Chocolate therapy

We made a discovery this week that has helped us a great deal. We've noticed that if we eat enough chocolate, many other things don't seem to matter as much.

We still know that we are building out a new space, we still know that Bush is president, we still know that we are not skinny trust fund blonds, but none of this seems to matter.

Chocolate calls to us and makes us happy.

Is that so wrong?

Getting there

Well, we are getting there with the new place. The wash room has been framed out, (once again, our friend, the hammer, has been instrumental in this, as have the people wielding them).
The plumbing and electrical are mostly in and we'll be doing some more painting next week as well.
We're shooting for mid January or early February to open up and it looks as though we'll make it.
Famous last words.

Happy Happy Merry Merry to you all.

Last minute madness

To accommodate those last minute pooch and kitty gifts we'll be extending our hours this week.

Our holiday hours schedule will be as follows:

Tuesday 12/19 - 10 am - 7 pm
Wednesday 12/20 - 10 am - 7 pm
Thursday 12/21 - 10 am - 8 pm
Friday 12/22 - 10 am - 8 pm
Saturday 12/23 - 10 am - 7 pm
Sunday 12/24 - 10 am - 4 pm

Monday 12 /25 - Closed
Tuesday 12/26 - 10 am - 2 pm

Wednesday 12/27 - 10 am - 7 pm
Thursday 12/28 - 10 am - 7 pm
Friday 12/29 - 10 am - 7 pm
Saturday 12/30 - 10 am - 6 pm

Sunday 12/31 - Closed
Monday 1/1/07 - Closed

Tuesday 1/02/07 - Closed

We have some wonderful items still available for that special pet (or pet owner) in your life including lovely, quality beds for dogs and cats by Bowsers, holiday stockings and ornaments (at 40% off!), scrumpticious treats from Polka Dog Bakery and Roll Over Red Rover, and as always, plenty of cool toys and chewies to keep your pets busy during the holiday season.

A note of thanks

We wanted to take the time to thank you all for your continued patronage and support. We truly do appreciate it and so enjoy seeing you and your pets. We are grateful that you allow us to help you out when can and we'll continue to search for new ways to help get and keep your pets healthy.

We're excited about having the opportunity to offer you our self-serve dog washing services ("All Washed Up") as well as expanded product offerings at our new location at 4404 Washington Street in Roslindale. We'll also be having photographer, Chris McLay, (who did such a great job at our Howl-O-Ween event!) in regularly, as well as lecturers on various topics. In fact, if you have an interest in a certain topic, feel free to run it by us and maybe we can arrange a seminar on it.

Once again, thanks so much for coming to The Pet Cabaret and thanks so much for being our friends.

Please enjoy our wonderful designer, Bob Quinn's, winter drawing for our store.

All right then, OK...

Hi kids,

Just to catch you up on things. We are making progress on our build out at the new location. It's going more slowly than we'd like, but it's going. The orchestration of projects like this is a bit overwhelming and sometimes we get a little crazy behind stuff or at least mildly confused. OK, so totally confused.

We do have some people looking out for us and helping us out so we are lucky in that regard, but ultimately all the details are our responsibility and we have to make sure that everything is right. It's just kind of crazy trying to keep track of it all.

A holding pattern

Right now it seems that we are flying a bit of a holding pattern on the new space. The landlord of the space is working like crazy to get things built and torn down. He is being very nice and responsible about everything.

We are still in the planning stages of many things, still working on paper and in our heads to try and figure out the best way to do things. Better to make the mistakes on paper right?

It feels a little frustrating at this moment, like nothing's getting done and time is ticking away but I think that all build out projects feel like this at some point.

We should be doing some exterior painting tomorrow if the weather holds...(is global warming our friend?) so maybe that will make us feel as though we have accomplished something.

Hammers are our friends....

So back we went to the new space today to rip up more carpet. I was so sad and feeling sore and not really looking forward to the job at hand. Leslie calls and says she is going to be late. So as not to feel useless I went after the remaining rug on my own. I started on it with the tools that we nicknamed the "Rage Machines" -- basically, big razors on handles. No real progress.

I decide to tilt the odds in my favor tonight by taking out my hammer. I pound on the handle of the Rage Machine with my hammer. I succeed only in busting up Rage Machine's handle. Finally frustrated by the whole process, I take the hammer to the rug itself. Miracle of miracles it pulls it right up. I move on, elated by my progress and new found power. I am a rug removing machine.

Leslie shows up, we find another hammer and become two rug removing machines. Unbelievably, we remove the remaining rug in about an hour and a half. The super nice Joe at Roslindale Hardware allows us some room in his dumpster and the stuff is gone, gone, gone....

