Dehydration is a lack of water in the body. This can cause complications for people as well as for pets! Extreme heat can place our pets in danger or exhaustion, dehydration and heat stroke. Just like humans, our pet’s bodies are made up of a large percentage of water. This is why it’s so important to see to it that your pet gets enough fresh water daily.

The Seascape Pet Fountain from PetSafe® provides 70 ounces of fresh, filtered water. With a ceramic finish and a low-voltage pump, the Drinkwell Seascape fountain quietly circulates water in a constant flow, making it clean and appealing to pets. The flow of water is extremely quiet, making it easily approachable. The Seascape Pet Fountain is dishwasher safe, includes an an open-cell foam to capture pet hair and activated carbon filter to remove odors.
Keeping our pets healthy is the most important part of being a pet owner. PetSafe® makes it easy for us to help our pets stay happy, healthy and hydrated!

For more PetSafe® products visit: www.petsafe.net

This post has been sponsored by PetSafe®

A little while back I wrote about my current separation with my spouse. Since then, all of the steps have been made in order to file for divorce. The whole process was not easy and I can definitely say that it has been quite a learning experience. When I got married 10 years ago, I never imagined being in this position. Life sometimes throws you things that are unexpected. The past few months have not been easy and the cats and I had no alternative other than to live in a toxic environment until we were able to leave. The type of work that I do does not make life easy financially, therefore I had to continue living with my spouse under the same roof while making arrangements to move out. When all of this first began in January, I was heartbroken and I felt betrayed. I was not sure how I was going to get through this. As time went by, I realized that the person I had been with for 10 years was a complete stranger. Part of  being married is promising to be honest and not to keep secrets. Meanwhile a secret had been kept from me for many years.

Of course, there are two people in a marriage and I don't deny that I did some things I am not proud of. Once inside of this huge tower of terror, I realized the reasons behind how I acted in certain situations. It all boiled down to the fact that I was angry. I was angry about a lot of things that happened throughout the years of our relationship. There were countless times where I felt unimportant. Friends and material things were always put above me. No matter how hard I tried to discuss these issues with my spouse at the time, defensiveness and temper tantrums always resulted from it. For some reason, I would always find myself apologizing in the end for something that I didn't even do. I realize now that I was very easily made to feel guilty. Things like jealousy, dishonesty, lies and temper were always the instigator and I just allowed myself to accept them as though they were just a normal part of a relationship. Obviously they are not and my conscience took it's toll. I've never been so angry at someone for so many things. Sometimes that anger would fuel me to nag causing further upsets in the relationship. Regardless of the anger, I can honestly say that I always made an effort. Marriage was always something that was important to me. It means family and it means that you work together at solving your problems. I always did my best regardless of the situation to be open minded and willing to work to solve whatever issues arised. Even after my spouse told me he wanted a divorce, I did my best to try to see if we could resolve it. 

My efforts were not lost as I learned a lot about myself through that process and I have become a genuinely happier person. Doing the work made me realize that I am important too and that I deserve to be happy. I can't force someone else to love me and I can't force someone else to work at something if they've already checked out years ago. All of these stepping stones helped to make me a stronger person.

So as of today, my new life begins. I've moved with Oreo, Onyx and Sunshine. I have to say that driving away yesterday and leaving the mess of anger behind felt very liberating. The cats seem to be settling in fine already! Sunshine surprised me the most! She was up and about as soon as I opened her taxi door. She began exploring rooms and window ledges and she's eating really well! Oreo checked out the balcony right away and he showed me his appreciation by stretching out belly up in the sun. Onyx is the only one who is having a little trouble adjusting. Although I can understand with all the hustle and bustle that it must be frightening for her. She's been hiding under the bed covers since last evening. Oreo has coaxed her out a few times to come and explore. She seems happy regardless, she will just take a little longer to get use to it. I am a little concerned about Sunshine as I found a lump between her neck and her chest a couple of weeks ago. As many of us well know, lumps and bumps are never a good sign. I was unsure of what to do but once I spoke with my vet, I feel I am doing the right thing. My vet reassured me that at her age (18 years old), lumps and bumps will appear. At this point, what is most important is that she is happy and that she is enjoying her everyday, which she is! They told me to just keep her with me as long as she is happy and not to stress her out with biopsies and treatments and whatnot. So that's what I am doing. I am very lucky that she is here with me and as long as she is happy that's what matters.

