Category: Thrifty Things

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DIY: Cardigan Dog Coat

After a little stutter of snow yesterday, it’s actually snowing with some conviction here in our corner of the Pacific NW.  So here’s a clever project that recycles an old, wool women’s cardigan into a cute coat for a smallish dog. A large men’s sweater would work for at least a mid-sized dog.  Make sure you use a wool sweater, otherwise it won’t felt.  Don’t have an old sweater around?  Get thee to your thrift store and find one for cheap.  Be sure it’s larger than your pup, because it will shrink when you felt it.

Felted knits handle more like fabric and are more durable.  (Here are a few tutorials on felting, in case you need them: this one covers both hand & machine felting, here is a printable one on machine felting, and another on hand felting.)

The tutorial has you fitting the sweater by pinning it while it’s on your dog.  This seems like A Very Bad Idea.  I think a better idea would be to mark the sweater where you have it pinched to take up the excess material.  It might not be as precise, but you also won’t risk poking holes in your dog or yourself, which sounds much more pleasant to me.  If you’re making one for a larger dog, I’d check the length of the sleeves before you cut them off.

So check out the tutorial and don’t miss the video that also shows how to make the cardigan dog coat. It can give you a better idea of how this project works.

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Emergency Preparedness For Reptiles & Amphibians

(Tutorial for turtles by Ashley at Make It & Love It.)

The anniversaries of 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina remind me how important it is that we plan to care for our whole family for an extended period of time in the event of a natural or man-made disaster.  This is a good time to get started.  This post has been a long time coming and was researched consulting the AVMA, FEMA, ASPCA, HSUS, CDC, Petfinder, & more.  I hope you find it useful!  (I ask that if you re-post it, that you give credit to & link to PetProject.)

It’s not that I’m all gloom and doom. It’s just that in the event of a disaster, I don’t want to be forced to rely on other agencies, if I can help it, and I know my pets will be safest under our care, so I’m working to be as prepared as possible. I live in earthquake country and we have a kit to take care of everyone in our family—human, feline, and canine. Getting prepared has been an ongoing process so I can spread out the cost and spread out the time & energy spent on the project.

Make sure your whole family is taken care of and do not leave your pets to fend for themselves. Keep them with you. If you evacuate and think you’ll only be away from your home a short time, take your animals with you! You don’t know when or if you’ll be able to return to your home.

I’ve divided the list into categories and put a ♥ by the items to start with first. Don’t get overwhelmed. Begin with the ♥ items and once you have those, set a goal—maybe 1-2 items every other week? And begin by gathering at least 3 days worth of supplies and work up to 1-2 weeks. Defray the costs by checking thrift stores and looking for sales.

Tasks:

  1. ♥Microchip your animal if possible
  2. ♥Talk to your vet about obtaining medication for your emergency kit
  3. ♥Put together Herp First Aid Kit
    1. Drs. Foster & Smith’s list
    2. Melissa Kaplan’s list
  4. Place “Pets Inside” stickers at each entrance to your home listing what types of animals you have & how many—here’s where you can get a free decal
  5. Develop a plan that doesn’t rely solely on public emergency shelters (most won’t allow animals)–we plan to keep our pets with us, so we have a tent, etc.
  6. Petfinder has a number of useful links for finding pet friendly motels/hotels—identify nearby options & options outside your local area
  7. Coordinate with a nearby friend or trustworthy neighbor to take care of your pets in case something happens while you’re away from your home (make sure your friend or neighbor is familiar with your pets & that your pets are comfortable with them, give them a key & care information for your pets, be clear about your arrangement—will they just feed & water your pets at your house, will they take custody of your pets, etc.)
  8. Find out if your vet will board animals in the event of an emergency
  9. Contact your local animal control & humane society about their disaster plan (what services they plan to provide, where they intend to be located)
  10. Plan to keep your pets separate from each other—animals under extreme stress or in pain can be unpredictable and your dog could attack your lizard, etc.
  11. If you live in a disaster prone area:
    1. consider an automatic feeder if appropriate
    2. consider using a large waterer
    3. if you are likely to evacuate, find an herp vet in that area ahead of time
    4. learn about coping with evacuation gridlock
    5. make sure you’ve planned for space in your vehicle for your pets
  12. Familiarize yourself with what to do in an emergency
    1. the AVMA has a superb manual
    2. the Humane Society has good tips, including dealing with everyday emergencies
    3. Special tips for preparing for tornados

Documents:

  1. ♥up-to-date medical records
  2. ♥proof of ownership—pet license records, adoption forms, registration papers, etc.
  3. ♥recent photos of all your pets, include distinguishing marks (for lost posters, online notices)
  4. ♥photos of you with your pets (documenting they are your pets)
  5. detailed descriptions of your pets

