Category: Pet Products

Do-It-Yourself Pet Projects

Written by Colleen Sedgwick. Posted in Pet Products.

Happy New Year! With the New Year usually comes New Year’s resolutions. Did you make any this year? If you’re like me than you might have something to remodel, organize or clean in your house. Everyone usually adds something they don’t want to do to their list, but I think you’d have some fun working on these diy pet projects! A Kitty Corner Play House, Cat Scratcher, Pill pockets, ID Tags- all do-it-yourself gives you more than enough ideas!

DIY Pet ID Tags: Remember those Shrinky Dinks you used to play with as a kid? They could actually come in handy now when you make your pet’s id tag. Be creative!

DIY Pill Pockets: (Link not available anymore)Do you have a pet who hates taking medication? Purchasing pill pockets can get expensive, so here is a recipe for creating your own!

DIY Kitty Corner Cat Play House: Hey Cat lovers, this is one of my favorite pet projects from Lowes…. and it costs less than $40. Watch the instructional video and it’s easy and inexpensive! (If you have cats you should also check out our latest blog post: Cat Home Safety Tips)

DIY Cat Scratcher: This cool cat scratcher can easily be made with household tools and a few things from the home improvement store. This would go perfect with your homemade Kitty Corner Play House!

Also be sure to check out Martha Stewart’s list of 24 DIY Pet Projects. There are a lot of fun ideas!

Fun Pet Finds, Edition 2

Written by Colleen Sedgwick. Posted in Pet Products.

If you didn’t get a chance to check out our Fun Pet Finds, Edition 1, featuring Bacon Bark Sticks, an organized pet nook, pet beds made from soda crates, and the beautiful pet watercolor paintings by Rachel Rossman- go check it out now!

Today I’ve got a whole new set of fun pet finds for you, and this one is especially for you dog lovers.

You may have noticed the new mustache trend and here it is for dogs. This mustache chew toy is attached to a toy ball, so when your dog goes to pick it up, he has a mustache! This will surely give you a laugh every time your pup plays with it, and people are bound to ask where you got it!

A pet shower in your garage may seem crazy to some, but if you’ve got a handyman in your life you may be able to do this for cheap. BHG.com says you can complete it for $405.

The holidays are quickly approaching and you won’t be able to walk into a store without seeing a holiday-themed popcorn tin. You might even receive one as a gift! Don’t throw that tin away, you can quickly turn it into a fun, cool looking dog food storage tin! I’m definitely trying this one!

This is for the ultimate dog lover, a bedside dog bed with steps, drawers, and a comfy comforter.

Here is one thing that all dog owners and lovers can relate to: The 10 Canine Commandments, such a perfect list!

Family Photos With Pets

Written by Colleen Sedgwick. Posted in Fun Articles, Pet Products.

If you usually take family photos before the holidays to send out on Christmas cards and you haven’t thought about them yet, here is a friendly reminder! I know what it’s like to suddenly realize it’s the middle of December and then have to rush to get photo cards out. This year I wanted to be one step ahead so we had our photos taken in October (with Ollie!).

If your pet is a part of your family, it’s only natural to include them in your family photo! Here are a few family photos with pets to give you some ideas for this year.

{mthreestudio.com}

 

{Crescendo Photography}

{Mike Larson}


{Jose Villa}

If you don’t want to have professional photos taken, have a family or friend take your photos with the camera setting “continuous shooting” so they can capture all of the moments. This allows them to simply hold down the camera button and the pictures keep continuously shooting (And you are bound to have one keeper!)

Have you ever had a family photo with your pet? Let’s see ’em!

Fun Pet Ideas and Products

Written by Colleen Sedgwick. Posted in Fun Articles, Pet Products.

These Bacon Bark Sticks from the blog Spoon Fork Bacon look good enough to eat as a snack! Your Fido friend will love these homemade treats.

If you have enough space in your house, this little pet nook is the perfect space! This is a great way to have all of your pet’s needs in one place while keeping everything neat and clean. via diyideas.com

These fabulous pet beds are made from Vintage soda crates. If you can find an old soda crate or something like it, this would be an easy do-it-yourself project. If you just want to get your hands on one now, you can for $49.95 at the designer, Tom Davie’s website.

