The Cat Burrito That Changed Everything 🌯😸 (Or: How I Trimmed Puck’s Nails Solo!)

Happy Valentine’s Day! Stan celebrated the day with a Starbucks Pup Cup! On the way home, with the windows open, I remembered why it has been a long time since he’s had one!

 

Remember how I mentioned Puck has extra claws on each front foot? Well, let me tell you about the battle that nail trimming has been in this house.

For years — and I mean years — it’s been a two-person job. One person restrains Puck, the other attempts to trim. And somehow, no matter how careful we are, we end up needing bandaids. For us, not him. Those extra claws are his secret weapons, and he is NOT a fan of having them touched.

So when I saw this Cat Grooming Wrap on Amazon, I added it to Puck’s Christmas list. Best. Decision. Ever.

 

The Solo Nail Trim Victory šŸ†

This morning I trimmed Puck’s nails. All by myself.

Do you understand what a HUGE win this is? Let me say it again: I trimmed all of Puck’s nails — including those evil extra claws he hates having messed with — completely alone.

He purred through most of it.

I know. I’m as shocked as you are.

How It Works (AKA: The Magic Burrito)

The wrap is super soft, but here’s the magic: it sticks to itself using some kind of gentle grip material. No velcro, no buckles, nothing harsh. You literally wrap your cat up like a little burrito, and they feel secure.

Here’s what I did:

  • Wrapped Puck up snugly (think baby swaddle, but cat-sized)
  • Pulled out one paw at a time as I needed it
  • Trimmed the nails on that paw
  • Tucked the paw back in and moved to the next one

Did Puck love every second? No. He hissed a couple of times when I got to those extra claws — he’s made it clear throughout his life that those are off-limits in his opinion. But he stayed calm, he purred for most of the process, and most importantly: nobody bled.

That’s a win in my book.

Why I Wish I’d Bought This Years Ago

I’ve spent literal years thinking nail trims just HAD to be a wrestling match. I thought that’s just how it was with difficult cats. Turns out, sometimes the answer is simpler than you think.

The wrap makes Puck feel secure rather than restrained. There’s a difference. It’s soft enough that he’s comfortable, but snug enough that he can’t flail around or scratch me to pieces while I’m trying to work.

For anyone else dealing with a cat who acts like nail trimming is the end of the world — or in Puck’s case, a cat with bonus murder mittens — I cannot recommend this enough. It’s under $10. It’s washable. It takes up almost no space.

I now consider this a cat essential. Right up there with food bowls and litter boxes.

The Bottom Line

If you have a cat that’s difficult to handle for grooming — whether it’s nails, brushing, or even giving medication — this wrap is worth every penny. It’s gentle but effective, and it might just save you from needing a second person (and a first aid kit).

You can find it here on Amazon. They have different sizes, so check which one fits your cat’s weight.

Opinion: Sometimes the best pet products are the simple ones. Not every solution needs to be high-tech or expensive. Sometimes you just need a well-designed burrito wrap and a little patience.

Martin Finally Discovered the Catlink Open-X (And the Couch is Safe!) šŸŽ‰

 

Mr. Bean

Remember when I mentioned my son set up that new Catlink Open-X litter box a few weeks ago? The one I won from Catlink? Well, let me tell you about the stubbornness of cats and the sweet victory of patience.

For the first couple of weeks, Martin completely ignored it. I mean, totally pretended it didn’t exist. This beautiful open-top automatic litter box just sat there, looking all fancy and unused, while Martin continued his… let’s call them “questionable” bathroom choices.

But here’s the interesting part: after weeks of ignoring his new option, Martin finally decided to give it a try. And now? He’s claimed it as his box. The open-top design is apparently more his style.

Stanley – Dreaming By the Fire

Meanwhile, his sister Martha is perfectly happy with the old closed automatic box. So now my son has two automatic boxes and two cats who’ve worked out their own little territory arrangement. Honestly? I’m not mad about it.

