Recently in Woofs and Meows Category

Many people don't have the best opinion about the Garden State. Where are the gardens? It's all smelly, crowded and, not to mention, notorious for having horrible road signs.

However, just a short drive from New York City, lies a hidden gem, a town that is cute, happening and DOG FRIENDLY. So if you are looking for a daycation, point your GPS to Clinton, NJ

It's a really cute little town, with a museum and its signature red mill that is beautiful in all types of weather. Shakespeare and I lived there for nearly a year and know it well. During the summer, every Friday a jazz ban plays on Main street and you can check it out for absolutely free (and they're pretty good too)

All the shops are super dog friendly and leave water around for our furry friends. If you ask them, most will let your four legged companion come inside and shop with you.

Right at the foot of the bridge there is a coffee shop with an outside seating area. It's called Citispot. They have yummy coffee, lattes and cookies. Don't hesitate and bring your well behaved pooch right inside to order. They have never turned a dog away.

If that's not enough, check out the gourmet doggie cookies at Fur Majesty. Shakespeare has never tasted a treat he didn't like from there!


Clinton is a pretty fun town for you and your pooch. Check out the Clinton calendar of events

So you accidentally got a cat?

That's what happened to me! I have a lot of friends who also found themselves with a cat with no prior planning. Now, please keep in mind, getting a pet is a BIG decision and should not be made impulsively or taken lightly. However, sometimes, the cat finds you. His or her piercing kittah eyes melt your heart and you become a proud pet owner. You never had a cat before? Now what?

Being in those shoes not too long ago myself, trying to find the most basic information on the web about what to do with a cat to keep it happy was a horrid experience. So the purpose of this post is to pass on to you what I have learned as a first time cat owner, not to mention a lifelong dog person.

Things you will need.

Litter Box.

The cat's gotta pee and poop. You have to give it a place to do so.
The problem - Which litter box is right for you?

First time cat owner trap - sifting litter pans.
Sounds like a great idea, doesn't it? You just lift the thing and you never have to scoop poop! WRONG! The pouring of the litter back and forth is MUCHO annoying. Little bits of grossness fall through the holes and you have to pick them out. But the worst part is, you cat is going to step in its own pee and clog up the little holes through which the litter is supposed to sift though. You wiill end up sitting there with a q-tip picking clumps of litter out of the little holes. Let me tell ya, no fun! No fun at all!

What worked for us
A sifting litter pan comes with 4 parts. 2 pans, the sifting thing and some weird top clip thing that I never did figure out how to use. Well, after I got tired of picking litter clumps out of the little holes, I threw the sifting pan and the top clip out and just used the plain pan as the litter box. In a few months, Juliet grew and needed more room. Luckily, I had a whole spare pan for her to use!

I can't give you advice on self cleaning boxes. Frankly, I feel that they are way expensive and I have no idea how my cat will react to it, so I never bothered.

Litter scoop
You NEED this. It's essential for scooping poop and the clumps of pee. Makes your scooping experience much easier. I have a plastic one. I feel that it is not the best, but it still works pretty well. It's easier to scoop if I turn it over and first detach the pee from the bottom of the pan and then scoop it out.

If you have had experiences with metal scoops, let me know! I've been thinking of upgrading.

Litter
So many litters. I found GREAT success with Fresh Step.
I lucked out into this litter. It was on sale when I first got my cat so that's why I bought it. I never switched because I am VERY happy with it. It clumps and the best thing about it is that is completely eliminates the smells that you might expect from a cat. Of course, you have to clean the cat box and switch out the litter regularly.

How often do I have to change the litter? This was the question that haunted me! I thought that I should switch the litter ever day. Soon I realized that not only is that a pain, it is also REALLY expensive. Turns out, you do NOT need to switch litter ever day. You add a little bit of new litter as needed after cleaning your cat's box. Now, I switch out the litter completely about once a month.

Feeding

Now that we have the pooping covered, what do you feed this new exotic meowing beast?

The cat food for us, just kind of happened as well. When I first got Juliet, she didn't really know how to eat cat food. She only knew how to drink milk (see Julie's full story)

I got so excited that my cat was finally eating solid food, I overfed her. She was on free feed for a while, which resulted in an obese kitty. Now she is on a strict diet and regulated food intake.

I went to the store and spent some time in front of the cat food, reading all the labels. After a while I decided to choose Iams Healthy Naturals food. Since then, I have switched Jules to a low-calorie version of the food because she got kind of fat. Advising on cat food is hard. This aspect really depends on your individual cat's needs. You may want to discuss your cat's nutrition needs this with your vet. I know that Juliet does really well with her food. She's happy and playful and her coat is nice and shiny.