If you’re the artsy type, or would just like a cool portrait of your pet for your home, these watercolor paintings by Rachael Rossman are unique and one of a kind. You can purchase custom watercolor paintings of your pet at her website on Etsy.

Be sure to like Pet Nanny on Facebook and subscribe to our blog updates to receive more fun pet ideas and product roundups!

Halloween Costumes For Your Pet

Written by Colleen Sedgwick. Posted in Pet Products.

Fall is sneaking up on us and summer is fading away. Halloween stores are popping up around cities before we even realize it’s almost that time of year, and if you have children, costume choices are usually a big deal. Even if it’s just for a photo or two or you and your child are taking your furry family member along for trick-or-treating, dressing up the family pet for this one night a year can be fun.

Dog Riders Cowboy Costume: $19.99 at BuyCostumes.com

Halloween Sweater: $7.97 Walmart

Personal Trainer T-Shirt: $19.99 Bark Avenue Boutique

If you are the one who likes to stay home and give out treats to the trick-or-treaters, don’t forget the pets too! Head on over to Bark Avenue Boutique (37 Coulter Ave Ardmore, PA 19003) to pick up these packaged Halloween dog treats- perfect for handing out to those furry trick-or-treaters!

Cat Age Quiz and Sweepstakes

Written by Colleen Sedgwick. Posted in Giveaways, Pet Products.

Hey all you cat owners, New Hill’s Science Diet Senior 11+ Age Defying provides breakthrough, tailored nutrition for senior cats – and to celebrate the launch, Hill’s Pet Nutrition is giving owners a coupon to test out the new food along with a chance to win a trip to Canyon Ranch Spa!

Age Defying Coupon: Help keep your senior cat feeling young and vibrant without breaking the bank and receive a coupon for $3 off.

About the New Senior Cat Food: Hill’s Science Diet Senior 11+ Age Defying cat food provides breakthrough, tailored nutrition for senior cats that is able to:

  • Fight the effects of aging in as little as 30 days
  • Defend the body and brain against aging with an exclusive antioxidant bundle
  • Promotes soft skin and a radiant coat with Omega-6 fatty acids
CatAge Quiz Challenge & Sweepstakes: Log onto Hillspet.com/DefyAge and take the new Science Diet CatAge quiz powered by RealAge. By answering simple health and lifestyle questions about your cat, you can determine how old your four-legged friend really is. Additionally, every quiz participant can enter to win thousands of prizes, including a trip to Canyon Ranch Spa! Pet Nanny would love for one of our clients to win this awesome prize (we can watch your furry friends while your away)!

How to Save Money on Dog and Cat Food with Coupons

Written by Colleen Sedgwick. Posted in Deals and Events, Pet Products.

I have been couponing for a few months now and have been able to save quite a bit of money on just about everything from health and beauty items to meat and grocery items. I have never needed the pet coupons that come in the weekly Sunday paper until we bought our puppy a few weeks ago. You can often times save a ton of money on dog and cat food by using coupons, but there are a few tricks of the trade.

The Basics of Couponing

Coupon inserts are what you see every week in the Sunday paper. Sometimes there is one insert, often times two, and on a great weekend there are three different inserts. These are called SmartSource, Redplum, and P&G. You may get a paper on your doorstep every weekend or you can buy papers at your local grocery store or gas station. My gas station offers a free Sunday paper with a purchase of $15 or more in gas, so that is the time my husband and I both fill up our cars.

The trick of couponing is to save these coupon inserts each week for when each of the products go on sale. You can match up your coupons to the grocery or drug store ads in your area. So you may not get too many great deals until you save up a few weeks worth of inserts.

Cheap (and FREE!) Dog and Cat Food this Week at Kmart

Kmart seems to be having the best pet food deals this week because they are doubling coupons, which means the will double the value of all of your coupons that are .99 and below (so a .50 off coupon will double to be a $1.00 off coupon).

First you have to check and see if your Kmart store is participating in doubles. You have to be a rewards card member, but you can easily sign up at the customer service desk (This isn’t a credit card, they simply swipe the card before all of your purchases so you can earn points and rewards).

