Day One of the Herbal Seminar

So today was the first day of the Animal Essentials Herbal Seminar here in Hamilton, Montana. 

Not only is the seminar being taught by talented herbalist Greg Tilford, but it is being attended by a wonderful group as well including holistic vets, two women from pet food manufacturer "The Honest Kitchen", Stacy LaPoint, the owner of Companion Natural Pet Food Company (whose foods we carry), the staff of Animal Essentials, and owners of other retail stores similar to The Pet Cabaret.

We talked a great deal about how to best encourage the body to heal itself, how to support it through the use of supportive herbs and a nutritious, quality diet. We talked about chronic diseases, acute conditions, active ingredients in herbs, determining herbal dosing and LOTS of other subjects. In short, it was a day full of learning (and great food as well). Tomorrow we'll 

cover some more cool subjects and my tiny brain may just explode. 

                                                         

I took a walk through downtown Hamilton after the seminar. 

                                                                     

 Came across this tank that I thought you should see.

More Notes and Observations:

It's definitely odd to see mountains, real mountains everywhere. We are in a valley here 

so every time I look around, mountains to the left, mountains to the right.

I now know where to get a set of spurs.

Who knew there were casinos out here?

Most of America drives large pick up trucks.

Go West!

06/12/08

So I am traveling to Montana for the first time ever. I am going to a seminar entitled “Western Herbal Medicine in Veterinary Use”. It’s being hosted by Animal Essentials, one of our favorite remedy suppliers in the store. I hope to come home with lots of good new knowledge so that we can work on keeping our pets healthier in a gentler, more natural way.

I don’t travel much so I am that combination of nervous and excited, sort of feeling free and unmoored at the same time.

I have gotten into the habit, for better or for worse, of abdicating responsibility for certain things because B Looey takes care of them. Little detail things…like, do I have a watch? Do I have Kleenex? What time is the flight? What airline? Do I have “weapons” in my pockets? I forget to think about these things, until I have to remember them.

Today I had to remember them. I am doing OK…not great with the details. I left my “Juice” in my checked luggage. Good. I forgot my watch. Not so good. I remembered my glasses. Score! I forgot Kleenex. There are paper towels in the restrooms. I did not check for changes in my flight. There was one. It will take a while for me to adjust to thinking for myself.

Travel notes…

Travel is not as much fun as it used to be.

The space, or lack thereof, on planes is enough to keep me on a diet for the rest of my life. The aisles are not even wide enough to fit their own equipment. I was roused from my Dramamine induced stupor when my shoulder took a massive hit from the beverage cart as the flight attendant attempted to maneuver it through the plane. The abuse did not end there. My shoulder apparently had a bulls-eye printed on it as visitors to the rear of the plane pretty much just took part of my arm with them coming and going.

There is a very talkative 3 or 4 year old sitting behind me who is not using her “inside voice” and a wildly precocious 9 or 10 year old sitting in front of me. They are vying for the title of “most annoying”. Both sets of parents have apparently just given up.


Notes and Observations thus far:
I think that the Missoula runway must be pretty short because the pilot pretty much popped a wheelie while landing the plane. Since I am writing this from the beauty of my Super 8 motel room in Hamilton, MT, I am assuming he knew what he was doing.

You don’t see as many cowboy hats in Boston as you do in Montana or on the way there.

Consume a LOTTA meat out here.

A New Photographer and Pet Photo Day!

We are thoroughly pleased to announce that on Sunday, June 29th, photographer Andrew Potter will be doing pet portraits here at The Pet Cabaret.

Andrew is a Roslindale guy and does beautiful work of pets, people and objects. Check out his website at http://potterimages.com/ for a look at his work.

Now here's a few of the details on the photo day:

- Each session is a private sitting that will last about 20 minutes or so.

- Sessions must be booked in advance.

- Multiple pets are welcome.

- Kids and owners can sit in on the shots.

- There is a $25.00 non-refundable fee required to book a session.

- The total session fee is $75.00 and includes a Photo package. The Photo Package includes one of the following:

2 - 8 x 10 prints, or 1 - 8 x 10 and 2 - 5 x 7 prints, or 1 - 8 x 10 and 4 - 4 x 6 prints.

- Andrew will post each session to his website in its own secure gallery so that you may choose the shots you want.

So there you have it. Please come into the shop or give us a call at 617-353-7387 to book a session with Andrew.

Also remember that we'll be choosing pet shots from these sessions for display in our windows, so this may be your pet's opportunity to become a star!

Speak Out Against "Pet Rentals" in Massachusetts-

This information was forwarded to us by our pals at Poodle Rescue New England. Please take a minute to help out, this needs NOT to happen in Massachusetts or any other state for that matter.

If you think dogs and cats should not be used and returned like ZipCars,now's the time to do something about it. Waiting even a few weeks could be toolate. FlexPetz, which rents companion dogs by the hour or day, is poised toopen in Boston soon. Once the door is open, other pet rental businesses willfollow.All aggressively promote the "disposable pet" mindset, to the detriment ofanimals--and those of us dedicated to rescuing them.Every voice is needed; Boston residents have extra clout.How to Help in Three Quick, Easy Ways

1. Urge your Boston City Councilor to ban FlexPetz and similar businesses,because they could put animals, consumers and the general public at risk.How? See the Talking Points, below. You can send Councilors the attached ExpertPerspectives for extra impact.To find your Councilor: _http://www.cityofboston.gov/CITYCOUNCIL/_(http://www.cityofboston.gov/CITYCOUNCIL/)

2. Call State Rep. Angelo Scaccia (617-722-2692), who represents parts ofBoston and Milton. If you're a constituent, say so. Urge that "An ActProhibiting the Renting of Pets" (HD 4864) be released right away. That's just thefirst step in the passage process, which ends in July, so it has to happenNOW. If you get voicemail, leave a message (including your address) but try tocall back to speak with a person.