This is the beginning of a new chapter in my life. I am looking forward to sharing it with everyone. I can honestly say that I am content with my life just the way that it is at this moment. I am grateful and lucky to have such a wonderful and supportive family and to have a place that I can now call my own. Sometimes we have to live through the bad to find the good. Out of all of the heap of anger and discouragement came Oreo and Onyx. They are two of the best things that have ever happened to me and I would do it all over again just for them. 

Here's to new beginnings...

I have had quite an interest in this machine for some time. A few of my close friends, who are cat owners, have a Litter-Robot and I’ve heard nothing but good reviews on the product. Needless to say, I was excited to test it out myself. We’ve had the unit for about 2 weeks and so far I have nothing but good commentary.

I have to admit that I was a little concerned at the beginning as to how my cats would react to this mighty beast of a machine, however, I was pleasantly surprised. The Litter-Robot was a cinch to set up and Oreo approached the machine almost immediately to investigate. Within 30 minutes he had already used it. Onyx followed shortly after. The instructions recommend that you place it next to your current litter box and allow your cats to some time to get use to the unit. Sit with your cat(s) while the cleaning cycle is in motion and allow them to see it while gently talking to them so that they begin to get comfortable with the sound the Litter-Robot makes. It is not at all a loud sound and my cats were not afraid to watch as the Litter-Robot did a full spin cycle cleaning the used litter clumps. Once your cat(s) have used the Litter-Robot a few times, you can turn the timer on allowing it to automatically sift at a specific timed setting after each use. Once your cats are comfortable with the unit, you can remove the old litter box and begin your scoop-free days.

The whole process took my cats about 3 days, however a longer grace period is recommended. I was really pleasantly surprised at how comfortable they got with the Litter-Robot so quickly.

I never thought I would write a blog post on this subject, let alone the fact that the post be about my personal experience. If you are someone who believes strongly in marriage and family, like me, divorce is something that is unimaginable. When I got married 10 years ago, I never imagined my spouse asking me for a divorce. I thought that being married meant that come what may we get over the hurdles and mountains together and keep going. However, things don't always work out as we imagined they would. 

As our years of marriage went on we both changed quite a bit. We got older and started to like different things. We began to argue more often about frivolities. We decided that perhaps solidifying our relationship by having a child would help us. We didn't realize at the time, that kids don't solidify relationships. We underwent 2 in-vitro treatments in the hopes of conceiving, but both were unsuccessful. The time spent together during the second treatment really tore us apart in a big way. Both of us said some things and did some things that really left a mark on the other person. As a result, we both began to bottle up our anger. Mine would come out in nagging sessions and his would either explode in temper tantrums or do the complete opposite and make him extremely distant. At this point I lost my job on top of everything. I was, unfortunately, part of a massive layoff and I was pretty devastated. Luckily, I had a year's severance pay and so I decided to start working as a freelancer. My spouse was very supportive agreed to let me try working from home and so I began getting contracts. 

Enter Oreo. Oreo came into our lives during my period of Employment Insurance. Little did I know the effects he would have on my freelancing career. Oreo slowly became part of everything I do and working with him made me so happy. Things with my spouse were still up and down quite a bit and bottled up anger still flew around in different ways.  After a few terrible outbursts,  I decided to ask my spouse to go and see a marriage counselor. The counseling sessions were difficult at the beginning and he didn't really want to go, but in the end he did a lot of talking which I think was good for him. We decided to work on things as best we could. On my end, things seemed to start getting better. We were arguing less and I was putting more time on my work than ever. ​

​During the holiday season, things can get busy. Visits with family and friends are on our daily to-do list and being away from home can be stressful for pet owners. The Arf Pets automatic feeder helps alleviate some of the holiday stress by allowing pet owners to program up to 4 set meals per day.

Dispensing from 2 tbsp to 1 cup per feeding, the Arf Pets automatic feeder is an idea solution for pets of all sizes. Featuring customizable portion control, a 1.4 gallon food capacity and and lcd clock and display, the feeder is easy to program. Additional features include a magnetic lock, keeping paws out of the food and a the ability to record a personal greeting for feeding time.

The Arf Pets automatic feeder runs on batteries or power and is for dry pet food only.