This only goes to show us that hammers are one of the world's most perfect tools.

Brain damage

I am beginning to suspect that we have damaged out brains just a little in our zeal to remove the dreaded RUG from our new space. We have employed our pal "Torchy" in a few spots to help melt/loosen/destroy the 75 layers of glue that they applied to the floor to stick the rug down.

Probably not good.

What's a few more lost brain cells?

The work begins

So we have started to do some work on the new space we will be inhabiting early in 2007. Naturally, we thought we'd rip up the carpeting first since a carpet covered store and visiting pups don't mix all that well. We also thought it'd be a "realtively easy" and satisfying job; you know, one of those jobs in which you can actually SEE progress being made. Funny just how wrong we were.

You cannot believe how difficult it has been to rip up this carpet. There is SO much glue down that we are actually ripping the carpet off of its backing. It's truly incredible how hard a job this has been. Our friends Leslie and Erik have been valiantly helping us out but I feel total guilt at subjecting them to such crazy work.

We have been having a good time doing it though, what a great way to release rage.

A Marley Tattoo

Our incredibly talented designer buddy, Bob Quinn, did this wonderful drawing of Marley. I am thinking of having it tatooted on by one of the artists at Fat Ram's Pumpkin Tattoo .

Some news for youse...

So first of all, we do want to tell you all that we will be moving to a new location around the beginning of 2007. It is just up a few blocks from our current location at 4278 Washington Street. We'll be moving up to 4404 Washington Street, formerly Hellas Video.

This new location will afford us a good deal more space and also allow us to offer some services to pet owners. Our first service will be a self-serve dog wash, "All Washed Up". Now you'll be able to bring in your pals into The Pet Cabaret after a tough, dirty day of play and leave with sparkling clean little angels.

Stay tuned for more information and details as we make them up. In the meantime, it's business as usual at our present location so come in and see what's new for the holdiays.

Oh also, you should drop by and say hello to our new pal "Carl" who is currently visiting with us and very possibly may be staying on permanently. Carl has a lot to learn but we have great hopes for him and will be working hard with the little fella to help him out.

A Very Fun Day

So despite the weather yesterday, complete with howling winds and whipping rains, we had a really fun day at our 3rd Annual Howl-O-Ween Bash.
We had planned on doing our doggie photographs outdoors under a canopy, but when the weather made this impossible, we were rescued by our kind landlord, Bob Trethewey, Trethewey Bros Plumbing in Roslindale, MA . Bob allowed us to use some indoor space for our set up and we were able to get some wonderful shots.
Once again, photographer Chris McLay, and her infinitely patient assistant, Jaimie McLay, posed and carjoled pooches into looking their best on camera.

Many, many thanks to all who helped us make the day a success.
Take a look a some of the results.

Howl-O-Ween at The Pet Cabaret

Join us on Saturday, October 28th for our 3rd Annual Pet Cabaret Howl-O-Ween Bash. This year we'll again have a cool pet photographer, Chris McLay. For the mere fee of $10.00 you'll be able to walk away with a great shot by Chris and know that you'll be helping out some local animal charities as well. Pets in costume are highly encouraged! They'll be treats and fun for animals and humans, so come and join us!

And now for something completely different....

Well, clearly we've been preoccupied by Marley's illness and death for the last few posts, but now it's time to gently move on. So we'll start by talking about a subject near and dear to Marley's heart (and mine as well)...food.

Those of you that shop at our store know that we sell the dog and cat foods that are known as the "super premium" foods. Now while we don't much like that label, we do like the fact that the foods we sell are not loaded with junk. Not that we're picking on a particular brand of food, but we don't feel as though your dog or cat really needs "powdered cellulose" or "peanut hulls" in their diet.

Call us crazy but, we think that you should be able to pick up a bag of dog or cat food and understand the ingredients on the label without first having to head back to college to get a science degree. Simple is better we think, for you and for your pets.

Of course, the ideal would be for all of us, animals and people alike, to eat as much fresh, real food as possible and to minimize the processed foods in our diets. Again, shoppers in our store know that we advocate adding fresh foods to an animal's diet. We love to see people offer their animals things like fresh ground or lightly steamed vegetables, bits of plain meats and fish, organic eggs, yogurt, and cottage cheese.