Food and water bowls are pretty easy. Any bowl will work. Consider your cat's size when making this purchase. Just choose a cute design you like, I don't think your cat will care if her food bowls have paw prints or fish skeleton designs on them.

Cat Entertainment

So you love that beautiful couch you just bought? If you don't provide your kittah with scratching outlet, you can kiss that couch goodbye.

There are many fancy scratching posts on the market. If you want one, go for it. A really simple one works for us. Julie scratches at it and she seems very happy. Another good product, although a little messy, is a cat cardboard scratching post. Many cats prefer those to regular standing up scratchers.

What is your cat came declawed? Get him a scratching post anyways. Cats like to scratch, even if they don't have claws!

Toys

So many cute cat toys!!! You can't really go wrong here.
Juliet likes simpler toys. A mouse-looking fur thing with some ribbons on a string with a little bell is her absolute favorite. She also has some crinkle balls, fur balls, cat nip mice. But a lot of times, she really prefers a crumpled up piece of paper to all of those.

Grooming

• Nail Clipper


• Brush

Cats shed a lot! So get your cat used to regular brushing as soon as you get him. A cat that doesn't resist a brush will make your life a lot easier and your home free of fur tumble weeds!

Optional but desirable

• Collar & tag


• Nip


• Treats

The optional but desirable items we will discuss later! They are not absolute musts (other than the grooming tools. Apparently cat's shed A LOT! So get yourself a furminator right away) They are nice to have for your kitty!

Please remember, I am not a cat expert. In fact, I am a cat dummy. I learned about cats as I went along, tried different things and what I am going to tell you now is what works for our family. Every cat is an individual, so try out different things and find the right formula for yours. I do hope, however that my experiences can help you along.

~Ta-Ta

From my experience being a member in online dog communities, I know that dog parks tend to be a controversial topic. I believe that dog parks are a great resource for dog owners. They are a fun place for the humans to meet people in the area and talk about poop (normal people, the so-called "non dog people," don't seem to appreciate poop conversations.) They are also a great place for your dog to blow off some steam, make friends and socialize.

It is a good idea to practice common sense at the dog park. Here are a few unwritten dog park laws. If people followed them, dog parks would be a lot less controversial dog hang outs.

DO:

• Bring extra poop bags. Even if your park has them... sometimes they run out. I am not a fan of stepping in dog crap, are you?


• Tell an owner when their dog is taking a dump. No, it's not rude. There are times when you just don't notice your dog go. If I don't notice the squat, I always appreciate it when someone nudges me.


• Go regularly. After a few visits you will make friends and so will your dog. You'll worry a lot less how your dog is going to react when he's with a pack he is used to.


• Pay attention to your dog. Yes, you make friends at the park and you want to chat. Doesn't mean you should forget the main reason you're there. Keep an eye on your dog at all times.


• Study dog behavior before you go to the dog park. Too many times have I seen people freak out over nothing. Not all barking, growling, teeth showing and rough play mean a potential problem. Also, not all tail wagging and sniffing mean a friendship. Learn a bit about dog body language before you go.


• Know when you need to leave If a dog shows up that makes you uncomfortable, just leave and go for a walk.


• Bring water with you. Some dog parks don't have a water supply (those that do - you lucky dogs!) If yours is like ours and does not have water - bring your own. And bring enough for other dogs too.


• Be careful entering and leaving the dog park. I still can't believe how many people don't close the gate behind them!

DON'T

• Bring a dog aggressive, food or toy possessive dog to the park. Please, if you know your dog has these issues, just DON'T! If you do and you see that it makes others uncomfortable, LEAVE!


• Bring small children with you. Perhaps your toddler loves his awesome yellow lab. That doesn't mean every dog at the park is going to love your kid. Also doesn't mean that your kid won't get run over by a dog stampede.


• Bring a dog on a leash into the dog park. There is a reason dog parks have double gates. 1. So dogs are less likely to get out. 2. To give you a chance to take your dog off the leash before you come in. Dogs are more likey to start fighting when one is on a leash. It's a territorial thing. I actually think that this is my BIGGEST peeve. I think 80% of issues that I've seen at the park started because of a dog on a leash. See DO:Study dog behavior before you go to the dog park.


• Bring treats to the park. Training at the park is a great idea but treats at the park are not. You are likely to get mobbed.


• Expect Fido to get along with every dog. You don't like every person you meet, and neither will your dog. Sometimes, even the friendliest, best behaved dogs just don't get along. See DO:Know when it's time to leave!


