October 28th, 2010
What’s your pet going as for Halloween? (And are you excited to enter the Kriser’s pet costume contest?) I’m trying to decide if my chihuahua should go as Justin Bieber or Snooki.
The National Retail Federation just released the results of their survey of the most popular pet Halloween costumes for 2010. Most of your pets will be going as pumpkins, but devils, witches and hot dogs will also flood the streets of America. Here’s the entire top ten:
1. Pumpkin
2. Devil
3. Witch
4. Hot dog
5. Bee/cat (tie)
6. Dog
7. Superdog/Supercat
8. Ghost
9. Pirate
10. Bowties/Fancy Collar/Bandana
Is your pet going as one of the top ten? Or are you plotting something a little different for this year? Does anyone know where I can get a Snooki wig for a chihuahua? Or maybe just a really, really small Bump-It?
At Kriser’s, our best-selling costumes across all stores are from the Flytes of Fancy line, especially devil horns, capes and beanies. We’re hustling to keep them in stock for our four-legged customers. Our store manager Amy passed along some great photos of her recently adopted rescue dog Callen in the vampire cape. Is everyone scared yet?
October 25th, 2010
Everyone loves Halloween for the candy, but we think our favorite thing about Halloween is checking out everyone’s pets in their Halloween costumes. And then surfing the Web for even more photos of pets in costumes. This year, we thought we’d help add to the collection of costumed pets on the Internet by running our own Halloween pet photo contest.
Here are the rules:
Starting October 31 (Halloween!), post a photo of your pet in his or her Halloween costume on our Facebook page. You can continue to post photos until 11:59 pm PST on November 5th. If you have more than one pet, feel free to enter each of them separately (or all of them in one photo, like the winner of our last photo contest).
The photo that receives the most “likes” on our Facebook page by the end of the contest wins a $50 gift card to Kriser’s.
Of course, ALL the entries will be posted on our blog after the contest ends, so the whole world can “ooh” and “ahh” over them.
We can’t wait to see all your pets in their costumes!
October 21st, 2010
Let’s face it: with cats, their favorite toys are often anything but what you bought them in the store. If you’re on a limited budget and you want to invest in all-natural, quality food for your pets instead of their toys, here are suggestions for great cat toys that are inexpensive and probably already in your own home.
1) String. Cats love chasing around a piece of string. Try tying a piece of string to a long stick. That way you can slide it around the ground and watch your cat chase it. She’ll get her exercise and you don’t ever have to leave the couch.
2) A ball of paper. Scrunch up your old scratch paper into a golf-ball size and toss it to your feline companion.
3) Empty boxes. Nothing gives my cat more joy than an empty shoe box, or moving box, or even a paper grocery bag that she can jump in and out of.
4) Hair ties and hair clips. Cats love to bat these and chase them around the house. For safety, make sure the hair tie isn’t big enough to fit around your cat’s neck.
5) Laser pointers or flashlights. While you’re winding down for the night in bed, your cat can have the time of his life chasing a laser pointer around the wall or floor.
October 13th, 2010
You and your pet both look forward to the fall — the weather cools down, the leaves change, and the weather is perfect for a brisk walk. Here are three tips for keeping your pet healthy and happy during the transition to winter.
1. Keep Your Pet Hydrated
During summer, it’s easy to remember that your pet needs lots of water, but as it gets cooler it can seem less pressing to keep the water bowl filled with fresh water and to keep your pet hydrated on long walks. But your pet still needs plenty of fresh water. Dehydration can cause bladder and kidney problems, so your pet’s water bowl should always be full, and you should bring water for your pet on long walks or fall hikes.
2. Keep Your Pet Warm
If your pet spends time outdoors, make sure there are blankets or warm spaces for them to cuddle up and keep cozy. You should rotate these every few days, and make sure to change them out whenever it rains. If your pet has sensitive feet, consider getting booties or socks to keep feet warm and protected.
3. Beware of Halloween
Many of the things that make Halloween so much fun for kids and families can pose a danger to pets. Keep Halloween candy, lollipop sticks and candy wrappers out of your pet’s reach. Jack-o-lanterns may arouse your pet’s curiosity, but a pet might accidentally tip one over and start a fire — so these should be out of reach as well. If your pet is skittish, consider keeping him in a separate room when trick-or-treaters come by. Strange people in strange costumes can be anxiety-provoking for a nervous pet.
Posted in: Cats, Dogs, Health
Comments
What’s your pet going as for Halloween? (And are you excited to enter the Kriser’s pet costume contest?) I’m trying to decide if my chihuahua should go as Justin Bieber or Snooki.
