Month: November 2009

Decorative Bird Feeders that Will Delight You All Year

TOP WILD BIRD PRODUCTS

With so many styles of bird feeders to choose from, it can be a difficult decision choosing one for your yard.  To liven up your yard, choose unique bird feeders that are colorful, fun, and sure to add a touch of whimsy to your yard.  Decorative bird feeders also make charming and unique gifts for the bird lover in your life.  Here are a few decorative bird feeders that you are sure to love:

  • Enhance your yard’s natural surroundings with the Cattail Wire Mesh Stake Wild Bird Feeder.  This charming feeder is very easy to setup and looks great by itself or in a group.  Place this feeder near a pond or pool for an extra special touch of nature in your yard.  
  • For a touch of Victorian style in your yard, the Scarlet Rose Wild Bird Feederhas beautiful etched glass in a deep, red frame and is easy to clean and fill with bird seed.  This feeder looks great placed on a cherry tree branch or on a Shepard’s hook in your front yard.  It has long perches for multiple bird feeding and birds can feed from all four sides.  This feeder makes a great holiday gift for any bird lover.
  • To add a beachy look to your yard or patio, the Seaside Bird Feeder will make a great addition to your bird feeder collection. This fun, tropical inspired bird feeder is perfect for adding to your beach theme decor. It makes a great gift for anyone who lives near the water.
  • If you have more of a southwestern look to your yard, the Mesa Bird Feeder will add a western touch to your decor.  This feeder has classic, southwestern accents that you or your bird lover will love.  It features a coyote howling at the moon and standing by a cactus. 

Adding a decorative bird feeder to your yard will add to its appeal and charm.  For a great selection of decorative bird feeders, check out Rachel’s Robin.

Save Time and Money This Holiday Season When Shopping for Your Pet

No matter what type of pet that you have, online shopping makes it easy for you to get great gifts for your dog or cat without all of the hassels of going out to the store and getting stuck in the crowd.  Shopping for your pet online is easy and quit and allows you to look at lots of items in the matter of minutes. Here are some of my favorite online toys for pets this holiday season:

  1. Eco-Friendly Dog Toys:  These toys are great for the environment and ideal for your dog.  There are many to choose from, but my favorite dog toy is the Bottle Buddies Dog Toyby Kyjen.  Just take a used water bottle and slip the bottle inside the plush toy for your dog to play with.  Your dog will have hours of fun and you help to save a water bottle from ending up in a landfill.
  2. Heated Ped Beds:  Nothing is more soothing after a hard day of playing that a heated pet bed for your dog or cat.  When choosing a pet bed, pick one that will be easy to clean and one that is large enough for your dog or cat to spread out and relax.  A great pet bed for both cats and dogs is the Heated Pet Wellness Sleeper Bed.  This bed is available in a wide range of sizes and four earth-tone colors.
  3. Gourmet Treats for Your Cat or Dog:  Now is a great time for you to splurge on a gourmet treat for your cat or dog. Place these extra special treats in your cat or dog’s stocking for a tasty surprise during the holidays.  For cats, the Kookamunga Crunchy Catnip Treats is a crunchy treat that your cat won’t be able to resist and is extra special for the holidays.  For dogs, the Zukes Z-Filets Dog Treats is made from premium ingredients that will make your dog drool. These treats are available in three cuts of meat. 

No matter what type of animal pet you have, shopping online for them is easy and quick and allows you to avoid the holiday crowds.  Check out GregRobert Pet Supply for everything that you need for your pet!

Help Out Endangered Birds in Your Home and Yard this Winter

TOP WILD BIRD PRODUCTS

Now is a great time to be thinking about the endangered birds in your area.  Many birds are becoming extinct because of a lack of resources for them in their environment.  Our use of toxic chemicals, garbage and other manmade causes are increasing the amount of birds that are becoming endangered every year.  It is important for everyone to lend a hand by offering birds year round shelter, food, and clean drinking water and by not using pollutants that will damage the Earth’s environment at home and recycling as much as you can.

