Dog Portraits from a Long Time Ago

I never realized how often pets, especially dogs, are included in old family photographs from the early days of photography. Examples seen here in the Washington Post, add new meaning to how families lived in the early 19th century.

Anthony Cavo, a collector of of photographs just published a book called Immortal Love which  reminds us of the amazing traits that dogs possess that have made them such an important part of our history. These photographs give us a glimpse not only into the special relationships these people might have had with their dogs but also into what life might have been like with them at the time. Dogs worked hard for them, sometimes saved them but, more important, provided them with companionship and unconditional love.

 

 

Best Selling Items

Amazon just sent me very interesting and best selling items for our blog. I would like to share these with you.

PETKIT Pura X Self-Cleaning Cat Litter Box, No Scooping Automatic Cat Litter Box for Multiple Cats

 

 

 

 

Topmart High Density Foam Dog Steps 4 Tiers,Extra Wide Deep Pet Steps,Non-Slip Pet Stairs,Dog Ramp for Bed,Soft Foam Dog Ladder,Best for Older Dogs Injured,Older Pets,Cats with Joint Pain

 

 

 

 

Meow Mix Original Choice Dry Cat Food

Milk-Bone Original Dog Treat Biscuits, Crunchy Texture Helps Clean Teeth

The Value and Importance of Dog Drying Cages

Helene Petersen of KVP Orthotics  offers her views on the value of Drying Cages especially for long haired dogs. There are profession grooming businesses that can find benefit in them and there are smaller drying cages (for dogs and cats) that you can use at home after bath time.

 

Dog Drying Cages- You Can Thank Us Later

There is no denying the fact that dog grooming is a form of art. And just like most art forms, it is painstakingly time-consuming. Ask any professional groomer, and they’d agree that it takes forever for any long-haired pet to dry after a bath. And it doesn’t take long for a pet with wet hair to get dirty again.

A simple solution to avoid this problem at professional grooming facilities is dog drying cages. Take a look at what they are and how they help-

What are Dog Drying Cages?

Dog drying cages are cages exclusively designed to dry pets after a bath. It is a highly efficient and safe alternative to use blow dryers, which might not be safe for pets or wait for hours for air drying. The cages can be attached with blow driers to dry the pets quickly.

The cages are available in many different configurations and can be customized as per your requirements. But only a handful of brands offer the customization option.

Top Benefits of Using Dog Drying Cages

Here are some of the top reasons why professional grooming facilities should consider drying cages.

1. Saves Time

Needless to say, the most significant advantage of using cage driers is that they save a lot of time. Once a dog is groomed and bathed, he/she can be placed in the cage for drying. While the pet is drying, the groomer can start working on the next pet.

In facilities that receive a lot of paw traffic, this is an effective way for the groomers to multi-task. It also keeps the facility organized and clean.

2. More Comfort for Nervous Dogs

It is not uncommon for pets to feel anxious or nervous in a grooming facility, especially if it is their first time. Once such dogs are groomed and bathed, it can be challenging for the groomer to hold them in a place for drying.

Dog drying cages can be very helpful in such cases. After the bath, pets can be placed inside the cage to make them feel more comfortable and calm. Nervous dogs can also be placed inside the cage before grooming or bath so that they feel more relaxed and safe. You can read this SitStay post for some more tips on how to keep dogs calm while grooming.

Purchasing Dog Drying Cages

There are plenty of reasons that make dog drying cages an excellent choice for professional grooming facilities. Look for a reputed dog grooming supplier to browse through their range of cage dryers.  

Helping Birds Before and During the Pandemic

Rita McMahon is the Founder of the Wild Bird Fund, located in New York City.

The Wild Bord Fund is a one of kind organization dedicated to, as their website says, providing medical care and rehabilitation to native and passing migrant wildlife so that they can be released back into the wild. And to educate New Yorkers about the rich diversity of the city’s wildlife and how to help it thrive.

But that description is not totally complete. The center also rescues and rehabilitates domestic birds like the small family of ducklings and teh two chicken escapees from slaughterhouses who I saw when I recently visited. They also rescue bats and turtles. (A snapping turtle, who arrived by subway, is available for adoption...) Their services are especially needed now when climate change and over building is destroying wildlife. Rita McMahon, founder and director of the WBF has dedicated that past decade of her life establishing the center and expanding its services. The WBF will soon expand into Brooklyn and the Bronx as well.