We also know that it is hard enough to find the time to cook for ourselves and our families, let alone for our pets. So, in the interest of helping out a bit, we're bringing in some new foods such as Dr. Harvery's Veg-to-Bowl mix. This is blend of dried, mixed vegetables and herbs that can be rehydrated and added to your pets' meals. The ingredients include sweet potatoes, carrots, diced potatoes, zucchini, broccoli florets, green beans, peas, beets, parsley, fennel seed, fenugreek seed, garlic, ginger, papaya leaf and peppermint leaf.

We think this is the type of product that can help our customers add more high quality, real foods to their pets' diets without going crazy trying to fit it in to an already hectic schedule.

Marley comes home

We picked up Marley's ashes tonight and so, in a way, he has come home. We will bring some up to Ipswich, MA where Marley grew up and bring some to Provincetown, MA , where he so enjoyed visiting his Uncle Randy and playing on the beach. The remainder will come home with us to rest alongside Tina, another wonderful dog who passed away in 1996.

We'd like to once again thank everyone for being so wonderfully kind and empathetic to us during this difficult time. Please know that your cards, flowers, words, thoughts, and gifts have helped comfort us greatly. It's really been great to have a safe place to grieve the loss of our guy.

We definitely need to get Mary another pal as she is clearly missing her "brother". We have our eye on a little rescue boy that should be coming to us sometime in mid October. If all goes well with Mary and the store we'll be welcoming in a new addition. If not, we'll keep looking.



Rainbow Bridge

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Author unknown...

A tough week

This has been a pretty tough week for us because of the loss of our dear, dear Marley. We feel a tremendous loss and our other dog Mary, keeps looking around for him, and sniffing all his places. Unfortunately, we were not able to let her say a final good bye to him, so we think she might be a little confused, and certainly depressed, about what exactly has happened.

One bright spot in all of this though, has been the incredible love and support we have felt from our friends and customers. We've shared tears and stories about Marley. People have sent emails and cards. They've brought flowers and food. We are truly touched by how generously people have given of themselves, and we can't find the words to thank you all enough.

We're happy to know that our "little man" brought joy into others' lives as much as he brought joy into ours.

In loving memory of Marley

It is with great sadness that I write this tonight. One of our beloved dogs, Marley, passed away earlier this evening. He was suffering from a tumor on his spleen which invaded his liver. He finally grew so uncomfortable that we could not bear to see it go on. We elected to help him end his pain.

He was a fine little dog, energetic, mischievous, silly, and wonderful...all the things a perfect pal should be. We will always remember his antics. We thank him for being part of our lives. We thank all the people that have been so kind to him at the store.We will always love him. He'll always be our boy.

New Hours

Just to let you all know, we are changing our store hours a bit. We hope this will help some of you out with after work purchases.

We'll now be open:

Tuesday - Fridays - 10:00am - 7:00 pm

Saturdays - 10:00 am - 6:00 pm

Sundays - 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Please come by and visit us soon!

Meet our pals

Now that we're back from our vacation to Michigan, we thought you'd like to see some of the friends we hung out with while we were there.


This is Reuben.


This is Rocky.


This is LiLi.


This is Booey.


This is Chewey.

They and their humans were kind and generous hosts and hostesses and we hope we'll all get to see each other again really soon.

Vacation

Hi everyone,

We're having a really great time on our vacation. We're here on Lake Michigan in lovely Ludington and having a wonderful time with our friends Deb and Terry. Terry has a cool store
The Mermaid's Perch Check it out when you can.

I will upload pictures of all the cool animals that we've been vacationing with as soon as possible. They are really all unbelievably cool and sweet, and we think you'll love seeing their darling little faces.

A short vacation

We just wanted to let you all know that we will going on a little vacation for a few days.
We'll have some modified store hours for the time between July 31st - August 6th.

Here they are:

Mon. July 31 - CLOSED

Tues. Aug. 1 - CLOSED

Wed. Aug. 2 - CLOSED

Thurs. Aug. - 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Fri. Aug. 4 - 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Sat. Aug. 5 - 10:00 am - 6:00 pm

Sun. Aug. 6 - 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Mon. Aug. 7 - CLOSED

We'll resume regular store hours on Tuesday, Aug. 8th.

Molly and Robbie will be at the store and should be able to help you with most anything.

Thanks as always for your continued support and we'll see you when we get back.

Seymour is one of the pups we'll be visiting on our vacation.

A big thanks to all of you!

We want to THANK YOU all for voting for us in the CBS4 Boston A List contest. Many, many thanks to everyone that took the time to vote and many thanks as well for all the kind words you left us on our testimonial page.

Thanks as well for voting us #1 Choice for Pet Stores in the Roslindale/West Roxbury area in the annual Readers' Choice Awards sponsored by the Community Newspapers Company.