The best news? Since Martin started using the Catlink Open-X, he’s stopped peeing on the couch. Do you hear that? That’s the sound of one very relieved household. No more enzyme cleaner. No more surprise laundry days. Just a cat using an actual litter box like he’s supposed to.

Now, it’s not perfect. The Open-X doesn’t always clean as thoroughly as we’d like — sometimes it leaves a little behind. But my son discovered you can adjust it to the “soft stool” setting, and that seems to be helping quite a bit. A little tweaking here and there is totally worth it for a pee-free couch.

Bean and Stanley – Becoming Buds!

In Other Pet News…

Puck is doing really well after his dental! He’s adjusting to having his teeth brushed a couple of times a week — which is definitely a learning curve for both of us. I’m working on a full dental care routine for all the pets, and I’ll post more details about that soon.

Stanley just started a new agility class and is learning weave poles! Watching him figure them out has been so fun. More on his progress coming soon.

Also, I’ve been using AI to help me with Stanley’s VERY picky eating, and the new system is working! More about that soon as well.

Opinion: Sometimes you just have to let cats be cats. And sometimes that means having two litter boxes even if you thought one fancy automatic one would do the job. Martin taught us patience, and in return, the couch is safe. I’ll call that a win.

Pet Updates: Progress, Experiments, and Winter Energy

Woke up to this this morning!


It’s been a stretch of small updates, experiments, and learning curves — the kind of weeks that don’t feel dramatic, but definitely add up.


Stanley: Chews, Snow, and Big Feelings 🐶
I’m still on the hunt for safe, long-lasting chews for Stanley. The coffee wood ā€œboneā€ is… fine. He likes it, but it does create small fragments, so it’s strictly a supervised-only chew. The pig ear was a bigger success — it didn’t last forever, but it lasted a few days, which feels like a win. I’ve heard good things about olive wood, so that may be next.

No idea what happened to this bone – disappeared very quickly!


Stanley is also not a fan of snow, but he’s learning to sprint outside, do his business, and come right back in. He will still choose to poop in his crate if he gets the chance, but the good news is that he’s not having accidents in the house.

Rubber mat in the snow has definitely been helpful


I do still have a BarkPotty set up in the garage. At the moment, Stanley’s approach is to sniff it carefully… then sit on it. He clearly doesn’t understand the potty part yet, but we’ll see if that changes with time.


Missing agility last week because of the snow left him a bit stir-crazy, so I’m exploring options like small dog playdates with the right dog and owner. It might be a little unconventional, but it could be great if I find the right match.


Puck: A Dental and a Whole New Cat 🐱
Puck had his dental and did great — though he ended up needing five teeth removed. The anesthesia hit him hard the first night, but by the next day he was back to normal… maybe even better than before. Ā He’s been purring, snuggling, and clearly more comfortable, which makes me think those teeth may have been bothering him for quite a while. I’m just grateful he’s feeling good now.

Not the best at self cleaning…


Catlink Update: Two Boxes, Two Happy Cats 🐱
The open-top Catlink litter box experiment continues at my son’s house. It took a couple of weeks, but his cats are finally using it consistently.
Interestingly, one cat prefers the closed automatic box, while the other uses the open-top version, so he now has two automatic boxes and two happy cats. The open box isn’t self-cleaning as well as hoped yet, so he’s experimenting with different litters and adjusting the cleaning delay to give clumps more time to dry. If anyone has any ideas to help the cleaning process, let me know.


Hector & The Dragon: Very On Brand šŸ¦œšŸ¦Ž
Hector is thriving — happily destroying boxes and whistling away. I showed her the snow from the warmth of inside, and she was completely unimpressed. I’ve also started toweling her for snuggles, and I think she actually enjoys it. Getting her more comfortable with handling feels like a good goal.


The dragon is doing well too and has been in and out of brumation, which is unusual for some dragons but very typical for her. She’ll disappear for a few days, then reappear, and repeat that cycle all winter.