Shelter is one of the key items that birds need for year round survival.  It is important because birds need a place to get warm in the winter, protect themselves from the elements, and to help protect their babies from preditors.  Setting up a variety of shelters around your yard will help the birds to thrive and you will have the added benefit of some great bird watching.  A nest box is an economical home for the birds and makes a great home to escape from preditors and bad weather.  The Audubon Cedar Bluebird House and the Cedar Wren / Chickadee House both make wonderful homes for the birds in your yard. 

In addition to shelter, it is important to offer food to the birds in your yard.  Use a variety of feeders to help attract numerous birds to your yard.  One of my favorite bird feeders is the Perky Pet Triple Tube Bird Feeder-Charcoal.  This feeder has three feeder tubes to feed three types of bird seed to the birds at one time and won’t require constant filling. 

Providing water for the birds year round, especially in the winter, is vital for the birds.  In the winter, a heated bird bath is great for keeping the warm, so it won’t freeze over.  The Farm Innovators Premium Electric Bird Bath De-Icer will help to keep the warm enough for the birds to drink and bathe in.  This de-ier can be placed in any bird bath and works well even in cold temperatures.

Other ways that you can help the birds in your own home are by using products that are safe for the environment.  It is also important for you to recycle plastic, paper, metal and more to help decrease the amount of trash in the landfills.  By doing this small steps in your home, you will help improve the environment for the birds and help to reduce the amount of birds that are becoming endangered.

Great Holiday Dog Toys at a Great Price

Don’t forget to give your dog, A.K.A. Your Best Friend, a great toy this holiday season to let him know that he is special and that you appreciate his unconditional love for your.  A holiday dog toy or a festive stocking is sure to brighten up your dog’s spirit.  Your dog will love having a present of his own on Christmas morning and be able to partake in all of the holiday excitement!  Here are a few of my favorite holiday dog toys that are sure to put a smile on your dog’s face:

Nothing is more exciting for your dog than getting a stocking full of fun, holiday toys.  I really like Ethical’s Deluxe Holiday Dog Stocking that contains four classic dog toys that almost all dogs love.  This stocking includes a soft, plush candy cane, a tennis ball, a rawhide bone, and a rope toy.  Each toy is made of high quality material and the stocking has a great price! 

If you have more time to create your own personalized stocking for your dog, the  Loofa Santa Dog Toy makes a great stocking stuffer for your dog.  This dog toy is easy on your dog’s mouth and squeaks for lots of holiday fun with your dog.  It is also a good idea to include your dog’s favorite treat in their personal dog stocking.  The Spice Cake Dog Treats is a festive treat for your dog’s holiday stocking and made with gourmet ingredients that make it extra special for the holidays.

Another great dog gift is the Long John Thermal Dog Pajamas by Ethical Fashion Pet.  Your dog is sure to look adorable on Christmas morning in this colorful pajama.  These pajamas are made of long john thermal material and are easy to put on your dog.  You love how your dog looks and your dog will love the comfortable, soft material!

Holiday Bird Seed Wreaths Make Great Feeders for Birds

TOP WILD BIRD PRODUCTS

A must-have decoration for any bird lover this season is a colorful holiday bird seed wreath.  A bird seed wreath is perfect for livening up your outdoor decor and provide food for the birds.  Place a colorful bird seed wreath on a post, on the outside of your home, or hang on a tree branch.  Bird seed wreaths make feeding birds easy and convenient throughout the holiday season while adding a festive touch to your yard.  With so many to choose from, you may even want to hang a few up around your yard.

One of my favorite holiday bird seed wreaths is the Christmas Stocking Seed Wreath by Pine Tree Farms.  This beautiful bird seed wreath is made of high quality bird seed that will keep the birds coming back for more.  This charming stocking looks great hanging on a tree branch or hanging in an evergreen tree.

Another brightly colored bird seed wreath that will add a sweet touch to your outdoor holiday decor is the Candy Cane Seed Wreath.  This seed wreath had vibrant red and green bird seed that are sure to get the bird’s attention and is made with peanut hearts that the birds can’t get enough of.  Add several of these candy can wreaths to an evergreen tree to decorate your tree and provide lots of food for the birds.