3. Ask your state rep and senator to co-sponsor; 17 colleagues already havestepped up, yours should too. Most legislators have expressed personalsupport, but want to hear from constituents: That means you. You have the power toprotect animals. Please don't let them down.To find your legislators:_http://www.wheredoivotema.com/bal/myelectioninfo.php_ (http://www.wheredoivotema.com/bal/myelectioninfo.php)Want to do more?

Join a group of animal lovers who will be visiting Beacon Hill to speak withlegislators personally. Email _CPRPets@aol.com_ (mailto:CPRPets@aol.com) byMay 7 if you're available for an hour or two on a weekday.

Rent Cars, Not Pets: Talking PointsFlexPetz is a business that rents dogs by the hour or day for people to useand return on whim. FlexPetz calls it "flexible ownership." But exploitationby any name hurts.Why It's Bad for Pets

1. Pet rental businesses suggest they benefit shelter animals. Not so,according to the MSPCA, Animal Rescue League, Buddy Dog Humane Society and otherreputable shelters and rescue groups: They oppose renting pets and don'tprovide animals for this purpose. Besides, dogs appealing enough to command heftyusage fees obviously are appealing enough to be adopted. Duh! Instead, they're turned into profit centers.

2. Being rented could ruin a companion animal's chance for a "forever home"when the business is done with her, according to behavior consultant JoJacques, CDBC, CPDT, CPCT. "These animals will become distrustful of humans; theywill withdraw. If they're not adopted or it fails as a result? Off to ashelter, but older, more confused…and more likely to be euthanized or spend therest of their lives in cages."

3. Dogs and cats need stability and consistency. Rental pets are handed offto a succession of people for short periods of time, subjected to differentpersonalities, routines and rules. "I see a lot of dogs who have severebehavioral issues resulting from inconsistency. It is nearly impossible to beconsistent with rented pets," says Jo Jacques.

4. What happens to rental pets who become chronically ill, are criticallyinjured or develop behavior problems? No business can hold "inventory" thatcosts instead of pays. And few people adopt animals requiring a lifetime ofexpensive medical care. Fewer still want those who bite. What do you thinkhappens to them?

5. Who will protect rental pets from abuse? Because these businesses areunregulated, it is unlikely animal protection agencies will know if the pets arebeing abused—or their fate when they cease to be profitable.

6. Who will pay attention to early signs of distress? Probably not a doggieday care worker charged with overseeing a pack, including rental pets betweenassignments. Like humans, an animal's psychological and physical problemsare more easily treated when caught early. Unlike humans, animals may be putdown if those problems escalate.

7. Renting encourages "disposable pet syndrome"—thinking of all pets as "things" we enjoy till they're no longer cute or convenient, then return.

8. Pet rentals and dog fighting are on the same continuum: They trade ondesensitization of humans, commoditization of animals. One business conditionsus to tolerate the other.

Why It's Bad for People - Even well-mannered pets are more apt to bite when stressed, and constantchange is very stressful, say the experts. Consumers may not appreciate the riskof injury—or a lawsuit—to which renting a pet could expose them."Indemnification or liability insurance, if offered, may not adequately protect petrental clients from the stress and/or staggering costs of litigation," accordingto Atty. Jonathan Stone Rankin.

Why It's Bad for Massachusetts - The "disposable pet syndrome" that pet rental businesses promote mayultimately strain public and private resources. It is akin to the dumbing down ofAmerica—except it's our perception of and responsibility to companion animalsthat will erode. That can only lead to increased pet abandonment, adoptionreturns and abuse. And that hurts all of us, including taxpayers who don'thave an affinity for animals.

Explaining ourselves...the wonderful world of EFAs

Those of you that have been in the store know that we are big fans of supplementing our pets' diets. It's not as though we feel that our foods aren't "good enough" to nicely sustain our pet pals, it's just that each animal is different and has different needs.
Some animals, like people, need more of certain vitamins or minerals than others, some need a joint supplement to help them with pain or stiffness, some need an herbal or homeopathic remedy to help with anxiety or fear. Supplements are not a "one size fits all" thing and we love to talk to people to try to help find the right nutritional fix or remedy for their pet.
Still there are some supplements that can be used that really will help most any animal, and one of those is an Essential Fatty Acid Oil in the form of fish oil. We feel that Dr. Shawn Messionnier, author of the excellent book, The Natural Health Bible for Dogs and Cats, (available at The Pet Cabaret) perhaps provides one of the best explanations as to why fish oil is such a great choice for a supplement.
Dr. Messonnier says,
"Fish oil is one of my favorite supplements for a variety of problems in both dogs and cats. Even normal pets can benefit from improved haircoats when supplemented with fatty acids such as fish oil. In pets, fish oil is useful for reducing inflammation in pets with allergic skin disease and kidney failure. It possibly also helps pets with heart disease and osteoarthritis. Studies show that pets fed high doses of fish oil have better control of cancer. Extra vitamin E is needed when giving fish oil on a regular basis as fish oil supplemented for many months can lower vitamin E levels (most fish oil supplements contain additional vitamin E for this reason [all available at The Pet Cabaret contain additional vitamin E.])
Side effects are very rare using fish oil...There is concern about environmental contamination of fish oil with toxins. Studies have shown that fish meat (not oil) may be contaminated with methylmercury."

