Wordless Wednesday: Walk Ready

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Be sure to visit our good friend Marg and her kitties and donkeys today (and every day, because they're great!), because they are hosting the Pawlympics Snuggling event! Evan and Thimble are competing as a duo with one of their closeup snuggles, so be sure to head over and see the warm and fuzzy competition.

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Our Tip of the Day:

For some furbabies, being confined in a more or less swaddling manner can have a relaxing or soothing effect, just as it can in human babies. For dogs, there is the ThunderShirt available on the market (you can see Astrid modeling her ThunderShirt in the above picture), which offers a snug sense of protection and comfort during times that a dog is feeling stressed or anxious. This can work for dogs that display a fear of thunder (it was, after all, named ThunderShirt for a reason!), as well as for dogs who tend to pull on walks (the reason why Astrid was put in a ThunderShirt), or for any other situation in which a dog is feeling anxious. You can also fashion your own makeshift pseudo-swaddle, though, such as by using a snug T-shirt or blanket or towel. For example, if your kitty gets anxious when being given oral medications or when having his or her nails trimmed, securely wrapping the kitty up in a towel (in something along the lines of a "kitty burrito") can make getting the job done easier and, in some cases, far less stressful for the kitty. Of course, as with many things, it always depends on the individual animal, so be sure to take cues from your pup or cat when deciding whether swaddling is for them.