Happy Howl-i-days, 

 

This is a quick update to wish our pack and pride a very Happy Thanksgiving.Today we have a few pet safety tips, a little gratitude lecture at the end of this email and some offers for "Black Friday" online shopping! Because it's Thanksgiving, we'll try to keep it short and sweet.

I know, I know... You're thinking,  "Stacy is incapable of keeping anything short and sweet? It will never happen..."

What can I say? Short and sweet is tough for me. But I'll give it a shot. Meanwhile, we'll be back next week with lots of news, video clips, more deals, product reviews and fun stories about your favorite topic: Pets!

First off, we want to make sure you scroll down for some AMAZING offers that are ONLY available this week!  Stay home with your pets this holiday weekend. The malls can only create a stressful experience and you can find the same, or often better, savings from the comfort of your home!  We've listed a few below.


Thanksgiving Pet Safety: There are lots of ways for pets to get injured during the holidays, and that can result in an expensive holiday - not what any of us need right now! Go ahead and invite your favorite veterinarian over for dinner, but don't make him/her work by neglecting any of these tips! Here are a few things to remember during the holidays:

• Self-Cleaning Ovens Can Kill: Did you know that the fumes from self-cleaning ovens can kill your birds within minutes? One of our pack members just found that out the hard way and lost three of her beautiful parakeets while preparing for a day of cooking. When using any types of cleaning products (even self-cleaning ovens), be sure your pets (especially birds, reptiles and fish) are out of the home.
• GPS Trackers: Don't give your pets an open door policy! Be sure your guests know that your pets come first and they need to be careful not to leave doors open. While you're at it, fit your pet with a GPS tracker just in case. We have some of the best listed here.
• Food: There are lots of food that can be toxic to our pets. This includes herbs, plants and even people food. Be sure to check out the CDC for recent recalls (on people and pet food). There are more every day...
• Isolating Pets: Keep your pets confined in a comfortable, quiet area while you entertain. Pets pick up on our stress and this can be a recipe for disaster.
• Dressing Up: Humans dress up, pets shouldn't unless it's a simple coat for warmth (for our smaller pack members) or a bandana for our larger friends. If you do want to dress up for photo ops, be sure to keep your pets comfortable and remove the item(s) immediately afterwards. Our four-legged friends already wear beautiful coats! Why cover up their natural beauty?
• Leftovers and Table Scraps: These are a no-no for all pets. Keeping your pets in another room is the best bet. The temptation to sneak a snack is usually too much for the hubby and kids, don't tempt your pet too! If you do leave them out, remind your guests of the "house rules".
  

Remembering Those Away From Home: When doing your Christmas cards this year, take one card and send it to this address.

 
Foster Pups: If you haven't already heard,we are fostering two new pups who are (as of today) about 13 days old. Check out our blog for some adorable pics and more info on how you can be a foster family!


Bits and Pieces:  When you get time, be sure to visit our friends at Little Big Cat. Tom is a "cat man" and has almost as many as we do!  Read about his adventures as a "single cat dad" and get your laugh for the day. Also be sure to vote for Paul's video - let's get a cat commercial in the Superbowl this year!

Special Deals: Read on for some of the best shopping deals of the year! We'll be back with more in the next few days, but I'm not sure how many of these prices can be beat.

We'll be back soon with lots of new reviews that my pack, pride and I have all been working hard on! We'll be continuing our search for the best deals on pet products for pets and their people, and next issue will contain the results of our moon survey!

As we move into the holiday season we hope you'll check back with us often. And during the holidays, we hope that you'll remember to be grateful for your family, friends and pets. It's easy to get stressed during this time of year and our pets pick up on this. With the current events, the horrid global economy and other tragedies, it's easy to get caught up in the negative. Try to remember to...

Be Content:
If you're breathing, you're in temperatures that you can tolerate, or you've eaten in the last day, you're already ahead of nearly two thirds of the world. Act like it. "The mark of your ignorance is the depth of your belief in injustice and tragedy. What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the Master calls the butterfly." (Richard Bach)

Be Engaged:
We all know the economy is a rough one (to say the least). Whining won't change that, but action will. Take a step forward to help out a neighbor, a family member, an animal, the environment or a complete stranger. We can't move forward if we don't push forward, so suck it up and be grateful for what you've got. We're all survivors and we're all in the same boat. "Remember where you came from, where you're going, and why you created the mess you got yourself into in the first place." (Richard Bach)

Be Focused:
The recent food recalls, floods, hurricanes and fires have taken a toll on us. But, we need these events. Without fires, pine trees cannot sprout new trees. Without mass devastation from hurricanes and flooding, there would be no rebuilding. Without recalls, there would be no exploration or development on new products.Talk to your neighbors, tell someone that you love them, help out a stranger, focus on the things you care most about. Events level themselves out over time. Change what you have the power to change and leave the rest alone. "Bad things are not the worst thing that can happen to us. NOTHING is the worst thing that can happen to us." (Richard Bach)

Be Flexible:
Corporations create structure, so it's a little scary when they're all on life support. Take this time to flex your entrepreneurial muscle. Read, write, start a business. This is a time of opportunity, and the failures of big business sets the stage for small business entry. Go with the flow, be grateful for what you have, because chances are - it's a hell of a lot more than someone else has. Try to do human things on a human scale for now. If you have to shift careers, do it. It may work out better for you. Remember it will all come together in the end. "In order to live freely and happily, you must sacrifice boredom. It is not always an easy sacrifice." (Richard Bach)

Be Grateful:
If you took the day off to read a book, or eat dinner with your family, or watch a movie, be grateful...most of the world will never experience that kind of freedom. Hug your pets, tell your family you love them and do what you can to help others, be they animal or human. "Your only obligation in any lifetime is to be true to yourself. Being true to anyone else or anything else is not only impossible, but the mark of a false messiah." (Richard Bach)

Most importantly, remember that you gave your life to become the person you are right now. Be sure it was worth it...

 

Have a very happy Thanksgiving and thanks for helping make PetsWeekly into one of the best pet resources on the web!

 

Purrs and Gentle Headbutts,