So, next time you're in the store, take a look at some of the EFA and fish oils we offer by Bravo, The Wholistic Pet, Nordic Naturals, Animal Essentials, and Wysong. You and your pet will be glad you did.

Quick Notes

Hi kids,



A couple of quick notes for you all...



Flea and tick season approaches as we speak. You all know that we are not fans of the chemical potions that are used as flea and tick repellents. We feel that they're bad for you, your pet, and the environment. We have in stock again this year the Tic Clip, a non toxic flea and tick repellent out of Germany as well as a number of herbal and esential oil sprays designed to keep you and you pets pest free and healthy.



We have in as well some non toxic household cleaners designed again, for safe, effective use in the home.



We've taken in a new line of hemp toys for cats and dogs manufactured by a small company called From the Field out of Washington state. They are simple, yet wonderful little toys made from sustainable hemp that our cat and dogs are enjoying.



Lastly, please visit Healthy Home Center site for some tips on how to make your home a better place for all the beings that hang out there. We all deserve a safe, healthy home.

Panda's Big Bash

Panda cuts her cake

Mary is thrilled

So today is Panda's all day birthday soiree...and the festivities are OUT OF CONTROL! Friends have been stopping by for cake and biscuits all morning. Here's a brief glimpse at what's going on...

Indy waits for

some more cake

Some Sad News

It is with much sadness that we tell you all of the sudden and unexpected death of our wonderful store cat, Topo Gigio.

Topo died last night around 7:30 pm at the store. We were getting ready to leave for the night and as usual, Topo was looking for his dinner. He was nudging at Lisa to feed him and as she got up to do so, he went into a violent seizure.

I stayed with him while Lisa ran to get something to help him and the seizure seemed to subside a bit. Then he let out three great yeowls and simply died. It all took less than a minute. He was there and then he wasn't.

Topo was a very good store cat. Nothing really seemed to bother him. He loved watching people at the counter and from the store windows. He loved dogs and played with our puppy Panda every day. In fact, Panda rushed around looking for him this morning and seems confused and forlorn that he is not coming out for a game of chase.

Thank you all for being nice to Topo and tolerant of his "love bites". We will miss him very much.

Begging apologies...

We have to beg your apologies for our extended silence here in lovely blog land. We've been a bit pulled thin, having to do many things in our personal lives as well as at the store so some things have slipped through the cracks...el bloggo being one of them.
In the next few weeks things should begin to settle down a bit and we hope to be chatting more regularly. There are, as always, SO MANY THINGS to talk about...

There are a few things you should know about in the short term though:

We will be CLOSED on Tuesday, February, 26th to take care of some personal business. This is for one day only. We'll be back the next day, Wednesday, February, 26th for our regular tour of duty.

Also, some new foods that you should taks a look at include Orijen Six, a grainless, fish formula Orijen product that is going very nicely and feeding well.

Wellness has expanded its Core (grainless) line to include a fish based offering as well. Again, feeding very nicely. A little lower protein and fat than the other grainless products making it more suitable for some dogs.

These two new fish based products give some more options to those of you that have been feeding Timber Wolf's Ocean Blue kibble, which is sometimes difficult to get.

Holiday Update and Hours

Just to let you all know that we still have some great holiday treasures for your best pals. There are treats and toys including lots of new stuff that we haven't carried before. We did, however, sell out of all the vinyl doggie beer bottles, so if your canine pal was planning on a holiday bender he will have to rethink his plans.

Anyhoo, we did want to let you know that we will be open normal hours throughout the holiday season.
That means we are open:
Tuesdays through Fridays 10 am - 7 pm.
We are open Saturdays 10 am - 6 pm
Sundays 12 pm -4 pm

We WILL be OPEN Christmas Eve from 10 am - 5 pm

We will be open normal hours again through December 30th.

We will be CLOSED for a short vacation from Monday, Dec. 31 through Thursday, January, 4th.

We will reopen on Friday, January 5th.

Many thanks to all of you for making our first year at our new location so much fun and so successful. Happy, happy, merry, merry to you all.

Come on down!

Hi kids,

We have lots of new things to tell you about. There are new pictures of neighborhood dogs in the store's window boxes. They are from our holiday photo shoot and they are really quite fabulous.
Take a good look at Riley the Jack Russell's smile and Wolfie the Poodle's antler set up. Excellent!
We have lots of new merchandise in from foods and treats to toys and jackets from Foggy Mountain Dog Coats.
Please also say "Hi" to some of our new pals that are helping us out at the store. You'll find Elaine, Roberta, Whitney, Kelly, Liz, and Heather at various points throughout the week.

Remember kids....

There are only a couple of spaces left for our Holiday Pet Photo shoot that will be held this Sunday, November 18th from 11 AM to 5 PM.

These are private sittings with photographer Chris McLay and are $50.00 each. These great photos will make wonderful holiday gifts or excellent keepsakes.

Call the store right away at 617.323.7387 to reserve your spot.

Your pet could end up in one of our window boxes.....