We really appreciate your patronage and promise to keep looking for ways to keep your pets happy and healthy in as natural a way as possible.

Mary, Marley, and Topo thank you too.

Topo Giogio update

A brief Topo the Cat update for you...yesterday, our pals Marybeth and Joanne came in with their new puppy Kevin, an adorable and feisty 12 week old Cairn Terrier. Kevin was enjoying the place when Topo came up from the basement and noticed a puppy in the house.
Immediately, Topo trotted over to him and placed him in a headlock. Kevin was clearly confused for a second or two and then quickly turned the tables on Topo. The two went rolling off in a puppy-kitty heap up and down the length of the store. This sometimes alarming display went on for several minutes until Kevin chased Topo under one of the cat food shelves. Kevin was disappointed that playtime was over. Topo was exhausted.
We're sorry that we didn't have any cameras around to grab some action shots of the brawl, but we'd like to invite Kevin back for a grudge re - match. Topo is already in training.

This vaccination thing

So this is the time of year that we see a large number of puppies and kittens. Lots of adorable little ones are coming into the store and we are so happy to see all of them...the cuteness factor has been cranked up so much that it is almost too much to take.
Many new owners are coming in with lots of questions about how best to care for their new pets and we are delighted to help in any way we can. There is though, one particular topic we'd like ALL pet owners to think about. That is how frequently you are going to vaccinate your pet.
Typically, yearly vaccinations have been recommended for cats and dogs but now the necessity of this practice is being questioned. Indeed, yearly vaccinations may in fact be doing more harm than good. Illness and allergic reaction can occur in otherwise healthy pets after a vaccination, especially for older pets or those with an already compromised immune system (i.e. many, if not most pets taken from "stress" situations like a shelter).
We're going to recommend that you visit a couple of Web sites that spend quite a bit of time discussing the vaccination debate. One of those sites is Shirley's Wellness Cafe and the other is Jeane's Holistics
You don't have to believe or agree with any or all of the information that is presented in these forums, but we ask that you educate yourselves to the choices around vaccinating and to the alternatives to vaccinating, such as using homeopathic nosodes.
Please BE AWARE of what your choices are and don't just blindly do what your vet (or doctor) tells you to do unless you thoroughly understand it and are comfortable with it. We all want our animal pals to live a good, long, healthy life and we're responsible for making decisions about their care. Let's try to make the best, most informed decisions we can make for them.

The newest addition

So I've been holding out on you kids a bit because I have neglected to tell you of a new addition to The Pet Cabaret family of animals. Currently we have Marley the 12 year old Cock-a-poo, Mary the 12 year old Mini Poodle, now the "newest" boy, 10 year old Topo Gigio the cat. Both Marley and Mary are rescue pooches. Marley comes from The Northeast Animal Shelter in Salem, MA and Mary comes from Poodle Rescue New England.
And now, thanks to our pals at the Mass. Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals(MSPCA), we have Mr.Topo.
He is a very good boy and adapting well to being a "working cat". He seems to love dogs and trots out to greet most every visiting dog that comes into the store. He plays with the smaller dogs very nicely and likes to "light up" bigger dogs by running by them in a big hurry. Our pal, Scott Dunmore, who is a wonderful dog trainer (617.892.5042 ) installed a kitty door for Topo and now he seems to know he can engage in this risky behavior and still get away safely. At least he has a hobby...Topo, that is, not Scott.

Nag, nag, nag...all you do is nag me.....

A reminder for those interested in attending the Animal Communication lecture on Wednesday, June 21st, at 7:00 PM. It is filling up, so please give us a call at 617.327.4211 or drop us an email at petcabaret@rcn.com to register. The last lecture was fun and informative and the readings were great, so feel free to drop by and hang out with us.

If you haven't done so already, it'd be great if you could vote for us as "Boston's Best Pet Store" at http://cbs4boston.cityvoter.com We'd really appreciate your vote.

And not to be a nag but...flea and tick season hasn't yet kicked into high gear so...while you still have a little time, we'd strongly urge all dog and cat owners to come in and investigate our chemical free flea and tick repellents by AromaDog and Quantum Herbal Products. Please consider a less harmful alternative (for your pet, for yourself, and for the environment) than applying harsh chemicals to your animal. We're finding our non-chemical choices to be effective and safe so please call us or drop by to check them out.

Quick updates

Hi there,

Just to let you all know a couple of things...The Pet Cabaret just got nominated as "Best Pet Supply Store" in the Boston area on CBS Ch.4. If you have a moment, it'd be great if you could navigate over to http://cbs4boston.cityvoter.com/CategoryList.aspx and cast a vote for us. We're under the "Shopping" category, in "Pet Supplies". We'd really appreciate it.

