Pooch Pax Monthly Subscription Service For Dogs

As far back as I can remember, I've enjoyed giving much more than receiving. Few aspects of my life illustrate this quite like my love for my pets, which I ultimately consider my four-legged children. When I was a young girl I recall insisting on documenting the birthday of each of our house-cats. My father would print it on our family calendar, and every year I'd make Momma bust out a box of cake mix, and take me to the pet store to buy a special toy. Naturally, when it comes to pets, everything you do for them is a gift; Nora gets excited when we just look her direction to acknowledge her, let alone bust our a bacon flavored chewy. But, sometimes I don't have the time to stop by the pet store each month, or I'm simply bored with the same selection of toys and treats. And, on those occasions, a monthly pet subscription box can be a much welcome treat for myself and my fur-babies.

At the end of last year we had the chance to receive a sample box from Pooch Pax, a monthly subscription service designed exclusively for dogs. With three breed size ranges, small, medium, and large, this pet service is a little more flexible than most when it comes to custom building boxes for your pet. They offer a simple structure that enables you to buy one box at a time, or subscribe to several months in advance for a discounted rate. I've heard rumors that there is now a tailoring option for the age of your four-legged child (puppy/senior options), but haven't had a chance to try that out yet. It seems like an especially ingenious concept, since the dietary needs and active levels of dogs vary with their age.

Nora is a 5.5lb Morkie (Maltese/Yorkie mix), and considered a toy size dog, which is typically smaller than most small dog branded products accommodate. This was evident in our Small Pooch Pax box, which featured a few treats that were hard for her to chew, and a Tuffy Ball tennis ball play toy much too big for her jaw. Our Bubba Rose Cheesy Bacon Breakable Training Treat was still almost twice her daily kibble size, when broken by the scoring. I ended up smashing it as a 'topping' for her dinner later in the night, and she really seemed to enjoy it. There was also a container of organic and fresh made Healthy Dog (pumpkin cinnamon) biscuits that seemed to grab Nora's attention right away from the scent. They proved hard for her to chew, but she was also content just licking and gnawing on a biscuit protectively for an hour.

The average Pooch Pax contains 4-6 full size items for your dog, and ours was chocked full of  6; not all of them edible delights. We also received a flash and glow safety light to attach to her color that features a waterproof silicone casing and bright neon color for enhanced visibility. But Nora's favorite non-edible (okay, it's proved edible much to my dismay) surprise was an adorable giraffe squeak toy. Nicknamed 'Raffe' in our home, Nora spend the better part of a month quite literally snuggling with this toy at night, until they seemed to have a disagreement and I came home to stuffing and a war wound in Raffe's leg.

Pooch Pax starts as low as $19 dollars a month, and ships once a month with brand new products hand picked for their unique features and flavors. All of the edible treats we've encountered have been the highest quality, with many natural and even hand made aspects. My only request for the company is that they look into adding a 'Toy Breed' size to their service to accommodate smaller customers, such as Nora. Save $5 on any 6 Month Subscription Plan with discount code: Truffles.

Sasquatch! II Pet Beds For A Unique And Versatile Accesory

Nobody would dare argue that Nora isn't spoiled. She has a wardrobe to rival my own, complete with Winter wear and fashionable accessories, is sent far more treats than she could ever consume (the amount of treats I donate each month exceed her body weight), and could easily play with a different toy every day for a month. She is one of our two furbabies and we take care of our furry children just as well as we do the humans. That being said, not every pet purchase is a win, especially when dealing with small and medium breed dogs. Manufacturers seem committed to winning your money through novel design (patterns, fabrics, styling) or practical execution, but rarely both. We live in a 2BR condo and Nora had 5 pet beds; 1 for traveling and the car, 1 for the hot Summer months, 1 for 'in between baths', 1 for cold Winter weather, and 1 for luxury and photoshoots. Why can't we have one bed that seamlessly transitions through all of these activities?

At first glance Sasquatch! pet beds are simply another cute novelty product for small breed dogs; modeled after kitschy 'Croc' style shoes, this 2'+ long giant shoe/sandal certainly is unique in appearance. And, with a variety of vibrant prints and interchangeable liners, they're easily attractive to the pet owner who likes to style their pets belongings to match their own. After all, it's hard to top the cute factor of a small dog sleeping in a giant shoe, right? But Sasquatch! is more than just another pretty face in the pet bed industry, they're Yeti and Sasquatch! beds are backed by a lifetime warranty that guarantees the shoe 'base' of this bed will never slide or scuff flooring. That's because it's made from a lightweight, and very durable, odor free, non-toxic, material that resembles the shoes they take after. And, with an entirely removable faux wool lining, the Sasquatch! pet bed can easily be torn down for cleaning or Summer use.

