her to eat it when the cat could smell that there was something wrong with the food and knew not to eat it. But of course my client had no idea the food was contaminated until later. We forget sometimes to give more credit to the animals. They are in tune with what's good for them. Their sense of smell is much more powerful than ours. Their noses know!
I just finished reading another great article by one of my favorite holistic veterinarians Dr. Karen Becker called Why Cats Really Shouldn't Be Left Alone at Home. This article, of which I totally agree with, struck a nerve with me. She stated there was a survey that said over half of all U.S. cat owners choose a cat as a companion because they believe cats can be left alone for long periods of time. As a professional pet sitter, over the years I have noticed this trend as well. I often get asked to visit cats every other day or even less often.
Many people believe that because cats are more independent creatures and because they don't need to be let outside to go to the bathroom like dogs, they can go for longer periods of time left alone. Especially if they are given a big bowl full of dry kibble and a big bowl or two of water and perhaps they even have electric litter boxes, so for the most part, the boxes scoop themselves and that problem is taken care of as well. There are also automatic feeders available.
I've also noticed that cats sometimes tend to get treated as second-class citizens, especially if they share their home with dogs. A perfect example of this is I once had a client tell me (during the interview) when asked what veterinarian they used for their cats: "They're just cats -- they don't go to the vet." This is really sad. Cats need veterinary care just like dogs and they need daily visits when they are home alone.
Cats may be more independent than dogs but they get lonely and bored just like dogs do. Even the shy ones that may never even make an appearance when I'm pet sitting, like to know that there is a human coming to check on them and give them fresh food and fresh water (and maybe some treats or catnip). I had one shy cat that I took care of that wouldn't come out from under the bed. I tried all kinds of things to make friends. It took a lot of patience and finally after four years she finally gave in and came to me for pets and after that, I couldn't get rid of her! She followed me around talking up a storm.
Not to mention there are cats who are very people-oriented. They are the ones who talk my head off every time I show up because they have been left alone and they do not appreciate that! They are the ones who stay glued to your lap or are climbing all over you and just want to be smothered in love and affection.
But whether it's a shy or a highly affectionate, very out-going cat or anything in between--they deserve to be cared for like the sentient beings they are. They are not less than dogs, they are just different. Just as dogs teach us a lot not only about them, but about ourselves as well; the same goes with cats.
Another thing is that just as we are becoming more conscious about our own health and well-being and making new discoveries every day (although slow to change), so are we in regards to the health and well-being of our beloved pets. For example, we now know that giving felines a highly processed dry kibble is a far cry from a healthy, species appropriate diet that promotes well-being. I'm not saying cats can't survive on dry foods. They can and they have. Before I learned otherwise, I fed my cats dry food. But there is a big difference between surviving and thriving. So for cats to thrive they need to be eating either raw, home cooked (you have to know what you're doing here!), dehydrated, frozen or high quality can food, which doesn't allow for leaving cats alone for long periods.
Even if you are feeding dry food, it gets stale and sometimes they throw up in their food. (Cats on dry food tend to throw up more often.) Sometimes ants get in the food. Not to mention they really should be getting a measured amount of food to prevent obesity. And clean, fresh water daily is just basic care. Some cats like to play in the water and spill it. Some cats turn on water faucets! There has been more than one occasion when I arrived at a client's house and there was a sink or bath tub faucet that was going full blast.
Cats prefer clean litter boxes and will resort to going else where if it doesn't meet their standards. Some cats are pickier than others. (Remember the rule of thumb: one box per cat plus an extra. Although they are making boxes larger now (yay!), some are the size of two boxes!) The boxes need scooped daily. Even electric litter boxes get jammed up and stop working.
Last but not least, anything can happen in just a short time when it comes to animals home alone. A cat can suddenly become ill or pass away. There has been more than one occasion where I had to rush a cat to the vet or emergency clinic. This is one of the many reasons why I do not accept clients that want anything less than one visit per day for cats. Though I have done every other day visits for cats in the past and still have a couple of clients that ask for every other day visits, of which I will still honor (but am not crazy about), I do not accept such assignments any longer.
"Not to hurt our humble brethren (the animals) is our first duty to them, but to stop there is not enough. We have a higher mission--to be of service to them whenever they require it... If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow man." ~Saint Francis of Assisi
In this video, Dr. Mercola talks with Dr. Becker and Dr. Barbara Royal, incoming President of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association (AHVMA), about the role of the organization in promoting holistic and integrative veterinary medicine, as well as a wide range of natural pet health care topics. Throughout this wide-ranging discussion, viewers will discover little pearls of wonderful advice and guidance on how to improve the health of the animals in their life.