Holiday items for the pooch or puss in your life are being put out daily. Check in for gift ideas and more new foods each day.

COME ON DOWN!!!

A few words

So sorry that we have been silent on the blog for so long. Things have been very busy (thankfully) at the store. We are trying to get a handle on new merchandise and have been moving things around like crazy in the shop. Please come in and take a look around at some of the new stuff we brought back from the trade show we attended in October.

One of our biggest hits has been some wonderful freeze dried products from Companion Natural Pet Foods in Wisconsin.This is a great small company with a hands on owner who really cares about her product and it truly shows. Just the kind of company we like to do business with.

We've also had good feedback about the Petganics cleaning products we've been selling. We've been using them at the store for a while and have found them gentle and effective. We decided that bringing them in wasn't a bad idea. See what you think.

Also, we wanted to let you know about this new recycling/fundraising program we just learned about called Project KOPEG.It is an organization that will help non-profit groups through a Green Recycling Fundraiser Program. This program allows organizations to collect "e - waste"; things like cell phones, ink cartridges, and other electronics. Project KPOEG will then pick up this waste and give the collecting organization a check. What a great way to keep this stuff out of landfills and give some money to places like schools and animal shelters! We think this is definitely worth looking into.

Back from "Out There"

So off we went to Chicago to our yearly trade show where we found lots of fun stuff. Not too much was shockingly "new" though the advancements and refinements in food development are really amazing.

We picked up some cool kitty stuff including a most impressive scratcher that kitty can lie in, sleep on, or even scratch. Also got some hand knitted kitty toys and different types of tempting feline treats. Kitty will also soon have a great new food line to feast upon, Weruva. We haven't heard a bad report about this food from any kitties or their humans.

We picked up a number of tasty treats for our canine pals including this year's new chewing sensation...the skate tail. Got some tough toys for the kids to bang around the yard and some plush ones for them to toss about the house. Picked up a few hand knitted pooch sweaters including a few small ones with hoods for that very special South American look. We think you'll like some of the new collar and leash lines we're going to be bringing in as well. Take a look at the wonderful pieces from The Kenyan Collection, Dublin Dog, and Bowchies. Your pooch will be truly stylin' in these duds.

We'll also be looking into Weruva food for dogs as well as Canine Caviar/Feline Caviar.
We doing our research now about these lines.

So be sure to come in to see us soon as the new things begin to arrive.

And come in to sympathize with us about how we were trapped at O'Hare airport in Chicago for nearly two days as flight after flight to Boston was canceled due to "mechanical" problems.

A reminder

that we will be CLOSED from Friday, October 12th through Monday, October 15th.

This is not because we are jetting off to the islands, but rather to a trade show in Chicago.

We're really sorry for any inconvenience that this may cause any of you. Please forgive us but our staffing has not yet caught up with our expansion.

The upside of all this is that we should be bringing in some cool new stuff for pups and kitties, bunnies and birds.

Thanks for your understanding.

A Puppy Scorned

As I sit writing this, Panda is in my lap...a puppy scorned.
Our last customer tonight was Willa the Aussie and try as Panda might, she could not get Willa to even look at her.
Panda twirled, she licked, she jumped, she whined, she begged, she rolled over and exposed her belly to the enitre store but Willa ignored her. Totally ignored her.
Finally Panda gave up and fell into a puppy depression. And there she remains.

We'll have to get Topo in to light her up which shouldn't be too hard to manage.

Oh yeah, also want to let you know that we're having our annual Howl - o -ween Photo Shoot on Sunday, October 28th! This is always a total sell out so please book early. Photographer Chris McLay will be working her magic on your costumed and humiliated pets.

Cool customer Josh Glenn has a new book out entitled "Taking Things Seriously: 75 Objects with Unexpected Significance". Find it at Pazzo Books in Roslindale Square. Buy it. It's cool.

New stuff in the store

Just a brief update on some new items that we have lurking about in the store...

There's some new dog biscuits to try, Sojourner Farms Good Dog Treats in the new Blueberry Cobbler flavor. Yummy, adorable, and filled with antioxidants. We also have Sojo's newly formulated Dog Treats in a variety of flavors. The bacon is a real hit here at the store.

Take a look as well at some of the new products by Artemis. They have a variety of new products including a kitten food, a senior cat food, high proteing foods, and an organic dog biscuit. Users of Artemis products know how nicely these products feed and are received so we encourage you to try some of these new items.

We have some new lighted collar covers in from Polybrite that we think will work nicely for the upcoming shorter days.

New coats will soon be in from Foggy Mountain dog coats. Stylish and durable. What more could an urban pooch want?

We'll soon be off to our yearly trade show at the beginning of October so we'll have some spankin' new things for the holiday season.

Let us know what you you're interested in.

See you all soon.

Photo Day

We had another really successful pet portrait photo day on September 9th. Again, photographer Chris McLay of Unleashed Photography did a great job handling all sorts of pet and animal portraits that day. Even being cuffed off the head multiple times by a camera shy kitty cat did not deter Chris' assistant Jamie from wrangling all the pets into beautiful poses for their shots. They truly are an amazing pair.

Look for some new shots in our window boxes in the near future from these portraits.

We're planning our next photo day for Sunday, October 28th and we'll be sending out an email soon about that.

Please call us if you're interested in reserving a space for that session which is our Halloween shoot.
Believe me, this one will sell out very early.

