Category Archives: Guest Blog

A Visit from Pip and Puddles

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bucket2Happy Sunday everyone! I have a very special post for you today. My pal, Pip, isn’t doing so great and it probably won’t be terribly long before he goes OTRB. Pip’s made a bucket list of things he wants to do and places he wants to see in the time he has left. I was hoping he’d want to see Colorado so I invited him to come for a visit. He said yes!

So Pip packed up his little red car, and his friend/nurse/driver Puddles, and headed for Colorado! I don’t know about them, but I had a great time showing them the sights. The first stop was downtown Denver. We went for a carriage ride, visited the Botanic Gardens, and visited the Kong factory. Pip was furry excited to see where Kong toys were made. (You can biggify the pictures by clicking on them.)

On the way back from downtown, we stopped at Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge to see the bison.RMANWRThen we went back to my house. I showed Pip and Puddles to the guest tent. It had nice comfy pillows for them to sleep on and I loaded it up with toys for them to play with. Look!Guest tentPip and Puddles slept really well in that tent, and the next morning were raring to go! We had so many places to see that instead of taking the car, we borrowed the Lake with Petie transporter. Otherwise we’d have needed a whole week to go everywhere!

We headed for the mountains. We started out in Estes Park where I took them to the Stanley Hotel. For those who don’t know about the Stanley Hotel, it’s the hotel Stephen King stayed at that inspired the book The Shining. From there we went into Rocky Mountain National Park and over Trail Ridge Road. We came down the other side of the mountain into Idaho Springs. There’s all kinds of great shops and restaurants there. But what Idaho Springs is really famous for are the Indian Hot Springs and Tommyknocker Brewery. Then we went up to the top of Mt. Evans. The road up to Mt. Evans is the highest paved road in North America! It’s 14,240 feet at the summit.

That was a lot of places for one day, but there was still more to see! So we got up furry early the next morning, jumped in the car, and headed south to Colorado Springs. First stop was the Air Force Academy. We posed on a jet and saw the Chapel. From there, it was on to the Garden of the Gods. It’s a gorgeous landscape of red rock formations, desert plants, and an amazing expanse of sky. If you go there you’ll understand how it got its name. I guess we kind of went from one chapel to another. The last stop on our tour was the Olympic training center. Pip wanted to ride the bobsled, but there was no snow.

I’m thrilled Pip and Puddles were able to stay long enough to see so many things. I just wish they could have stayed longer, because I had so many other places I wanted to take them. But I guess that would have been selfish. After all, I know there’s lots of other pals that want a visit from Pip and Puddles. So I guess I was lucky there were able to stay as long as they did.

I hope you enjoyed the tour as much as we did. Have a great week everyone!

Rocky Mountain Cocker Rescue Yappy Hour

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Photo courtesy of Rocky Mountain Cocker Rescue

Got a special Saturday post for you guys. Mom’s friend, Heather, works with Rocky Mountain Cocker Rescue. They have a special event coming up, so I decided I’d interview Heather for my blog and tell you about the event.

Me: Tell me about the event you have coming up.

Heather: We’re hosting a Yappy Hour at Vincenza’s Italian Bakery & Deli on July 12 from 6 – 9 PM. Yappy Hour is a happy hour where our Cocker Spaniels bring their people to socialize. A complimentary beer or wine and appetizers will be served. Since we will be outside on their patio, all furry friends are welcome. Here’s the invite: Rocky Mountain Cocker Rescue’s First Yappy Hour

Me: What’s the mission of Rocky Mountain Cocker Rescue?

Heather: Rocky Mountain Cocker Rescue is a non-profit group dedicated to saving Cocker Spaniels from being euthanized and to promote the breed. Yappy Hour is one way we can get donations from people while, at the same time, having a fun social event.

Me: How did you get involved with Rocky Mountain Cocker Rescue?

Heather: My husband, Tim, and I had a cocker spaniel early in our relationship. Lady was Tim’s dog when I joined their house. She was in our lives for a number of years before having to be put down due to cancer. While we were in Georgia, I happened to drop by the local county shelter (we had been kicking around getting a friend for our lab/rotty). I met Fozzy Bear and immediately fell in love. We adopted Fozzy and brought him back to Denver with us. That following summer, we were at the dog event at the Botanic Gardens and came upon a booth for the Rocky Mountain Cocker Rescue. After talking to them for a while, we decided to volunteer to be fosters. Shortly after we got our first foster dog (Charlie Brown), our Fozzy died suddenly from liver failure. We ended up adopting Charlie and later, Beauregard – the RMCR’s mascot dog. In the past two years, we have had over 25 dogs in our house and have helped find them all forever homes.