Also, due to popluar demand we are having our animal communicator, Janet Kennedy back for another talk. She'll be at The Pet Cabaret on Wednesday, June 21st, at 7:00 PM for a lecture and readings. Like the last time, Janet will do 15 minute readings for attendees after the talk. The talk is free, but the cost for those readings will be $25.00. The last talk was very well attended so please sign up early for this one by calling us st 617-323-7387.

Cleaning up after the kids

So we all know that living with pets is largely a very enjoyable thing. We love them, they love us, we play with them, we talk to them, we hang out...mostly all cool things, until we get to cleaning up after them.
Needless to say we should all be cleaning up after them on walks. It's just too easy to do. There are dozens of poop bag holders and many different types of poop bags. We sell quite a few at The Pet Cabaret and we don't even scratch the surface of the "world of poop paraphernalia".
For those with yards cleaning up is also an important, if not elegant chore. It's really an important thing to do as the weather becomes warmer. Disposing of dog doo helps keep your yard free of pests and disease and is an important step in keeping pets healthy. It's one of those things that just has to be done.
To make things even easier, there is a new service in the Boston area that can help out with maintaining pristine puppy territory and it's called Pup Cleanup. These lovely people come to your home and take care of your dog's "output". They'll pick it up and dispose of it, so you don't have to. They'll come on a regular basis or for a one time cleanup and their prices are resonable, so give them a call. There's no more excuses.

Party time and You're Invited!!

Hey kids, this is to let you know that a great local all breed rescue group, Underdog ResQ, is having their first annual Cocktail Party/Urban BBQ.

It'll be taking place on Sunday, July 16, 2006 at the 33 Restaurant and Lounge, on 33 Stanhope Street in Boston. Festivities will go from 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM. They'll be games, auctions, raffles and lots of great food and drink.

Tickets are $75.00 for one ticket or $125.00 for two tickets.

There are excellent raffle prizes including two first class US Airways tickets to anywhere in the US and a 1 week stay at a dog-friendly, 4 bedroom Nantucket home. Raffle tickets are $20.00 each and are available at The Pet Cabaret.

Event and raffle tickets can be purchased at www.underdogresq.com and donations are welcome if you cannot attend the event.

Please think about attending this event if you can. The Underdog ResQ people are a very cool, very caring, and very dedicated group of all breed rescuers that richly deserve our support.

Again with the Herbal Flea and Tick Repellents

So the news is good with the herbal flea and tick repellents from Quantum Herbal Products and from AromaDog.

We sold completely out of our first shipment of products in less than a week and are getting excellent reports on their efficacy. So far, all of our users have reported that their pets are remaining flea and tick free. It's true that we haven't yet gotten into the high heat of the summer, but many people were finding ticks on their pets even this early in the season, so we see these early reports as very positive.

To help keep your pets healthy and pest free we recommend the following:

1. Feed a minimally processed diet. If home cooking or raw-feeding is not for you, feed an excellent quality kibble such as Wysong, Innova, Artemis, or Solid Gold and add fresh foods to the animal's diet.

2. Supplement pets with a multi-vitamin, multi-mineral supplement such as Nupro or Wholistic Pet Canine Complete. This helps to build and maintain healthy immune systems. A healthy animal is much more resistant to parasites and other pests.

3. Use herbal or homeopathic flea and tick repellents, carefully following the application instructions.

4. Check your pet often for fleas and ticks. If you do find one (or more), remove it with a flea comb or a tick puller. Drown the univited visitor in a small container filled with water and a couple of drops of dishwashing liquid.

5. Remember that all these cool foods and products are available at The Pet Cabaret.

"Talk" to you all soon.

Herbal Flea and Tick Repellents

We are pleased to announce the arrival of our new line of herbal flea and tick repellents from Quantum Herbal Products. We are carrying their 100% Natural Flea and Tick Spray and their Worm/Parasite Formula tincture. We look forward to using these two products in tandem to help protect pets from fleas and ticks this season with out using that harsh chemical junk.

We're also carrying the Calendula tincture and their Pet Cream salve. Both products have wonderful skin healing properties and the cream is especially good for wounds and hot spots.

Let us know if you'd like to try these great products, or if you've had experience with them in the past. We're excited to have them in the store to complement our other line of natural flea and tick repellents from Aromadog and Natural Chemistry.

Hello again!

Hi all,

Sorry for the disappearing act, things have been a little crazy around here, but we think they will start to settle down soon.