When we first got our Sasquatch! pet bed, for Nora, I was in love with the quirky appeal of a giant shoe bed, but soon found there were many reasons to favor this accessory over others. While having a cream lining is not my preference with pets, it is entirely removable for spot cleaning. Alternate patterns and materials of linings have been produced from time to time but are not sold online at this time. Unfortunately, this lining, which Sasquatch! calls the sock, seems to have shrunk just the smallest bit after removing it and soaking it entirely. Be sure to always air dry this material and only spot treat stains. While the sock easily reattaches to the bed, the top, embroidered, portion occasionally peels down as Nora shuffles about. I've since found myself wondering if/when the company will make replacement liners availible for sale, or in additional colors once again.

As I mentioned, the Sasquatch! pet bed is very versatile; we have had a wild weather stretch this Winter ranging from 'Toss all the blankets on the bed' to 'Sleep on top of the blankets,' and I have been glad for it's transformation. Not only is the bed, without the liner, great for cooling down during warmer Summer months, but the shoe itself makes a great outdoor bed, and can easily be hosed down when needed. When it is cooler, Nora loves to curl up in the toe of the 'shoe' where she is surrounded by the warm sock material and can easily recycle her own heat. I've also noticed this is a particularly favorite spot for her to 'hide' her favorite toys and treats. While Nora can't type for herself, I assure you this is a favorite aspect of hers! Sasquatch! also offers customization options in the form of 'Poppers' that act as little foam tabs with letters, one can easily pop in and out of the holes on the front of these unique shoe beds.

Nora is exactly 6lbs, and a little long for her breed, about 20" nose to tail, but still looks dwarfed by this giant shoe when she is curled up in the toe. She also enjoys the ample space to stretch out and uses the Sasquatch! designed 'rolled' heel as a ledge to rest her head when sleeping. Sasquatch! beds currently come in two sizes/styles the Sasquatch! II and Yeti, and can accommodate most breeds of dogs up to 18lbs, including Yorkies, Dachshunds, Jack Russels, and more. Cats are also particularly fond of curling up in the private toe of this unique bed, so be sure to buy one for each of your pets in a multi-pet home!

Cat Bearding Champions!

It's no secret I'm a crazy cat lady. When I got married things were rocky from the get go, and I filled my family needs with the adoption of a black and white tuxedo, Truffles. Home all day, having left my 9-5 when I got married, to have a family, this weened too early ball of fluff was my baby. Wherever I went, she went; within the confines of our house, of course. It didn't take long for her to develop a fondness towards me either. Picky as cats can be in personality, Truffles never cared much for my ex-husband, or any other people for that matter. My friends and family would come over and Truffles would sit in the corner, as far out of reach as she could be while still watching, and she'd be labeled antisocial or a 'mean' kitty. To this day I shrug it off. It matters not to me how people perceive her, she's my cat, and my relationship with her is all that matters. And Truffles and I, we're tight.

No, no, I don't go around scheduling photo sessions with my cat- we're not that tight. And, while I do have a pet blog dedicated to her, and our other furry kids, Truffles and I prefer to take selfies in the privacy of our own home. That's right, our bond, when it's just her and I, is strong enough that we took one of the best cat-bearding photos in the contest we entered earlier this year. Sponsored by Fresh Step cat litter, you may recall some photos I had posted and content in relation to this infamous cat-bearding contest, of which the hilarious Instagram entries can be viewed here. Now, I am not a winner. Okay, I don't 'win' contests. Yes, even though I have given away thousands in products on my blog, the number of giveaways I've entered, which I've actually won, are shockingly low. So, when I got an email saying our cat-human hybrid photo had been chosen by a random panel as the best Cat-Bearding shot in the group, I was flabbergasted.

(Seen in the header image.) I'll admit, I really loved the candid nature of our black and white shot, but I never expected it to actually win. Anyone who has ever tried to coax a feline into such a position, while taking a selfie knows this is really a testament to the pet-parent bond. My prize? A $700 Sam's Club gift card (also good at Walmart), and a $300 budget to get pet and family portraits done by a local photographer of my choice. I was immediately nervous about having to put Truffles through the trauma of a professional photo shoot. We live in a small 2BR condo, and having an entire lighting rig, let alone a stranger in her face, was not ideal. Surprisingly, we both sat for about 90 minutes and captured some adorable shots. Of course, no one will ever see Truffles through the lens the way I can capture her in those honest, candid, moments when it's just the two of us.

So, it goes without saying that I felt the win was tremendously in part due to Truffles; after all, you can't have a human-cat hybrid without a cat, right? So I made certain that Truffles was the first to benefit from our big win, especially after the traumatic photo shoot she had to endure to claim her prize. I marches right into my local Walmart, to the very back, where the pet department was, and placed two 16lb bags of her favorite dry food in our cart. That's over 3 times Truffles body weight in tasty, crunchy, Meow-worthy food. Then I made sure I got her a few gifts that she could enjoy, without watching her waistline, and invested in a Sunny Seat cat bed for our sliding glass window, and several new toys, including a door mounted scratcher. In all, it was about $100, but I didn't even bat a lash- honestly, if the pet selection has been bigger (and our home not already filled with cat-spoiling products) I would have spent far more!