These are deals if you have saved your coupon inserts:

  • Whiskas trays are on sale .59 each: use BOGO coupons (Buy 1 Get 1 Free) from 05/15 RedPlum (example: get 4 Whiskas, use 2 BOGO coupons= you will get all four trays FREE)
  • Cesar trays are on sale .79 each, use BOGO coupons from 05/15 RedPlum to get them FREE
  • Friskies Tasty Treasures are on sale .49 each, use BOGO coupons from 03/27 to get them FREE

Free canned dog food with printable coupon

  • Pedigree Puppy is on sale $0.79 ea. Use the B1G1 Pedigree Canned Dog Food from last Sunday’s RP Insert. You can also print this exact coupon off two times on RedPlum.com and type in the zip code (30033). (example: get 4 Pedigree dog food cans, use 2 BOGO mfr coupons= you will get all 4 FREE)

There are often coupons for all different types of pet food found both online and in your Sunday inserts, so chances are there will be coupons for your pet’s brand (but hey, if you make your own pet food that’s great too!) Couponing can be confusing at first, but once you get the hang of it, the savings is worth it and couponing becomes second nature. Certainly let us know if you have any questions about couponing!

Make Your Own Pet Food

Written by Colleen Sedgwick. Posted in Fun Articles, Health and Safety, Pet Products.

 

 

 

Lately I have seen a rise in pet bakeries and pet owners taking more of an interest in what they feed their pet, even going to the extent of making their own pet’s food rather than using dry or canned. Why would you make your own pet food? Just like in a human’s diet we try to steer clear of too much processed and canned food and we often hear of these products being recalled due to contamination. You can’t just start feeding your pet homemade food though, you may notice when they steal scraps from the table, they have “gastrointestinal problems,” and that’s exactly what will happen if you jump right in with your homemade meals. Always consult your vet before giving your met homemade food and any of these recipes.

by kaexor on Flickr

Meat and Rice Stew (Dog) from Bark Bark I’m Hungry

  • 2/3 cup of meat – turkey, liver, or hamburger are best
  • 1/2 cup rice
  • 1/2 of a small potato
  • pinch of garlic powder
  • 1/2 carrot
  • 1 cup water

Cut the meat, potato, and carrot into small pieces. Combine with water and garlic powder in a pot. Turn on stove to high, bring to a boil then simmer. Cook the rice then stir it into the pot and simmer for a few more minutes. Remove from heat and strain out the juice but save a little. After it cools serve and add the little bit of juice back to it.

Bacon-Flavored Dog Treats from Recipes 4 Gourmet Dogs

  • 5 cups whole wheat flour
  • 10 TBS. bacon fat – melted
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 cut water
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp salt

Mix well – drop from teaspoon onto ungreased non stick cookies sheet, and flatten with bottom of a glass. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

Cat Nip Crackers from Cat-Recipes

  • 3/4 cup of flour
  • 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour
  • 2 tablespoons of dried catnip
  • 1/2 cup of yogurt
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon of honey
  • 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mix together the two flours and the catnip. Next, stir in the yogurt, egg, honey, and vegetable oil. Roll out the catnip dough onto a floured surface. Cut the dough into small dime-sized pieces. Find tiny cookie cutters in a specialty store to make the crackers more festive. (This recipe also makes a great gift for a cat lover and his/her cat!) Place the cut dough onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Catnip crackers should be fed as a treat and not as a meal. Store uneaten crackers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for a week or frozen in the freezer for three months.

You can find local, all-natural pet treats at The Bark Avenue Boutique (Ardmore), Pupcakes (Philadelphia), and Esmerelda’s Dog Grubb (Philadelphia).

We take pride in making your pets' well being a priority while you are away from home.

"Carol was very loving and attentive to Chance and Nina. She went out of her way to stay in touch and respond to communications while we were gone. She was cheerfully accommodating when we changed plans for our return date. We are completely satisfied with your service and will be using you again."

Read more reviews

© Copyright Pet Nanny. All Rights Reserved. | Sitemap | Privacy Policy

Pet Nanny-Pet Sitters of The Main Line, offers pet sitting, dog walking, house sitting and concierge services in Malvern, Paoli, Berwyn, Devon, Wayne, Chesterbrook, Strafford, Radnor, St.Davids, Rosemont, Bryn Mawr, Villanova, Haverford, Ardmore, Wynnewood, Gulph Mills, Conshohocken and Newtown Square.