Sitters, Boarding, and Trust šŸ”

I’m also on the hunt for a new house/pet sitter — someone to check on the cats, Hector, and the dragon when we travel. I really like the woman I’ve used before, but she’s expensive, and I’m wondering if there’s someone else I’d feel just as good about at a lower cost. I reached out to a couple of recommendations today, and one of them may also offer in-home dog boarding, which I’m exploring as another option.


None of this feels dramatic — just steady care, adjustments, and paying attention. That’s kind of how most good pet care looks.


I’d love to hear from you:

What are you doing to keep your pets active?
Have you found a safe, long-lasting dog chew you trust?
How do you find a kennel or pet sitter you truly feel good about?
Share your tips in the comments — I’m always learning.

A Scary Saturday Night (and a Very Good Outcome)


Saturday night was not how I planned to spend the weekend.


Earlier that morning, I gave Stanley his Sentinel heartworm pill — one that had originally been prescribed for our old dog, Cali. I had checked with our vet ahead of time and was told there was no reason to throw the medication away as long as it wasn’t expired and Stanley had reached the appropriate weight range. I believed he had.


At first, everything seemed fine. But by dinnertime, Stanley wouldn’t eat and was unusually quiet. A couple of hours later, when we got home after being out, it was clear something was very wrong.


He barely got up to greet us. I carried him upstairs and noticed he was wobbly, shaky, and clearly off balance. He was holding his ears strangely, staring at the couch but unable or unwilling to jump up. He wandered aimlessly, almost like he was drunk or disoriented, and still refused food.


My son and I did some quick research, and everything pointed to the same answer: vet immediately. Thankfully, I had just gotten pet insurance — and off to the emergency vet we went.


The ER Visit


Stanley was taken back right away. After an exam, we waited for about an hour while he sat wrapped in a blanket on my lap, unusually calm and quiet — too out of it to even be nervous.

Waiting for the Vet


When the vet came in, she told us his vitals were all normal. She asked detailed questions about what he might have gotten into, and the only unusual thing we could identify was the heartworm pill.

Waiting Patiently


She walked us through our options:

Hospitalize him overnight with monitoring and bloodwork, or assume a medication reaction and treat him with subcutaneous fluids and an anti-nausea medication, then send him home if I was comfortable monitoring him.


Given that his vitals were stable and I could be with him all night, we chose treatment and brought him home. I didn’t want to leave him.


The Aftermath


Stanley slept curled up against me all night. I barely slept — waking up often to check on him — but he rested peacefully. The next morning, he was still quiet, but he did eat breakfast.


By Sunday night, he was acting like himself again: playful, alert, and eating normally.


I checked in with our regular vet and also contacted the heartworm medication manufacturer to report what happened. What makes this especially confusing is that the medication he reacted to did not contain the additional dewormer — that ingredient is actually in the medication he’s taken before without any issues. At this point, I’ve thrown out the remaining pills and won’t be using them again while we figure out the best path forward.


For now, I’m keeping a close eye on him and plan to take him to agility class tonight — with zero pressure. If he’s not feeling it, we’ll leave. Simple as that.

Stanley does seem to be a sensitive little guy; he’s had a moderate vaccine reaction in the past as well. I’m hopeful this was a one-time issue and that we were simply lucky. Planning to work with my vet to make sure we find a safe path forward.

Grateful for Pet Insurance

I’m really thankful for pet insurance in moments like this. I have a free plan through Nibbles, which I got when I signed up for their credit card, and it made the decision to go to the emergency vet feel a little less stressful.

Of course I would have taken Stanley no matter what, but removing the immediate financial pressure helped. I used the card to pay for the visit, and the next morning I received an email asking if I wanted to submit a claim — they automatically recognized the charge as a vet hospital. All I have to do is reply with the reason for the visit and they handle the rest.

I opted to include office visits in my coverage, so the cost should be covered or applied toward my deductible. I’m also reaching out to the heartworm medication manufacturer, since they sometimes reimburse expenses related to drug reactions.