Items:

  1. ♥contact information for:
    1. your veterinarian
    2. emergency veterinarian
    3. area shelters
    4. ASPCA Animal Poison Control 1 (888) 426-4435
  2. ♥sturdy, escape-proof traveling cage or carrier or plastic tub with air holes (smooth off any burs made by drilling holes to avoid injury to amphibians)—make sure whatever you use fits in your car
  3. ♥suitable substrate
  4. ♥blanket to cover cage
  5. ♥sturdy bowl large enough for animal to soak in
  6. ♥battery operated heating source or hot water bottle
  7. ♥appropriate battery operated lights
  8. ♥extra batteries/heavy duty electrical cord (consider getting a generator if you have several animals)
  9. ♥thermometer for cage
  10. ♥manual can opener
  11. ♥food bowls
  12. ♥water bowl
  13. ♥spray bottle for misting water
  14. ♥1-2 weeks of food
  15. ♥canned fruit & vegetables in natural juice, no salt added –OR– baby food jars of fruit & vegetables
  16. ♥1-2 weeks water (not distilled)
  17. ♥dietary supplements
  18. ♥live food (remember to plan for care for your live “food”)
  19. ♥dechlorination drops
  20. ♥current Herp First Aid Manual
  21. styrofoam cooler to insulate pet in its cage
  22. newspapers
  23. handling gloves
  24. disposable gloves
  25. plastic bags
  26. paper towels
  27. disinfectant
  28. dish soap
  29. dish brush
  30. towel
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Emergency Preparedness For Birds

(Want to make these birdies?  Check out this post!)

The anniversaries of 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina remind me how important it is that we plan to care for our whole family for an extended period of time in the event of a natural or man-made disaster.  This is a good time to get started.  This post has been a long time coming and was researched consulting the AVMA, FEMA, ASPCA, HSUS, CDC, Petfinder, & more.  I hope you find it useful!  (I ask that if you re-post it, that you give credit to & link to PetProject.)

It’s not that I’m all gloom and doom. It’s just that in the event of a disaster, I don’t want to be forced to rely on other agencies, if I can help it, and I know my pets will be safest under our care, so I’m working to be as prepared as possible. I live in earthquake country and we have a kit to take care of everyone in our family—human, feline, and canine. Getting prepared has been an ongoing process so I can spread out the cost and spread out the time & energy spent on the project.

Make sure your whole family is taken care of and do not leave your pets to fend for themselves. Keep them with you. If you evacuate and think you’ll only be away from your home a short time, take your animals with you! You don’t know when or if you’ll be able to return to your home.

I’ve divided the list into categories and put a ♥ by the items to start with first. Don’t get overwhelmed. Begin with the ♥ items and once you have those, set a goal—maybe 1-2 items every other week? And begin by gathering at least 3 days worth of supplies and work up to 1-2 weeks. Defray the costs by checking thrift stores and looking for sales.

Tasks:

  1. ♥Microchip or band your bird if possible & keep the registered contact information up-to-date
  2. ♥Talk to your vet about obtaining medication for your emergency kit
  3. ♥Construct an Avian First Aid Kit
    1. Drs. Foster & Smith First Aid List
    2. AvianWeb First Aid Kit List
  4. Place “Pets Inside” stickers at each entrance to your home listing what types of animals you have & how many—here’s where you can get a free decal
  5. Make up “Lost” posters for your pets (in case they get lost) with space for up-to-date contact information if you’ve evacuated, here’s a form that will create a poster for you
  6. Develop a plan that doesn’t rely solely on public emergency shelters (most won’t allow animals)–we plan to keep our pets with us, so we have a tent, etc.
  7. Petfinder has a number of useful links for finding pet friendly motels/hotels—identify nearby options & options outside your local area
  8. Coordinate with a nearby friend or trustworthy neighbor to take care of your pets in case something happens while you’re away from your home (make sure your friend or neighbor is familiar with your pets & that your pets are comfortable with them, give them a key & care information for your pets, be clear about your arrangement—will they just feed & water your pets at your house, will they take custody of your pets, etc.)
  9. Find out if your vet will board animals in the event of an emergency
  10. Contact your local animal control & humane society about their disaster plan (what services they plan to provide, where they intend to be located)
  11. Plan to keep your pets separate from each other—animals under extreme stress or in pain can be unpredictable and your dog could attack your bird, etc.
  12. If you live in a disaster prone area:
    1. consider using a feeder on a timer
    2. consider using a large waterer
    3. if you are likely to evacuate, find an avian vet in that area ahead of time
    4. learn about coping with evacuation gridlock
    5. make sure you’ve planned for space in your vehicle for your pets
  13. Familiarize yourself with what to do in an emergency
    1. the AVMA has a superb manual
    2. the Humane Society has good tips, including dealing with everyday emergencies
  14. Special tips for preparing for tornados

