Toys, Treats, Tubs and More!

Petapoluza Pet Supply is happy to announce it will be carrying the best cat scratchers  ever made through an exclusive drop ship arrangement through TrendyCat. TrendyCat products are made by hand in America from renewable resources and are of the highest quality you can find at a very reasonable price. A Trendy Cat Scrathing Post retails through us for $170 and will look good in your home for years (the sisal covered post is replaceable for around $40). By comparison, a cardboard scratch pad from Marmalade will run you around $150 and is replaceable for another $150.

All of the Trendy Cat products are made with Bamboo. Why Bamboo? Bamboo is a fast growing, sustainable resource. Although as hard as traditional woods like oak or maple, it grows to maturity in only 5 - 6 years, not the 25 - 50 years required for the average hardwood tree. In addition, as a variety of grass, it regrows once cut and does not need replanting like traditional hardwood trees.

The bamboo used to make TrendyCat® products is grown on managed plantations and harvested by hand, minimizing the impact on the environment.  Once harvested, it is treated with a natural, non-toxic boric acid and lime solution that extracts the starch that makes wood products attractive to insects. It can also be heated to caramelize the bamboo, producing a natural caramel color. The bamboo is then made into sheets in either a natural or caramel color, producing a dense, hard, insect resistant wood that is unique and attractive and ready for use in the construction of our furniture.

According to the English dictionary, happiness is a feeling of contentedness, well-being, pleasure, or good fortune. According to the Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Universe happiness is that warm, comfortable feeling you get from quickly drinking three Pan-Galactic Gargle Blasters and ends with you slouched in your chair drooling on your shirt.  It is not, as curmudgeon Ambrose Bierce once said, an agreeable sensation arising from contemplating the misery of another [though some humans do seem to derive pleasure in that way]. Unless that other is George W Bush, in which case contemplating his misery may make you very happy indeed. But what about our pets?

With dogs, who not only wear their hearts on their sleeves, but broadcast their emotions with ghastly smells and other foul noxious things,  contentedness and well-being is a far less complicated affair and is plain for all to see - as long as you know what you are looking for.

Signs of Happiness

Content dogs sleep for about 8 to 10 hours per day, mostly at night. They wake up early and set out in search of food, water and the occasional spot of carpet to ruin.  They appear bright, alert, active, (possibly annoying and downright irritating) and solicit attention from their owners. They also interact positively with each other in the case of multi-pet homes.

Through the morning, they enjoy walks, play, solving quadratic equations, contemplating the existence of the All Knowing and All Powerful Dog, hiding the remote control and social activities, perhaps resting briefly between events. In the afternoon, dogs may spend some time chewing on a toy (for toy read: your shoes, books clothing pillows or anything else that might smell remotely like you), exploring in the yard, or socializing with other dogs or people. Increased activity becomes apparent as the late afternoon approaches and into early evening, with the excitement of returning family members and mealtimes. The various actions and interactions that occur at this time are engaged in with interest and joy. Eyes are bright, ears are swiveling, and tails are high. A quieter late evening period ensues with contented animals enjoying each others’ company or seeking out and staying close to their human caregivers for company. Many dogs nuzzle to solicit petting. All the world is at peace.

Unhappiness

Unhappydogs are created by adverse experiences, inconsistent interactions with their owners, lack of exercise, an unstable routine, in appropriate social interactions, and by underemployment. What owners have to remember is that while their homes are set up to please them, with all “mod cons” like telephones, VCR’s, computers, furniture, and elegant décor, none of these things is really appreciated by the dog. For owners to keep their dogs happy, they have to think like a dog. Think “how would I like it if” and then work their way through their dog’s 24-hour day. How would I like it if my owner didn’t protect my interests? How would I like it if my owner never exercised me or barely communicated with me in any way? How would I like it if my life was totally unpredictable, uncontrollable, and was punctuated by adverse social interactions? How would I like it if I had nothing to do all day long?