Some new stuff to tell you - the animal communicator talk with Janet Kennedy, went really well. Janet spoke for a while on the basics of animal communication and then did several readings for the attendees. People we think, were quite pleased and we plan to have Janet back sometime soon.

Also, with the coming of flea and tick season we are bringing in some new herbal products for cats and dogs that will repel fleas and ticks. We really don't like the idea of using the monthly systemic pesticides that are so popular these days. We've seen far too many negative reactions in animals to these substances, despite all their claims of "safety". We've also seen animals still coming up with fleas and ticks despite their use. So why bother we say? Let's try something less hostile to the animal and environment. We'll talk about the products as soon as we receive them.

Rescue Remedy use in animals

The following information is taken from "Bach Flower Remedies for Animals" written by Helen Graham and Gregory Vlamis.

In the section on dosages, it says: "Flower essences (FEs) are administered in drops, a single drop at a time. They are normally given by mouth. Five days is the average period of treatment, although they can be continued for two weeks or longer. Dosage varies with the particular situation and the animal species being treated. The standard dose is 4 drops. More drops are not harmful, but wasteful. Fewer drops can be used if the animal is quite small (squirrels, hamsters, rabbits). For large breeds of dogs (St. Bernards, Great Danes), sheep and goats, 6 drops should be given. Horses and cows get 10-15 drops. These can be given as often as necessary but at least four times daily. Drops can be applied directly on or under the animal's tongue, dropped onto the nose to be licked off, or rubbed into the gums or lips. They also can be added to water, food, treats, etc., but this is not as reliable because you can't monitor the exact amount they are taking. You can also mix with water and spray it on the skin or in the air surrounding the animal. You can add it to lotions and apply it topically to the skin or fur, pulse points, or other soft cavities of the body (under the leg or arm) - I put it inside their ears sometimes.
You can also bathe the dog with water containing a few drops of FEs. They respond with great immediacy to the correct essences. If there is no apparent change after five days, you are using the wrong remedy. FEs are safe to take in combination with each other and with any other medications - allopathic or homeopathic. They are harmless, and overdose is impossible. If you administer the wrong essence, it will simply have no effect."

Rescue Remedy and other Bach Flower Essences can be purchased at The Pet Cabaret.

Animal Communicator Talk

Just a reminder that we'll be doing our talk with Animal Communicator Janet Kennedy on April 19th. That is a Wednesday evening and the talk will begin around 7:00 PM.

A number of people have already signed up for this event and we encourage those interested to call the store at 617-323-7387 and do the same. You all know how small the store is, so space is limited for this talk. Please call so we can save a space for you.

The talk is FREE but if you'd like a reading for your pet, there is a $25.oo charge. Let us know if you'd like a reading when you call. If you do want a reading, please bring in a photo of your pet preferably looking directly into the camera.

Supplements for animals

Just a quick thought on vitamin/mineral supplementation in the diets of our canine/feline/equine/small animal pals...

We encourage people to add fresh, unprocessed foods to companion animal diets. Things like raw or lightly steamed chopped vegetables, cottage cheese, yogurt, and fatty fishes like canned mackerel or salmon make wonderful additions to an animal's diet. Things like leftover Chinese take-out or pizza do not.

We also feel as though supplementation is an important part of a healthy animal diet. There are some really great products on the market today and we carry a number of them.
Products by The Wholistic Pet, Wysong, and Animal Essentials have all proven to be effective for us and our customes as we work to get and keep our pets healthy.

We've had especially good luck relieving some of the pain and limited mobility of older pets with joint problems. Also remember that flea and tick season will soon be on us and an animal with a robust immune system repels fleas and ticks much more effectively than an unhealthy animal.

Even the best of diets is sometimes lacking in a complete spectrum of nutrients, so please consider a good quality supplement in your pet's diet.

Vincent...Canine Criminal

This is a mug shot of Vincent, recently charged with

criminal canine activity (i.e. playing, acting like a dog)

at the Arboretum.

Let's Get Our Dog Park

The topic that we've been hearing the most about at the store lately (besides the naked chicken issue) is that of our lack of a dog park in the area.

Despite the fact that there are many dog owners in the Roslindale, JP, West Roxbury area, this area continues to suffer from a lack of "legal dog space". This seems even less forgiveable given the fact that there are active dog parks in other parts of the city - Peters Park in the South End and The Boston Common.

With newly increased vigilance in the Arboretum from the Park Rangers, it's hard not to feel frustrated with our lack of a sanctioned doggie space.

We feel as though it's time to put some renewed effort into getting all of us a legal dog park in our neck of the woods. Please contact us with your thoughts and ideas.

