Just for fun: Cute holiday puppies!

I couldn't have photos of holiday kitties without having some of the doggies as well! Enjoy!

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Just for fun: Cute holiday cats

There is little that makes me happier than cute photos of kitties. Just for fun, here are some holiday themed cat photos I found - enjoy!

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(by Silverflame88 at Deviantart.com)

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From the Associated Press: For pet-owners, holiday plans revolve around pets

While browsing online I came across this fun article from the Associated Press published on Yahoo! News, and thought I would share it with you all. I will admit that when I went shopping for my kitties' presents this year I felt a little silly, but after reading this article I realize that many people shop for their pets for the holidays. Many, in fact, do much more. Read the article for a fun, enjoyable inside look how pet owners enjoy the holidays with their favorite furry loved one!

For pet-owners, holiday plans revolve around pets, Yahoo! News, December 6, 2011, written by Sue Manning, AP

Turn your old t-shirts into a tug toy for your pooch!

When it comes to saving money, finding new uses for items you already have is one of the best things to do. Upcycling is the act of taking an old item and turning it into something new. Not only does it save you money, but it also keeps items from ending up in the landfill - a win win!

If you are anything like me you have a bunch of old t-shirts laying around. I have two drawers full of them, mostly free ones from events I have attended, and to be honest I don't wear them often enough to keep them. In my search for upcycling projects for my collection I came across these great instructions for turning those old shirts into a tug toy for your dog!


It is an insanely simply project that can be completed in less than an hour. You can even make a few of them in an afternoon so your pup always has a spare! What a fun and simple gift to make for Fido's stocking!

From DIYyourfaceoff.com, by iamthemandy




What You Will Need:

scissors
old t-shirts (use a few for a colorful toy, or one for a solid color)


Step 1: Take your t-shirt and begin cutting 12 1inch strips, about 17inches long. If your dog is a larger size, make your strips longer.

Step 2: Gather all 12 strips together and tie a knot at one end.

Step 3: Divide the strips into 3 groups of 4 strips, and begin to braid down the length of the strips. 

Step 4: Gather all strips at end and tie a knot. 

                                                   

Step 5: Enjoy playing with your dog and their new toy!

Thanks to DIYyourfaceoff and iamthemandy for sharing this great project! All photos from DIYyourfaceoff

Crochet your own catnip toys!

When I was younger my grandmother taught me to crochet, and even today I still enjoy it. In my search for D.I.Y. (Do It Yourself) cat toy tutorials I came across this adorable crochet pattern on Mollie's Blog of Stuff for an "Easy Peasy Catnip Mouse."To be honest I never learned to read patterns (I wish I had), but judging by the comments it is a fairly simple one. I may have to have one of my crocheting friends teach me to read patterns so I can make these cute toys for my kitties! The best part is that they take very little yarn, so they are a great craft for using up all those leftover pieces from other projects! Wouldn't your kitty love to get one of these in their stockings?

Easy Peasy Catnip Mouse

Materials Needed:

Small amount of scrap acrylic yarn, small amount of good quality catnip, 3.5mm crochet hook, some stuffing, jingle bell (optional).

Pattern:

Ch 17,

Row 1: sc in 2^nd st from hook and continue till the end. This will make the tail.

Row 2: Next, make 7 sc in the last loop of the tail (ie. In last sc). (7st total)

Row 3: We will be working in a spiral so do not sl st into the first of the 7 sc. Next, do 2sc in each sc (14st total)

Row 4: *sc in 1^st sc, 2sc in 2^nd sc* repeat 6 times. (21st total)

Row 5-7: sc in each sc

Row 8: sc in first 5 sc, sc next two sts tog. Repeat until you can just snugly fit your index finger into the top of the mouse. Stuff with catnip and stuffing (and bell).

*next we add the ears. Get another colour of yarn, join it to the outer lip of one sc, as we will use the inner lip to complete the mouse. Ch 2, then in the same sc make 2 dc, sl st in same sc lip. Next, sl st in the outer lip of the next stitch, and the one after. Next, ch 2, 2dc and sl st. tie and cut off.

Row 9: Continue with sc in 1^st sc, sc next 2 sts tog, until you only have 7 sts around left. After which just sc next 2 sts tog until you are left with about 3 sts. Leave a 3 inch tail of yarn to seal and secure.

Weave in any loose ends into the mouse, et voilá!!! You have a catnip mouse!

Thank you Mollie for posting such a great pattern!

Cat-Proofing Your Christmas Tree

from Socialitelife.com

If your kitties are anything like mine, they are fascinated with the Christmas tree. The moment it went up the kitties were both over there sniffing it, batting the branches, and trying to figure out what this giant green thing was that we placed in the middle of the living room. And that was all before we got any decorations on! Anyways, here are some tips and tricks I've gathered from various sources, including my family, the internet, and of course our own learning experiences with our rambunctious feline duo.

1. Decide if you are getting a real or fake tree.  
Both have their advantages and disadvantages. A real tree has sharp pine needles that could potentially get stuck in paws or harm kitty in other ways. Then again, an artificial tree is not a healthy chew toy either, especially if the "needles" fall off and are swallowed. If you choose a real tree, try and make sure you get a stand that does not have much exposed access to the water. Most kitties love to drink any water that is NOT in their bowls, so you will need to make sure that they cannot easily get to the water for the tree. The water for the tree has the potential to make your cat sick, so try and make sure that the water in the stand is not exposed at all. Also make sure you vacuum up any fallen pine needles regularly. If eaten these can make your cat very sick.

