Petopia

Recycle Slipcover and Clothing for DIY Dog Bed

I'm a regular reader of the Ikea Hacker blog. If you like Ikea items and/or ideas for creative new uses for common products you might enjoy reading this blog, too. Today's post may interest dog owners: Old Ektorp cushion slipcover to a dog bed. One reader shared her idea for making a new bed for her beagle -- it didn't require any special skills or tools and it was free. What could be better than that?

This person replaced the slipcover on her sofabed, took one of the old cushion covers, stuffed it with old, worn-out clothing and zipped it up. The owner's scent is a natural attraction for the the dog and, given this dog's tendency to chew up his bed the other old covers will also come in handy. You can see in the photo that the dog looks pleased. What a clever way to save money while making your doggie comfortable and very happy.

For more ideas read the Ikea Hacker blog and this book: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: An Easy Household Guide (The Chelsea Green Guides)

Dog Directory of Businesses and Services: The Wet Nose Guide

If you're like me you no longer keep those big "yellow pages" directories around.  While there have been a few occasions in the past when I was happy to have a printed directory available as a resource, these big books take up too much space on a shelf. So now when of one of these gets dropped in my driveway, I take it straight to the recycling bin. I just don't think its minimal value makes it worth keeping.

Now I look for online directories to find the resources that I need and here's one. The Wet Nose Guide is billed as making life easier for dog owners and offers over 1,000 listings in 20 different categories. The site hopes to be useful for finding "nearby parks, emergency veterinary care, routine supplies and the unusual dog toy." You can submit your own favorite services and businesses and also offer your personal reviews.

These online directories are a great resource -- do you have a favorite one? Share here.
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Related reading: Dogs: The Ultimate Care Guide: Good Health, Loving Care, Maximum Longevity

Word-a-Day Explores Words with Animal Connection, Frogmarch and Mawkish

One of my favorite e-mail subscriptions is Anu Garg's A-Word-A-Day from wordsmith.org. Each week he explores the meaning of words with a particular theme. This week's theme: "words derived from animals, words where dogs and cats, pets and wild animals, insects and mammals, are used metaphorically."

This week's words include bird-dog, frogmarch (photo gives you a hint), wildcatter and, a less obvious animal connection, mawkish. Can you guess the animal connection to mawkish?

Anu Garg founded wordsmith in 1994 and it has grown to a worldwide online community of more than three quarters of a million readers who share a love for words, wordplay, language, and literature. Take a look at this week's words and, if you love language, consider subscribing.
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Related reading by Anu Garg: A Word A Day: A Romp Through Some of the Most Unusual and Intriguing Words in English

A Lost Dog is Tragic in Any Language

I have written about the French Word-a-Day blog before (French Cats) -- it's one of my favorite sites. This blog is a must-read for anyone who loves French language, the French countryside, daily French life, etc. It's all revealed in the wonderful writing of author, Kristin Espinasse, with audio files of French spoken by friends and family, and spectacular photography. Need I say more? French Word-a-Day is totally charming.

Yesterday I was distressed to read that their golden retriever, Sam, had escaped while being boarded at a B&B in the heart of Marseilles. As Kristen and her husband frantically searched Marseilles (a city of 2 million inhabitants and heavy traffic) to no avail she described how

The absurdity of our search settles in--and seizes us. I feel a lump growing in my throat as shock steals my voice, strangles the breath of hope. We continue our search in silence, here beneath the sun that soon will set.

and my heart lurched just reading this.

I am so pleased to report that this is a story with a happy ending -- read more about the story here.
This story also reminds us to have our pets identified by tag or microchip. The Human Society of the United States has written a great article on Common Question about Microchips. Another good resource for safety information is Safe Dog Handbook: A Complete Guide to Protecting Your Pooch, Indoors and Out.

Do All Cats Twitter?

I wrote about twittering cats several months ago in Cats Who Twitter. Since then the phenomenon has only grown. If you, or your cat, wish to check out this community head over to the Cats Who Twitter website. There you will find answers to questions such as "How did you convince your human to allow you to set up a Twitter account?" and "What is your favorite thing about Twitter?"

Mostly you will find a very, very long list of cats who are actively twittering (maybe it's more proper to say "tweeting"?). So one thing that you have to consider before you set your cat up with an account is if your ego can take it -- your kitty is sure to end up with more friends than you have. And by the way, here's a list of dogs who twitter and here's a handy guide for dogs: How to Be a Good Dog on Twitter in 8 Easy Steps.

Is your pet on Twitter and, why or why not?
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Twitter Revolution: How Social Media and Mobile Marketing is Changing the Way We Do Business & Market Online

A Creative, Modern Dog Bed

I love Ikea, the store, and Ikeahacker, the blog (no official connection). Ikeahacker readers use/modify Ikea products in original ways and then mail in photos and instructions to share with others.

