2016 Year-end Pet Care Roundup

December in New Orleans is wholly unpredictable. You never know if you'll wake up to snow or if you'll be walking around in shorts. Of course warm weather is usually followed by rain and the return of cold air, but it's a cycle we in the Crescent City put up with gladly as fall transitions into winter.

Along with the official calendar start of our coldest season, December is a festive time filled with a multitude of celebrations and holidays. All that fun and festivity can mean stress or potential hazards for your baby. (Did you know there are almost two dozen internationally celebrated holidays in the month of December?)

Our client, Max, pausing to pose out on a walk.

Christmas trees, decorations, and gifts, Hannukah and Kwanzaa candles, as well as holiday foods and drinks, all need to be handled with mindful care in order to avoid unnecessary pet distress and expensive emergency vet care. Be sure that visiting guests in your home know about these risks as well when they come over during the holidays.

Our client, Winnie, posing near her Christmas tree.

We've covered pet safety around poinsettias and Christmas trees in previous posts, as well as some of the potential dangers when we deck our halls with boughs of holly, etc., but while poinsettia are only mildly toxic to companion animals, ingestion of holly or mistletoe can be much more serious. 

Our client, Chester, hamming it up for the camera in true holiday spirit.

Always keep the number for the pet poison hotline handy in case of emergencies: 1-800- 213-6680. For specific tips on how to have stress-free holidays in December as well as during the rest of the year, be sure to visit our Pinterest board Having Happy Holidays.

Last month we took you on a visit to Little Paws Dog Park in the upper 9th ward to continue our series on local dog parks (we started the series off last year with a visit to the Wisner Dog Run uptown). Earlier this year it was the Crescent Dog Run in the Bywater, and in spring of 2017 we'll be visiting City Bark.

A view across Little Paws Dog Park from the shade. 

Recently we also shared some Fall Safety Tips with you to help keep your fur babies healthy and happy throughout the autumnal season. As we're now heading into winter, we'll be sharing cold season care tips next in January for taking care of pets both indoors and out.

We've mentioned the importance of play before, and last spring we told you about some of our favorite toys. According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, 58% of cats and 54% of dogs in the United States are overweight or obese. It might also surprise you to know that obesity is the number one health problem in birds.

Our client, Benny, out for a walk in the fall air.

Obesity in pets can cause arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney disease, heart and respiratory disease, and even some forms of cancer. We touched on feline fitness in the October blog post, and how to judge the exercise level for your dog in our June post on dog walking.

Last, but certainly not least, a few months back we playfully asked if New Orleans had gone to the dogs, and told you about places around town from coffee shops to big box stores that were not only pet friendly, but kept treats on hand for four legged visitors.

These pups were out shopping for wine in the Marigny with their mom.

There are a surprising number of bars around town that allow dogs - mostly during the non-busy hours. Then again, it is New Orleans...

As we approach the end of 2016 - a year for the history books - we'd like to take a moment to remind you that Christmas trees and pets don't mix! Be sure any lit candles in your holiday decor won't come in contact with fur or be knocked over, and that all holiday food and drinks are kept well out of reach.

Happy December!

Feline Fitness: Cats and kitties need exercise too!

Do cats need regular exercise? You bet - and for the same reasons that dogs and people do! Step outside on any given day that the weather is nice, and you'll most likely see someone walking or jogging with a dog. For most people this isn't an unusual sight, but have you ever considered the idea of walking a cat?

People take their dogs everywhere these days; there are even dog-friendly "yappy hours," (at least there are here in New Orleans,) where Fido can have a non-alcoholic drink and a treat while you get your sip on and enjoy a little grownup time out, so why wouldn't it be natural to give kitty a chance to get out of the house as well?

Petite Pet Care client Prudence at play in the grass.

While some cats will easily walk beside you as you take a stroll (with or without the dog), most will need their own special harness and a little bit of training so that they can feel comfortable and safe at your side. Of course, the harness will also keep them from dashing off after, or away from, other animals.

It will take a little time to leash train your cat, but in the end it will be worth it. Many people feel bad about keeping their indoor cats inside full-time, and leash training is one of the ways to safely let your cat spend some quality time outside. (See the links below for step-by-step instructions on how to train your cat to walk on a leash.)

PPC pet sitting client Pip actively at play.

Just like with dogs, walking isn't the only way to help kitty stay active. Cat's love to play and have the uncanny knack of being able to turn just about anything into a toy, so it's only natural that engaging in interactive play with your indoor cat twice per day is the ideal way to keep her active, fit, and entertained. (See our previous post The Importance of Play and Your Cat.)

PPC client Leroy pausing during play.