2. Hang breakable and irreplaceable ornaments up high.
This seems obvious, but many people don't realize just how high their cat can reach when stretched out. Try placing them as close to the top of the tree as possible to avoid kitty breakage. And be sure to place all glass ornaments out of the cat's reach - you don't want them breaking one and getting cut while you are not home.

3. Make sure the tree is secure.
This is a tough one for our home. Our apartment is in an old building, complete with very slanted floors. Even with a secure base our tree was at a slant. It took the kitties a whole 5 minutes before they had the tree tipped over the first night (thankfully it was before we decorated). Our tree is now anchored to the window sill to prevent it from tipping over because we could not secure it otherwise. You can also anchor the tree to a wall or ceiling to further secure your tree. Additionally, if possible place your tree away from furniture that your cat could jump from onto the tree.

4. Consider leaving the tree up undecorated for a day or two.

from Socialitelife.com

Cats are always curious when anything new enters the home. Consider putting up your tree, undecorated, and allow your cats to get used to it being in their home. Let them sniff the tree and look at it (as long as they are not trying to climb it!). After a day or two the initial curiosity will be gone and they will have found something else to explore. This will also give you time to teach your cat to leave the tree alone before placing any of your potentially breakable ornaments on it.

5. Don't use ornaments as toys.
This is just asking for trouble. It may be cute at first to tease your cat with an ornament or two, but it will not be so cute when they are knocking over the tree to get to that ornament. Seriously, just don't do it. And no catnip anything on the tree.

6. Consider spraying your tree with vinegar or lemon juice.
Cats hate the smell of vinegar and strong citrus smells like lemon and orange. If you don't mind the smell spritzing your tree with either can help deter your cats from bothering the tree. You can also place lemon or orange peels around the base.

7. Avoid tinsel.
While tinsel can be pretty on trees, especially when mixed with Christmas lights, it can be a serious hazard for your cat. The shininess of the tinsel is very attractive to cats and may entice them to want to play with it. If chewed on or swallowed tinsel can cause serious health problems, such as choking or damage to the intestines. If you have kitties is it best to avoid this shimmery Christmas object all together.

Help shelter animals have a happy holiday!

Ever since I got my two kitties this past summer I have had a soft spot in my heart for shelter animals. I wish they all could have a loving home, but since some can't and my home is not big enough for more pets, the next best thing I can do is to support the agencies that work to provide care and shelter for those awaiting a forever home.

Over 50% of Americans buy their pets presents on Christmas (petfinder.com), myself included. Sadly, many shelters animals do not receive anything for Christmas. Shelters usually rely on donations to feed, house, and care for the animals, and those donations often leave little room for things like toys and treats. Three years ago the elves over at Santa Paws Drive sought to help change that.



Santa Paws Drive is the dream of Dorian Wagner, founder of YourDailyCute.com. Together with her elves they have created and maintained the first-ever online Christmas toy drive dedicated to pets. The mission of Santa Paws Drive is to bring holiday cheer to shelter animals around the world. "We know pets with homes are often showered with gifts and treats for Christmas, and we believe that shelter animals deserve a little holiday love, too," (santapawsdrive.com).

The program collects donations online in the form of cash donations or toys/treat donations. The organization then distributes the donations to needy shelters around the world. Their ultimate hope is of course that each of the animals in these shelters can find a wonderful forever home. But until that happens they want to make sure that each animals gets to wake up on Christmas morning to toys and treats. In the past 2 years Santa Paws Drive has managed to raise over $15,000 in toys, treats, and donations, and helped to support 12 shelters worldwide.

This year Santa Paws Drive is focusing on 6 shelters and rescues that help special needs animals. Sadly many of these animals are considered unadoptable even though they are loving, wonderful cats and dogs that deserve as much love as any other pet. These animals include black dogs and cats, FIV+ cats, blind cats, senior pets and retired greyhounds. Read about this year's shelters and learn about the special animals Santa Paws Drive is trying to help!

So how can you help? There are several options. The first and easiest way is to make a cash or toy/treat donation right on the Santa Paws Drive donation page You can choose to purchase either a specific toy or treat for a dog or cat, or make a cash donation. Donation options start at just $1, and every single dollar helps. Another way to help is to consider placing a banner or widget on your blog. There are several designs to choose from, so you can pick one that works best for your site. Santa Paws Drive also holds paw-ties on Twitter to help raise money and support for the cause. Check out the list of events to join in on the next paw-ty! There are always lots of laughs, fun, and prizes to win!

Every animal deserves lots of love, attention and kindness. That should not change if they have a home or not. Join Santa Paws Drive in helping to provide shelter animals with a Happy Holiday!

Post-A-Day Holiday Event

For the next 28 days or so, I will be featuring a series of posts related to the holidays, pets, and saving money on both. This is not only to help support my readers with their holiday budgets, but also to challenge myself to write a post a day, something I am still struggling with a few months into my blog. The posts will feature a variety of topics, including DIY pet toys, treat recipes, and holiday deals, to name a few. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Chanukah, the Winter Solstice or Kwanzaa, join me as we celebrate the holidays with our favorite furry four-pawed loved ones!