Product Review: Geopetric Personalised Pet Products

When Geopetric contacted us and asked us to be apart of their affiliate programme I was of course over the moon with excitement! I chose what I thought would look good on Oscar and Zara and waited patiently for their new items to arrive.

Wow, I was blown away by the quality of both the personalised collar and the softness of the bandana. Both are absolutely gorgeous products.

I love that the collar is personalised with Zara’s name on and the bandana has a very African theme to it-Living in Africa of course that speaks to my heart. The pinks and purples of Zara’s collar looks gorgeous against her black fur and Oscar just looks so good in green with bold colours-but then again he looks good in everything 🙂

Each product sold in the Geopetric store has a unique pattern, the materials used are made with bright and bold colours with geometric shapes and patterns to decorate. The outcome is of course stunning in every way. You won’t mistake a Geopetric collar for any other!

Geopetric offers a wide variety of pet accessories including personalised collars, harnesses, gorgeous bandanas, fun bow ties, collar tags, yummy treats and super cute puppy starter kits!! And not forgetting us humans, there are some lovely goodies for us too in the form of t-shirts, bracelets, hats, tech accessories and personalised key chains.

The Geopetric brand provides, charitable, cruelty free and eco-friendly products for both you and your pets. They only use eco-friendly materials including recycled bottles and vegan cork-leather. They have partnered with and continue to partner with animal rescues across the globe to promote animal adoption.

We’re all trying to make a positive difference in our world, with your help Geopetric is doing just that. I love the fact of knowing I can make a difference in a shelter dogs life simply by spoiling my own pups, Oscar and Zara!!

Our partnership with Geopetric gives you a fabulous 20% discount whenever you decide to shop online with Geopetric. Simply use the code OSCAR&ZARA when you check out…. So what are you waiting for? Shop TODAY, spoil your pets and help pets in need!!

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook @stylishpaws and Instagram @stylish_paws

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Christmas fun.

For us Christmas is about spending quality time with loved ones and of course that includes our four legged children! This year will be Charlotte, Duke and Peaches’ first Christmas so it needs to be a special one.

The big fat man dressed in red will be making a delivery for them too… Since it is difficult to find nice bunny goodies where we live, I like to make homemade gifts for them using bits and pieces I found around the house. The goodies I did find in the shops include a children’s ten-pin bowling set, because bunnies actually love playing interactive games with you. A doggy interactive toy, a new cat tunnel, an outside enclosure play pen and I made some homemade bunny treats (recipe below).

Homemade Bunny Crackers:

These are by far the easiest bunny toy to make. You simply take a toilet roll holder, fold in the one side, fill it with whatever your bunnies go crazy for like pellets, dried flowers and dried herbs or fill it with fresh goodies like carrot sticks, celery bits and herbs. Then fold in the other edge. Your bunnies will love throwing this around while trying to get the yummy stuffing out. I like to use different size ones (some toilet roll holders and some kitchen roll holders) to make things more challenging for them.

Bunny Treats:

I enjoy making homemade treats for the babies because that way I know exactly what is in them. No hidden dyes or preservatives, only ingredients I know are safe and healthy for them.

Ingredients

1/4 cup bunny pellets, blitzed up

1/4 cup blitzed oats

1 mashed banana

1 large carrot cooked and mashed into a puree

Directions

Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees. Mix all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl until everything is nicely combined. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Spread the treat mixture evenly so it is about 1cm thick. Bake in the oven for +-30 mins or until the treats are cooked and hard. Take them out the oven, cut into small bite sized squares and allow to cool. Store them in an airtight container for on hand treats. Your bunnies will LOVE these… You can play around with the ingredients, choose your bunnies favourite veggies, fruit and herbs but please be mindful of what is safe for your furry loves to eat!!

We are at a comfortable stage where the bunnies can be around Oscar and Zara, so this Christmas is going to be lots of fun. Both Oscar and Zara love opening their Christmas gifts so they are going to have to show the bunnies how it’s done, perhaps even help open theirs!

Whatever your Christmas plans are this year, we hope you have a wonderful and safe celebration!

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Product review: Vagabond-Dogs: Luxury Dog Accessories

When we got asked to do a product review for Vagabond-Dogs we were over the moon with excitement! Not only are their dog accessories super stylish in looks but they are hand crafted and designed with so much love and care too.

Vagabond-Dogs is a brand that is all about the love of dogs. They are using Vagabond-Dogs as a platform for advocacy and charity, and being a new brand they are building up their network of advocates, so if you know a dog charity that needs support please contact Vagabond-Dogs directly on hello@vagabond-dogs.com

In our brief email conversations, I instantly knew that Ted and Nelly are the real deal when it comes to loving animals. They have put everything they have into creating Vagabond-Dogs as well as into supporting animal shelters and rescuing pups in need.