Animal Communication at The Pet Cabaret

Well, we met the coolest animal communicator the other day. Her name is Janet Kennedy and her site is The Four Directions. Janet did a reading on our dogs Mary and Marley.
We've started taking the dogs home from work a bit early because Janet said they were getting a bit tired at the shop all day. I think that the whole "meet and greet" thing is very tiring to them, and we've definitely noticed that they seem happier and a bit more relaxed since they've been working a little less.

So now we've realized that the whole animal communication thing is of great interest to many people and we've asked Janet to come in and do a talk for us. She has graciously agreed to do on Wednesday, April 19th, 2006 at 7:00 PM.
She will also do brief readings for the first five people that sign up for the lecture. Please note that the lecture is free, but the fee for those readings is $25.00.
We really think that this is a great opportunity to learn about the subject of animal communication with a sensitive and thoughtful guide like Janet. If you're interested in attending, please contact us here at The Pet Cabaret.

Congrats to our pal Jester!

This is our pup pal Jester, owned by our human pal David of Madrigal Shih Tzu. Jester took Best Puppy in this, his first show, and we're just kvelling over it all. He's a happy boy with a bright future. Jester dines on Artemis Small Breed food as well as on other delicious bit of food that David provides.

In the words of John Waters...

"There will always be plenty of chickens and plenty of eggs..."

Miraculously, the chickens seem to be reproducing in our store windows. Where there used to be only one or two there are now about twenty. Clearly all the noteriety has gone to their heads...and elsewhere.

Now everyone can have there very own chicken to love.

Come on down to The Pet Cabaret. Henrietta awaits.

The chicken that won't be choked....

Hi all,

Just to let you know that the Henrietta Chicken controversy continues to affect the daily lives of all Roslindale residents.

Please join us tomorrow morning at approximately 8:30 - 8:45 AM on the Karlson and McKenzie show on Boston's WZLX radio (100.7 FM) to fully understand the impact that this rubber renegade has had on our quiet little corner of the world.

Hope you all are listening in.

Lisa and Lisa

SugarLump R.I.P.

Our longtime buddy SugarLump passed away earlier this week after a bout with bone cancer. SugarLump was a good and true friend and loved by many humans and dogs alike.
We will miss her deeply.

Our condolences to her mom Sharon.

Get Well Wishes to Caesar

This is our pal Caesar.




He is a Dogue de Bordeaux and was rescued by two really cool people, Dave and Katie. He has a good home now after a rough start and is recovering from recent ACL surgery. We're all trying to get him healthy and keep him that way. He loves visiting us here at The Pet Cabaret... I don't think the treats have anything to do with it.

Let's not drag Porky into this....

One of our astute readers states:
"Porky Pig got into the same trouble when someone noticed he doesn't wear pants.
I guess they didn't notice his friends, Bugs and Daffy (when they weren't cross dressing) were completely nude.

Oh - what to do about this "naked animal" epidemic!"


We'd like to suggest a journey to: http://drawn.ca/2006/01/27/almost-naked-animals/

Naked Rubber Chicken Furor

So you know, most of the time the pet business is a relatively safe and fun business. 99% of the time the people that come into the store are totally cool. They bring their pets and aside from an occasional misplaced pee-pee or poop or puddle of drool, things go well. We all have fun. We sell nice foods, we sell tasty treats, and we sell doggie and kitty toys. What could be wrong with that?

Funny you should ask.

It's the end of the day and we're getting ready to close. The phone rings and a rather desperate sounding man asks if we are the store with the "naked chickens" in the window. Thinking it's one of our friends, Lisa S. says "Why yes, we are."

At this point the guy gets a touch mental and accuses us of selling "pornographic materials" (in the form of a rubber chicken dog toy). He asks how he is supposed to walk his children by our store and explain to them why there are naked chickens in the window. He begs us to remove them so he and his children can walk the streets unmolested by the buxom, suggestive, and latex Henrietta Chicken.

Lisa explained to him that all chickens are naked, they usually don't wear clothes. By contrast, Henrietta was wearing a purple polka dot bikini, and so was not naked.

He remained unconvinced. He threatened to call the Mayor's office and report us. (I am not sure which department of Mayor Menino's office deals with rubber chickens. I'll get back to you kids on that.)

I've posted a picture of Ms. Henrietta Chicken, a dog toy, so that you can judge for yourselves.

I'm also adding an excerpt from her bio so you all can get a taste of who she really is.

"Now retired, Henrietta lives a quiet life, far from the Vegas footlights, in a swanky trailer park near Fort Lauderdale. Hand painted, poly-filled latex dog toy. De-feathered for canine pleasure. She comes in two sizes."