Today, during the pandemic, Rita and the Fund are faced with an almost overwhelming challenge. She says, "The WBF is deemed an essential business by the Governor and the city. So we re open every day.  Much reduced staff, no volunteers, no visitors, no reception and people who bring in birds in need of help hand them over outside the door.  The number of birds is a little less than last year, but the donations are nowhere near the same.  Thank you for helping us continue."

She adds, "I am including a picture of Groucho the screech owl perch on my desk chair.  He is my late night companion, sleeps under my desk during the day."

We do not charge for our services, but a donation would be appreciated. Your generous donations allow us to continue our important work. Please help WBF keep NYC wild.

Plan Your New Year with a Pet Calendar

There is nothing more fun that having the perfect calendar to plan your new year. Here is a list of possible calendar gift ideas for pet lovers everywhere.

 

A Selection of Dog Coats

For those of us dog parents who live in cold January climes, here is a selection of dog coats. When the temperatures dip, it is good to know that everyone in the household has a warm coat:

Zack & Zoey Nor'easter Blanket Coat for Dogs, 24" X-Large, Orange

PetCee Dog Jacket Waterproof 100% Polyester- Fleece Lined Jacket Reflective Loft Dog Coat Climate Changer Fleece Jacket (Black L)

CHN'S Comfortable Pet Dog Clothes Winter Warm Vest Jacket Coat Sport Clothing (XL, Blue)

Hiado Dog Pets Winter Coat Vest Dressing with Reflective Belt for Hiking and Hunting in Cold Weather (Xl, X-large, 24 Inch Back Size)

Great Gift Ideas for Kitty

 

Here are some great gift ideas.

Freezing Chickens Get Sweaters

This from Lost in E Minor:

In Cornwall, England, 25-year-old Nicola Congdon keeps her rescued chickens warm by dressing them up in knitted wooly jumpers. Half of Congdon’s 60 chickens are former battery farm chickens, meaning their bodies have trouble acclimatizing to cold weather after having spent all their lives cooped up inside cramped cages.

So to prevent them from freezing during winter, Congdon and her mum, Ann, have come up with the tiny, colorful sweaters.

‘It’s important to make people aware of the poor conditions the hens live in and the fact that they have no feathers when they are retired’, Congdon told Mashable. ‘The tank tops are also something really different that provide some fun for the chickens. They keep them warm and makes the chickens easy to identify’.

And if that’s not kind-hearted enough, Congdon adds that the money they make from selling the tops to hen keepers go to an AIDS charity in South Africa.

Shake Cats

Cats are some pretty majestic creatures with their luscious fur and graceful demeanor. But Portland-based photographer Carli Davidson (previously) has come up with a photo series that shows us they can be goofy too!

Entitled ‘Shake Cats’, the series features felines photographed in mid-shake, seemingly bursting in a mix of water, fur, saliva, and wacky expressions. According to Davidson, she was able to coax her subjects into shaking by either petting them with a wet hand, or simply giving them a blissful ear cleaning. No cats were harmed during this process, though we completely understand if they went home a little grumpy.

The series took four years to finish and needed 100 cats to pose for her. 61 of these cats also happen to be rescues who got their portraits (ones that projected them in a more flattering light) taken to help boost adoption.

And if photos of wacky cats aren’t enough to get you to purchase Davidson’s book, a portion of the proceeds will help fund three Portland shelters where most of the subjects live in.

This is from Lost at E Minor

Amazing Cat Beds

From Lost at E Minor -- Could this thing of beauty finally replace the cardboard box? Aude Sanchez and Guillaume Gadenne of design studio Meyou Paris have created a line of cat beds that’ll get your feline off your sofa and into his own posh apartment.

The collection includes three beds: The BALL, The CUBE, and The BED. The first two feature a cocoon-like cotton bubble where your cat can sleep and sharpen its claws. The BED is a cave-like structure that offers your cat a vantage point to survey his kingdom (your house, basically).

The Meyou cat bed series is currently crowdfunding on Kickstarter, where it has so far raised – as of writing – €11,609 out of its €35,000 goal. Aside from getting your spoiled cat his own fancy place, pledging to the project will also help persons with disabilities find employment through manufacturing and assembling the products.

You can find out more about the Meyou cat beds here.

And also check out CatCaveCo.com which makes organic handmade cat beds.