Documents:

  1. ♥up-to-date vaccination records (could help in your obtaining shelter)
  2. ♥proof of ownership—pet license records, adoption forms, registration papers, etc.
  3. ♥recent photos of all your pets, include distinguishing marks (for lost posters, online notices)
  4. ♥photos of you with your pets (documenting they are your pets)
  5. detailed descriptions of your pets

Items:

  1. ♥contact information for:
    1. your veterinarian
    2. emergency veterinarian
    3. area shelters
    4. ASPCA Animal Poison Control 1 (888) 426-4435
  2. ♥sturdy traveling cage or carrier marked with identification & contact information—make sure whatever you use will fit in your car
  3. ♥blanket to cover cage (for warmth or to reduce stress)
  4. ♥sheet to cover cage in warm weather
  5. ♥towel
  6. ♥1-2 weeks supply of cage liner
  7. ♥paper towels
  8. ♥spray bottle of water (to mist bird)
  9. ♥manual can opener
  10. ♥1-2 weeks of food
  11. ♥1-2 weeks of water
  12. ♥canned fruit & vegetables in natural juice, no salt added –OR– baby food jars of fruit & vegetables –OR– organic, unsweetened apple sauce
  13. ♥current Avian First Aid manual
  14. hot water bottle (for warmth)
  15. almonds in shell for treat
  16. dietary supplements
  17. cuttlebone/beak conditioner
  18. wooden chew pieces
  19. finger traps for shredding
  20. toys
  21. spray bottle of vinegar for cleaning
  22. spoon
  23. dish soap
  24. dish brush
  25. Pedialyte
  26. net or blanket for catching escaped bird
  27. wire (repair cage if needed)
  28. pliers (repair cage if needed)
  29. zip ties to secure doors on cage/carrier
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DIY: Cardboard Catnip Castle For Your Wall

I think this happens every Fall.  The days start getting shorter and somehow my I’ve-Got-To-Make-Something! button gets pushed.  Here’s the first DIY post in a long time—how to make a cardboard cat “tower” that hangs on your wall.

This is a great idea, since it doesn’t take up floor space, doubles as a cat scratcher, doesn’t cost much to make, can be customized, and can double as art.  How cool is that?!  You can use cardboard you have or you you can buy sheets of it.  I would treat the “face” of the cardboard (the part that faces the room) so that it’s more aesthetically pleasing by painting it or by applying wallpaper, decorative paper, or fabric.  This tutorial shows how to make your cat a happy camper!

You’ll need:

  1. jigsaw
  2. glue gun
  3. Corrugated cardboard pads measuring 36″×48″ (The tutorial notes these are available in bundles of 50 from http://www.uline.com/.) Or you can use what you have on hand as long as you have enough to make your piece 35 sheets thick. You may have to adjust the shapes you make depending on what you have.
  4. hand saw or reciprocating saw
  5. 3/8″ and 9/32″ wood drill bits, 6″ or longer
  6. power drill
  7. (4)–3/8″ washers, 2″ diameter
  8. ratchet with 1/2″ socket
  9. (4)–8″×3/8″ lag bolts
  10. pencil
  11. carpenter’s glue
  12. paint brush
  13. wallpaper brush
  14. trim guide
  15. sharp utility/camping knife
  16. level
  17. 48″ ruler
  18. heavy objects to weigh down glued boards
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Emergency Preparedness For Your Pets

Note:  Hurricane Irene has me thinking about disaster preparedness so I’m reposting this.  It a good reminder that we should all be prepared for an emergency, so I challenge you to start your emergency preparedness kit this weekend for your whole family—pets included!  Our thoughts are with those on the East Coast and we’re hoping for the best.

The anniversaries of 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina remind me how important it is that we plan to care for our whole family for an extended period of time in the event of a natural or man-made disaster.  Turns out September is National Preparedness Month, so this is a great time to start getting prepared.  This post has been a long time coming and was researched consulting the AVMA, FEMA, ASPCA, HSUS, CDC, Petfinder, & more.  I hope you find it useful!  (I ask that if you re-post it, that you give credit to & link to PetProject.)

It’s not that I’m all gloom and doom. It’s just that in the event of a disaster, I don’t want to be forced to rely on other agencies, if I can help it, and I know my pets will be safest under our care, so I’m working to be as prepared as possible. I live in earthquake country and we have a kit to take care of everyone in our family—human, feline, and canine. Getting prepared has been an ongoing process so I can spread out the cost and spread out the time & energy spent on the project.