Boston Pet Stores

What kind of things do you all want Boston area pet stores to carry? As you know, at The Pet Cabaret, we're into the natural, organic and holistic foods but are there certain brands that you kids want that are currently harder to find?

We currently carry Wysong, Innova, Artemis, and Canidae among others. But let us know what you'd like to see.

What do people think about Azmira, about Urban Wolf, about TimberWolf Organics?

Please let us know.

Did I tell you kids

that we're working with our pal Kristie Helms on developing something of a marketing strategy for the store. Kristie is cool and has written this cool book, "Dish It Up, Baby" which was actually published and available at real bookstores and online book stores and other real retail outlets.

These are Kristie and Katherine's kitty cats clearly sleeping off some kind of bender or other. We'll say nothing more of their behavior. It does not necessarily reflect on their home situation.

Anyhoo, we're going to be doing some fun events in the near future so keep all your little eyeballs peeled for goings on here at The Pet Cabaret. Until then, read Kristie's book, which you should, of course, try to buy at your local INDEPENDENTLY owned bookstore, like Pazzo Books.

Have you noticed

that dogs are often calmed when you wrap them in some way? So I know that this sounds strange, but what I mean is sort of swaddling them. A nice firm swaddle in a towel will many times work wonders. This method works for cats too, and we've found that in stressful situations like nail clippings, wrapping a cat securely in a towel or a blanket will often settle them right down.

This is not a theory that I am making up. Temple Grandin has written extensively on the subject. She speaks from personal experience.

There is also a product called the Anxiety Wrap which can help animals overcome nervousness, fears, and anxiety issues.

Hey, the way we think is that it is always better to try to solve problems in the least invasive way possible. Let's try wraps, let's try herbs and homeopathy before we subject our animals (and people!) to drugs. It couldn't hurt to try. Right?

Chilly today...

Chilly tomorrow too, windy as well. Snow squalls. Weeee!!!!!!!

The dogs are all coming in looking windblown and crazed. Much with the Don King look.

It IS February after all.

So what is it with...

dogs and their toenails? We trim doggie and kitty nails here at The Pet Cabaret and let me tell you, it is often quite and experience. Ten pound dogs and cats turn into little Tasmanian Devils sparking around, making ALL kinds of crazy noises. Toenail trimmers take their lives in their hands.

I am thinking it must be some sort of Samson thing with the animals.

"The source of my power is in my toenails..."

I have no other explanation.

Let's all run over to Pazzo Books on Washington St. in Roslindale to explore the Samson power myth thing. We have to come to the bottom of this.

Thanks Pet kids!

So you know, I was thinking this morning, while listening to NPR about how much crap in the world there is to be nervous, worried, afraid about. I was also thinking about how little good it does to be nervous, worried, and afraid.
Then I was thinking about what made me NOT feel these emotions as much, but rather what made me laugh and relax. What made me feel compassion. I realized that it was often Marley and Mary, my dogs, or other animals that come into the store that made me feel good. I think this is true for many people. Our pets bring us comfort and joy. Pets help us feel a little safe. They give us a great gift.
Thanks to them all.

Animal Emotions

Did anyone see the Sunday New York Times Magazine article a couple of weeks ago on the subject of animal "personalities"? It spoke of how research was being conducted that now seems to indicate that animals, from insects to dogs to primates, display what could be considered "personality traits". You know, things like timidity, aggression, cleverness, thoughtfulness, and many others that I bet you kids could think of.
I have to ask why is this such a surprise to people?! Those of us that live with animals or observed animals have no doubts that they possess complex and nuanced personalities. Why do we as humans belittle what we cannot understand? I don't get this at all.
To say that animals do not have personalitites is akin to denying the existence of a language that we cannot understand. Just because we don't get it doesn't mean that it isn't real.
Am I totally off the wall here?

Let's hear it for this kitty!

http://www.gothamist.com/archives/2006/02/09/kitty_cat_helps.php

A New Girl in Town

Meet Maya...she was just adopted from the Boston City Shelter by a nice couple, Palko and Lida. Poor Maya had been at the shelter for a couple of months, which is a mystery, because she is such a sweet girl.

Anyhow, now she has her forever home and we're glad to welcome her aboard.

So here it is, 2006 and we're hoping for a wonderful new, more peaceful year.

As always we'll try to find products for you and your pet that are healthful and high quality. Please let us know if there is any in particular that you want us to carry and we'll definitely look into it.

Thanks for all your help and patronage and here's looking forward to great new things in 2006.