Tara the Hero Cat Saves the Life of a Little Boy

Have you seen this short YouTube video of a cat saving a little boy from a dog attack?

Tara the Hero Cat Saves the Life of a Little Boy

It's amazing this was caught on video. This doesn't surprise me though. I know first hand cats can be as protective as dogs. Many years ago when I had two dogs and three cats, which were all indoor pets, some friends came over and brought their Labrador Retriever with them. As soon as the dog entered the house and one of my cats saw it, she attacked it. She did not want a strange dog coming in her house. We had to get their dog out of the house. It took my cat a couple of hours to calm down after we removed the dog. Cats can be territorial and protective too.

Just recently I was pet sitting two indoor cats, a male and a female. I was supposed to give the female some medication and as soon as I attempted to do so, the male came after me aggressively, letting me know I was not to mess with his sister! I can't give a cat medication while trying to fend off an attack from another one. This is why you have to be very creative sometimes when it comes to dealing with cats.

Why I Don't Use Retractable Leashes

I have been wanting to write about this subject for some time. As a professional pet sitter, my first and foremost concern of course are the pets -- their safety and well-being. When I'm walking someone else's dog(s), as well as my own, safety for the dog, others and myself is a priority. Having an enjoyable experience is also important for all involved!

Over the last twelve years, I have either experienced or witnessed all kinds of situations and scenarios while walking dogs. I have had someone else's (otherwise friendly) unleashed dog attack and almost kill the dog I had on a leash. I've had dogs come charging out of an open door or gate while walking by with a dog so many times I can't begin to count them. I've had small children come running at me (with parent near by), wanting to pet the dog I'm walking, which is not friendly and doesn't like to be around children. There have been times I have turned around and run the other way with the dog to avoid situations. 

Just recently I passed someone walking their dog on the other side of the street and she wanted to bring her dog over to say "hi" to the dog I was walking, which was 1) not my dog, 2) not dog friendly and 3) was barking and displaying aggressive body language that was obvious to me, but was not understood by her. She got mad or offended when I said it wasn't my dog and declined! 

 I've had dogs pull out of their collar. I even had a dog back out of her harness once (which was obviously fitted too loose). I've had collars break, leashes break. I mean, when you do something long enough, you will experience just about everything that can happen while doing it. And as you go along, you learn by experience what kinds of things or situations to avoid. So for safety's sake, my rule of thumb is stay away from all others -- people and other dogs.

Another thing that I have learned along the way to avoid are retractable leashes. They are anything but safe. If you want to use one while walking your own dog, that is your choice. But as a pet sitter in a big city, I don't use them walking other people's dogs. I don't use them to walk my own dogs either. For many reasons:

• They are easily pulled out of your hand. A sturdy loop that is around your hand and wrist can't be beat for control and control of the dog is of the utmost importance.

• They allow dogs to get too far away to have reasonable control if something occurs to warrant quick action. Six feet away is long enough. I have seen people use retractable leashes with prong choke collars, which is an oxymoron.

• They can break or snap unlike a regular leash (that is the correct size and strength for your dog).

• They can cause burns, cuts and worse -- amputations.

• They are dangerous in that dogs can easily jerk their necks or cause spinal injuries while behaving like the animals they are, and charging after something full speed, or just running and not realizing when the end of the line is coming.

• They actually teach dogs to pull. Dogs learn that to get a longer extension, or to go where they want, all they have to do is pull hard enough and they get it.

• To have any dog, especially a large dog, essentially on a string/thin cord/thin ribbon is not a good means of control. When I see children walking their dogs on these, I just cringe.

• They are just harder to manage, especially if walking more than one dog and picking up the poop, which in most places is the law.

• They can malfunction and won't retract.

• They can frighten dogs (especially fearful ones) if they are dropped, and then are injured due to running to try and get away from the handle that is chasing them.

• I don't know of a good positive reinforcement dog trainer that recommends them.