When I opened our delivery box, each collar was neatly wrapped in tissue paper. It looked so neat and tidy I didn’t want to ruin it by ripping open the tissue paper and causing chaos. But I did because I couldn’t contain my excitement any longer! What we received were four beautiful collars. We received the Born Free range that has a boho signature design engraved absolutely perfectly into each collar. The quality of each collar is outstanding and guaranteed to last a lifetime. The inspiration behind each collar comes from life. Be it architecture, design, fashion or nature. The Born Free range was inspired after many trips that Ted and Nelly look to Joshua Tree National Park in California.

It was hard to decide which colours for which pup. I feel they are unisex and once I began photographing Oscar and Zara wearing their new gorgeous collars, I was right! All four collars look fantastic on both Oscar and Zara. I will definitely be mixing up who wears what on our outings and adventures.

Who doesn’t love a brand that works hard to give back and support the dogs out there who are less fortunate than our own. So go on, support Vagabond-Dogs. Help them achieve their dream by heading to www.vagabond-dogs.com and spoiling your pups, it’s totally worth it!! Oh and did I mention they offer worldwide shipping….

Don’t forget to follow them on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.

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December

December is the most wonderful time of the year. Everyone is getting ready for their Christmas celebrations, and over all it is quite a cheerful month! Whatever you and your family get up this December, we hope it’s a magical one. Be merry and stay safe.

Download your December calendar here

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Meet the babies.

A very warm welcome to my three musketeers, Charlotte, Duke and Peaches. A month ago we adopted these three gorgeous babies who needed a loving home and a family to call their own. Finally my heart felt strong enough to welcome more fluff balls in after the sudden loss of Valentine and Duchess earlier this year. If anything, these three have reassured me just how much I loved, and still love Valentine and Duchess!


Naming them was a little tricky. When I got Valentine and Duchess, I had wanted a bunny for so many years and knew I would name him Valentine. Duchess just came to me after we found out that he was in-fact a she-haha! These three had me stumped. Until I started to see their personalities come through and as I got to know them they each reminded me of animated movie characters. Charlotte became Charlotte because she is shy but very regal-just like Charlotte from Charlottes Webb. Duke became Duke because he is very pushy and forces attention on himself-just like Duke the dog from The Secret Life of Pets. And Peaches became Peaches because she is a little different from the other two, it took her a while to fit in and become comfortable in her environment-just like Peaches from Ice Age. And that is how my three musketeers were named 🙂

Oscar as usual is great with his babies. All he wants to do is kiss them and slobber on them. They come up to him too and give him a good old sniff then go about their business as usual. Zara is very intrigued by these little fluff balls. She was very young when we had Valentine and Duchess and she just wanted to run after them, which of course was not the way to behave. With these three she is a little older, has been to puppy training so she listens and understands things a whole lot better. She sits and watches them for hours through the glass door that leads into their play room. Her interaction with them is supervised at all times and we are slowly building up what she can and cannot do around them. She is rather funny, when Charlotte, Duke and Peaches come up to her for bunny kisses she freezes like a statue! Does not move a whisker. It is quite funny to watch. I am confident we will get to a stage where Zara will happily lie and watch over these three as they run up and down the passage and explore the house just like Valentine and Duchess did. It’s a learning process for us all but so far her progress is unbelievable and I am immensely proud of her!

All in all life with three baby bunnies is amazing. They trash their room every single night, which I believe is their way of showing me just how much they appreciate all the hay, treats and toys they get. I get special bunny kisses all the time, and recently Duke and Peaches have taken to the idea of having power naps in my lap. It is just the best!! I am loving being a bunny mom again…

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Howl-O-Ween.

In Africa, we don’t typically celebrate halloween like the USA does but that doesn’t stop us from having a little fun of our own, in the form of dressing up and enjoying some yummy Halloween treats! For those of you that have followed us for a while, will know that Oscar LOVES to dress up and Halloween is one of the best times to dress up in funky fun costumes. Last year Zara was a tiny tot just learning the ropes in the beginning stages of her modelling career. This year she is a real show stopper in her Halloween outfit!

Everyone goes pumpkin mad during the month of October and I managed to get my paws on a lovely one. I gave it to Oscar and Zara as is, to see what they would do wth it… The usual Mr Fusspot decided it looked good enough to eat as it is and went straight in for the kill, much to his disappointment he couldn’t break it open at all. Zara was not sure what it was and happily posed for some gorgeous photos instead!