Me: You found homes for over 25 dogs in two years? How pawsome! Thanks for stopping by to tell us about Yappy Hour. I hope you get a full house!

So pals, if you’re in the Denver Metro area, please join Rocky Mountain Cocker Rescue for Yappy Hour on July 12th at 6PM. And whether or not you’re in Denver, please help me spread the word. It’s a fun event for a great cause!

Rocky Mountain Cocker Rescue

What a First Time Cat Owner Needs to Know

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Woo hoo! A guest post! Haven’t had one in a while. I have the pleasure of bringing you a post by Ella Davidson of Coupons.org.

What a First Time Cat Owner Needs to Know

Guest Post: This post was written by Ella Davidson of coupons and deals website, Coupons.org. Coupons provides authoritative consumer-savings information and has been featured on CNBC.

Owning a cat can seem like a daunting task, especially if you have never had one before. Looking in the pet store for inspiration can be counterproductive, as the sheer range of items can make the process seem like a nightmare. However, you shouldn’t let this discourage you from getting a cat. Cats are incredibly fun to be around, and they each have distinctive personalities. Cats like different things and this is strongly dependent on their personality as well as previous experiences the cat has endured. Some of the most important aspects of taking care of your first cat is to make sure that he or she has enough to eat and drink and that he or she feels loved.

Cat personalities can generally be broken down into three categories:

  1. High-strung cats
  2. Mellow cats
  3. Timid and/or shy cats

There are, of course, many variations of these and cats that seem to fall into their own domains. High-strung cats, the first of the three, spend a lot of time moving around, and often hate to be held. Many cats initially like this settle down over time as they become more used to the environment. Mellow cats, the second kind,are the easiest type of cat to deal with. They tend to be laid back and don’t exhibit strong preferences about most things. This makes entertaining and taking care of them easy, as they tend to enjoy anything they are given. Timid and shy cats, the last kind, tend to be cautious and avoid anything new or that scares them. Just like human personalities, these preferences and approaches may change a little over time, but the core personality of your cat is likely to remain the same throughout his or her life.

Cats love to be played with, and there are many different ways that you can keep your cat entertained. Playing games is a common way of achieving this. One very easy type of game is to tie an object onto a string and swing it by your cat. Most love to chase objects, and you can entertain him or her (and yourself) for quite some time by pulling the item away as he or she reaches for it. Bubbles are another idea; you can make your own bubble mix or buy a pre-made bottle from many stores. Cats will try to catch the bubbles, often darting around the room in the process. These types of games also help to keep your cat active and limber.

In taking care of your cat, it is important to ensure that you are feeding them enough food and water. Set aside a particular place for your cats feeding area and place a bowl for water and one for food. Make sure that there is always water in the bowl. The water should be replaced several times a day to ensure that it is clean. There are two types of food that you can get for your cat, wet and dry food. Most cat owners recommend alternating the food types and feeding your pet twice a day, once with wet food, once with dry food. What cats will eat is extremely dependant on personality type. Some cats are happy with literally any type of food, while others will only eat specific brands or flavors – just like humans! Experiment with what your cat will and won’t eat to establish their preferences.

Take time out of your day to pet your cat. Petting is a form of affection, and can be as simple as rubbing your cats back while he is resting. There are many benefits to petting your cat, it helps to calm both them and you down, and it is a de-stressing mechanism that has been shown to decrease blood pressure in cats. The place that cats most enjoy to be petted is between the eyes, the ears, and the side of the head, although this differs depending on the personality of your cat.

Caring for your cat involves paying attention to them. The type of activities that cats enjoy does vary depending on the personality of the cat, but this is easily learned through trial-and-error and as you come to know your cat more. Making sure your cat is fed well, entertained, and feels affection are probably the most important factors for a new cat owner. You will find that owning a cat is an extremely rewarding experience.

References
- http://www.companionsforlife.net/cat-index-page/cat-personalities
- http://www.catsplay.com/thedailycat/2003-04-07/mind_happycat/games/games.html
- http://www.catsplay.com/thedailycat/2002-01-21/mind_happycat/pampering/pampering.html
- http://www.catsplay.com/thedailycat/2003-09-22/mind_happycat/petting/petting.html

Thank you Ella for the excellent information. I hope if any of you out there are thinking about adopting a kitty, this will be helpful. Mom wishes she’d known this before adopting her first. She learned everything the hard way. MOL

See you Sunday everyone! Happy Spring.