I just love the dog bed this couple created for their two dachshunds -- it's basically just two tables stuck together. Look at the full post: Expedit desks to modern dog bed for more details and the comments and to see the photo of those adorable two dachshunds.
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See more dog beds here.

How do you feel about Hello Kitty?

Here's a blog, Hello Kitty Hell, that proves that one person's cute is another person's hell. It's written by a man (married to a Hello Kitty fanatic who sounds determined to kittify their whole house) who hates Hello Kitty. This blog is where he gets to rant. Samples of things that have set him off:

• HK fanatics that mark their dogs with a HK tattoo -- how humiliating is that
• the Hello Kitty sewing machine that looks quite like a monster
• the pink Hello Kitty Assault Rifle that looks like a joke, but isn't

I had no idea there was so much HK stuff. Sarino, the parent company of the HK brand, recently opened a luxe concept store in Times Square, New York City. It's filled to the brim with HK products designed to attract "fashion-forward women in their 20s" (with big budgets). Every month, about 600 Hello Kitty products are taken off the market and another 600 products are introduced. 

I did not realize how wildly popular Hello Kitty is until I did some searching. The strangest story one I found was: Hello Kitty-themed maternity hospital opens in Taiwan. This is believed to be the first Hello Kitty themed medical establishment. The facility has a Hello Kitty elevator, a pink examination room with Hello Kitty posters, HK bed linens, the list goes on, and you go home with a birth certificate marked with the cartoon character's logo.

With all the new products being released each year and all the other new applications of the HK brand, Hello Kitty Hell should have plenty to keep writing about. Take a look at this blog, I think you'll find lots of laughs whether you love or hate Hello Kitty.
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If you'd like to step into the Hello Kitty world here's a few ideas: Hello Kitty Toaster, or perhaps the Hello Kitty Personal CD Player,. There is a nice selection available of Hello Kitty jewelry and many Hello Kitty children's books to select from.

Ikea Hacker: Create a Stylish Dining Table for Your Dog

The Ikea Hacker is a fun site to explore, particularly if you like the products you see in the Ikea stores, you are creative and you love to tinker with things. At this site, readers take items from their local Ikea store and modify them in some way to create something a bit different and then share the results with others.

One reader wrote that he wanted to create a dining table as a gift for his parents' two new dogs. He had limited tools (no electric saw) and he had little money to spend. Here is what he created for $14.50. Head over to Ikea Hacker for the instructions on how to make this dining table for dogs and also for many more ideas for elevated dog bowl stands.

If you're feeling inspired, stop by your local Ikea and try your hand at this.

ZooBorns Delivers Baby Animals and Helps Zoos

Doesn't everyone enjoy visiting the zoo, particularly if you have at least one child in tow? And who doesn't love baby animals? So I think the idea of combining these two loves is sheer genius -- you'll find it at ZooBorns which brings you the newest and cutest exotic animal babies from zoos and aquariums around the world.

Ever wonder what a wobbegong shark pup looks like or want to see a baby giraffe nuzzling his mother or see the red panda cubs at the Denver Zoo but you can't visit? As you can imagine you'll find lots of photos to love and you'll find a few videos. You can also look for information by zoo, so if you have a zoo trip planned, take a visit ZooBorns and see if there are any new babies on exhibit. When you visit, take along your camera and if you get some shots you'd like to share, ZooBorns welcomes your submission.

There are also articles like New York Zoos Need Your Help, an important reminder, particularly in difficult economic times, that zoos need financial support. One way you can help your zoo is by visiting -- so grab a child or two and head off to your local zoo or aquarium. You'll have an experience that is both enjoyable and educational.
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A delightful book for preschoolers: Dear Zoo: A Lift-the-Flap Book. Older children can use their Wii Remote to pet, feed or treat patients with Zoo Hospital.

BBC's Cute Animal Christmas Song: Do One Thing for Nature

BBC Breathing Places has created this Cute Animal Christmas Song video and posted it to YouTube to help promote the "Do One Thing for Nature this Christmas."

This BBC video is terribly cute (but maybe a bit odd) and well done except that I could not quite understand all the words -- am I the only one? The animal (a seal?) towards the end, that turns to the camera and sings "I wish I had a home for Christmas" has such a pleading look on his face that I found to be irresistible.

The video promotes a great idea: if we all do one simple little thing for nature, together we can make a big difference. Here's an example from their site that you may wish to try: get baking for the birds. As they say: There's nothing birds like more than a nice big chunk of lard cake! Just melt suet or lard, mix in natural unsalted seeds and nuts, and pour into half a coconut shell. Hang it where you can watch the birds enjoy it. That certainly sounds simple enough.

Enjoy watching the video, then visit the website for ideas  -- choose just one simple activity and you too can be a part of making a big difference.