​Great for pet parents who are on the go, or for pets who have a tendency of disrupting sleep patterns as a result of searching for food during the night.

The Arf Pets automatic feeder is available through these online retailers:

Amazon.com
Amazon.ca
Ebay.com
Chewy.com

Also available at Walmart.

*This post has been sponsored by www.camarketing.com

It's the most wonderful time of the year! But what about our pets? Who's to say that they don't have a Holiday wish list too! If your pet could write their own letter to Santa, what would it say? We've imagined what Oreo's letter to Santa would look like!

Dear Santa Claws,
For Christmas I would like toys, a little food dish just for me and FRISKIES treats! I would also like you to give my Mom some FRISKIES treats, because she was a very good girl this year.
Thank You,
Oreo.
P.S. Say "Hi" to Rudolf

Our pets are an important part of our family and they deserve some treats this Holiday season! Whatever their favorites may be, show them some love by offering them something special!

Coming from an Italian household, I grew up with Holiday dinners consisting of Lasagna, gnocchi, stuffed pasta and other Italian treats. My husband grew up in a French Canadian (Québecois) household where the staple holiday meals consisted of dishes based from meat and potatoes like Pâté Chinois, Ragout de boulettes and Tourtière. This year I decided to marry the two cultures and create my very own Italian style Pâté Chinois. Keeping the 3 layers of meat, vegetables and a starch, I’ve replaced the traditional ingredients with those of my Italian heritage. With help from Italpasta TOTAL pasta we can guarantee great taste plus all the benefits of high fibre!
​
Ingredients:
400g of lean ground beef
400g of lean ground pork
400g of lean ground veal
4 medium sized bell peppers
1 can (796ml) of Italpasta whole peeled tomatoes
1 jar (540ml) of Italpasta Tomato Basil pasta sauce
1 cup of corn niblets
2 tbsp of Italpasta Extra Virgin Cold Pressed Olive Oil
6 cups of water
1 tbsp of salt
2 cups of Italpasta Total Elbows pasta
2 tbsp of spaghetti sauce seasoning
2 cups of grated mozzarella cheese

Method:
Peppers: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees (F). Cut the bell peppers in half and remove the stems and seeds. Place the peppers into an oven safe baking dish and drizzle with the 2 tbsp of Olive Oil. Bake in the oven for 30 – 40 minutes (or until peppers are tender).
Meat: In a large pan on medium heat, brown the ground beef, veal and pork. Once evenly browned, add the spaghetti sauce spice and mix well. Using a hand blender, blend the canned tomatoes until they have a smooth texture. Add the tomatoes to the meat mixture. Mix well, turn down the heat and let the meat mixture simmer for 20 minutes. Add the corn niblets and mix well.
Pasta: Bring 6 cups of water to a boil and add the tbsp of salt. Cook the pasta until al dente (about 7 minutes). Drain the pasta and mix in 1 cup of the prepared Tomato Basil pasta sauce. Set aside.

In a large oven safe baking dish, line the bottom of the dish with the meat mixture. Add the roasted peppers on top of the meat. Add the Total elbow pasta on top of the peppers. Top with remaining Tomato Basil pasta sauce and garnish with grated mozzarella cheese. Bake in the oven at 425 degrees (F) for 20 minutes (or until cheese is lightly golden).

Bonne Apétit!

This recipe has been brought to you by The Oreo Cat® and ItalPasta. Happy Holidays from our family to yours!

With 40% of the daily reccomended intake of fibre per 85g serving, Italpasta TOTAL pasta has the same great taste you expect from white pasta but with the benefits of high fibre!

*recipe for human consumption only

This past weekend Oreo had the opportunity to attend a cat festival here in Montreal! A great place for cat lovers of all kinds, Le Salon des artistochats is an annual event in Montreal. Located at the Centre Pierre Charbonneau, this event houses all sort of artisans from in and around the Montreal area. A great place to find the purrfect gift for any cat lover, it is a must see event!

