WIGGLY PUPS

Clean + Green Pet Products

We have 3 large dogs, a cat, and a bird.  So, we occasionally have pet accidents.  And we use Nature's Miracle by the gallon.  But we recently found a new product - Clean + Green by SeaYu. 

These are eco-friendly, aerosol cleaning products.  They have one for carpet/upholstery and another for wood floor/tile.  When I first got the product, I was skeptical.  But I decided to try it anyway as soon as one of my babies left me a little gift.

WOW! With just a light spray both the stain and the smell disappeared!  It seems that I had to use twice as much Nature's Miracle to clean the same amount of mess.  And the smell was 100% gone!!  I never ever found anything (other than scented candles) that covered up the accident smell so well!

We tried the wood floor/tile one next.  My elderly dog occasionally dribbles on the floor, so we needed a quick clean-up.  Although the Clean + Green felt sticky when wet, it quickly dried.  And the floor was so nice and clean that my husband decided to use it to clean the rest of the floor! 

The eco-friendliness of the product was just the topping on the cake.  I would 100% recommend this product to anyone with pets.  Now we aren't at all worried when guest come over... we invite them right in!!

Check it out here: Clean + Green

The Toxoplasmosis Myth - Pregnancy and Cats

Are you pregnant and now worried because you heard those old wives tales about keeping your cat?  DO NOT REHOME YOUR CAT!!! It is extremely rare to get toxoplasmosis from cats. If another person changes the cat litter, or if the mother wears gloves while she changes the cat litter, it is impossible to get ill from your cat.  Personally, my cat is staying with me, cuddling with me, all through any future pregnancy.  I know many many women who lived with cats while pregnant and were totally fine.  A pregnant woman is much more likely to get sick from salmonella, from mercury in fish, from stress due to work, or from a number of other situations.  Toxoplasmosis is very very unlikely.  Read on for some toxoplasmosis facts.

From about.com

Reasons Why Cats Rarely Transmit Toxoplasmosis to Pregnant Women

First of all, cats are not usually chronic carriers of T. gondii. They tend to acquire it, and then they develop antibodies and they no longer transmit T. gondii. So, in order for a house cat to pass toxoplasmosis to its owner, the cat itself would have to have had a recent exposure to T. gondii itself -- and to not have circulating antibodies against the infection.

Second, outdoor cats tend to be exposed to T. gondii far more frequently than indoor cats; toxoplasmosis in indoor cats is rare. T. gondii are most commonly found in rodents and raw meat, so a cat who lives only indoors is unlikely to be exposed unless the owner regularly feeds the cat raw meat.

Finally, the means of transmission from cat to owner would most likely be through exposure to cat feces. The woman would have to change the cat litter box, then somehow put the T. gondii into her mouth -- and it's safe to say that most people would probably wash their hands in between changing cat litter and touching their mouths!

Sensible Precautions for Cat Owners

All in all, the risk of acquiring T. gondii from a house cat is rather low. That being said, the CDC suggests the following precautions in order to almost entirely eliminate your risk of cat-borne toxoplasmosis:

• Get someone else to change the cat litter if you can, and if you can't, wear gloves and wash your hands carefully after changing the box.
• Change cat litter daily; T. gondii are infectious between 1 and 5 days after the cat defecates
• Do not feed your cat raw meat, and keep your cat indoors.
• Be careful around stray cats and kittens, and avoid getting a new cat while pregnant.
• Keep outdoor sandboxes covered, and wear gloves when gardening in case an outdoor cat has defecated in your garden.

Healthy Dog Halloween Treats

Yummy Halloweeen treats available at the Healthy Hound Bakery.  How cute!

What Will Your Pet Wear for Halloween?

from ZooToo Pet News

By Gabrielle Jonas

October 23, 2009

A dog appears on stage as the "Dancing Naked Cowboy" during the Times Square Dog Day in Manhattan. (Zootoo Pet News File Photo)

What Will Your Pet Wear for Halloween? A new survey says pet owners will spend less on their own costumes this year than last Halloween, which means dogs and cats might have to groom a little more to look extra adorable next week.

NEW YORK -- Almost 30 percent of consumers this season say the state of the U.S. economy will impact their Halloween spending plans.

Approximately 17 percent say they will be making costumes instead of purchasing them, with 16 percent reusing last year’s costumes, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation.

“The economy has caught up to Halloween this year,” said Tracy Mullin, president and chief executive officer of the National Retail Federation.

“Since retailers know that Americans will be looking to celebrate on a budget, there’s no doubt we will see creative costume and decorating ideas in every price point imaginable,” she said.