For a touch of winter whimsy, the Snow Man Seed Wreath makes a great gift for anyone on your gift-giving list.  Snowman is colored with food coloring and had a black hat, buttons, and mittens.  A red string around his neck is used for his scarf.  Birds love the high quality safflower and thistle seeds and gelatin is used to keep the seeds in place until the birds stop by to feed.

Adding a festive, holiday decoration to your yard and feeding the birds is easy with a holiday bird seed wreath.  For a great selection of holiday bird lover gifts, check out Rachel’s Robin.

Forget Zhu Zhu Pets, Give a Real Hamster this Holiday Season

Instead of giving your child another toy this holiday season that will probably be used for only a short time, give your child a small animal pet that he or she can enjoy and love year after year.  One of the most rewarding things in life for a young children is to own and take care of their very own pet.  Owning a small animal pet can be a very rewarding experience for your child and teaches him or her to be responsible for another living thing.  In addition to teaching your child responsibility, your child will be able to enjoy playing and watching your small animal pet live and grow.  Taking care of a small animal pet is easier than you think and there are so many great products to help your child do that. 

Once you have chosen the type of small animal you would like to get for your child, it is important to become knowledgeable about the needs of the type of small animal you would like to adopt.  A book is a great resource and is very convenient when you need a quick reference on the type of small animal pet that you have.  For example, if you plan on adopting a hamster, a book on hamsters like the Hamsters Practical Pet Care Book is a great resource on all of the essential things you will need to know taking care of your hamster. 

Another essential item that you will need for your small animal pet is a great cage.  Choosing a cage is a big investment for your small animal pet, so choose one that will grow with your small animal.  A great cage for a variety of small animal pets is the Critter Universe Expanded Cage for Small Animals.  This fun, colorful cage is expandable, has a variety of great accessories for small animals, and is very durable.  Your child will have fun setting up, rearranging, and adding on to this cage.  It is also designed to keep your small animal pet entertained and active.

Don’t forget to pick up all of the basic essentials for your small animal pet, such as water bottle, food dish, litter, food and toys.  To help your child remember all of his or her small animal pet’s needs, the Critter Care Message Center is ideal for a variety of small animals and makes caring for a small animal easy and fun for your childen.  This message center lets you know when to feed your small animal pet, give treats, clean the cage, and more.

Not only will your child learn responsibility, he or she will have a the experience of a lifetime with a small animal pet.  For an amazing selection of small animal products, check out GregRobert Pet Supplies.

Hot Holiday Toys for Your Cat

Spread the holiday cheer this season and get your cat into the holiday spirit by giving your cat a fun, holiday toy.  Your cat will love the special thought and have a great time playing with his new holiday toy.  Most toys are filled with catnip to keep your cat’s attention and are very entertaining for your cat to play with for hours.  There are so many fun, holiday toys for you to choose for your cat, you may even want to get a variety of them and  put them in a holiday stocking for your cat to enjoy. Here are just a few of my favorite holiday toys for cats:

  • One of my favority holiday toys this season for cats is the Holiday Cat Ring Teasers Cat Toy.  This cute, festive cat toy is perfect for interactive play with your cat and helps to keep him entertained for hours.  It is available in a penquin, reindeer, or snowman shape and makes the perfect addition to your cat’s stocking.
  • For the cat owner who loves pink, the pink Holiday Cat Purse Toy with 12 Toys will make the perfect gift for your cat.  It has a variety of great toys for your cat to play with throughout the year.   The cat purse holds the following toys:  Jingle Balls, 1 Rattle Football, 3 Plush Mice w/catnip, 2 Sponge Balls, 1 Glitter Ball w/catnip and 1 Sponge Ball with Glitter Strands.  Your cat won’t know what to play with first!
  • For kittens or cats with loads of energy, the Holiday Hologram Laser Pet Toy by Ethical makes a great interactive toy for your cat.  Shine the laser light on the wall or on the floor (away from your pet’s eyes) to keep your cat guessing and hopping around ready to pounce.   The laser light displays a holiday image that is great for the holiday and gets your cat into the holiday spirit.

This holiday season is the perfect time to remember your cat and let him know that he is special.  For a great selection of holiday or year-round toys, check out GregRobert Pet Supplies.