Opinion: I’ve never used pet insurance before, but after seeing a friend go through spending a huge amount of money for leg surgery for her dog, I thought I would try it with Stanley. Pet insurance doesn’t change your decision to seek care — it just makes an already stressful situation easier to manage.


In Other (Much Lighter) News…


My son set up the new open-top litter box yesterday — the one I won from Catlink. It’s the Scooper Open-X. It looks like a great design! He wanted to try it first since he’s had ongoing litter box issues with Martin. I really like the look of it and I’m hopeful the open design will be appealing to Martin.

Photo by Lucas Hamilton


He said setup was very easy, and while it’s larger than a standard litter box, it doesn’t take up an unreasonable amount of space compared to other automatic options. I’ll share more once we see how Martin feels about it.
—


Sometimes pet ownership is routines and progress… and sometimes it’s terrifying curveballs. I’m incredibly grateful that Stanley seems to be okay — and that we listened to our instincts when something felt wrong. Have you had a scary moment with your pet? Share in the comments….

 

New Year, Same Pets (With Big Plans) šŸŽ‰šŸ¾


I hope Santa was good to all the pets!

As we roll into 2026, I’ve been thinking about what the new year might look like for our pets — not in a ā€œnew year, new youā€ way, but more of a small tweaks, steady progress kind of way.


Stanley’s 2026 Goals 🐶
Stanley has a busy year ahead. The plan includes: More classes, starting with agility next week, Ā Ongoing general manners and obedience work, Ā More nose work, which he truly loves
And maybe — eventually — working toward his Canine Good Citizen.


While I do consider him housebroken at this point, there’s still one thing I’d really like to solve: the occasional pooping in his crate. Switching from blankets to crate pads (on a trainer’s advice) has helped, but we’re not all the way there yet.


I’m also toying with the idea of giving him an indoor potty option. I know how much he absolutely hates the cold, and winter isn’t doing either of us any favors. TBD.


Cats: A New Litter Box Experiment 🐱
The cats are doing well overall. My son is currently testing out a new open-top automatic litter box I won from Catlink — and I’m very curious to see how this goes.


The real question: will Martin (our occasional couch offender) prefer the open-top setup and have fewer ā€œaccidentsā€? Fingers crossed. If he approves, it could be a game changer.

Hector D. Byrd: Still Unwrapping šŸŽšŸ¦œ
Hector D. Byrd is doing just fine. She’s still slowly opening one of her Christmas presents — very on brand for her. New things take time, and she likes to move at her own pace. Honestly, same.

Present in the background… Waiting.


That’s where we’re starting 2026: plans in place, expectations realistic, and everyone mostly doing okay.


I’d love to know —
Do you set goals or plans for your pets in the new year, or do you just let things unfold?

Here’s to another year of learning, adjusting, and doing the best we can for the animals who run our lives. 🐾✨





Winter Pet Check-In: Everyone Is Adjusting ā„ļøšŸ¾

Perfect Lap Warmer!


The shorter days have officially arrived, and every pet in the house seems to have noticed — even the ones with lights, heaters, and very strong opinions.

Hector: Sleeping In & Eating Her Veggies 🦜
Hector is clearly in winter mode. Some mornings she’s still asleep when I get up, which always feels strange since she’s usually awake and supervising my morning routine. But it’s normal for parrots to slow down this time of year, and she seems perfectly content.


The Dragon: Seasonal Preferences & Sink Baths šŸ¦Ž
The dragon is also reacting to the shorter daylight, even with her tank lights on. I don’t fully understand how she knows, but she absolutely does.
She had been eating so well that I placed a big online bug order — dubia roaches, hornworms, and phoenix worms. She got through most of them, but it was a struggle. Lately, the only bug she really seems excited about is super worms. Not ideal as a main staple, but I’ll take it. She’s still eating those and her veggies, which matters most.

One highlight? She has been loving her kitchen sink baths lately. Very relaxed. Very splashy.

King Puck


Cats: Grooming Battles & A Smart Litter Box Move 🐱
The cats are mostly doing fine. Bean remains a pain to groom, but I tackle that when I have to. Neither of us enjoys it, but it’s necessary.

