Ferrisi Worldwide Blog

Okay now, so many of our clients are in troubled times this month as theyare either out of work or barely making it. They call us looking for a solution to their frustration in the form of treating their pets. Most ask us to help them get their pet something small but yet something that will make a difference. There are so many inexpensive items you can treat your pet to without hurting your wallet. Here are some inexpensive treats for your buddy(s) that will last and be great fun.

Any of these  toys can make a difference in showing  your kitty, pooch, bird or small furry animal how much you care. The best thing about it is that all these items are inexpensive so you don’t have to worry about cost. These Kritter Krawler Balls are great to let your hamster or gerbil exercise in and they are really cheap. Take a look at this Catnip Tiny Teaser Wand. It comes in many variety’s and is interactive so both you and your cat can play together. Want to be a bit more sedentary and watch your cat play, this Doorknob Hanger Toy is just what the doctor ordered. Your cat will have hours of fun and you can just chill a bit and watch! Want something special that your feathery buddy will love?  Check out this  Hardwood Ladder or this Wood  Tabletop Parakeet Playpen. Both great values for hours of fun.

Need a change of pace for your dog?  Take a look at this Munchy Bone 4.5 inch. A great treat for hours of fun time. Also check out this Bopperoo Rubber Dog. Hours of chewing with many sizes. Bottom line is that a little treat will go a long way for your pet. Not sure of what to get? Give us a call or send us an email. In the meantime remember that a Little thought for your pet and friend go’s a long way toward happy healthy relationships for the life of your special friend.

Last week, a customer called extremely frustrated. She has been walking neighborhood dogs for some side money and she was having trouble walking more than one dog at a time. I explained to her that their are many variables to mastering this art but that we would be glad to help her. After all that is what the experts at www.getpetsavvy.com do. Remember the dog walker you see in the city who takes four or five doggies for a stroll at once. She is experienced and has a combination of the right dog personalities along with  right equipment.

Lets take a look at dog personalities for a minute. Although you may always have an ” Alpha” or dominant dog, you cannot have an aggressive animal who will not allow other dogs near them. You will have to walk the aggressive pooch by itself as it would be very difficult to attempt to train the ” aggressiveness” out of them. i would recommend a professional trainer for that. Sometimes it is better to let the professionals do their job.

Now lets talk about equipment. you can walk two dogs the traditional way , each on their own leads. Make sure you choose a strong nylon or leather lead that is no more than ten ft lond and no shorter than six feet long. This will ensure control.

Now choose a strong collar that is a choke or prong training collar. This will ensure a response to any negative behavior. Remember, you are the alpha and you need to control the pack which you can do easily by pulling back on either type of collar with no injury to your furry friends. A common mistake that owners make is using an identification collar as the basis to hook up their dogs leads. A big mistake as you get no control to correct dangerous or bad behavior. This collar is not designed for that purpose and you dog can slip out of it very easily.

Lastly, pick a strong couplet.  My suggestion is to walk no more than three dogs on one couplet or per lead. Hopefully this helps. Best of luck to you and your furry friends!

So many of our clients ask us questions regarding their pets. The staff at getpetsavvy  is always willing to help. This week let’s talk about regularly testing your aquarium water. This can be done with a basic test kit for either salt or fresh water.

I am a firm believer in testing once a week. Try to create a day or certain time to test every week. This will ensure that your fish and or corals will be kept healthy and happy. Also as important is observing behaviour and doing things to prevent problems. Prevention will save you headaches in the long run.

I suggest getting used to the behavior of your tank inhabitants. remember, you have an aquarium for decorative and relaxing purposes. Don’t forget to just relax and enjoy it. All fish have patterns and they will display them as soon as they get comfortable in their environment. Stop and look at your aquarium, once you get used to the natural fish behavior it will make it easy to spot problems before they get out of hand.

I also keep 30% of my aquarium water volume stored so that it is ready for emergency. If I should notice a rise in amonia level, I can make a water change and dilute the problem quickly. You should regularly be changing 20% of your entire water volume a month anyway! What many people do not realize is that overfeeding can cause a whole host of problems. On the other hand, you don’t want to starve you fish. Twice a day is what I recommend and keep the food down to what can be eaten within 2 minutes.  Also, use a good quality food and vary the types you give. This will build your fishes immune system helping them to fight off disease. Turn your water flow off when you feed, this will keep food where your fish can see it and not at the bottom.

