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PLUS THE CAT - RESCUES ADVOCATING FOR RESCUES

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DIY POWDER ROOM FOR YOUR CAT

November 19, 2021 | 7 Comments

EVERYONE NEEDS PRIVACY

And quite frankly, I don’t want a huge-a** litter box to be the first thing guests see when they enter my home.

Facebook Marketplace is THE go-to place for shopping these days.

For all the things you never knew you needed

as my husband says.

That is where I found the solid wood cabinet to create Ricky’s fancy ‘half bath.’ It met all criteria: big enough for a big cat’s box, a drawer for people stuff, and a drawer for pet stuff, as well as cupboard space for larger items and plastic bags for tending said cat box.

It came with a top section that I subsequently donated online. Who knew so many people would be interested in the top half of a hutch!?

We sanded it down, primed it, and painted it ‘Empire State’ grey. My husband cut out a hole at the end of the cabinet for Ricky to access his box and added a shelf for our older kitty not to have so far to jump after lounging on his ‘rooftop lookout.’

It didn’t take any time for Ricky to discover and make use of his box.

How’s that for a thank you!?

Because Ricky’s box is covered, I didn’t bother to staple a plastic sheet to the cabinet surrounding the box. If you decide to create such a cabinet and use an uncovered tray, you may wish to consider the plastic to keep dust from covering items in other parts of the cabinet.

If you have cats and dogs, and your cat isn’t good at asking to go into the room where his box is located, you may also consider attaching a microchip cat flap. This way, the dogs have no choice but to respect the cat’s privacy.

CATS ONLY – NO DOGS ALLOWED

We hope you enjoyed this tutorial; please comment and let us know how you hide your litter.

 

 

Categories: DECOR & DIY Tagged: Cat, DIY, Litter Box

DIY SNUFFLE MATS FOR DOGS

April 17, 2020 | 7 Comments

IN 6.5 EASY STEPS

It’s hard to believe it’s the middle of April, and we’re still getting snow in Ontario! I guess we’ve had plenty of strange things going on lately. Not just in Ontario. My pack lives in the country, so we are already self-isolated. For those of you unable to easily walk your companion in built-up areas, or experiencing unpleasant weather, a snuffle mat will provide mental stimulation for your companion.

Brain Game

THE BENEFIT OF ALLOWING DOGS TO SNIFF

Sniffing is a natural practice for dogs. It’s an easy, mentally stimulating exercise that will help tire your companions, so they settle nicely. Of course, mental training is better when paired with physical movement. Some form of activity (mental or physical) is better than none.

HOW TO CREATE YOUR MAT:

heavy-weight mat

CHOOSE YOUR MAT

I purchased a heavyweight, non-sliding, anti-fatigue draining mat from TSC. This mat will stand up to pawing and pulling. Another option is a sink draining mat.

CUT TO SIZE

I am making these mats to sell in support of rescue efforts and have cut my mat into a variety of sizes. If the mat you selected is too large for your dog(s), you can always cut some away, or divide in half and donate to a rescue organization as an auction item, or gift to a pet-parent friend.

I made sizes small to extra-large and chose an extra-large mat for my ‘multi-dog’ crew.
I do not recommend these mats for multi-dog households where food-aggression is an issue.

CHOOSE YOUR FLEECE

The better the quality, the more durable and long-lasting your mat will be. Keep in mind; we’re making these mats for talented sniffer hounds that will put them through vigorous testing.

You can opt to use a single colour or pattern, or several bright and bold colours. I chose to mix coordinating fabrics for this collection of mats.

Variety of fleece fabric

BE SURE TO PRE WASH YOUR FLEECE BEFORE CUTTING AND TYING 

(this is the .5 step but extremely important)

Fleece is covered in tiny particles of fibres. These could be dangerous if inhaled or ingested. Prewashing the fleece removes these loose particles.

CUT YOUR FLEECE

Using scissors, or a rotary cutter and self-healing mat, cut the fleece approximately 6 inches x 1.5 inches (These don’t have to be exact; a little variety will give your mat more character and create different heights in which to hide the treasure treats)

TIE THE PIECES ON YOUR MAT

Have fun with this step. Create a pattern or tie pieces randomly. One tie (single knot) is enough to hold pieces firmly in place. You can flip the mat over to check for any gaps where you might have missed a tie.

Two-way tie vs. Three-way tie

Three-way tied mats require more fabric (more costly) and are more time-consuming. Simply add a tie on the angle (see second image below). The result is a fuller mat with less open gaps through the rug to the floor and more hiding places to hold treats.

It takes me approximately 3.5 hours to make an extra-large, three-way tied mat.  

Approximately four shows on Netflix

LOAD WITH TREATS AND ENJOY

I use small, non-crumbly training treats for my guys. If you feed your dog kibble, you could also use the mat as an alternative to their bowl. Switch things up a bit and make them work for it (I say work, but for dogs, it’s not a bad thing).

NB: Pet-parents should closely monitor playtime.

Sharing is caring. If you enjoyed this post, please pin.

See you soon,

 

 

 

 

Categories: TRICKS, TREATS & TRAINING Tagged: DIY, Exercise, Games, Treats

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Welcome to Sadie & Co!

We’re Sadie & Co. (her and her dogs plus the cat). Would you like to share your rescue story or tell us about an amazing service or product? We’d love to hear from you! Thank you for visiting, we hope you’ll stop by often. Better yet, subscribe and don’t miss out on the latest and greatest tips, tricks and treats!

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