When things go wrong, aspects of the “unhappy dog syndrome” start to emerge. Unhappy dogs often sleep more in a 24-hour period, entering a state bordering on depression or learned helplessness. On the other hand, they may sleep more fitfully at night as they are not in a proper routine. Lack of gainful employment leads to any number of behavior problems that arise as diversions. These sometimes take the form of barking or destructive behavior, annoying attention-seeking behaviors, or overeating. Dogs with social issues may become involved in confrontations with each other or with their owners, do not pay attention to their owners, are difficult to control, and may either become aloof or [paradoxically] over-attached. Their eyes don’t shine with excitement but rather appear dull and vacuous. Such dogs may adopt hunkered, cowed postures and may show a lack of alertness and curiosity. Many are anti-social and some act out their negative feelings toward others. Many times, attention to the basics can turn an animal like this around. The following is a list of items that may need attention:

Steps to a Happy Dog

John Wagner over at Pasado’s Safe Haven told me about this short film from Ireland directed by Ken Wardrop about a totally useless sheepdog. You may have seen it already. For those of you that haven’t, enjoy.

We’re almost ONE and you know what that means - our BIG WINTER CUSTOMER APPRECIATION PARTY! because after all, we wouldn’t be here without you guys - OUR CUSTOMERS! We’re throwing a weekend-long shindig to celebrate our first anniversary while supporting our local rescues. This party is a chance to get some food & drink, take home some samples, and WIN STUFF! all while providing for Ginger’s Pet Rescue, Pasado’s Safe Haven, and the Seattle Animal Shelter.

And just so it’s not totally boring, we’ve rallied together some of our fellow vendors and pals in the animal industry to make it worth it to drop by. Here’s the list of all that’s going on the weekend of Friday, January 11th - Sunday, January 13th.

We are also hosting a food drive for our rescues during the weekend. If you donate dog or cat food to any of our rescues, then you get a bath for FREE! That’s a $15 value!!

During this weekend, we will have three, HUGE baskets available for raffle. These baskets are absolutely stuffed with food, toys, products, coupons, vouchers and MORE for both dogs and cats! By signing up for the chance to win a raffle basket you will be DIRECTLY supporting one of our rescues! Be sure you stop by just to check out what you could win!!!

Come Join The Fun!!!

As promised, here is a schedule of events for the weekend.

Friday, January 11th –

Representatives from Nature’s Variety, California Natural, Innova & Evo, By Nature Organics, and Canidae & Felidae will be in the store so you can ask questions, get samples, and grab coupons ALONG WITH FREE REFRESHMENTS!

Saturday, January 12th –

Representatives from Merrick & Nutro will join those from Nature’s Variety, California Natural, Innova & Evo for more samples, coupons & goodies.

1:00pm – 2:00pm CLICKER TRAINING FOR PROBLEMS & TRICKS from Ahimsa Dog Training

2:00pm – 4:00pm BOOK SIGNING of Phenomenal Pets

2:30pm – 3:30pm NUTRITION INFORMATION from Uneek Treats

4:00pm – 5:00pm QI JONG & HOLISITC PET WELLNESS from Ancient Arts Veterinary

If you’d like to participate in ANY of these events PLEASE EMAIL US TO SIGN UP!

Also, we’ll be having an on-site PET ADOPTION from Ginger’s Pet Rescue and an OFF- LEASH

area in back to support COLA!

Sunday, January 13th –

Representatives from Avoderm and Rad Cat will join those from Nature’s Variety to answer questions, hand out samples, and give you coupons!

11:30 – 12:30 RECALL TRAINING from Henry’s Royal Canine Care

12:00 – 1:30 ON-SITE PHOTO SHOOT + photo raffle from RainDog Pet Photography**

1:00 – 2:00 MANNERS SEMINAR from Henry’s Royal Canine Care

2:30 – 3:30 NUTRITION INFO Q&A from Inu Treats & their Pet Nutritionist

If you’d like to participate in ANY of these events PLEASE EMAIL US TO SIGN UP!

Also, we’ll be having an on-site PET ADOPTION from the Seattle Animal Shelter and an OFF LEASH area in back to support COLA!

**With the RainDog Pet Photography photo shoot, a $20 fee is required. Multiple pictures of your pet will be taken on-site and put up on the RainDog website. YOU get to pick your favorite picture and will receive a 4’x6’ print!!! How can you beat THAT?!

Again, we’ll have an off-leash area to support COLA and an in-house adoption from the Seattle Animal Shelter. In addition, we’ll have some SERIOUS baskets that we’ll be raffling off. THREE in total! We promise there’ll be something for every one so it’s worth it for you to check it out! PLUS, each will support one of our rescues!

Help us make this an event to remember - stop by to say hello, participate in one of our classes, and have some fun!!