While I was in the process of writing this I had to take one of my pets to the veterinarian. While we were waiting to be seen, a young mother with two small children, a boy and a girl, and two small dogs came in. The dogs were on retractable leashes. The mother originally had the leashes but as she was standing at the counter filling out paperwork, her children kept asking to have the leashes. She gave in and I watched as these two small children under the age of five got themselves and the dogs all tangled up to the point that the little girl was totally wrapped up in the leash and couldn't move. After the mother got them untangled and took control of the leashes again (still filling out paperwork), she was oblivious to the fact that one of the dogs still had the thin cord of his leash wrapped around his front leg and he kept hopping around trying to pull his leg out of the loop, which he finally managed to do after several tries. 

This is a perfect example of why I cringe when children use them. I have either experienced, witnessed, read or heard about so many different instances in which people and/or pets have gotten injured or worse while using a retractable leash. 

So if you are a client and you set out the retractable leashes, they will not be used. I (we) have my (our) own preferred equipment that provides the control and safety that I require. And if someone walking a dog sees you coming towards them and they go the other way, don't be offended. I'm just playing it safe and keeping it fun!

I want to thank Karen Becker, DVM, for recently writing an article on this subject, which inspired me to finally write about it too. Read her article here: 

Dr. Becker: 10 Reasons Not to Use a Retractable Leash

Structured Water

Not only are we a professional and passionate pet sitting service, we are also progressive. We like learning about the newest leading-edge technology, inventions, products, services, discoveries or otherwise -- especially if it benefits animals. When I'm not pet sitting, I spend a lot of my time reading, researching, attending classes, workshops, and seminars about pet related subjects as well as other subjects.

We live in an exciting time right now. There are new discoveries and inventions every day. Most of which you don't hear about in the main stream media. Things are constantly changing and evolving. One of these exciting new things that I discovered over a year ago is Structured Water (SW). 

It wasn't until recent years that an inventor by the name of Clayton Nolte, after researching and working with mathematics, physics and the properties of water for forty years, invented a device that mimics nature and creates structured water -- the way water was intended to be and is supposed to be; the way nature creates water. It's water that has a different molecular structure.

After learning about and using this water myself, structured water has become another passionate subject of mine! And so to explain it in detail I created a whole page on this blog dedicated to just that. Please click on the structured water tab at the top of this blog for much more detailed information.

I have not only been drinking and showering in it for over a year myself, but so have other family members, our pets and our plants. If you are a client and I have pet sit for you within the last year, your pets received structured water while I was pet sitting. This is where I really notice the change. Animals don't have any judgments, beliefs or thoughts that get in the way of experiencing. They just know that once they get a drink of this SW, they really like it! What I have observed so far is that in the beginning, the animals seem to drink more water, but only at first. Once they get properly hydrated -- probably the best they have ever been in their entire lives -- then it tapers off to drinking less water, or normal amounts. They tend to feel better and have more energy. They seem to become more communicative as well. These aren't dramatic changes, they are more subtle. (I am able to pick up the subtleties. I have seen the difference it makes in people and plants too!)

People that are more sensitive to energies that start drinking it notice the energetic difference in the structured water compared to other water.

Unfortunately, once the pet sitting assignment is over and the pet's water gets changed out, the structured water goes away. This makes me sad because I want all pets to be able to always have SW. This is why I have written about it in great detail so that more people become aware of it and can get it for themselves and their pets. Awareness is everything. I am doing what I can to get the word out (along with others). I want every person and every pet to have and to experience structured water! Order your water structuring device by clicking here. You'll be glad you did! (You'll also get four free bonuses with your order while supplies last!)

Neighborhood Lost and Found Pets

More and more neighborhoods here in the Houston area are starting their own websites and rescue groups in order to take loose, lost or abandoned dogs and cats off their streets and place them in foster homes until they are returned to their guardians or found new homes. These neighborhood rescue groups are run by animal loving volunteers -- your neighbors. I think this is a great idea. If each neighborhood had it's own website and/or contact list and group of volunteers when it came to lost or found pets, and everyone was made aware of one central place to look for or report lost or found pets in their area, pets could be found and returned quicker or kept from wandering the streets. Neighborhoods could also check with the surrounding neighborhood contacts (if in place) as well. Neighbors helping neighbors, helping the pets. That's what it's all about..

