Tag: pets


Dec
2017

Christmas fun.

categories: Holiday fun, The Three Amigo's

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!

Thank you for reading

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Nov
2017

Meet the babies.

categories: The Three Amigo's

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…

Thanks for reading.

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Oct
2017

October: Pet Obesity Awareness Month

categories: Oscar, Zara

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

Thank you for reading.

 

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Jun
2017

Losing Valentine and Duchess

categories: Valentine and Duchess

On 24 May 2017, our family suddenly changed. We lost our two beautiful bunnies. The heartache is unreal and I miss them beyond words! It’s a pain I don’t wish upon my worst enemy.

“Whoever said it’s just a bunny, has never loved a bunny” Valentine and Duchess meant the world to all of us.

I remember bringing these two fluff balls home and introducing them to Oscar. It was love at first sight from both sides. I never taught Oscar how to behave with them, he just knew. He knew to be gentle, he knew not to chase them. We would spend hours in the garden together just relaxing, watching Valentine and Duchess get more confident and explore different parts of the garden. Oscar would just lie there watching over them like the protective big brother. They would run around inside, binky up the passage and take cover under the bed for much needed naps. I very quickly learnt their personalities… Valentine was very shy, but he loved showing me how much he loved me by binkying all the time and enjoying my tickles. Duchess lived up to her name, she was ever so lady like in her ways. She ate like a lady, hopped like a lady, and slept like a lady. When she showed me a binky I knew my two fluffs couldn’t be happier. Zara was still getting used to the idea of these two fluff balls hopping around. She would just lie and stare at them through the window of their play room. They of course were not intimidated by her size and would pretty much just sniff her and hop on by.

The worst part of having fluffy family members is by far the day they leave you. Losing Valentine and Duchess was such a shock, it happened so quickly! Our vet tried absolutely everything she could to save them. For now I have left their play room exactly as it was the morning we rushed them to Dr Sally. They had the best time running through their tunnels, playing in their ball pit and relaxing in their castle. I will never be able to replace my Valentine and Duchess and I would never want to but I do know that I can give two more bunnies an amazing life, and I will when the time is right and I feel content enough with making that decision.

I have the most beautiful memories of Valentine and Duchess which I will treasure forever and ever. I have thousands of photo’s and videos which I have gone through over and over, laughing and crying at the same time. My heart is hurting and I know it’s ok for it to hurt but I am at peace knowing they are free and not in any pain.

Binky free my sweet loves. I will never stop loving you, ever!

Thank you for reading.

 

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May
2017

Product Review: Njom Njoms

categories: Product Reviews, Valentine and Duchess

Valentine and Duchess, my bunny loves, are just as spoilt as Oscar and Zara! But I have to work a lot harder to find awesome spoils for my fluff balls. I often come up with fun DIY boredom busters or make some homemade treats for them, but sometimes I want to buy some yummy and fun goodies for them.

When I discovered Njom Njoms I was over the moon!! Maybe I am seriously fussy but I struggle to find awesome natural products for Valentine and Duchess. Njom Njoms came to the rescue… I placed my order and waited patiently while the goodies were handmade with tons of love.

Njom Njoms is a family affair and they too have seven wonderful bunny loves and two happy guinea pigs. It was their love for their own small critters that provided the inspiration to start up Njom Njoms and provide South Africans with good quality small pet products.

Three of the Njom Njoms clan
Two cuties

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When our delivery arrived I don’t know who was more excited, myself, Valentine, Duchess, Oscar or Zara-haha! Yes, Zara was super excited when she saw a massive box being delivered and thought it was a box filled with goodies for her. Oscar was also hopeful when he saw the size of the box but not every delivery can be for them 😉 I unpacked the box and was beyond happy with what we had received!!

We received a handmade hay holder, willow gnaw sticks, willow balls to roll around, willow rings to throw around, yummy hay topper packs and three giant bags of hay-oat hay and teff grass. The packaging is awesome and the quality of each item is superb.

I quickly filled the hay basket holder with some oat hay, sprinkled in some hay topper-strawberries and cream and watched Valentine and Duchess go wild with excitement.

Instead of just giving them plain willow gnaw sticks, I pushed them through some toilet roll holders and filled them with fresh grass and Oat Hay-let me tell you these were a total hit!

I absolutely love watching them throw their willow rings up in the air and roll along their willow balls! For extra entertainment I love to tuck fresh herbs in balls and twist them through the rings. Duchess is the most impatient bunny of the two and in no time she has tossed the ring up in the air so all the herbs go flying. Valentine will happily just sit and figure out a more calm approach-haha!!

I especially love the different hay toppers that Njom Njoms offer. Each one is different and it provides just a little something special to your bunnies hay. We received the Strawberries and Cream, Vitamin C boost and a general hay topper.

It’s safe to say that Valentine and Duchess give Njom Njoms a five paw rating and we will be ordering some more awesome goodies very soon!