Catching up

Hi kids,

Well it's been REALLY busy since we've gotten back from our little vacation and I haven't had the time to post here at all. So here is a quick catch up post.

Panda and Mary visited the beach while on vacation and it was Panda's first time. Initially, she was a bit afraid of the whole thing but then the sand between her toes sent her off into puppy heaven. She ran like a nut in circles watched by a puzzled Mary who's had many beach experiences. All in all though, her visits were a great success and she definitely interested in returning and eating and rolling in some more dead things.

New products

In our continuing search to bring in "greener" products we've recently begun to sell AKC dog toys that are made from and packaged in recycled materials.

We're bringing in the AKC Green Planet collection of plush toys and other items utilizing as many recycled materials as possible. Fortunately, the pet industry is hearing the consumer demand for greener products and practices so our ability to provide more environmentally sensitive products to you should only increase.

Along those lines, we've also just brought in another new flea and tick repellent product called Tic Clip. The Tic Clip is a tag worn around the neck of a dog or cat. It provides flea and tick repellent properties for up to two years and is safe for animals of all ages as well as sick or compromised snimals. We've had good reports from customers that have been using the Tic Clip this season and we're excited about providing you with another chemical free pest control method.



Just so you know, we're also looking into a way to provide reuseable shopping bags to our customers in an effort to reduce the waste that we generate as a business. Let us know if you have any ideas that might help us to operate in a more environmentally friendly way.

Tattoos.....

So on a bit of a different note, we both decided to have tattoos last week. This was not a random decision. We thought about it long and hard and finally decided that we were MORE than old enough to make this decision.

Naturally enough I guess, we both went for animal tattoos, a robin, and a Marley drawing, (our boy dog that passed away last September).


Here's what they looked like just a few days after they were done.







Both pieces were ably and beautifully done by Darlene Di Bona of Fat Ram's Pumpkin Tattoo in Jamaica Plain, MA.
Our sickeningly talented designer Bob Quinn drew the Marley cartoon and it was important to us that the tattoo remain faithful to the original work. Darlene did that like the true artist she is.
She worked from a number of sources for the robin essentially creating her own piece.

She was very patient and gentle with two newbies and we really appreciate all her hard work and tremendous talent.

Stick up for your pets....

It seems to us that flea season has suddenly gotten really bad. People come in every day and say that their pets and their homes are infested with the little critters. They're in a panic because their pets are suffering and often they're suffering as well with concerns over the welfare of their families and pets.

We maintain our conviction that the best way to avoid or ease a flea outbreak is to keep your pets as healthy as possible. Feed them well. Supplement their diet. Provide fresh water and good exercise for them. Use repellent products that are derived from natural ingredients such as herbals or essential oils (remember, no essential oils for cats. We have special formulas for them.), such as Quantum Herbal's 100% Natural Flea and Tick Spray,
Halo's Cloud Nine Herbal Dip, Aroma Dog's Flea Flicker Spray, or Dancing Paws Flee, Flea!

We sell all of these products because we use them and truly believe that they represent a real and healthy alternative to chemical pest repellents. Honestly, we just cannot get our heads around using all this chemically based flea and tick repellent junk. It seems to us that there are enough potentially dangerous chemicals in our lives.

This stance has not made us popular with local vets and we're not exactly sure why. We're not advocating that you disregard the advice of your veterinarian. We're merely suggesting that you know your options. We're suggesting that you open a real dialogue with your vet. That you ask about what is being done to your pet and what the possible ramifications are. Advocate for your pet's health the same way you advocate for your own or your family's. It seems to us that any good vet should be willing to discuss concerns with you and consider new treatment avenues as well.

There ARE other ways to do things, we just have to look for them and be willing to try them.

There's some new stuff in

We just wanted to let you know that we have some new foods in the store that you kids may be interested in trying.
The first one is Orijen, a high protein, low carbohydrate, grain free food from Canada.
The second is Natural Planet Organics, a new organic food certified by Oregon Tilth.
We also have some new canned food in by Tripett, a couple of different kinds of green tripe and a tripe, duck, and salmon mix. Very nice for sensitive bellies or picky eaters.

Please come by and take a look at them and see if they might be right for your pals.

Also, we will be closing the first Sunday of July, August, and September. We'll be open all other Sundays as usual from 12 PM - 4 PM.

Panda arrives

So yesterday was the big day for us; we went to pick up Baby Panda. We felt sad about taking her from such a nice environment complete with all kinds of other wonderful animals to fascinate and occupy her. While there, we watched her play with kitties, other poodles, baby donkeys and whatever else happened by.
She seems to be doing beautifully however. She's eating well, taking visitors, pooing and peeing outside like a little champ and taking lots of naps. She's playing with all her new toys and meeting new people. Mary seems to be accepting her well and Topo will get back to us on the whole thing.
So come by and visit her soon. She will keeping an eye out for you.

Also, we are just starting to do some email communication. Just trying to let you all know what is going on at the store and what things will be coming up. Please send us your email address if you'd like to be included on our list. We will NOT slam you with trash email. I have to write them and that would take WAY too much time.

Something to be aware of...

Hi all,

Just so you kids know, we will be closed this upcoming Sunday, May 13th, for Mother's Day.

We will be CLOSED THIS SUNDAY ONLY and will reopen as ususal at 10 am on Tuesday, May 15th.

Thanks as always for visiting us and keeping us "off the streets".

Lisa, Lisa, Mary, and Topo and soon Panda...