Consumers plan to spend an average of $20.75 on human’s and pets’ costumes combined -- more than $3 less than they did last year, when they spent an average of $24.17, according to the survey.

One way pet owners are cutting corners is through understatement. The bow-tie or dress-up collar has shot up to third this year from seventh last year.

At PetSmart, the Top Paw Halloween Bow Tie, Jingle Holiday Neckware, and Scrunchy Spider Halloween Collar retails for about $7 and is now being offered at half price. And at Petco, the Pumpkin Collar Charm for Dogs, which lights up, retails for about $5.

Still, the number one and number two pet costumes this year remain the same as last year: a pumpkin and a devil, respectively, according to the survey.

The hot dog -- fifth last year -- has slipped completely off the list. A ghost, eighth last Halloween, has disappeared as well.

The princess has tumbled from fourth to sixth, while the bee took a dive into last place from its previous sixth place. Moving up on position this fall season is the third place witch.

The “The overriding theme for Americans’ Halloween celebrations this year will be, ‘How creative can I be, and how little can I spend’ ” said Phil Rist, executive vice president of strategic initiatives at BIGresearch.

NRF survey was conducted by BIGresearch, which polled about 8,500 consumers in early September. The margin of error is one percent. BIGresearch's executive vice president for strategic initiatives.

With Halloween mayhem still up for grabs, Zootoo Pet News wants to know how your pet plans to dress up. Let your pet take the Zootoo Pet News poll above to share her or his opinion.

Tell us what you think about "What Will Your Pet Wear for Halloween?" below and if you have an idea for a Zootoo Pet News poll, e-mail news@zootoo.com.

Jon and Kate Plus 8 Puppies GONE!

So, we have all seen the commercials for this show "Jon and Kate Plus 8" on TLC.  It is about a couple who had twin girls, and then had sextuplets.  The mother, Kate, is a bit of a germaphobe, and a control freak.  Which is totally understandable because she has 8 kids under the age of 7.  Jon always seems tired, overworked and a bit cranky which is also understandable. 

What really made me mad, tho, is when they got 2 German shepherd puppies!  8 kids and they, basically, add 2 more!  Puppies can be more exhausting than kids and you really have to be dedicated to raising them right.  If you have the time, patience, and love, having a puppy can be a wonderful experience.  Unfortunately Kate and Jon Gosslin have none of those requirements.

SPOILER - I have inside information that Jon and Kate DID get rid of the puppies!  THAT IS HORRIBLE!  SHAME ON THEM! Dogs are not disposable objects.  You don't get rid of them as soon as they are an inconvenience.  Kids are not easy, either, and I cant imagine them getting rid of a kid or two just to make their lives easier.

Jon and Kate Gosslin made the commitment to spend the next 12-15 years of their lives with these 2 puppies.  But the second it got tough they gave them away.  They should have done more research on owning dogs, instead of just buying a puppy because it was cute.  Kate hates dirt and disorder, and yet she got 2 puppies!  Is she nuts?! 

(Did you know that one of the pups had to go to the hospital because it ate a toy?  Anyone who has a puppy knows you have to "puppy proof".  You wouldn't let a toddler play near carving knives, why would you let puppies run around with things that they might chew on an, potentially, get hurt playing with?!)

Jon and Kate are religious people and act as if they totally respect life.  But they toss away these two loving, sweet puppies when they promised them a good home.  They have no respect for life if they have so little care or respect for living beings.  PETS ARE NOT DISPOSABLE!! DOGS AND CATS AND BIRDS ARE NOT DISPOSABLE!!!  YOU WOULDN'T GIVE AWAY A CHILD JUST BECAUSE THEY MAKE MESSES AND ARE INCONVENIENT!!

SHAME ON TLC FOR ENCOURAGING AND PROMOTING SUCH REPREHENSIBLE BEHAVIOR.  SHAME ON JON AND KATE GOSSLIN FOR TREATING PUPPIES LIKE STUFFED ANIMALS.  AND SHAME ON THEM FOR NOT CONSIDERING THE CONSEQUENCES ON THE EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING OF THEIR CHILDREN AND OF THE PUPPIES.  (THESE PEOPLE CARE NOTHING ABOUT HOW THEIR CHILDREN FEEL OR THINK OR WHAT THEY LEARN - AS LONG AS THE KIDS MAKE THEM MORE MONEY.)

I used to love this show and watch it often.  Now when I see it on, I not only change the channel but I also want to vomit.