Vacuum the bottom of your fresh water tank once a month. There are plenty of cleaning and maintenance aids to assist you. This will ensure that waste will be kept at a minimum. That in turn will keep your ammonia down.

There are many ways to prevent problems, be observant and you will save yourself many problems in the future. Good luck and feel free to ask me any questions .

The people at getpetsavvy.com have come up with something a bit different. Now you can get your new puppy or kitty a new home with all the tools needed to make their first night a happy, healthy and safe one. These new “Savvy Packs“, combine the convenience of having all you need to start your new pets home with a price that is unbeatable. I know from experience, that bringing a new addition home can be a stressful time for both you and your furry pal. You think you have everything until you get home and realize that your missing some key items. Now you are stuck at home not prepared and it will be a trip to your local pet products store. Not the way you want to introduce your new addition to the home!

Wouldn’t it be better if you had everything you needed to start already home. From crates to toys to dishes and bowls, there bundled values have it all.  Need a lead or a collar? Not if you buy a Savvy Pack  because they are all included. You never have to worry about grooming either because all the tools including brushes and clippers are included. They even have a starter small animal, fish and reptile savvy pack.

The dog categories are broken down into breed sizes to make it easier to shop. You can choose small breed, medium breed, or large breed packs. Each category has different bundles depending on what you need. You can get the whole package or maybe just a small treat. Either way, www.getpetsavvycom has taken out the hassle and made it easy to bring your new pet home, prepared and ready for acceptance into it’s new home. 

My advise, check out these Savvy Packs. They are well priced, offer great value and are the most complete as far as items you will need to keep your pet happy in their new home. It’s about time that someone did this! Best of health to you and your pet!!

Its summer time! Take a break and sit out in your yard. There is nothing like a little leisure time. Many of us, myself included love to see the wildlife that the summer brings. If you want to attract more birds to your yard, this article is for you. Depending on where you live, there are a host of ways to attract beautifully colored birds to your yard, all it takes is the proper equipment and a good food knowledge.

First of all , you need to get yourself a reliable bird feeder. You can choose from free standing, (on a pole) or hanging. Make sure it is covered with some type of roof so that the food will stay dry in bad weather. Having somewhere for the birds to perch is also a good idea. My personal favorites have trays underneath to catch seed spillage. You can use any material as none are really preferred by the animals. From classic brass to my favorite, natural wood, there is no wrong choice. You can find all of these types of feeders at our partner Duncraft. All are at sale prices and all are guaranteed.

You will also have your choice of “squirrel proof” feeders. This basically means that the food can be hidden from lurking squirrels who can gorge themselves and make a mess. It has been my experience that these feeders only work half the time as a determined squirrel really cannot be stopped. I find that putting a small squirrel feeder nearby is the way to go. Fill it with corn cobs, cracked corn or shelled peanuts and the squirrels will leave your bird food alone. In this case ” if you can’t beat them join them” does work better. Again, visit our friends at Duncraftfor all these  feeders at the best prices on the net.

Now for the key element, Bird Food. There are many different types and each is used for different birds. I usually use a combination of  “thisle seed,” which attracts small colorful birds and black sunflower seeds for larger colorful flyer’s like cardinals, blue jays and orioles. Remember, there is a reason why the all purpose seed at your local supermarket is so cheep. It is loaded with saw dust, fillers, shells and corn. The corn attracts the squirrels, the rest attract black birds. Keep that in mind and buy nutritious seed that will bring colorful birds to your yard. Enjoy!

Okay everybody, lets talk about this mysterious energy giver for your cat. We have all seen pour feline pals explode with energy and play full behavior after one whiff of this mysterious weed. Why., where does it come from? Well, let me enlighten you a bit.

 First of all, catnip is not to be used in kittens under 6 months old as their brains are still developing. Please be responsible and keep that in mind when giving your adult cats this product!

Catnip is also known as Nepeta and has a genus of approximately two hundred and fifty species of blossoming plants of the “Lamiaceae” family. Getting its name from its effect on cats, this special herb stimulates cats’ pheromone receptors in their nose and brain. Kind of like a special ” happy juice”, it is a harmless, non- toxic “high” for felines, though we prefer to say a special treat! The ” catnip” plant is a member of the mint family and has many uses including being an excellent mosquito repellent.