Since we don’t get all the yummy halloween treats you get in the USA, I promised Oscar and Zara I would turn this pumpkin into something yummy for them, and this is what I decided to make….

Pumpkin Spice Puppachinos 

Not so long ago I made some puppachinos for Oscar and Zara which they LOVED! (you can see the recipe by clicking here) So I thought why not make a Halloween pumpkin spice puppachino for them. A few of my USA Instagram friends have expressed their love for pumpkin spice latte’s- for humans only. So I decided to make a human pumpkin spice latte for me to enjoy and a pumpkin spice puppachino for Oscar and Zara to enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice Latte-Human only version:

Ingredients

To make pumpkin spice you will need-

2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp all spice

Mix these spices together and store in an airtight jar. This makes 1 tbs of Pumpkin Spice mix.

To make the latte-

1 cup coconut milk

2 tbs cooked pumpkin puree

1 tbs syrup

1/4 tsp of the pumpkin spice mix you made

1/4 tsp of vanilla extract

1/4 cup of your favourite brewed coffee

1 can of squirty cream-to use as a topper

Directions

Pour all the ingredients into a saucepan besides the coffee. Heat over a medium heat until hot but not boiling. Keep whisking the mixture so you get a thick and frothy milk mixture. Pour your freshly brewed coffee into a mug, then add the hot coconut milk mixture. Squirt some squirty cream on top and sprinkle over a pinch of pumpkin spice. Put your feet up and enjoy your Halloween treat!

Pumpkin Spice Puppachino

Ingredients

1 cup coconut milk

1 cup cooked pumpkin puree

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Squirt of honey

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Squirty cream

Directions

Pour all the ingredients into a blender and blend until thick and creamy. Then scoop out the mixture and place it into cute cups for your pups. Squirt some cream on the top-because which pup doesn’t love squirty cream… And watch your pups enjoy!

If you have any mixture left over you can spoon it into ice trays and make little frozen treats or fill a Kong toy and freeze for a boredom buster the next day 🙂

Pumpkin Pancakes

Everyone loves pancakes so I decided to make some Halloween pumpkin pancakes for us (the humans) and the pups (Oscar and Zara) to enjoy…

Ingredients

1/2 cup cooked pumpkin puree

2 eggs

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp pumpkin spice mix- Important: When making for the pups please leave this out and replace with plain cinnamon!!!

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbs sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbs melted butter

1/2 cup milk

Syrup and squirt cream to garnish

Directions

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and whisk until completely combined and light and airy. Heat up a pan on a medium heat and spoon the desired amount of mixture into your pan. Cook until golden brown on each side. Serve warm with syrup and squirty cream drizzled over the top. Enjoy!

If you have any pancakes left over, place them in air tight containers and freeze them for another day. Remember to clearly label which are safe for your pups and which are for humans only!!

Happy Howl-o-ween to you and your furry loves! We hope you enjoy these simple and easy Halloween treats as much as we did.

Thank you for reading.

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October: Pet Obesity Awareness Month

I have lost count at the amount of times someone has told me that Oscar is fat. I have heard it from complete strangers at the dog park and even from my friends and family. There are two things about Oscar that I never ever want to hear, one being, Oscar is rather fat and two, Oscar is looking old these days. It’s simple, keep those two opinions to yourself!

Oscar has been misunderstood for most of his life given his unique body shape and frame. He is a basset hound cross English bulldog and has unique features from both breeds. His short legs make his stocky body look even stockier and his extra skin and wrinkles give people the impression he needs to lose weight. Now I am not deluded when it comes to Oscar and his weight. His health has always been extremely important to me. When he was around five years old, shortly after he was neutered, we had to put him on a diet for a couple of months to help him shed a few extra kilos he had suddenly picked up. That was a once off and I have always carefully controlled all his meals including treats and any extras he gets! Believe me he is by no means deprived of treats and yummy extras, I simply feed them in moderation and always opt for healthy treats and snacks for him.

 

The food we used to help Oscar shed some weight was Hill’s Prescription Restricted Diet. Our vet recommended using this diet as opposed to just cutting down on the amount that he was being fed.The Hill’s R/D is a careful formula that makes sure your pooch still gets the correct vitamins and minerals while being low in calories. Within two weeks both myself and our vet noticed a difference in Oscar! We only fed him the R/D food until he reached his goal weight then returned to his usual food and still to this day he has kept that weight off! A fantastic achievement in my eyes. Since that was many moons ago, Hill’s has in-fact restored and improved their weight loss product which is now called Hill’s Metabolic Advanced Weight Solution. It is still part of the Prescription Diet range and comes in Metabolic + Mobility diet, Mini Metabolic and treats too. ps this food works fantastic for your feline loves too!!

