Yikes! It’s hot-hot-hot here in Texas. We’ve hit triple digits already. Shadow-Pup is NOT happy. He misses his ZOOMIES in the back garden, but I’m afraid to let him overdo too much. It’s time for hot weather games for pets and keeping cats and dogs cool in hot weather. This year, I’ve invested in more indoor fun for Karma-Kat and Shadow-pup, some with the help of pet products companies sharing neato-torpedo products. Here are some of my favorite pet hot weather games. You can also learn more about hot weather safety here.
Shadow-Pup appears to be following in Magic’s paw steps. He loves playing with stuffies. He inherited one of the Tearribles from Magic–and then Bravo had his turn playing with it, and now Shadow gets to rip it apart (Velcro, y’all!) and begs for me to put it back together. I bought the extra-large size back when the company launched, and despite needing to repair a bit where Velcro has pulled away, this toy stands up to the dog-induced trauma for years. It’s machine washable, too, although I’ve never had occasion to wash it. Highly recommended! Oh, you will need to put it out of reach after a play period, or dogs probably will chew up the small pieces they’ve pulled off.
Hide-A-Squirrel
Did I mention Shadow loves to tear things apart? Many dogs do this, and his fav style toy include the toy-within-a-toy products like this Hide-A-Squirrel. It comes in small, medium, large, and extra-large, with individual squeaky squirrels that nest inside the “house.” I bought Shadow the XL size, and also got an extra set of squirrels–because he destroys those over time. Karma occassionally swipes a squirrel and bunny-kicks it ito submission, too. There are lots of similar hide-a-toy products out there that can help keep bored dogs engaged when they can’t get out in the heat. Learn the signs and first aid for heatstroke here.
Flirt Pole
For cats, we’d call this a “fishing-pole lure toy.” Karma-Kat has a bunch of them, and loves to stalk, chase, pounce, and bite the feather lure at the end of the string. We have to close the door to keep Shadow-Pup out because he wants in on the fun–and his bigger teeth and strength destroys the cat wand toys. Also, dogs tend to eat these smaller lures, a danger when they swallow inedible objects.
Years ago, I learned about flirt poles (aka flirt sticks), a heavy-duty version of this toy, used to help condition dogs for endurance competitions like schutzhund, agility, or lure coursing. And with temperatures skyrocketing, it seemed the perfect time to purchase one and find out if it appealed to Shadow.
Turns out, he ADORES this toy! Begs to play each evening, and we have to shut it in the pantry in between times to keep him from destroying it. I got this Outward Hound Tail Teaser Wand that comes with two fuzzy lures that squeak and rattle. You can get replacements when your dog ultimately disembowels the squeaky/rattle sound in the fuzzy toy. The wand portion reminds me of a riding crop, heavy-duty and flexible. Oh, and equal time—Karma now chases Shadow’s flirt toy, too, so we still need to separate the pair during this game! This isn’t designed for a tug toy, but rather to hold overhead or along the ground for your dog to chase. Let him catch it now and again to reward the game. A great indoor option for small sighthounds, terriers, or any dog that loves to chase.
LifePro Paw Runner Dog Treadmill
I have a desk treadmill so that I can exercise while checking email, and don’t have to put up with outside heat, mosquitoes, or icy weather in winter. So when a representative of LifePro reached out to me and offered to send me the LifePro Paw Runner Dog Treadmill, I welcomed the opportunity to test it with Shadow-Pup.
I’ve delayed writing about it because, well, it didn’t work for him. That doesn’t mean a dog treadmill won’t work for other pet parents, though. I really liked that the designers addressed the dog’s sensitive hearing with a low-noise motor. And just like my human treadmill, there’s a safety key and an emergency off-switch if the dog falls off the track.
It works great for small to medium-size dogs–it won’t accommodate the big guys—and is ideal for conditioning performance canines or rehabbing for dogs after surgery or injury. Be aware that it comes in a gi-normous box (see that picture with Shadow–he’s 45 pounds). The actual treadmill measures 48 x 22.8 x 41.75 inches, but the box with padding barely fit in the back seat of my car. My postal guy insisted on schlepping it out to my car when it arrived, or I couldn’t have got it home! This great product ain’t cheap but ranks as a wonderful investment for the right pet lover.
Cats also would enjoy the treadmill, with a bit of a learning curve (Bengal cats, anyone?!). I donated the Paw Runner Dog Treadmill to a friend needing to exercise her diabetes=alert dog during hot weather. Her dog appreciates the ability to run while avoiding the high outdoor temps!
Hot Weather Games for Cats
Seren-kitty used to chase the Ping-Pong ball in the (empty and dry!) bathtub…that kept me from having to fish it out from under the furniture. For indoor games, though, we have bubble-chasing games that the dog and Karma-Kat enjoy. Some bubbles purport to smell like catnip.
While dogs may dive into the pool, cats like to turn throw rugs into dry land slip-and-slides. Karma loves to “towel surf” with me dragging a towel or blanket across the floor for him to pounce and ride. These days, Karma’s enjoying tag games with the Shadow-Pup, too. Review these tips on how cats play so you know the signs if fun turns into danger.
At our house, we have two lovely cat trees in the downstairs living room area, a fantastic cat tunnel in the master bedroom, and another great cat tree at the top of the stairs overlooking the whole area. Karma lords it over the dog from these second story elevations. But then I got an email from a new-cat-on-the-blog offering a look at their modular kitty habitat.