• Wear nice clothes to the dog park. And if you do, DON'T complain about getting them dirty. It's a dog park. It's inevitable.


• Steal toys and water bowls. I mean really people? You are going to steal a chewed up soccer ball from the dog park? REALLY??


• Bring very young puppies (before 6 months) to the park. Yes. Your new puppy is VERY cute. I'll be the first one to fawn over him. But bringing him to the dog park at this young age is not the best idea. Puppies don't have all their shots. Puppies are fragile. Puppies don't yet have the so-called "Doggie Manners." You are just asking for trouble. Look up a puppy playgroup in your area instead (after your pup had all his shots of course!) A playgroup is a much better alternative to the dog park at this early stage.

THESE THINGS HAPPEN
Dogs tend to embarrass us but they are just being dogs. These things are going to happen.

• Humping. Your dog WILL hump or GET humped by another dog. Boys will hump boys. Don't squeak: "You're not gay!!! EEEK!!!" That makes you look like a fool in the eyes of dog park regulars. Just pull off your dog and redirect his attention. At the dog park, humping is more often a dominance thing than a sexual thing. Make sure NEVER to bring a bitch in heat to the dog park.
• Peeing on people's leg. - This is no doubt absolutely MORTIFYING. But it happens. Make sure you don't stand around motionless for too long.
• Your dog may get peed on. When you have a smaller dog that likes to run with the big guys - like Shakes - at some point, he WILL get peed on. It's gross. Give your dog a bath when you get home.

OK. These are all the ones I could think of off the top of my head. Do you have any dog park peeves?

Shakespeare is not only handsomer, but also smarter than the average doggie.
Here he is practicing his tricks after a yummy lunch. Poor cat gets run over in the process.

Tricks performed (not in this order):

• Speak
• Shake
• Hug
• Jump
• Weave through legs
• Spin
• Army Crawl
• Paw
• Roll over
• Bow
• Touch

Enjoy!

Most of my conscious life I have been afraid of domestic cats. A weird fear to have, no? Well, when I was a little kid, some crazy cat, screaming like a banchie ran up to me, climbed up my back and hung off my shoulder with its claws so far into my skin that the puncture wounds didn't heal for months. Some, image huh?

So how did I become a proud owner of a beautiful orange beast called Juliet? as I like to say "The cat was an accident."

It was a beautiful day out during Memorial Day weekend. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping and apparently it was the height of kitten season. Or so the lady at Petco told me, when Shakespeare and I stopped in for some treats.

Cage after cage was filled with kittens, one cute and fluffier than the next. We were in the middle of a "kitten adoption event." Now, this was not the first time I was ambushed by cute adoptable animals. But this time was different. As I walked from one cage to the other, I saw many people petting all the cute tiny kittens. Every single one was getting attention.. except for one. She was bigger than the others, about 4 or 5 months. She has definitely outgrew that "cute kitten" stage. No one was even giving her a second look. I was drawn to the cage.

"Can I see that one?" - I asked.

She rubbed up my hand when I went to pet her, purring. This was perhaps the first cat that has not hissed at me when they met me.

Well.. I walked out of Petco with a jar of liver treats and a cardboard box with uncontrollable meowing coming from it.

She was skin and bones, constantly meowing, scared and trembling. But she did know how to use the litter box! Which I found refreshing since I don't know the first thing about litter training a cat.

Juliet, as she promptly became known, came from a cat hoarder. He was an older man, living in a studio apartment. He was poor and spent all his money on cigarettes and milk for the cats. He started out with two... which lead to about 30 when the ASPCA got there.

Juliet didn't know how to drink water. For a while I had to mix milk with water to wean her off. She was covered in fleas and had ear mites. Poor kiddo.

Shakespeare was less than impressed with our new housemate. He has never seen a cat up close before. Juliet wasn't quite sure what to make of him either. She has never seen such a beast. Their relationship had plenty of ups and downs. Shake was depressed and jealous. She was an annoying kitten, harassing him. But time passed by and they got used to each other.

I can't say that they are the best of friends. But they have a found a balance for coexistence. Julie adores Shakespeare. If I ever take him to my parents' and come home without him, she will meow and lie down sadly in the corner. Shakespeare is friendly with her when he thinks I'm not looking. I see them sniffing and him letting her rub up against his fur. He immediately runs away and snorts in disgust if he sees me looking.

The little orange kitten has come a long way. She is by no means skinny any longer. She feels right at home. She still meows so much that I sometimes begin to suspect she has kitty Tourette's. She has helped me conquer my unusual domestic cat phobia and has been just a joy to have around.