With Zara having only just turned a year old in August, she still has plenty of growing to do especially being a large breed pup. Her meals are also carefully monitored and measured out in exactly the right quantities. Her treats and extras are also carefully controlled and something healthy is always on offer. She has a larger than life appetite and if she doesn’t have something to nibble on between her breakfast and dinner she tends to get a bit mischievous (read my Kong filler post for yummy mid-day snack ideas). It is important for your pup to be fed the best quality food that you can afford! You want them to get the best out of life.

Hill’s Pet Nutrition suggests you look out for these key signs of obesity-

Signs of Obesity

• See your vet regularly to accurately measure and monitor your pet’s weight.

• Look at your pet – if it is significantly overweight it should be obvious, although long-haired dogs and cats may ‘hide’ fat better.

• The rib test – when you stroke your pet’s side you should be able to easily feel the ribs underneath the skin.

• The waist view – when you look at your dog from above it should have a distinctive waist in front of his hips.

• Side view – look for a scooped abdominal tuck up towards the hind legs. Overweight pets have a flat to bulging tummy profile.

• Neck and tail base – look for fatty deposits around the tail base and neck. Pets at ideal weight have clear muscle definition and a smooth contour with tail base bones that can be easily felt.

• Overweight pets are more prone to shortness of breath, overheating and stiffness.

• Check for skin irritations or a scruffy coat due to difficulty in grooming.

While diet is a very important part of maintaining a healthy weight for your pet, exercise is just as important. Here are a few snacks and games you can use to help keep your pups happy and healthy.

Healthy snack ideas: We all love snacks, and so do our pups! It is so important that you give your pup the right snack.

Chick peas:  Both Oscar and Zara LOVE chick peas. I don’t even have to do anything with them other than open the tin, drain and rinse them, then pop them into an airtight container or Zip-Lock bag and keep them in the fridge for up to 5 days (they never last that long in our house). These make excellent training treats too!!

Carrots: This one I particularly love giving to Zara because it also keeps her entertained for a while. I give her the entire carrot to enjoy. Just be sure to have your pup eat it outside because it tends to make a bit of a mess.

Biltong: A firm South African favourite human treat and pups love it too. Just be careful with the spices and salt content (everyone has their own recipe) so be sure to use plain and simple biltong or biltong sticks.

Cucumber: Zara loves her cucumber slices and will eat cucumber all day if she could. You can cut it into chunks and put into a treat ball as an interactive toy with a healthy treat or simply give your pup the entire cucumber to enjoy.

Strawberries and blueberries: Both berry varieties make excellent snacks. Fuss pot Oscar will only eat a frozen blueberry and don’t even think about giving him a strawberry! I love using frozen blueberries in treat balls for both Oscar and Zara to play with.

Fun and games: Keeping fit and active is not only a health benefit for us humans. Our pups thrive when they are fit and healthy too. Having fun and exercising with your pup is another great way to increase that special bond you have.

Fetch: fetch is ancient game that will never grow old or out of fashion. We love this game in our house-except Oscar of course! We like to change things up, sometimes it’s a teddy, a frisbee, a ball or squeaker toy. Anything will do for this high energy game.

Tuggy: Tuggy is a great one that seems to tire Zara quickly. She puts so much force and energy into making sure she is the strongest in this game. This is a great game to build endurance.

Swimming: With summer just beginning for us, swimming is a super fun way for both you and your pup to stay fit. Swimming lengths chasing floating balls and sticks is great fun. Try have a doggy paddle race against your pup, you’ll soon see just how difficult it is and how much energy you use 🙂

Find it: This game is a real favourite for both Oscar and Zara. I use the healthy snacks mentioned above, run around the house and garden placing them in strategic hiding spots then let the pups out to find their treasure. It is a great game to get your pups excited.

October is National Pet Obesity Awareness month and together with Hill’s Pet Nutrition South Africa, we urge you to take your pets for a weight check. Rather than putting your pet at the risk of obesity-related diseases, love them enough to take them for a quick weigh-in. You can find a participating vet practice on www.PetSlimmer.co.za. It’s simple and free.

Links / URLS

www.PetSlimmer.co.za

#PetObesityMonth #HillsMetabolic #HillsPetSlimmer

Twitter: @HillsPetSA

Facebook: @HillsPetZA

Instagram: @HillsPetFoodSA

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/HillsSouthAfrica

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