 
Regular aerobic activity will not only keep your feline family member healthy inside and out, it helps to discourage undesirable behaviors. and your play time workouts will strengthen the bond between you. Pet obesity is a huge problem, and regular exercise helps maintain a healthy weight. Getting some exercise is especially important for older cats that are not as active as kittens and can lose muscle tone.

PPC pet sitting client Ringo enjoying the outdoors.

Who let the cat out? While some cats regularly go in and out of the house, these are usually not words anyone wants to hear unless you happen to have an outdoor cat run or a kitty condo in the back yard. If you're one of those folks who feels bad about your cat having to be inside all of the time, a kitty enclosure could be just the thing for your fur baby.

Cat condos, or catios, are simple or elaborate enclosures that are screened in to allow your indoor cat to spend time outdoors without you having to worry about safety hazards. The idea is to give your cat enough room to have some space to turn around easily as well as and something to climb. No patio or back yard? You can attach a small box to a window to allow your cat to experience the smells and sounds of nature.

A cat run is a lot like a chicken run. It's basically a low, covered tunnel that allows a cat to roam around an outdoor area and experience being outside without getting into any trouble. The run can be on the ground or attached to the side of a house or fence.

Any one of these measures will do a lot for your cat's quality of life. Don't worry though, if you can't just can't manage to work in two play sessions a day with your cat, you can give us a call!

For more ideas for keeping your cat active, see our Pinterest board, Cat Culture.


Useful links:

Nine Lives, One Leash

Training Your Cat to Walk on a Leash

10 Cat Exercises You Pet Will Enjoy

Exercise Ideas for Indoor Cats

Useful Ways to Help Your Cat Exercise

Easy DIY Cat Enclosure

NOLA Dog Parks Part 2: The Crescent Park Dog Run

In a previous blog post, we took you on a virtual visit to the Wisner Dog Run uptown. As we continue our series on New Orleans' dog parks, this time we bring you across town to one of the city's better hidden gems.

Park side of the "Rusty Rainbow."

Tucked away downtown, between Nola's historic Bywater and Marigny neighborhoods, is Crescent Park. If you didn't know it was there, you probably would never happen upon it. It's not visible from the street, and the only indication of its existence (if you're in the Bywater) is a large, rusty, metal arc, which looks more like something out of an industrial factory complex than the entrance to a beautiful, riverside, urban park.

A portion of the 1.4 mile park (which spans from Elysian Fields Ave. to Mazant St.) opened to the public in February of 2014, which included the renovated Piety Wharf, and a fenced-in, off-leash dog run. At that time the park was only accessible from Piety and Mazant streets. The Marigny end opened in July of 2015, giving visitors full access to the park's 20 acres of carefully planned "native" landscaping and spectacular views of the riverfront.

The "Rusty Rainbow," as the large arc is dubbed, is situated at the Piety St. entrance into the park (accessed from Chartres) and provides pedestrian-only access over the train tracks. It's a bit of a climb, and not the best way into the park for anyone challenged by stairs.

Vehicular parking is available at the Piety entrance as well as at Bartholomew, which is closest to the dog run. (There is also stair access at the Mandeville entrance in the Marigny, as well as an elevator.)

View of the Piety lot with park map

View of the Bartholomew lot at Alvar end.

The actual entrance to the Crescent Dog Run is inside the park at Pauline Street. Cement markers like the one below, are located throughout the park and correspond to the perpendicular streets. These help you to know how where you are in the park in relation to the adjacent neighborhoods.

Of course, the run has a list of rules. The most important of which pertain to the age and health of dogs visiting the park (no puppies under 6 months) and the supervision of children (no kids under 8 years old). Dogs are only allowed off-leash when inside the run. Smoking, alcohol, drugs, and firearms are not allowed inside the run. 

The run has a couple of benches, some grassy areas, and several trees. The trees are still young and don't provide much shade, but there is plenty of room for dogs to roam, explore, and get some exercise.

Fountains are located throughout Crescent Park, as are pet waste stations and bike racks. Unfortunately, the only restrooms are at the opposite end of the park by the Mandeville entrance.

Crescent Park is open from 8 am to 6 pm. During Daylight Savings Time, it stays open until 7:00. Keep in mind, Crescent Park and the dog run are on the other side of the tracks of an active railway line. Be sure to plan visits to allow for the possibility of having to wait for a train to pass.

If you missed our previous post in the series, you can read about it here: 

A Glimpse at the Dog Run at Wisner Park

For more information on the dog run and amenities at Crescent Park, please see the links below:


Instagram Loves the New Crescent Park Addition

Top Dog Park Nominee: Crescent Dog Run

Visiting Crescent Park