Make sure your whole family is taken care of and do not leave your pets to fend for themselves. Keep them with you. If you evacuate and think you’ll only be away from your home a short time, take your animals with you! You don’t know when or if you’ll be able to return to your home.

I’ve divided the list into categories and put a ♥ by the items to start with first. Don’t get overwhelmed. Begin with the ♥ items and once you have those, set a goal—maybe 1-2 items every other week? And begin by gathering at least 3 days worth of supplies and work up to 1-2 weeks. Defray the costs by checking thrift stores and looking for sales—buy an extra bag of cat litter when it’s on sale, etc. Some of the items listed will double for a human preparedness kit.

Tasks:

  1. ♥Microchip every animal & keep the registered contact information up-to-date
  2. ♥Make sure your pets have collars and up-to-date ID tags, consider adding an out-of-state contact phone number too (it’s recommended families have an out-of-state contact (relative or friend) because when phone lines are flooded with calls, it’s sometimes easier to reach someone out of the area.)
  3. ♥Talk to your vet about obtaining medication for your emergency kit
  4. ♥Construct a First Aid Kit (I’ve compiled a comprehensive list for a well stocked kit)
  5. Place “Pets Inside” stickers at each entrance to your home listing what types of animals you have & how many—here’s where you can get a free decal
  6. Make up “Lost” posters for your pets (in case they get lost) with space for up-to-date contact information if you’ve evacuated, here’s a form that will create a poster for you
  7. Develop a plan that doesn’t rely solely on public emergency shelters (most won’t allow animals)–we plan to keep our pets with us, so we have a tent, etc.
  8. Petfinder has a number of useful links for finding pet friendly motels/hotels—identify nearby options & options outside your local area
  9. Coordinate with a nearby friend or trustworthy neighbor to take care of your pets in case something happens while you’re away from your home (make sure your friend or neighbor is familiar with your pets & that your pets are comfortable with them, give them a key & care information for your pets, be clear about your arrangement—will they just feed & water your pets at your house, will they take custody of your pets, etc.)
  10. Find out if your vet will board animals in the event of an emergency
  11. Contact your local animal control & humane society about their disaster plan (what services they plan to provide, where they intend to be located)
  12. Plan to keep your pets separate from each other—animals under extreme stress or in pain can be unpredictable and your dog could attack your cat, etc.
  13. If you live in a disaster prone area:
    1. consider putting a leash at every exit to your home, if you have a dog
    2. consider using a feeder on a timer
    3. consider using a waterer with a reservoir
    4. if you are likely to evacuate, find a vet in that area ahead of time
    5. coping with evacuation gridlock
    6. make sure you’ve planned for space in your vehicle for your pets
  14. Familiarize yourself with what to do in an emergency
    1. the AVMA has a superb manual
    2. the Humane Society has good tips, including dealing with everyday emergencies
  15. Special tips for preparing for tornados

 

Documents:

  1. ♥up-to-date vaccination records (could help in your obtaining shelter)
  2. ♥pet license records
  3. ♥recent photos of all your pets, include distinguishing marks (for lost posters, online notices)
  4. ♥photos of you with your pets (documenting they are your pets)
  5. detailed descriptions of your pets

 

Items:

  1. ♥1-2 weeks worth of food (wet & dry–small cans of wet since you can’t refrigerate them)
  2. ♥1-2 weeks of water for just your pets
  3. ♥2 bowls
  4. ♥manual can opener
  5. ♥spoon (for food)
  6. ♥litter box
  7. ♥1-2 weeks supply of cat litter
  8. ♥litter scoop
  9. ♥poop bags
  10. ♥ID tags with space to put up-to-date information (in case you’ve evacuated)
  11. ♥sturdy, extra leash (for each animal)
  12. ♥sturdy, extra collar (for each animal)
  13. ♥sturdy, extra harness (for each animal that they can’t slip out of)
  14. ♥carriers/crates (for each animal in appropriate sizes)
  15. bedding
  16. large garbage bags
  17. tie out/stake(do not leave dog unattended, ever)
  18. long line leash
  19. muzzle (cat & dog, helpful in case of injury, may help you obtain shelter for you & your pets)
  20. toys
  21. paper towels
  22. dish soap
  23. dish brush
  24. disinfectant for cleaning crate, etc.
  25. pet shampoo
  26. grooming supplies
  27. bath towels
  28. blanket (to capture a skittish pet, cover a stressed pet, immobilize a pet for treatment)
  29. treats
  30. chew treats
  31. hand truck, cart, or wagon (this could be especially important if you have a number of animals or a large dog and need to move them to another location while crated and don’t have use of a car)
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