Martin, however, surprised everyone. He’s the cat who sometimes chooses the couch over the litter box. With two boxes, he’s been doing pretty well, though mishaps still happen occasionally. The other night, Martin woke my son up at 4am and led him straight to the litter box. My son isn’t sure what was wrong, but he cleaned it, added fresh litter, and (wisely) covered the couch. Ā The next morning? No surprises on the couch. I’m honestly amazed that Martin was uncomfortable enough — and smart enough — to wake him up and communicate that something wasn’t right instead of defaulting to old habits.

 


Stanley: Cold Weather Standoffs & Indoor Wins 🐶
Stanley is fine… except for the cold. He hates it. And he has no interest in pooping outside once winter hits. The routine usually goes like this:
He asks to go out, pees, comes back in restless, pesters me, asks to go out again… repeat until he finally decides the cold is worth it. Jackets sometimes help. Sometimes they don’t. The only accidents he’s having are in his crate, so overall, he’s doing pretty well.

On the bright side, he started a nose work class, and he’s loving it. Right now we’re working on ā€œfind it,ā€ where he searches through cardboard boxes to locate a hidden treat. He’s doing really well and clearly enjoys the work — and it’s such a great indoor activity for winter.


We’re also still practicing agility and tricks inside. He’s mastered weaving through my legs and rolling over, so now I need some new ideas. If you have favorite tricks to teach, I’m all ears.

Holiday Mode šŸŽ„
All the pets’ stockings are officially filled for Christmas, because of course they are!

Now I’m curious — do you buy gifts for your pets, or skip it entirely? No judgment either way, but I love hearing what other people do.


Opinion: Winter pet care is less about perfection and more about flexibility. If everyone is eating, learning, and mostly behaving, I’m calling it a win.

Share a comment with how you are coping with winter and pets.

Cooler Weather, Agility Adventures, and a Healthy Flock

 

Life’s been busy as usual around here, and Stanley is definitely not a fan of the shift in seasons. The cooler weather has him frustrated and confused—he wants to go outside and soak up the sun, only to discover it’s cold. So he asks to go out… then immediately back in… then out again. All. Day. Long.


Potty Progress
Despite the weather struggles, Stanley has been doing great with potty training! We’ve had a couple of poops on the potty pad in his crate, but they weren’t surprises—they happened on days when our schedule was off and I only had time for a quick walk before leaving him alone. Overall? No random accidents in the house. I’ll take it as a win!


  • Dog Fitness Class: Wrapping Up
    Stanley is finishing up his dog fitness class this week. It’s been fine—not amazing, but helpful. He’s learned how to:

Step onto a platform with front feet
Shift to just back feet
Back up over the platform
Sit, lie down, spin both ways, and pivot with his front feet on the board
Not groundbreaking, but a solid foundation!

Post Agility Class Exhaustion!

Puppy Agility: A New Favorite

Now for the exciting part—we started puppy agility, and Stanley LOVES it. He was brave with the tunnels from day one, and he’s completely obsessed with the jumps. The class just started but runs for several more weeks, and I’m really excited to see how he grows with it.We even have agility jumps and weave poles set up at home now! I’m hoping indoor agility sessions will help burn off some of that endless puppy energy this winter when walks are short and the backyard is freezing.


Cat Update: Martin’s Doing Great
In other happy news, my son’s cat Martin seems to be over the hump with his urinary issues—knock on wood! Since my son added a second litter box, Martin has been consistently using it without problems. They had three boxes for a while, but the two cats were just using two of them anyway, so scaling back to two has worked well. I’m so relieved for my son—and for Martin!


Hector’s Vet Check & Diet Update
Our sweet African Grey, Hector, had her regular vet check-up last week, and I’m thrilled to report she’s doing great! She loves the vet and is such a good girl for him. She even made me laugh out loud in the car—when I put her in, she said, ā€œWe go where?ā€ She’s never strung those words together before!


