News, Advice and Resources for Thoughtful Pet People
Last week’s post on the DIY Dog Rain Coat got me to thinking about all the other DIY dog coats & sweaters I’ve written about. Here are a bunch of tutorials on how to make your dog her own coat—everything from upcycling to sewing to knitting to even weaving.
Dog Raincoat from Old Jacket (for people) with pattern
Oil Cloth Coat with 2 patterns
Though it’s not a tutorial, this is a great idea! Check out these super cool coats made out of broken umbrellas created by Taryn Zychal.
Cute coat! Check out this great tutorial for a canine rain coat using oil cloth—the vinyl coated material used to make tablecloths, tote bags, etc. Oil cloth is waterproof, easy to clean, and now comes great patterns.
Heather, of Heatherly Loves, used an old dog coat as a pattern to cut out pieces from some oil cloth she had left over from another project. She used left-over knit fabric to line the coat, but knit can be fussy to sew. I would either not line the coat or would use flannel or light fleece. The result is a very functional, thrifty rain coat that looks really cute. I like that the belly strap is further back, though you’ll want to be sure a male dog won’t get pee on it. Saffron still shakes herself off even when wearing a coat and it always leaves the end of her coat flipped up. Having the strap further back might keep this from happening.
If you need it, here is a dog coat pattern that also covers the underside of a dog. This second pattern can be printed out and taped together. Need to custom fit a pattern? Check out this tutorial for customizing a pattern to your dog’s measurements. Finally, if you have left-over oil cloth, you can make a matching, foldable travel bowl for your pup.
Oh, hell yeah! I. Love. This. Kid! Puff, Cashmere, and Flicker are 3 of the luckiest cats to have Daniel as their person. He has done an incredible job clicker training them and as a result, is keeping their brains sharp & their bodies fit. I love the effort he’s put into his equipment too. Daniel even has site with cat training tips called Cattrainingtips. What a neat young man!
Here are a ton of DIY cat toys! One of my pet peeves (groan!) is ugly pet toys . I like them to be colorful, cute, and/or funny, and the easiest way to achieve that is to make your own. The great thing about DIY cat toys is they take very little fabric, yarn, etc. and they’re usually quick to make. All of the toys below will make nice gifts for kitties and their people. Have fun!
Adorable hearts, cupcakes, strawberries, roses, & chocolates.
Kitty fortune cookies.
Beautiful birdies.
Easy to sew mouse, fish, & sausage.
Supper fuzzy mouse.
Adorable sushi—nigiri & futomaki.
Felt bird, mouse, & fish.
Life has been a bit hectic here lately—car problems, washing machine in pieces, replacing a porch, & food poisoning. Despite the craziness, our thoughts are with everyone affected by Hurricane Sandy—the East Coast and the Caribbean, in particular. Every disaster reminds me of how important it is to be prepared. We live in an earthquake-prone area and we don’t have the advantage of getting any warning before something happens, but I would want to be prepared no matter where we lived.
Here are a number of posts on how you can prepare to take care of your pets in the event of an emergency. It doesn’t have to be done all at once and it doesn’t have to be expensive, so don’t feel overwhelmed. There is a wealth of information here and it’s the result of many hours of research consulting AVMA, FEMA, ASPCA, HSUS, CDC, Petfinder, & more. Please share these posts with anyone who has pets, but please also give credit to Pet Project and link to my blog.