Such is the story of our lovely orange beast, Juliet the C.A.T.

It all started 5 - some years ago. I HAD to have a dog. The time was perfect, I had plenty of time for a puppy, being right out of college and unemployed. How I came to choose a sheltie is a topic of another post.

So, to Lake Hiawatha I went, you know, just to look :)

We came to a little house on a dead end street. We walked in and saw a room, walls completely covered in ribbons and certificates and pictures of absolutely gorgeous shelties. There were two puppies left in the litter. The runt... and well... the shaking dog.

"What's with the shaking one?" - I asked
"He was born that way, he's not for sale" - Was the answer.

So I sat longer and played with the puppies. Every minutes I spent with these two pups, I knew I was falling more and more in love with the shaking one. His personality, spunkyness and a certain mischievous sparkle in his eye just captivated me.

"I'm not leaving without him" - I said.

Clearly, I got my way. How could I NOT take this home?

What to name this guy? Well.... "Shake"..... was the clear answer. I felt that was a little mean so we decided on "Shakespeare"

It was determined that the shaking was a neurological problem. It doesn't seem to affect his general health. But I do hold it responsible for some issues.

Shake's motor skills were always a bit off. He would run into walls.. and kind of drift sideways.. It was like he wasn't aware of where to put his feet in order not to topple over (more so than normal pups)
He was also a really nervous dog. He was scared of nearly everything and displayed a lot of fear aggression. When he was scared, he shook.

What to do? After scratching my head for a while, trying to train him to be less reactive myself, I had a brilliant idea. AGILITY!

So we joined a class.

Within months, Shakes was more confident, more social, more friendly and not as floppy :)
We continued with classes and NADAC competitions for about 3 years.

We had so much fun! And we were GOOD!

To spend a day outdoors and get to play, what can possibly be better?

We really would recommend agility to anyone who has ever wondered about it, wants a better behaved dog or just wants to spend a little more time with their furry friend

If agility is so fun, why not try herding?

But alas, our sports career came to a screeching halt. Shakes came down with a case of anaplasmosis. That's a nasty tick-borne disease that affects the joints, among other things. After we got that taken care of, poor kid couldn't handle a full course anymore, so we switched to being a regular, non competitive pair.

Since then, we go on hikes every week. We frequent the local dog park. We hang out. We go visit our Shakespeare-friendly friends. There is never a dull moment in Lana and Shakespeare world.

TheLanaProject team (That would be me, Shakes and Juliet) wants to wish each and every one of you the greatest New Year!

We look forward to a lot more pictures and exciting happenings in 2009 from TheLanaProject! Not to mention a lot more awesome dog and cat photo contest themes. Many more cute doggies and kitties and many more friends.

Have fun tonight and keep your pets safe!

Best Wishes to all!

We had an exciting day here at TheLanaProject.com. We launched our very first Pet Photo Contest themed "Winter Time Fun"

Shakespeare's favorite thing about the winter is snow. What's yours? Tasty treats? Knocking over the Christmas tree? Or just snuggling up in a warm blanket? Go on, submit your photo and tell us your story!

Also, today we had not such great news. Our servers have been acting up and we had some down time. Not to worry, I have contacted our tech support and am working really hard on trying to solve this. So hang on to your hats, or antlers, and we will be going full force in no time!

If you ever have any questions, suggestions for us, or any concerns at all, do not hesitate to drop us a line!

Happy clicking!

After what seems like seasons of rain and really bipolar weather, Northern New Jersey saw some snow. It was only a few inches but it was enough to send Shakespeare into his "snow mode." When I came home early and took him out to play, it was on!

Never have I seen a dog enjoy snow so much, except perhaps for that adorably crazy dog in the snow video :) But we didn't get enough snow for Shakes to leap like that. Not only is the snow tasty, refreshing and fun, it also brings out the catching instinct (if there is such a thing) in a dog that never cares about catching anything.

Shakespeare turns into a fearsome snow flake destroyer, on a mission to hunt down every last one of those suckers! And if it stops snowing... I am immediately required to arm myself with an arsenal of snowballs that I must throw until my arms feel like they will fall off. I don't mind because the smile on Shakespeare's face when he chases snow gives me the warm fuzzies!

We were outside for a good two hours. Those two hours of running, sniffing, chasing and pouncing ended in a very tired and happy Shakespeare. 

Our fun snow day is what gave me the idea for our first official doggie and kitty photo contest theme! What is your pet's favorite thing about the winter? Go on, submit your photos!