At the vet’s office, she asked ā€œWhat?!ā€ at exactly the right moment, and we all cracked up. Her weight is steady, and overall health is great. Because she’s now 32 years old, the vet wants to continue seeing her every six months to monitor her closely—birds are prey animals and often hide illness, so frequent check-ups help us stay proactive.
The vet is keeping her on her ā€œspecialā€ diet:
Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā Low-carb, aside from her Zupreem Fruit Blend pellets
Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā Limited nuts
Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā Mostly vegetables, including:
Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā Dried veggie mixes from Texas Naturals and Avian Naturals
Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā Mixed with frozen veggies, baby food, and canned pumpkin,(favorite!)

It’s a little extra effort, but worth it to keep her feeling her best. Both Texas Naturals and Avian Naturals have great dried veggie mixes to add some variety to Hector’s diet while still keeping food prep really simple.

The Dragon Update: Craving Variety
Our bearded dragon has been doing well overall. The other day, I caught her trying to eat a GIANT Dubia roach that was crawling in her tank. It was way too big, so I’ve ordered her a fresh batch of smaller feeders. Lately, she’s only been eating mealworms and some veggies, so I wanted to spice up her options. I’ve got Hornworms, Dubia roaches, and Calci-worms (black soldier fly larvae) on the way. Fingers crossed that a little variety gets her excited about mealtime again!

 

Regarding the giant Dubia in her tank… her tank is bioactive, meaning it is full of insects, isopods, springtails, meal worms, and yes some Dubia that have escaped the food dish. The insects basically live unseen, but they keep the soil healthy, the plants thriving, and the tank clean. Old veggies that the dragon doesn’t want feed the insects, it’s a great, thriving little ecosystem.

That’s the latest from our little zoo—cool weather, agility gear, chatty parrots, picky dragons, and one very confused sun-loving puppy. šŸ¾šŸ¦œšŸ¦Ž

A Quiet Summer… With a Busy Pup

Training Adventures


We’ve been focusing hard on training, and Stanley is thriving. We just started an Intro to Dog Fitness class designed to set us up for agility work. Puppy agility starts in a few weeks, and I can’t wait! So far, we’re working on:

  • Ā Paws up on a step (front and back)
  • Ā Sit and stand transitionsĀ  Ā Ā 
  • Keeping up with his ever-growing trick list: sit, down, spin, paw, crawl, up, Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  over, leave it, touch… you name it, he wants to learn it.

He’s a busy boy, and he loves using his brain.

Boarding Win
I’m so happy to have found a boarding kennel that Stanley loves. The staff is wonderful, and the best part? He’s excited to go there — tail wagging, jumping out of the car, ready to see his friends. They offered a training package while he was boarded, so Stanley had four mini sessions during his stay. Not only did they reinforce what he knows, but they also introduced a new trick: ā€œlegsā€ (walking through mine). Pretty cool, right?


House Training: Progress (and Rainy Day Struggles)
House training is still a work in progress. Most days he’s doing great, but rainy days are tough. Today, he peed outside like a champ, but I had to leave for errands and knew a crate accident was coming — and sure enough. At least he used his potty pad. Later he tried something new: standing outside his crate and peeing into it. Ugh. Definitely a reminder to get him out right away after errands. Lesson learned on my part!


New Toys for a Rainy Day
Since bad weather makes for stir-crazy puppies, we stopped at the pet store. I picked up worms for the dragon, but of course Stanley scored too:
Ā  Ā  Ā A Pupsicle toy
Ā  Ā  Ā A couple of twisty bully chews
Ā  Ā  Ā A slow feeder puzzle mat for his kibble


Anything to keep that busy little brain working! I’ll share reviews of these toys once we’ve had a chance to really try them out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bean decided to check out the Stanley pen!

Meanwhile, the Cats…

The cats are doing well, though Bean keeps me busy with his grooming struggles. He mats so easily, and I’ve been cutting them out as I find them. I’ve thought about shaving him, but I don’t think I could manage that myself — and professional cat grooming is pricey! On top of that, one of my Catlink litter boxes is acting up. It doesn’t seem to want to run automatically anymore, so I’m planning to try another calibration and reset to see if that helps. Not exactly fun, but hopefully fixable.