Now that you know catnip’s history, lets show you some delectable forms of the magic plant that all our cats enjoy. There are many different kinds of catnip and we recommend giving it to your cat 2 or 3 times a week. This Kooka Catnip Spray – 4oz is widely noted by cat owners to be the best available. Used to spray on cat furniture and toys, it is long lasting and potent. Then there are some who use special toys called catnip toys that you can fill with various types of catnip. Some of the preferred cat toy fillers are the  Premium Catnip .5oz Bag or the Jute and Feather Sack W/catnip. All can be recharged with spray as they will eventually loose the catnip odor.

So, whether you want to grow your own (Cat Grass Plus 100gm) or sprinkle it on with Chicken – flavored Catnip Shaker 25g Jar, your cats will love it and for a small price you can give your furry friends a welcomed treat! Health and happiness to you and your special friend(s).

This week, I’d like to write about  a customer  service questions that we have fielded. Many of our clients ask excellent pet related questions and we take a special pride in answering them to the fullest. The staff at www.getpetsavvy.comall have pets so you are getting the answers from people who are experienced, not relying on what is written in a book. This makes a whole lot of difference.

One of our California clients, Linda, asked if it really matters how you train your puppy? In other words why use the crate method when their are more inexpensive means. This is an easily fielded question as I have 5 dogs , which are rescues, all trained from puppies. First of all lets remember that all puppies are descendants of wolves. Yes that correct, all canines are made from the wolf blood line which makes them “pack” animals by nature. Keeping this in mind, dogs need their own protected are in which they can rest away from the “pack”. This is why, once your puppy gets used to its crate, it will go to it when tired as it feels a sense of security there. That is also the reason why after a mistake or two in the crate, it will not do their same mistake over and over. Dogs are clean by nature and will not defecate where they sleep. Take it from me, this method works allot better that fencing your pup in the kitchen so it can eat your cabinets when you are gone. Remember., a little preventative expense goes a long way in the future!

Now there are many different types of crates and basically they are all acceptable. Be sure to follow a crate  size chart so that you can get the right size crate for your pup. My personal favorites are the “Precision” dog crates as I have used them for every puppy I have trained. They are top of the line, safe and well built. Check out our starter crate Savvy Packs. The convienience of everything in one package.

Anyway, using crate training will not only teach your puppy to obey but will allow them to be non stressed as well as comfortable in their new environment.

Thanks for the question, Linda from California. Hope we helped!

Now that the weather is turning warmer we must remember to keep our pets as comfortable as possible. Here are a few tips to help give you and your special friend piece of mind.

Making sure that your kitty or doggy has fresh water is always essential but even more important in these hot summer months. A large dog bowl or cat bowl is a great start. Remember, the larger the volume of water, the less the tendency to get hot. Having cool, room temperature water is a great start. This Designer Stoneware Basketweave Cat Dish 5 inch in White is a great start. Great looking and stable, it keeps water room temperature at a minimum cost. Whether you prefer Designer Bowls like this one in Preppy Plaid Small or this traditional 1/2 Pint Standard Stainless Dish, its a great way to keep water fresh for your buddy. You also can get an Auto Feeder that will keep the water level correct. Another inexpensive item that can benefit your buddy.

For you freshwater aquarium buffs, check your air pump. Is it more that a year old? Might be time to get another one. As the temperature goes up, air seeps out of water faster. Get a new pump at a minimum cost and it will increase fish activity, help clarify water and give your fish a better appetite. This Whisper 20 Air Pump will provide great air circulation at a minimum cost. While you are at it, don’t take chances, get a battery operated pump for power outage emergencies. Being prepared for the worst is always the best way and in the heat a power failure can destroy your fish.

Clean your bird cage at least once a week and keep your buddy safe from harmful bacteria. This Cage & Aviary Deodorizer is a great way to keep everyone odor free and smelling great. A great way to keep your friends cage clean and the whole house smelling clean and odor free.

Change your pets bedding at least once a week. Use quality, odor absorbing material like this  Cell Sorb Plus for cats, Press Pack Pine bedding in a 2000 Cubic Inch pack or this Hermit Crab Calci – sand 2lb Black, White And Blue. Preventing odor, bacteria and health is really important in the hot months to come.

Just a few guidelines to help keep your pets healthy and happy. Specific question? Don’t hesitate to ask. Go to www.getpetsavvy.com

 Have a great summer!!