Also, our wonderful photographer, Chris McLay is doing another pet portrait day on Sunday, June 17th.

She'll be doing individual sittings with pups and kitties and their people, really whatever you'd like.

Chris' portrait days ALWAYS sell out so preregistration and pre-payment is necessary.

Call soon to book a space with Chris!

Panda in the great out of doors

So Panda had an outing today and these candid shots were taken of her on her excursion.

These are some of her pals that she passes the time with. What a gang of little beauties!

Spring babies

Here are some other new residents of White's Farm in Pittsfield, NH.

It's crazy with the cuteness up there and spring is cute time more than any other time of year.

Baby Panda should be with us in the next couple of weeks, so be sure to stop in and make your hellos to the little girl.

Also a reminder to please vote for us on the WBZ-TV4 A-List when you have a chance.

A big thank you

We'd like to extend a very big thank you to Dr. Regina Downey of Holistic Animal Healing Clinic (1-603-772-7387) for doing an excellent lecture for us this past Friday night. She talked to us about different healing modalities including homeopathy, homotoxicology, acupuncture, herbal medicine, NAET (Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Techniques), and BICOM . She stated, of course, that all health and healing begins with proper feeding and good nutrition and we couldn't agree more.

As we've all seen recently, it's imperative to feed excellent quality, REAL food to our pets to keep them healthy. It's also vitally important to look into different forms of veterinary care for our pets. I think that we owe it to them and to ourselves to look into forms of care that are less dependent on harsh chemicals and medicines...not that medicines are bad, but they are over used.

What harm can it do to take a step back and try a gentler approach?

Panda Update

This week's Panda update

Sleeping with her sisters

What a girl, this girl...huh?

A-List Voting Time

We wanted to let you all know that we have been nominated once again for "Best Pet Supply Store" in Boston on the WBZ-TV Channel 4 A-List. We thank you for the nomination and would like to encourage you to vote for us at www.wbztv.com/alist.

It'd be a really big honor to repeat our win from last year and we could do it in memory of our dear pal Marley.

So LET'S VOTE!

Thanks!

Precious Panda

The baby Panda at four weeks. Sitting up and taking nourishment. Growing beautifully.

The Panda's Origins

Little Panda is coming to us from White's Farm in Pittsfield, NH.
It's a great place, clean and well run by Mike White. We visited there a couple of weeks ago and it was so very nice. Like one big peaceable kingdom. All the animals were happy, healthy, and co-existing beautifully.
Our little girl Mary is from Poodle Rescue of New England.
Marley was from The Northeast Animal Shelter. We were so very lucky to have him and still have Mary.
Little Panda is going to be a "working girl" from the very start. She'll be at the store every day with us and Mary. She's going to have a lot to learn.

How cute is this baby?

Little Panda at three weeks. So cute it hurts to look at her.

Just so you know

We wanted to let you kids know that we are going to be closed on Easter Sunday, April 8th. We'll also be closed on our regular day off...Monday, April 9th. OK?

So this week ONLY...CLOSED Sunday April 8th and Monday April 9th.

Baby Panda is growing...

Here is the latest photo of baby Panda. Getting to be a big girl.

Don't miss this one

We are thrilled to announce that holistic veterinarian,
Regina Downey, will be doing a talk at
The Pet Cabaret on Friday, April 27th at 7:00 p.m.

Dr. Downey is a long time practitioner of holistic veterinary medicine and is skilled in many varied disciplines. She'll be talking to us about what makes holistic veterinary medicine different and why and when to use it.

Advance registration will be required for this talk and we'll have a sign up sheet in the store soon.

Dr. Downey has just opened a new practice in Exeter, New Hampshire and can be reached at 603.772.7387.

Time to think...

You know this pet food recall mess has been really interesting in some ways. It seems that it has caused many people to think about what we are feeding our companion animals and also about what we are feeding ourselves.
After all, it wasn't long ago that people died from eating tainted vegetables, spinach and lettuce, things that are supposed to be "good" for us.

To me this means we have some choices and responsibilities.

It's clear that it really IS important to know as much as possible what we are buying and using in our daily lives. It IS important to buy from local shops and local food growers and suppliers. It IS important to buy organic and recycled products. It IS important to be educated about products and foods we are choosing. It IS important to know what impact our choices have on the environment.

Please don't think that I am lecturing here. I am only reminding myself that the choices we make as individuals really DO matter. I really believe that if enough individuals do the "right" thing real change is possible.

It's time to think.

Happy News

As many of you know, we lost our beloved boy Marley in September of 2006. We've been very sad since his passing and his "sister" Mary has been forlorn. Finally though, we've decided we're ready for another four footer in the household.

And here she is:

Right now, her name is "Panda", full name Panda Marley.

Regarding the Recall

We just wanted to let everyone know that The Pet Cabaret does NOT carry any of the foods, manufactured by Menu Foods Inc, now involved in the pet food recall.

We are deeply sorry for those who may have suffered any losses as a result of this tragedy.

Right now it seems as though contaminated wheat gluten may be the culprit in this story. Wheat gluten is a non-meat substance used to boost the protein content of foods. The contamination causes toxic reactions and acute renal failure characterized by excessive thirst, fatigue, extreme panting, vomiting, diarrhea, and loss of appetite. If caught quickly the dog or cat may be saved with aggressive treatment, however, if untreated it is fatal. Acute renal failure differs from chronic renal failure in that it progresses very rapidly. If you suspect your animal has eaten any of the foods listed on the included website, or if they exhibit any of the aforementioned physical signs, please consult your veterinarian immediately.