For those of you in the Westbury  and Willowbend (Houston) neighborhoods, there is a rescue organization called CARE (Compassionate Animal Rescue Endeavor), which posts information of their activities on https://westbury.nextdoor.com, a private social network for neighbors in Westbury and Willowbend. 

CARE is a new nonprofit, but the organizer is doing a great job of taking strays (mostly dogs) off the street and getting them into foster homes. The animals' veterinary care and food are usually covered by donations from neighbors or from organizations like Homeless Pet Placement League. CARE also works with RPM (Rescued Pet Movement) based in Houston to transport some of the dogs to Colorado, where reputable nonprofits take in the animals and get them adopted. The other dogs are adopted through local adoption events and online profiles. 

CARE is in great need of foster homes for these dogs. One of my clients is currently holding two dogs, a beautiful male black lab and his sister, a 25-lb. mix, that were abandoned by their owners (they need a foster or a permanent home).  Animals like these need help and I am hoping that dog-loving people in the Westbury or Willowbend areas will step forward and volunteer to foster, either short term or long term. Interested individuals can contact Kerry Adams, the CARE organizer, at kerryadamsart@yahoo.com. She would be grateful for any assistance people can offer. She is providing a tremendous service for dogs in need in these areas.

For those of you in the Braeswood Place neighborhood, BPAL (Braeswood Place Animal Lovers) have a website at http://braeswoodpets.com/ . They are a group of volunteers who are willing to display Lost/Found signs in their yards. What a great idea! They help neighbors find lost pets and find the homes of found animals. They will find a safe, loving home for found pets whose guardians cannot be located. Their Lost/Found page will feature pets who are currently lost or have been found in the Braeswood Place neighborhood. If you would like to join in this worthy endeavor please check out their website, give them a call, email or sign up on their email list. Membership is free, all you need is a caring heart.

The City of West University Place provides information and photos of pets that are picked up by Animal Control, picked up by other residents, and reported lost by their owners on their website at www.westutx.gov/index.aspx?page=148. Residents are encouraged to report both lost and found pets by posting on the city's website using their online form.

For those who live in Bellaire, you can check to see if your lost dog is in the Bellaire Animal Shelter by going to www.ci.bellaire.tx.us/index.aspx?nid=1039. Then click on "dogs currently in our shelter" to see photos of the animals. Dogs are kept for only 72 hours. They do not pick up cats. You can also do an internet search for lost and found pets in Bellaire and there are various websites that list lost and found pets for a number of areas.

Indoor Air

Along with water being essential to all of life, air is another basic essential element. I have noticed many people do not give much thought to the indoor air they are breathing. Being a pet sitter, you might think I'm talking about pet smells, and sometimes that can be a problem, but I want to talk about other air pollutants -- ones that are maybe not so obvious.

I'm sure you've heard how even as polluted as our outdoor air may be (especially in the cities), indoor air is even worse. Studies done by the EPA indicate that indoor levels of pollutants may be 2 to 5 times – and occasionally more than 100 times – higher than outdoor pollutant levels. Indoor air pollutants have been ranked among the top five environmental risks to public health. The problems they cause can be subtle and don't always produce easily recognized or immediate impacts on health. 

For instance, if you have cats you know that cat litters are not created equal. Some brands, especially the less expensive brands are so incredibly dusty that if I just gently scoop the box while wearing my contacts, I have to take them out to rinse them off afterwards because they get coated with a layer of dust. If I wear my glasses, I have to wipe them off as well. You can see the dust as it settles on everything nearby. If you have to add litter: pour and run for air -- from the huge cloud of dust! Now I hate to think about all that cat litter dust that I have inhaled into my lungs over the years. I have used some of these excessively dusty brands in the past myself. It's worth the extra money not to have to inhale so much dust. As a pet sitter, I have experienced just about every kind of cat litter imaginable over the years. They are continuously coming out with new ones too. I mean, have you ever seen so many kinds of cat litter? 

