Steps for your pet

The folowing is a paid review for Dog & Cat Steps.

I have often thought about getting our pup a dog step so she could climb into the window seat in the living room. I think she would love to look out the window without having to get one of the humans to put her up there. She would probably also love an easy way up onto the bed too, but maybe it's best that she doesn't figure that out.

The site called Help Your Pets sells Dog & Cat Steps in a variety of colors and sizes. Their pet steps are built with wood and covered in carpet, and are offered in sizes from 2, all the way up to 5,  steps. So, even if you had a really high bed or couch, they should have something that would work well for your dog or cat.

What I liked was that they had a variety of colors, and that they also offered storage lids and wheels and handles that can be added to the steps. The color I would pick would be the ivory, I think that is a nice color for the room it would be used in.

Now, our pup is nowhere near 200 pounds, but their steps can actually hold up to that wieght! Another cute thing, for the cat lovers, is that they offer a step with two cut outs below the steps that a cat could play or sleep inside. I can see a ferret enjoying something like that as well! So, if you have ever considered getting steps for your pet, be sure to check their website!

Pet Photography

Most pet owners love to take photos of their pets. I know that I sure do! It's always so much fun to catch them in action, especially when they are doing something cute or funny. Plus, we like to have fun sharing our photos on Furry Friday!

I recently got an email about a great new technology just for pet parents. HP has come out with cameras that feature pet-eye fix built in. If you click the link you will see great examples of what this can do for your photos. In the email it said:

The best part about this new HP digital photography technology is that Pet-Eye Fix is an in-camera feature. You do not need to buy any new software for your computer, nor worry about your computer and its current running software being out of date. And because it is an in-camera feature, Pet-Eye fix is as easy to use as Red-Eye Removal and many other features that we use frequently when taking digital photos.

It's nice to see that a company is recognizing pets and the important role that they play in our lives by creating technology geared for pet owners. Pretty neat stuff if you ask me!

Crafty Animal Lovers

One thing that I love is all the great indie artists out on the web (especially on Etsy). So, when I visited Mandypants shop and saw that she was donating part of her sales to benefit an animal rescue group I asked her to write a little something about it to share here.

There is very little more that I love to do besides craft if up, except helping animals. I decided recently to start donating 10% of my sales to a local animal shelter here in West Texas called The Haven. The Haven is a no kill shelter and they're always needing some help. After I posted this on my site (www.mandypants.etsy.com) some others saw what I was doing and invited me to join EFA (Etsy For Animals). EFA donates part of their profits each month to a different animal charity. It's so cool and I'm really excited to be a part of it! So far, I've gotten a decent chunk of change to donate, and that's always a great feeling! I love craft for causes, and animals are always in need, it's great to do my part. I wish I could house and feed every animal that needed it, but I've already got 3 cats, 3 fish and I'm babysitting a rabbit, I think my husband would move out if I tried to move any more animals in, ha! Check out my site at www.mandypants.etsy.com!

Thank you Mandy! I totally know what you are going through with the animals, my hubby thinks I want to live in a zoo with all the animals I would like to adopt. ;) Good luck with your shop, and thanks for letting us all know about Esty for Animals!

The Happiest Turtle

Every so often I come across an animal website that makes me smile. Luckily, Ralph Wellington (the happiest turtle in the world) added me to his Myspace friends... otherwise I would have missed out on his great webpage. Yes, I do believe that Ralph is the happiest turtle in the world...

2007, Year of the Dolphin

Someone has declared that 2007 is the year of the dolphin. This is something that was already taking place at my house (dolphin calendars, dolphin themed trips I want to plan). However, after reading the awful news that the white dolphin is now extinct, I think it's great to declare a year focused on these amazing animals.

So, what can you do to help dolphins? Visit the site above and you can adopt a dolphin. There are also some amazing trips that you can take through Earthwatch that involve dolphin research. Or take a trip to a local aquarium or someplace like Sea World, support their research and breeding efforts.

Here is my favorite movie about dolphins, it features music by Sting.

Wildlife gardening

Want to do something to help wildlife and make your yard look good at the same time? Why not plan a backyard habitat?

We have a lot of wildlife, mainly various birds, that come and visit our yard. I plan to make our yard more friendly towards them this coming spring by setting aside a space just for native plants and such. There is more information about making a wildlife friendly garden here, you can even certify your garden area as a backyard habitat.

The lost and found.

I remember going to the lost and found in my school as a kid. It was always reassuring to know that there was one last place to look when something got lost. Well, someone very smart made a lost and found website!

You can search for any item that you may have lost, inlcuding your lost pets. It's free to use, and you can search worldwide. What a great idea! Be sure to check it out!