I highly recommend watching it. It's well worth it. They are discussing all the things I have been advocating for and discovering in my own research over the years.
To find a holistic veterinarian in your area, click here.
It seems like all I have been writing about in the last year are tributes to our pets. Here I am again, this makes the fourth one. This one being the hardest of all to write. I loved them all -- both cats and dogs -- and they were all so special and each such a unique bundle of furry unconditional love. This one however, was that one-in-a-million dog.
We had been dog-less for about a year or so after the last of the previous generation of dogs passed away when we decided we were ready to adopt again. We found Einstein through our veterinarian clinic. One of the veterinarians had a friend who was looking for a new home for their four year old Australian cattle dog. We immediately fell in love with Einstein and three days before Christmas in 2000, took him home with us. What a great Christmas gift!
Although we were excited to have a new family member, I know giving him away was a difficult
thing for his previous family to do and it was hard on Einstein for the first day or so too. He didn't understand why this was happening. He didn't really want anything to do with us once we got him home and took him out in the backyard. He didn't want us to touch him. He barked out the gate to go back home. Finally, with patience and persistence, my husband was able to get the first pet in, and once that happened and Einstein saw we were only there to love him, he was okay. He was our dog now.
What a great dog. He was already well trained and had great manners.He always waited for my permission before he did anything. It became quickly apparent why his name was Einstein. The name fit. He was the smartest dog I have ever met. Not long after bringing him home I began taking him to work with me. (This was before I started pet sitting.) I worked in an office and he would stay by my side at my desk, content to just be wherever I was. It was after this, my husband states, that Einstein became my dog. From then on, Einstein felt his purpose was to watch over me and protect me.
If I was around, he knew where I was at all times, no exceptions. Where ever I was, there he was. He was my body guard and he took it seriously. When I would leave the house, he would wait for me by the front door. Closed doors were not allowed in our house. If they weren't completely shut, he would shove them open forcefully. He also kept tabs on where anyone else was that might be in our house. Our bathroom door doesn't always shut completely because of settling so when someone uses the bathroom and closes the door as far as it will go, well you guessed it -- Einstein would forcefully shove it open with his muzzle. No privacy allowed here!
He loved our cats and was intrigued by one in particular. He could sit and watch her for hours. She was the best entertainment for him. Likewise, I'm sure. Being the herding dog he was, he was content to herd smaller animals like cats, dogs or humans. He left the herding of larger animals like horses and cows up to our Australian Shepherd, Ellie (who we adopted six months later). We will never forget one time when we were on our ranch in the country, with all four of our dogs. They were all off together, close to the parameter of our property where it was heavily wooded, when they suddenly heard the loud thunder of cattle coming their direction from the adjoining property. The two female dogs, Ellie and Cali started barking and running toward it, while the two boys, Einstein and Duke started running as fast as they could back to the house, all the while looking over their shoulder. They knew whatever was headed their direction was big and they didn't want any part of it. We still laugh about that.
Einstein loved going to our ranch of course. It was a new experience for him as he had previously lived on a golf course. His feet were so soft. After the first time tippy-toeing around the property, his feet got broken in and became rough. He loved swimming in the pond, fetching a toy and bringing it back over and over. He would never go off any where without me though. One of the first times he went with us he saw a rabbit and began chasing it at full speed. I called him and was amazed that he stopped immediately and came back. He wouldn't even go for a walk with my husband and the other dogs around the property if I wasn't going. He wanted to be with me, always. No matter what. Now that is loyal. I felt honored.
His vocabulary grew to be huge. I taught him the words and names for different types of
animals, the people we regularly saw, and any and everything else. He listened intently to everything I said. Even when I wasn't talking to him. He would let me know whenever there was some critter around. At our ranch, he would sniff into holes in the ground and if he whined that meant there was a critter of some sort in there. If he didn't whine, it was empty. When opossums would get into our garage and hide on occasion , he would whine with his nose pointed in the direction to let me know one was in there. I could always count on him to let me know who or what might be near.
We tried playing with our cats with a laser light once. It doesn't work well when you have dogs in the room. The other dogs would try to get the light (cats didn't have a chance) but Einstein would get irritated at the other dogs for trying to get the light. It was as if he was saying "you dummies -- Mom and Dad are making the light move!" If they didn't stop chasing the light he would nip at the hand that was holding the laser light -- telling us to "stop that!". He was too smart to chase a laser light and thought the other dogs were ridiculous for doing so! We still laugh about that one too.
