Scratch 'n Sniff

Scratch ‘n sniff make these eco-friendly scratching posts that are so attractive to kitties because they have a live catnip plant growing right in the middle! Your cats have will have  access to the plant as it grows through the bars allowing the plant to grow without it being damaged and giving your cat just enough without over indulging on the treat. While the catnip is enclosed, the scratching post has a door panel that provides easy access for maintenance or plant replacement and you can also buy replacement scratching pads.

Scratch ‘n Sniff try to use as many natural, sustainable materials as possible in the manufacture of these posts including renewable, formaldehyde-free wood products, all-natural sisal with 80% natural latex backing, vegan wood glue, rice hull pots and low toxicity water-based sealant.

I know that Mills and Popps would absolutely love this and me too – I’ve touched it, sniffed it and examined it and it’s fantastic!

Scratch 'n Sniff

under the blanket

A lot of people have seen at least one of the pictures of Poppet under a blanket. It's her favourite pastime to find something to bury herself under and settle in for a great nap! My husband actually loves to  build little caves from pillows, blankets, towels and clothes for her to find. We have pictures galore of Poppet under things, Milly not so much - she finds it a ridiculous pastime!
If you have any pictures of your pets with blankets please share them with us on Facebook. It doesn't matter whether they're on or under a blanket, we'd love to see them. Please visit our Facebook page and leave a picture for us.

under the blanket

Fuzzy felt, Doppleganger and Splat!

The name Ben McFuzzy Lugs was what first attacted me to this Etsy shop and then it was my addiction to fuzzy felt dopplegangers. But then I found these bookmarks, or 'splats' - another way to have a replica of your furry little one! So, the lady behind these 'splats' obviously has a great sense of humour but she also uses upcycled fleece or nuno and creates them from a photograph of your pet. They're the perfect size for a paperback and so cute with only it's body sandwiched between the pages of the book.

Fuzzy felt, Doppleganger and Splat!

Aussie Naturals

Remember a time when you got by with an old slipper or ball of wool to play with your pets? Now, there's a huge array of toys out there made from ropes, fancy felts, plastics and colourful rubber etc. In this sea of playthings I recently spotted these and was instantly struck by how robust and substanial they are. With a close look I discovered they are made from a vegetable fibre that grows along the Ganges River in India.
Jute is one of the strongest natural fibres and totally hamless to your dog. So, when you want something that is 100% natural, renewable, chewable, biodegradable and recyclable these Aussie Naturals are for you.

This is made from water buffalo leather and spins in the air, but is easy to grab in the mouth. The boomerang (also made from the same leather) has a cotton filling, whilst the crunchy wool Koala Bear has a a natural coconut biodegradable fibre filling. Plenty more to see on their site.

When playtime is over pile everything into this leather bucket for another day.

 All products are designed in Australia and hand-crafted in India. Make sure to watch this space as they have more exciting products out soon made from a Jute and Cotton mix and great stuff for cats too!

Aussie Naturals

Cute gadget cases and more

These are really cute gadget cases from boutique ID. Each case is made from 100% wool designer felt. Perfect for any kids, or adults, to carry anything from cell phone to digital camera. It comes with a belt loop and small clip on the back so that it can be attached to a anything including the drawstring backpack shown below.

The drawstring backpack is made of fleece and fully lined with a 100% cotton flannel.

Cute gadget cases and more

An early Worthy Wednesday

I saw this posted on Dog Milk last week and just had to include it in my Worthy Wednesday feature. It really is all for a good cause, Species Spectrum is (in their words) 'creating a buzz for rescue, shelter and sanctuary animals through modern design, photography and wit'.
They have a unique collection of greetings cards with a fun picture of the animal, whether it be a dog, cat, pig, fish or bunny, complete with a humerous bio of the pet. Everything has been done just right by printing on recycled paper and donating a portion of the sale to rescue animals. There are so many on the website to choose from, go take a peek!

An early Worthy Wednesday

Paws for Cause

The 2010 BC SPCA Paws for a Cause walk for the animals is this weekend. It's BC SPCA's signature event bringing together animal lovers all over the province.
There are 36 different locations joining in to try and beat last years success by raising more than $1.1 million for animals in need.

Visit their website for more details.

Paws for Cause

Buttons and Bobbies

I have a really big urge to make some of these buttons. I think it probably needs a special machine to do it, but they look so much fun and such a great way to get creative! I found these on a number of etsy shops and picked out the pet ones, but there are oodles of great designs, especially some of the earrings, that have really unique styles.

1. Pinkish Coco
2. The Blue Kitteh
3. Jack and Jane
4. Cynical Redhead
5. Dorothy Wyn
6. Charming Couture
7. & 8. Aimoobaro

Buttons and Bobbies

Toki Poki - Pet trading cards

Hey, I found a great new idea for anyone who loves pets -  Toki Poki - and I love it! Think pet trading cards with a purpose and when you join you get 50 cards to hand around.
It's a community-centric site based on creating and exchanging personalised cards depicting pets. What a great idea to build a collection of cards representing all the pets in your area. This leads to meeting new people, making new friends, a better understanding of breeds and the building of community spirit - not to mention a great way for lost pets to get recognized and returned.
Meet Toki and her pals here

How would you like to chat with other pet owners, celebrate your pet's birthday and even build an online memorial in loving memory of a furry friend? They have more exciting things coming soon too!

Toki Poki - Pet trading cards

Odysseus and Penelope

Clay Wood and Cotton, started by Kristen and Kristy, is a place to find unique handmade items for your home. Their aim is to to feature artists that create beautiful pieces that are also useful. These lovely placemats and napkins are from Kristen at Cakehouse  who has given new life to some vintage fabric and transformed it using her 1965 sewing machine. With the addition of a handprinted original design in water-based ink they are really exclusive. All are double layered and machine washable! Not sure if the cats and dogs are images from their pets, but can I can hear the sound of the sewing machine chugging along - fantastic!

This full size dog is from Olivera. The greatest thing is, you can send in your own fabric for a custom dog!

Odysseus and Penelope

Tee-Tugs

Every Wednesday I try to show something that has been made from recycled materials or is recycleable and benefits your pets - it seems every week brings something special. Tee Tugs - dog toys made from 100% recycled cotton tee shirts.
Wow made from a tee shirt? Yep! these have been woven in a series of extra tight and durable knots using special gloves. Tee tugs can be kept clean by machine washing and drying and are definitely built to last!

So then there's kitty! The tiny tee sports a mini Tee-Tugs flocked logo and is filled with t-shirt bits and premium catnip! The tee is sewn to a braided t-shirt cord with a tasseled handle for extra fun. There's nothing more fun for my kitties than chasing something tied to a bit of string. They would love 'em!
The kitty bugs come in a pack of three and each package contains one of each style (the hydra, the shrimp, and the knotty) all spritz with an essence of catnip!

*10% of all sales are donated to Saving Paws, a NO-KILL animal rescue*

Tee-Tugs