Economical Bird Seed that is Perfect for the Birds

TOP WILD BIRD PRODUCTS

With time and money being tight for a lot of families during the holiday season, it can be hard for many homeowners to feed the birds all holiday season long.  Continued feeding throughout the winter is very important for the birds because they depend on it for their survival.  A variety of economical and long lasting bird seed may be used throughout the winter and helps to keep the birds nourished.

A great bird seed to feed the birds any time of the year, especially in the winter, is the Kaytee Waste Free Bird Seed.  This high protein bird seed is great for providing birds with lots of energy and the fat content helps birds to thrive all winter long.  The waste free bird seed is concentrated to last in the feeder longer and contains only the parts that birds love to eat. Your wild birds will keep coming back for more all winter long!

Another great quality bird seed that is very economical for bird feeding is the Kaytee Wild Bird Seed.  This bird seed is made with a variety of millet, black oil sunflower seeds, cracked corn and other tasty ingredients that birds love to eat.  It is great for feeding a large quantity of birds throughout the winter and the price is great!

For attracting birds that enjoy black oil sunflower seeds, try using the high quality and economical Kaytee Black Oil Sunflower Bird Seed.  This high fat bird seed is perfect for building up fat stores for winter survival and the birds love the great taste.  Black oil sunflower seeds have a thinner shell that is perfect for attracting songbirds in the Southern winter climates.

Don’t forget to feed the birds this holiday season because the birds depend on your food for survival.  For more economical and high quality bird seed, check out Rachel’s Robin.

An Important Reason to Always Have Fresh Water Available for your Cat

Feline Lower urinary Tract Disease (previously referred to as Feline Urological Syndrome or FUS) Diseases of the lower urinary tract occur frequently in cats, affecting the bladder and/or the urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body). Most cats with lower urinary tract disease show remarkably similar signs, but to varying degrees.

Cats will strain and make frequent and prolonged attempts to urinate, but usually the amount of urine passed during each attempt is quite small. Affected cats tend to lick their genital area excessively, and sometimes they will urinate outside the litter box, often preferring cool, smooth surfaces like a tile floor or a bathtub. Occasionally, there will be blood present in the urine.

There are many causes of urethral obstruction in cats, but the two most common are uroliths and urethral plugs. Urethral plugs consist of a soft, compressible material that contains variable quantities of minerals, cells and cellular debris, and mucus-like protein. Many factors interact to produce uroliths and urethral plugs; viruses, bacteria, diet, decreased water consumption, physical inactivity, urine retention, stress, and urine Ph may all contribute. 

One of the easiest ways to achieve an acidic diet it to feed a highly digestible meat based diet, as an acidic urine will naturally be achieved.

Featured to the right are Feed N Toss pet bowls – great for travel or spending time at Grandma’s over the holidays.

Mineral Deposits also have a greater tendency to form in urine that is highly concentrated or that is retained in the bladder for long periods of time. To encourage adequate water consumption, and thus the formation of urine that is more dilute, fresh water should be available to cats at all times.

More on Winter Suet Feeding

Suet is readily eaten by titmice, chickadees, nuthatches, and woodpeckers. In addition to the regular suet-feeder visitors, wrens, creepers, and warbles occasionally pick at suet mixes.

You can hang suet chunks from a tree in an onion bag or half-inch hardware-cloth basket, or in a more durable cage feeder like the one shown here.

You can also make your own suet pudding and feeder. Suet puddings are made by grinding and melting suet and adding seeds. (There is no evidence that suet puddings are more attractive to birds than chunks of suet.)

Pack peanut butter-corn meal blends (when you mix the peanut butter with cornmeal it ot only stretches the expensive peanut butter but also makes this sticky treat easier to swallow) and suet puddings into the crevices of large pinecones or into one-inch diameter holes drilled into logs.

Hang the pinecones and the logs from poles near other feeders, from trees, or from a wire stretched between trees. Avoid feeding suet when temperatures climb into the 80 degree range unless the type of suet that you buy indicates that it will not melt; it turns rancid and drippy and may damage feathers. There are a number of very good no-melt suet cakes on the market.