I buy the least dusty scoopable cat litters I can find that are unscented. So far, I've found Dr. Elsey's Cat Attract or Precious Cat scoopable cat litter to be one of the least dusty (99% dust free and it's true!) that works well and doesn't have any odors. I recently received an advertisement for another new 99% dust free litter so I'm sure there are more, I just haven't tried them all. Cats' sense of smell is more sensitive than ours and I know being sensitive to odors and chemicals myself, that if a cat litter's scent is over bearing to me, it surely is overwhelming to the cat. Cats prefer the closest thing to what they would naturally use, which is dirt or sand. Now I'm not saying use dirt (although I think the cats would appreciate it). I'm saying dirt doesn't smell like all these over powering scents they add to the litters to appease us. The cats are the ones who have to use it. Scratching around in dirt doesn't give them a lung full of dust either. Buy litters that have the least amount of dust. Not only are the cats breathing it in, so are you and I. Cats get the dust on their fur and end up licking it off as well. If you buy scented litter, try buying unscented and using baking soda instead. The cats will appreciate it, and so will I.

While writing this article, I had a client whose cat developed a cough. After being checked out by a veterinarian and unable to find a cause, it occurred to my client that maybe the cat litter dust was the culprit. A couple of weeks after changing to a much less dusty cat litter, my client noticed her cat's cough not only got better but it's almost completely gone.

Sometimes the cleaning products that are used in homes can be harmful to breathe for us and our pets. Do you use environmentally safe cleaners in your home? If you use a housekeeping service, do you know what cleaners are being used around your pets? When we have pets we have to be more conscious of the products we use around them. Pets are always closer to the ground where everything in the air settles. Plus, their sense of smell is way more sensitive than ours. Cats sense of smell is around fourteen times greater than ours, while a dog's is 10,000 to 100,000 times as acute. I have experienced walking into homes after housekeeping has been there and the smell of cleaners is so powerful, it's nauseating. I know it also has to be for the animals. 

Remodeling projects are another powerful culprit of noxious fumes. Keep pets out of these areas and be sure to air the rooms out with fresh air as much as possible until all the fumes are gone before allowing them back in those areas.

Of course if you have birds, all the above can be deadly for them. Not to mention other things that can be deadly to birds such as using non-stick Teflon coated cookware. You have to be extra careful what is used around birds. They are the most sensitive. I stopped using Teflon (or similar type) coated cookware years ago. If the fumes kill birds, what is it doing to us? 

The biggest indoor air problem for me has become commercial air fresheners. In an effort to mask or prevent unpleasant odors inside their homes, or just to smell a pleasant aroma in the environment, people are inadvertently filling the air in their homes with toxic chemicals. Our home is where we spend the majority of our time, other than at work -- if you work outside the home. I have the benefit of working from home, and so all my time is spent at home, outdoors or in other people's homes. 

There are so many kinds of air fresheners these days. There are ones that plug in and even battery operated ones that spray every few minutes automatically. I have walked by them and been sprayed. I have seen them placed so that the spray lands in the pet's bowls or the pets themselves get sprayed. We really have gotten carried away with air fresheners. I have become more sensitive to them and can usually smell if there is one air freshener in the house. When people have multiple air fresheners, it is overwhelming and I can't stay long without starting to get a headache. Is it any wonder? If people knew what these commercial air fresheners actually contained and what studies have been done, or lack thereof, on the effects to our health, I don't think they would continue buying them. The majority of them contain toxic chemicals. Do you use commercial air fresheners? See how the ones you use rate when tested by EWG (Environmental Working Group) by clicking here. Here you can also view what products are safer and received an “A” rating and would be healthier alternatives.

The problem is a lot of people don't think about what they are putting in their air (or on their skin, or in their body) or their pet's. So if this article makes just one person be more consciously aware of the products they are buying and putting into their indoor environment -- the air they breathe, and the air their pets breathe, and that I breathe -- then it has served its purpose. There are other alternatives to using toxic commercial air fresheners and toxic cleaning products. There are healthier products available now than ever before and there are more resources for finding them. Even the city we live in gives us a page full of recipes for alternative homemade natural cleaners when they deliver our garbage bags. Here are some helpful tips on improving the quality of your indoor air.