Please know that The Pet Cabaret has made a commitment to sell high quality foods and supplements that build and maintain the health of your companion animals. We try to do business with companies that are forthcoming with information regarding their products and procedures. Please let us know if we can assist you in any way with information regarding this recall or on the general health and well-being of your animal pals.

In the meantime please consult these Web sites for information:

Food and Drug Administration
Menu Foods

Herbs for Pets Seminar

Yesterday, I was privileged to be able to attend a seminar on "Herbs for Pets" with herbalist
Greg Tilford, co-author of the book " All You Ever Wanted to Know About Herbs for Pets" ,(which we sell at the store).

It was a great seminar, lasting all day and allowing us to delve into some of topics that we think and talk about all the time here at The Pet Cabaret. We talked a good deal about the prevalance of over-vaccination in veterinary medicine and about how important it is to try to build and maintain WELLNESS rather than stop or control illness.

To that end Greg recommended that we all do at least a few simple things that will offer a better, healthier life to our companion animals and to ourselves as well.

He advocated :

1. Feeding a high quality diet rich in diversity. This, he noted, and we strongly agree, is the basis for wellness in all beings. It is the foundation of a strong, healthy immune system.

2. Add EFA oils to the diet. Again, here diversity is the key. Salmon or other fish oils are our first choice but should be rotated/mixed with other oils such as flax oil, borage oil, or evening primrose oil.

3. Add probiotics and digestive enzymes to the diet. Using these substances will help our pets to utilize food more efficiently, eliminate waste more efficiently, and have a generally healthier intestinal tract.

4. Give and accept lots of love from your companion pals.

Again, the main idea that I took away from the seminar was that it was our job to concentrate on building and maintaining wellness and health in our animals, rather than reacting to illness.

Let us know what you kids think the next time you come into the store.

A quick reminder

Hi Kids,

Just to let you know that appointments for our "First Annual Spring Shots Photo Day" with photographer Chris McLay are filling up. Chris is the photographer responsible for the great photos now gracing the movie poster boxes in the windows of our store.

This is a wonderful chance to get a great shot of your pal(s) by a talented photographer.

Appointments will be 1/2 hour long and may include more than one pet, or a pet and a human if you like. Sittings are $50.00 and you'll walk away with a few photo proofs of the session. Photo packages will be available as well.

So here's the details.....


Sunday, April 15th, 2007

At: The Pet Cabaret
4404 Washington Street
Roslindale, MA
617-323-7387


From: 11 AM - 5 PM

Cost: $50.00


This is, in our opinion, a really reasonable price for a high quality portrait of your pet. We say, go for it.

New Look...

Our extraordinarily talented designer pal, Bob Quinn, has once again come through with a wonderful new logo for our dog wash "All Washed Up". You'll begin to see his work as we start to integrate it into signs and posters for the store.

Also take a look at the photos in our lighted movie boxes. They are by photographer Chris McLay (Unleashed Photography), the wonderful photographer responsible for the great photos from our "Howl-O-Ween" events.
Chris will be doing a portrait session at the store on Sunday, April 15th. We're booking 1/2 hour sittings with her now, so come by and register, ( $50.00), to get a beautiful portrait of your pal, or you and your pal!

In Memory of Rosie and Nikki

We want to extend our sincere sympathy to Rob and Maureen Festa on the loss of their dear pal Rosie. Rosie was nearly twelve years old and was beautifully loved and cared for by Rob and Maureen.
Sadly, Rob and Maureen also very recently lost their cat Nikki so they've had a really rough time of it lately.

We're very sorry for your losses.

Skunk World

So what's up with the number of skunks lurking about these days? We have had a few skunked pooches in the dog wash over the last week or so. First there was Dora, our lovely Bulldog friend. She desperately wanted to play with a skunk that greeted her at her backdoor last week. Sadly, the skunk did not feel the same way. Dora has not recovered from the slight.

Today Agatha the Wirehaired Fox Terrier came in after having had a run in with a skunk. She shook the hell out of it, it sprayed the hell out of her. All's fair in skunk love I guess.

Nice ice huh?

So in the words of our friend Erik, how's the ice storm of the century working out for all of you kids? It's been a beauty huh?
We can't keep Safe Paw in the place. We're trying to get as much as we can as fast as we can but it's been tough to get it from suppliers. I guess we got lulled into a sense of complacency when we had all those 65 degree days.

Little Dolly Felton comes clean

Dolly Felton's first bath at "All Washed Up".

All rightie then....

OK, so for almost two weeks now, our eyes have been bugging out of our heads while we try like hell to get things together in the new space. Things are looking a bit better, though we're still working out of boxes a bit. Witness the boxes at the lower right of the frame.



Our friends are still helping out like mad which is totally cool and keeps us from going certifiably insane. Many special thanks to Eddie O., Heidi, Erik, Leslie, and Flame.

We've gotten the dog wash going if only in an abbreviated manner right now, still have some little kinks to work out with that... but we thought you'd like to see some of our first guests in our new "All Washed Up".





Going to my happy place.








God help me.



Topo Gigio in a box reminding us that we all puzzle and sometimes sicken him.