Keeping Cats & Dogs Cool in Hot Weather
What kind of cat toys float your kitty’s boat? Do your pets enjoy water fountains? Would your hot dog relish a cooling bed, or a wading pool? I offer some more hot weather games and tips in the ASK AMY video, below.
And for a flash from the past, enjoy the Magical-Dawg video (below) of some water fun. I need to get that doggy tub out this year and see if Shadow might indulge.
How do your dogs deal with the weather? Please share your tips for keeping hot dogs cool customers!
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered? Do you have a new kitten and need answers? Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter.
Stay up to date with the latest book giveaways and appearances related to my September Day pet-centric THRILLERS WITH BITE! Amy Shojai, CABC is a certified cat & dog behavior consultant, a consultant to the pet industry, and the award-winning author of 35+ pet-centric books and Thrillers with Bite! Oh, and she loves bling!
Do you know how do you find pet behavior help? As a certified animal behavior consultant for cats and dogs, I receive many requests for pet behavior help. Solving cat behavior problems and bad dog behavior can be a challenge. Some of these I address with articles explaining cat behavior (how to stop meowing, for example, or dealing with cat aggression), as well as puppy and dog behavior issues like noise phobias and separation behaviors.
Some pet behavior challenges have solutions through reading books and articles, others via phone call advice, and more serious issues (dog aggression, for example) need one-on-one help. But how do the behavior experts receive training?
Dog hot spots often happen during both the spring and fall shedding season and are the bane of many dogs’ existence. Some develop hot spots all year long, especially those with very thick, wooly coats. Have your dogs ever suffered from hot spots?
Fortunately, hot spots are not a problem for cats. Kitties, though, do have their own issues with shedding and hairballs. Bathing cats can help with that.
When dog hot spots are a chronic problem, it can be aggravating and frustrating for pet owners. And painful for the dog! While severe problems need veterinary attention, home remedies for dog hot spots often help enormously. Here’s what you need to know.
Memorial Day honors the American men and women who have lost their lives while serving in the military. It originally honored those who died in the Civil War, and now honors those who died in any war. It is also known as Decoration Day. This holiday differs from Veterans’ Day which honors all those who served in the military.
There is no Memorial Day for the brave military K9s who served and lost their lives, often heroically saving their human partners. I can’t imagine the bond that must exist between the soldier and his or her war dog—they share things and stand against danger to protect the rest of us against horrors we don’t want to think about. And because of them, we don’t have to worry about such things. Thank you.
I’m eternally grateful to those who sacrifice for our freedom. Losing a beloved animal companion anytime cuts deep. It must be horrific to lose a comrade-in-arms, including those with four feet and fur.
And since I focus on pet issues, I want to shine a light on the dogs of the military. There is a National K9s Veteran’s Day on March 13, too. But here’s an excerpt from my book DOG LIFE to shine a light on military dogs through the ages.
Have your pets ever choked on something they chew? Shadow-Pup loves to chew up inedible objects, no matter how much we supervise. Learn how to administer the pet Heimlich to save a life!
When Karma-Kat came to live with us, that put lots of cat toys within Magical-Dawg’s reach. Seren had never been too keen on such things and she was already nine years old when Magic came as a puppy. He loved to swipe Seren’s “sparkle-balls” and ended up with sparkly poop. Once Karma’s toys added to the kitty quotient, the big ol’ dog had a field day seeing how many cat toys he could stuff into his jaws.
Bravo played with rocks. And the new puppy Shadow loves to chew sticks. He’s already got one caught in the roof of his mouth. That’s the perfect opportunity for choking, and a need for the pet Heimlich. I hope that we’ll never need it, though. In case you do, read on!
Do you have a dog fence? Magical-Dawg used to take off after “critters” every so often, racing around the 13-acre spread (or beyond). We eventually trained him to stay with us, even when off-leash. It would have devastated me if Magic disappeared. He was microchipped, but folks would need to catch him first.
Bravo was a very different dog. He was so good off-leash during most morning rambles and didn’t want to go too far away from us. He’d chase and play with his “big-ball” in the field, and baptize every tree and grass tussock. And once he lost his leg, he couldn’t get out the back fenced area even if he’d wanted to.
Shadow-Pup, though, takes after Magical-Dawg. He’s so small, not even the fenced back area keeps him contained. He also likes to dig, so we needed to address possible escapes. A fence is a dog’s best friend!
How do you stop a cat fight? And how do you know if the cat fighting turns serious—rather than just kitten play? Shadow-Pup thinks it’s great fun to chase and wrestle with Karma-Kat. We supervise, of course, and interrupt the play should one or the other object.
There are many kinds of cat aggression, and many are perfectly normal behaviors. Certainly, it’s not fair to you or the cats to allow cats to fight. Learn how to recognize the potential and reasons behind cat aggression and fighting cats, and what you can do.
A dog vomits more easily than nearly any other creature. So why in the world would a pet parent want to make pets vomit? When dogs or cats eat the wrong thing that could cause harm, you can save your pets’ lives by inducing vomiting.
Pets vomit for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes it’s because of illness, while other times the dog vomiting or cat hairball upchuck is more innocuous. Some pets eat grass to induce vomiting, or they get into dangerous candy that makes them sick. However, sometimes making pets vomit means life or death. That means you need to know how to make pets vomit.
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