If you would like to get in touch with Njom Njoms you can visit their website at www.njomnjoms.co.za or their Facebook page at click here

We hope your small pets enjoy these goodies as much as Valentine and Duchess did!

Thank you for reading.

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May
2017

May.

categories: Calendar, Oscar

It’s May, and for those of us in the Southern Hemisphere it means winter is closer than we would like it to be.

I decided to dedicate the May calendar to Oscar because well, he is just so handsome and I adore him! We hope you enjoy this months calendar too 🙂

Download your May calendar here

Thank you for reading.

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Mar
2017

Say Cheese…

categories: Oscar, Zara

I am by no means a professional photographer. In fact, I am such a newbie it’s frightening!
Watching Oscar grow-up and taking photographs of his every move, I have over 30 000 of him saved to my hard-drive-and no I am not exaggerating at all. Oscar came into my life thirteen years ago. There was no Facebook, Instagram or Snap Chat and my photography skills were less than desirable-haha!! Hence the reason I am a newbie with a new camera. But over the years photographing my soul mate growing up, our fun and lazy moments together has been amazing and I continue to capture those special moments of my baby boy.

Then we added baby Zara to our family. Who doesn’t love photographing a gorgeous fluffy puppy? Zara being Zara would pose only long enough for you to get one photo and then demand to do something fun like attack the camera. It took a lot of patience and care to get the cute puppy photos and moments I did capture. She is now eight months old and has had her fare share of thousands of photos taken. She is becoming more and more comfortable in front of the camera.

It’s all about getting that perfect photograph. But what is the perfect photograph? When photographing pets, you soon realise to accept any photo as the perfect one 😉 Of course there are pets out there that seem to listen and pose in any position with any prop for the camera… I have clearly not inherited those pets-haha! But I wouldn’t have it any other way, both Oscar and Zara make me work very hard to get a photograph I am happy with, a photo that’s worthy of sharing with the world.

So here are my top five tips for achieving the perfect photograph of your furry love…

Natural lighting.
It is always best to try and photograph your pup in daylight. There is no better flash than the sun. Wherever I choose to photograph Oscar or Zara, I always make sure it is a well lit area. Flash photography can often affect your desired look of a photo-and not in a good way. It can cause the dreaded ‘red eye’. White fur often looks washed out, and the flash can also scare your pet!

Add a prop or two.
Adding props incorporates so much fun to a photoshoot, especially with pets. It can be a chalkboard with a quirky quote, their favourite toy, funky hat, their cutest outfit, or simply their favourite bed. I love getting Oscar all dressed up for photoshoots. He on the other hand can think of a million other things he would rather be doing. Zara is new to the dressing up scene and she would rather attack the princess crown I would like her to wear-but it is a work in progress and we will get there.

Treats.
Now this I find is particularly important!! Oscar refuses to work unless he receives a treat for his good efforts. Of course this is cute, but it also means I need a load of homemade treats on hand. Zara very quickly caught on that when she sees the camera, it means “do what mom asks and I get a treat”.
Here is a yummy recipe that will get your pups attention:

Ingredients
1 apple-grated
1 banana-mashed up
1 egg
1/2 cup oats
1 tsp cinnamon
2 cups flour

Directions
Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees. Mix together your apple and banana then add the egg. Add the oats, flour and cinnamon and mix together until a dough forms. Roll your dough out onto a floured surface and use cookie cutters to cut into cute biscuits. Place them onto a greased baking tray and bake in the oven for +-20 minutes or until cooked through and slightly golden. Remove from the oven and place them on a cooling rack to cool. Store the treats in an air tight container.

Studio vs Outdoor setting.
This is obviously a personal choice, however I recommend both! Oscar has done several professional photography photoshoots in a studio as well as photoshoots outdoors. I honestly cannot say which photos I adore more because I believe every photograph of my baby is a wonderful one! Being in a studio is a bit more formal and adding props is a must! Being outdoors allows Oscar to be a little more relaxed and enjoy his surroundings. Zara has not had a professional studio photoshoot before and perhaps I should book one for us all, but her natural outdoor photos that I have taken are wonderful. I absolutely love looking back and seeing the crazy moments with her tongue hanging out, or her flying through the air because she runs so fast! It is often the natural non-posed photo’s that turn out the best.

Your subject-of course.
Of course you need your pooches! I always like to bath Oscar and Zara the night before a big photoshoot to make sure they are looking their best. For our little mini-photoshoots that happen almost daily I just like to give them a quick wipe down and a nice brush. This always makes them feel extra special, like they know I am about to take photos of them.

All in all, I believe you can never have too many photographs of your furry loves! Remember it takes time, patience and a lot of love to get a posed photo. Enjoy capturing those special moments, after all “no one ever takes a photograph of something they want to forget- anonymous”

Follow us on Instagram for daily crazy fun moments of us all @stylish_paws

Thank you for reading.

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