He loved tennis balls and was so enthusiastic about catching them he would do a flip in the process if needed. He was an excellent ball catcher. As a matter of fact, to show you just how great a dog's sense of smell is; just a short time after we adopted him, he was in the backyard and started digging close to the patio. After looking to see why he was digging there, I was amazed to see he had dug down at least six inches or so to uncover an old tennis ball! It had gotten buried years ago from our previous dogs. Amazing. He smelled it under several inches of dirt and it was only half of an old, worn out tennis ball.
He also loved to tear the squeaker out of every stuffed toy and "kill it" so it couldn't squeak any more. He didn't like those squeakers! It would take him less than a minute to get them out.
Another funny story comes to mind. He was never afraid of our two horses. He was rather relaxed around them compared to the cows. He liked to eat their sweet feed and their carrots and would help himself to a bite or two. One day, he was standing just in front of our Quarter horse Tosha, while she was eating out of her bucket, with his butt to her and I guess she didn't want him so close to her food so she nipped him on the butt! He yelped and jumped at the same time and then came over to me pointing with his head and snout that his butt hurt. Naturally, I rubbed it and kissed it to make it feel better. He was the best communicator. He always let me know if something hurt and where.
He had such a calm and wise demeanor. People noticed it but other animals especially noticed it. No matter where we went and whether it was a dog or cat, they all gravitated toward him and showed particular interest in him. Even when we had all four dogs with us other people's pets would favor him. They found his calm and wise energy comforting. Our other pets were no different. Our cats adored him. He was in kitty herding heaven! A veterinarian once remarked what a calm dog he was as we were waiting in the clinic.
He was not a real friendly dog with other people. He only liked to receive pets if he asked for them and then he wanted the pets on his chest, please. He would shove your hand down to his chest if you went for the head. He had to know you to want a pet from you. He didn't allow just anyone to pet him. He was a one-person-dog as they say. He was totally dedicated to one person and that was me. I was the luckiest person in the world.
I have a magnet on my refrigerator with a picture of an Australian Cattle Dog - Blue Heeler on it and it has a description of them that says; robust, athletic, clever, versatile and talented. Watchful with strangers. Hard-Headed (In bold). He was hard-headed indeed. He could also be very intense.
Other than a couple of bouts with Vestibular Disease when he was fifteen, he was healthy his whole life. He developed high blood pressure around the same time. We also discovered that he had a benign brain tumor and he had had several mini strokes. He didn't show any outward symptoms of either and never did. Though he lost his hearing, he was bright-eyed until the very end. He began getting weaker. He was very independent and wasn't happy about accepting help in the beginning, when he needed it but he quickly resolved to having to be taken care of. He had taken care of me for the last thirteen years and now it was my turn. He continued to communicate his needs in whatever ways he could. He was so good at that. I always knew what he wanted. He always knew what I wanted (though he may not have always listened). He was determined to stay with me for as long as he could. His body gave out long before he did but he finally let go two months after his seventeenth birthday, on October 29th. He had a good, long life filled with lots of love and fun.
Einstein (like the rest of our pets) taught me so much about myself and about them. He was a great teacher. They give us so much but most of all they give us unconditional love. They help us to grow and expand. We have only just begun to understand them. They have so much to teach us. They are magnificent creatures. They are sentient beings -- gifts from God. That's why it hurts so much when they leave.
Einstein: The most amazing dog I have ever met. I am so grateful to have had him in my life. I will never be the same.
Did you know that Swanson Vitamins carries pet products for less? I order our human supplements from them and after discovering they sell some of the healthier pet treats and the line of supplements for pets called Pet Naturals, I got excited!
Their line of pet products has expanded and their prices can't be beat! As a matter of fact, "Swanson Health Products goes another step beyond its competitors by offering powerful guarantees. All products are backed by a 100% Satisfaction, Money-Back Guarantee and our Price Matching. If you are not satisfied with your purchase for any reason, simply return the unused portion for a full refund of the purchase price. If you find a product priced lower from a qualifying competitor, let us know and we'll match that price. As a leading supplement brand, Swanson Health Products is Good Manufacturing Practices certified and also voluntarily participates in third party supplement testing by independent organizations including ConsumerLab.com."
Click on this link here to get $5 off your first order! For every friend I refer that places an order through this link, I receive a $10 reward coupon. This way we both save! And yes, I would still highly recommend Swanson Vitamins even if I didn't receive a $10 reward coupon! You can't beat them -- great products, great prices and great customer service. And they have pet products! Check it out! :)
Wow! Thank you! to our wonderful clients for making 2013 such a great year for Cozy Critters! This July we broke last year's record (also July) for most visits ever done in a month in our eleven year history. We also had the best March and August we have ever had. Now we are gearing up for the holidays so don't wait until it's too late! Make your holiday pet sitting reservations in advance to guarantee availability.