šŸ‘‰ Overall, it may have been a quiet summer, but Stanley has kept life interesting. Between training, playtime, and the occasional potty mishap, he’s growing into such a fun, smart little dog. Can’t wait to see how he does when agility starts!

Stanley, Bark Boxes, and Summer Schedules

Stanley Enjoyed the 4th of July

I’m traveling this week, and Stanley is staying with my daughter. I always worry he might be a little high-maintenance, but it sounds like she’s enjoying the extra snuggles. When I first got Stanley, I promised myself I wouldn’t baby him and that I’d stay committed to training. I’ve stuck with some of that… but let’s be honest — I’ve definitely babied him too.

He’s a smart little guy, but I really need to get tougher about not letting him get away with things — especially this habit he has of pooping in his crate instead of outside. I have no idea why that’s still happening, but it’s something I need to figure out.

He Loves Being Outside and Doesn’t Mind the Heat
Stanley Recently Spent the Night at a Kennel and Hid in the Corner of the Outside Pen so he Wouldn’t have to go Inside.


On the health front, Stanley’s Giardia seems to be clearing up, which is a relief. Just before I left town, I got a message from the vet saying they’d like to test another stool sample, so I’ll take care of that once I’m back. I know Giardia can be really stubborn, and I’m hoping that the second round of meds we just finished has finally done the trick.

With summer being so unpredictable, our routine’s been all over the place. I’d really like to get us back into a training class this fall. The structure is good for both of us and helps keep us consistent.

On a lighter note, Stanley’s new Bark Box is on the way! I’ll be sure to share an update once it arrives. Last month’s box ended up being a bigger hit than I expected — especially the ā€œOrange Sodaā€ toy, which he ignored at first but eventually warmed up to. The cheeseburger was the clear favorite, but honestly, he’s gotten good at playing with all of them.

This week I’m in Philadelphia and was hoping to visit the zoo, but with this heat wave, I might have to save it for another trip. Walking around in 95° humidity doesn’t sound like much fun for me or the animals.

Puck and Bean decided to Pose for a Photo. Both are Doing Well!

Updates and a Vet Visit

Bean

The house is quiet. I was trying hard to fight the grief, but realized it was a losing battle. I’m giving it its time and place. Cali will always be missed.

My cats had their yearly checkups today and I almost cancelled. I wasn’t sure I was ready to go back to the vet’s office, but I did and it was hard but fine. The staff is so wonderful and caring.

Bean didn’t want to stay on the scale for the vet, but he did like hiding out behind it. Poor little Puck was very shy. He stayed in his carrier until we had to take him out for his exam and then he scurried right back in.

Both cats got clean bills of health, Yay! Their vaccines were updated, and they were checked over. Puck may need his teeth cleaned at some point in the near future, but he is good for now.

Puck’s recovering from his traumatic car ride and vet visit in his cozy crate!

 

The Dragon enjoyed a sink bath yesterday. Usually she swims around for a bit and then tries to get out of the sink, but she spent a good 20 minutes in there yesterday, and still didn’t want to come out, so I had to just take her out and go do something else. I’ll give her a chance for another bath in a couple of days.

Hector is doing well. She’s such a great comfort. She’s always there to whistle and keep me company.

I’m starting to think about another dog. Part of me was thinking that maybe I wouldn’t get another dog ever, that I’d free myself up to travel, but the truth is I hate not having a dog. I had to walk to the neighbor’s to return a piece of mail that was accidentally delivered to us the other day, and it was so awful to me to go for a walk without a dog. I miss all of it, yes the snuggles, but I even miss taking care of a dog, playing with a dog, Ā the feeding, grooming, putting her out, all of it. I’m not in a rush. I want to make sure I find the right new friend, but I think with some patience, the right rescue will find its way to me. For now, I’ve got kitty, parrot, and dragon friends to keep me busy!