Before starting our pet sitting business, my husband and I both worked for many years in the air conditioning wholesale industry. We are not only familiar with, but also sold the many products and equipment available to help clean and improve your indoor air quality, like electronic air cleaners, filters, ion generators/ozone transmitters and other products. There are things you can use to help clean your indoor air without using toxic chemicals.

We are inundated with chemicals, pollutants and toxins everywhere we turn -- in our foods, our pet's foods, our water, our earth, our bodies, and in our air. Even a significant percentage of pregnant women's breast milk, placentas and umbilical cords have been tested and found to have many chemicals in them. Isn't it time we became more conscious of the products and foods we are using and consuming? And those we are exposing and giving to our animal friends as well?

One alternative to chemicals I have enjoyed for the last twenty years or so are essential oils and essential oil products. I used to make essential oil products as a side business before I started my pet sitting business. As I got busier with pet sitting, I drifted away from that; but in the last couple of years, I've gotten back into it again. There has been a lot of progress made (and continues to be made) with studies done in the area of essential oils and pets, which I'm really excited about. I am proud to own the first of its kind -- The Animal Desk Reference for Essential Oils for Animals written by holistic veterinarian Melissa Shelton, which was just published in 2012. (More on this later!)

 I use H2EO Ultrasonic Diffusers in our home for diffusing essential oils and have for years. I love them! Click here for a short video to see how the H2EO Ultrasonic Diffuser works. Not only are essential oils safe if used properly, they have many therapeutic benefits. I use essential oils from Young Living Essential Oils. (This is the brand recommended and tested by Dr. Shelton.) 

I also recently made my own essential oil air freshener. Not only is it completely natural and safe for you and the environment, it's safe for use around pets! Go to our Shop page to read more about it or to purchase some for yourself using PayPal, the secure and easy way to shop.

Note: If you're a current client and would like one delivered on our next pet sitting visit, please click on the local pick up only button and note your request with the order. (If you prefer not to use PayPal you can email us your order.) Thanks!

Dusty's Organic Catnip

A few years ago we started a garden in our backyard, growing our own vegetables, fruits and some herbs including catnip. I love eating fresh organic food out of the garden. The flavor and nutrition can't be beat! Our cats LOVE eating their fresh organic catnip out of the garden too! Our cat Dusty takes his catnip garden seriously. He guards it and doesn't like to share, not even with Chloe!  (It has attracted some neighborhood cats!) Even when I am harvesting some of it, he has to come and see what I am doing. He just loves his garden! He has a routine of eating a few fresh leaves every morning, rubbing on it, and then sometimes he likes to sit or lay in it. Our crop this year is doing so well he can sit in it and I can't even see him. I've never seen catnip this big before. Like they say...everything is bigger in Texas!

Dusty (6)

Chloe (17)

Because our catnip crop is doing so well this year, it's more than our cats can consume and even dishing it out to all the cats we pet sit for once it's dried, we still have more. And Chloe just turned 17 in April, and this month (May) is Dusty's birthday. He is six years old. So in celebration, he's willing to share some of Dusty's Premium Organic Catnip. Home grown, hand picked, naturally cured and then sealed for freshness in 1/2 ounce packages! It's got Dusty's cute face on the label. There is no comparison to any store bought brand, including the organic ones. Cats that like catnip will go crazy for this stuff!  Available for $5 each. Only while supply lasts. Quantities are limited. Check out our Shop page for more information.

Texas size catnip!

Dog Chews

There are so many choices when it comes to dog chews or bones these days. Some can be a serious choking hazard. There have been several occasions over the years where we pulled dog chews out of the throats of choking dogs. Some dog chews may also cause intestinal blockages if large pieces are swallowed, while others can be a dental hazard and fracture teeth. Which ones are the best for your dog? Dr. Karen Becker, DVM offers us great advice on how to choose the right dog chews or bones for our dogs in these two short videos.