​The one and only Salon des Artistochats offers a unique chance to discover a lot of extremely talented local artists and crazy cat lovers. This event houses over 50 artisans selling hundreds of cat-themed goodies made in Quebec: jewelry, clothing, accessories, artwork, pet products and so much more. Oreo was glad to be able to meet and greet with other local feline celebrities and indulge in some cat themed activities. Complete with an appearance by the world famous Atchoum The Cat and his human who held a small conference to speak about Atchoum's condition, hypertrichosis, this weekend was one Oreo will always remember!
​
Felines in this video include:
​Retardo, Emma la maine coon, Alaric, The Oreo Cat

Be sure to join us next year!
For more information please visit: www.artistochats.com

Pets don’t just make life better. They make it bigger. Together, we can do the same for them while helping to improve their lives, even as they age. 

Many of us feel anxious as we think about our pets getting older.  Age can bring many factors such as Arthritis and ill health. As our pets get older they become more susceptible to health issues and require more visits to the vet. There are many things we as owners can do to help our pets age gracefully. 

Just because your cat is a senior, does not mean they are no longer interested in playing. In fact, playtime is even more important in older cats as it helps cardiovascular health. Keeping you senior cat active can help eliminate things like obesity and depression. Taking time daily to play with your pets, regardless of their age is one of the most important steps in keeping a happy and healthy pet. Health checkups should be done on a regular basis to ensure your senior cat has the best quality of life given their age. Feeding older pets the right foods for their age group is also another important part of keeping them healthy and fit. Keeping our older pets happy and healthy is also important for our younger pets! Ensuring they're playmates and role models are with them for as long as possible.

One of the things I dislike most about leaving home is not being around my cats. Whenever I have to be away for work, on family visits or other occasions that take me away from home, all I can think about are my feline family. When Pawbo contacted me to do a review, I was excited to try their product for these very reasons.  Pawbo is an interactive pet camera that includes 720p HD live video, 130° wide-angle lens, and 4x digital zoom. These features help to capture and record your pets directly from your mobile device. Pawbo also includes a microphone feature that allows you to talk to your pets through the speakers included on the device. A handy treat dispenser allows you to treat your pets to tasty morcels with the touch of a button. Pawbo also includes a playground feature that uses various interactive toys as well as a laser feature.

​The Pawbo device comes neatly packed in a stylish box that doubles as a stand for the device once plugged in. Activating the Pawbo is easy. Once you download and install the free Pawbo plus app from the app store, it will prompt you with steps to connect the Pawbo to your mobile device. You can connect up to 5 mobile devices to the Pawbo. 

Using the Pawbo app is easy even if you are not tech savvy! Within seconds of installation, the fun begins! 

Pawbo's integrated treat dispenser includes a rotating treat dish with 9 individual compartments for treats. This is obviously Oreo's favorite feature. It only took moments for him to try and eat the device after realizing that the Pawbo held treats. Both Oreo and Onyx reacted instantly to my voice through the device. They walked right up to it wondering where I was. Again, once I dispensed treats, the two of them sat directly in front of the Pawbo for the next half hour waiting for more! 

I did try out the laser feature, but I was a little bit concerned at the fact that both Oreo and Onyx seemed more interested in looking directly at the laser than the spot it makes on the floor. As a result, I decided to avoid this feature. I had stationed my Pawbo low to the ground as I thought it cute to see Oreo and Onyx walk right up to the camera. If you are going to be using the laser feature often, I would suggest stationing the Pawbo high up and away from your pet's eye level. There were a few times where the talk feature as well as the treat dispenser did not work when prompted through the app. This may or may not have been due to a Network connection. All in all however, the features work very well. I really enjoy the fact that you can record video and take snapshots directly from the Pawbo. Once recorded, you can save video and photo directly to your camera roll to share via Social Media.

I also want to mention that having this device in the house while you are away is a great security feature. You can see what is going on in your home with the touch of a button. My husband and I really appreciate the fact that our home feels safer with the Pawbo.

To sum up my review, I give Pawbo 4.5 stars (leaving out a .5 for the laser which I am not crazy about). For anyone who works long hours away from their pets, this device is a must! It is a proven fact that pets help to alleviate stress. Being able to take time out of your work day to interact with your pets, even from a mobile device, can definitely help eliminate a certain amount of stress. The price point for the device is fair ($199) considering the superior quality of the design. All in all, I would definitely recommend the Pawbo to anyone who misses their pets when they are away!

Pawbo website: www.pawbo.com
Buy Pawbo on Amazon

This post has been sponsored by Pawbo