Things are taking shape

So the good news is that we can actually see the floor in the new store now. Not all of it, of course, but more of it than we saw earlier in the week. We've gotten a good deal of merchandise onto shelves or on hanging thingies (technical term), so we can at least see stuff. Not everything is up yet but hey, it's been less than a week since we've been there, so all in all we're doing OK.

Topo Giogio, our store cat, has adapted more quickly than we thought he would. He hid for only about a day and now is roaming the store like crazy, checking out people and visiting pups. He lit up Buddy the poodle on Thursday of this week as she was trying to purchase a new winter coat. What a diplomat that cat.
He has also set off the security system at least six times this week. It's been great getting those 1 AM and 3 AM phone calls...needless to say, we're working on tweeking the motion detectors.

Mary, our dog, is a little out of sorts but seems to be doing well in general. She has a nice big bed in back of the counter and has lots of room to whip around Mr. Monkey, her abused toy friend.

We are definitely OPEN so feel free to come by and bask in the "Building 19 like" atmosphere while it is still around.

This is also a good time for people to come in and talk about things that they'd like us to carry. We'll now be able to expand our offerings a bit and want to carry the things that you kids want and the poochies, kitties, birds, reptiles, and small animals of the area need. We can't promise that we'll get everything, but we'll try to make sure that we have in most things.

So we're off to work now and we'll see you soon.

We've Moved!!!

So thanks to the grand efforts of some of our friends and customers we were able to move today in record time. It certainly wasn't easy (who knew we crammed so much stuff into our other teeny tiny location??) but we did it.

We want to thank Jill, Maura, Fred, Milton, Heidi, Erik, Carl, Joe, Anthony, Maureen, Kristen, Chris, Kathy, Jim, Mary, Trisha, and Susi for all their excellent help and promise we'll make it up to you somehow. You all are so very cool.

Thanks again to everyone who's been helping us and look for us to be open sometime this week.
We're thinking Wednesday, January 254th, we'll be at least partially open. We may not be fully operational, but soon, soon, soon.....

Recommendation of the day

If you can manage it, we would recommend never moving anywhere. Stay where you are. Trust us on this.

And just so you know, the word of the day on dictionary.com is "yeasty". I am not sure why I am telling you this...it just seems to appeal to me right now. Let me know what you do with this knowledge now that you have it.

Things are getting better

Yesterday and today were very good days at the new location. We got a great deal done and it's taking some pressure off our heads. So we've realized that not everything is going to be 100% ready off the bat when we re-open but in time, it'll all come together. That's OK....right?

All you kids just be patient and we'll soon have a spanking new place to do all sorts of fun doggie-kitty-hamster-fish-reptile-birdie things.

We'll see some of you on Sunday for the move.

Weeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So it goes

Today we got a good deal done at the new location but we did have one set back. As we went to put the tubs into their respective "stalls", they didn't quite fit. Just a touch shy...someone obviously had some measuring problems.
Soooooooo....tomorrow the SawzAll (another tool of champions, much like our beloved hammers) will come out and we will make a little room for the tubs. You know, I do love a SawzAll and usually embrace any opportunity to use one, but this would not be one of my chosen times to whip one out...if I had a choice. But I don't. That's why they make SawzAlls and sledgehammers.

Anyhoo, would you like to see some pictures of some of our progress so far?










Neat and tidy worksite.



Soon to be washroom.










The lonely life of a guard penguin on duty.

Flatlining

Painted the floor yesterday...oil paint in a closed room...opened the doors but it didn't seem to help...more suffering little brain cells lying dead on the floor...had to put them out of their misery. It was the kindest thing to do. Second coat tomorrow. More dead brain cells.

Moving day draws near

Hi kids,

So moving day is drawing close. We are working like maniacs on the new place trying to get it into some sort of reasonable shape to open up. It's exciting and nerve wracking all at the same time. You all know how moving is.

As of today we are planning to move on Sunday, January 21st. That means that we will be closed at our 4278 Washington Street store on Sunday, January 21st, Monday, January 22nd, and Tuesday, January 23rd. Possibly longer, we will let you kids know about that.

Anyway, so here's the thing...a good many of of you, our dear customers, have been offering to help us out with the move. If any of you are still interested and willing to help for a few hours please give us a call at the store (617.323.7387) and let us know. We definitely do not want to take advantage of anyone, so we'd be asking only for a couple-few hours of your time. No need to beat anyone into the ground.

Thanks much for all your offers of help and all of your support. We look forward to having more fun merchandise to show to all of you and we're really excited about sparking up the doggie wash. Woof!

Update of sorts

So we continue to work on our new location like mad. We're building and painting and sweeping and cleaning and even swearing a bit just to make sure that the process continues to move smoothly. (We find, that, like chocolate, this activity helps many things.)

We've introduced a new color into our famously "subtle" color scheme. It's called "Pumpkin Cream". We have kind of a "food based thing" going with our colors...we have "Dill Pickle" and "American Cheese" too. The purple is called "Gentle Violet", I don't know how that one crept in there... because we do like the food theme thing. Wouldn't you love to name colors for a living?

Anyway, the color combo will either horrify you or thrill you depending what you're feeling like that day. I am sure we'll hear plently of comments on our "taste" or lack thereof.

Let's see, what else to tell you kids....we are looking at moving up to the new place, tenatively around the third week of this month. Please realize that these plans are NOT YET FIRM because there is a myriad of things left to do yet.

We will likely be taking you all up on your very kind offers of moving help so we will keep you updated on exact dates as we have them.

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.