Craft Fair!

Feline Feathers is going to a a Craft Fair!!

Where:

The Masonic Lodge at 410 West Main St in Tilton, NH

When:

August 15, 2009

What Time:

8:30 am to 3:30 pm

Flea Season

If there is a bug that I do not like, it is the flea. It is a battle every year to keep them from entering my house. I always loose. Once the flea has come into the house it is virtually impossible to evict it. Then it invites its entire family to move in with it! What's more, they decide it's such a great place to live that they start making more fleas. Talk about an uninvited guest overstaying its welcome.

This seems like it should be such a simple problem. There are wonderful flea products out there that claim to kill fleas and keep them off of your pets. Products such as Frontline, Advantage, and Revolution really do work well to control the flea population that invades the house every year. I have used them for years with previous cats that have shared my life.

Then into my life comes Misti Luna. Misti Luna has allergies. One of her allergies is to something used in flea control products. We have almost lost Misti Luna in the war against fleas several times. Several years ago, the veterinarian all but gave up. Everything we tried made my Misti Luna sick. All we could really do was use a flea comb on her a couple times a day and try using an area spray on the floors and furniture a couple times a month.

We are now using a combination of topical flea control product for Boots, and a tiny little pill called Capstar for Misti Luna. This combo seems to be working out rather well for us so far this year. I would love to find another solution to the flea problem. Maybe something natural, but at least something that does not involve medicating my baby every few days.

Do you have animals with allergies? If so, what are you doing to overcome them?

Traditional Braided Leash--custom length by boldleaddesigns

Wow! Nice leash. I found this today while searching for leashes on Etsy. I was looking for leashes for my cats. This is a bit too heavy for my purry companions, but it would be great for your dog!

This leash is made by Bold Lead Designs. It is 3/8 inches wide and you get to choose from 3, 4, 5, or 6 foot lengths. Great size and length for your small or medium sized dogs. Also the soft leather will feel great in your hands.

Tell Me about Your Pet!

I would like to do something a little bit different today. There are so many different pets out there and each one has a different personality. I'm sure they all have interesting stories.

Today, I would like you to choose one or more of your pets and tell us all about them. What do they like? What do they not like? Where did they come from? Funny stories, sad stories, interesting quirks... Tell us about them.

I'll start. Peanut is the bird in the picture. Peanut is a Cinnamon Chinese Blue Breasted Quail, AKA Button Quail. She is now a little over a year old. The chick with her was born last June and is now known as Rocky.

Peanut was the very first quail that we hatched and that survived. She and her sister were incubated in a basket under a lamp. We never thought that they would really hatch out! Unfortunately, there was not enough humidity in the basket, so her sister was born deformed. But boy did that little bird want to live! My mom and I treated them with such tender care and were handled a lot. Peanut's sister ended up passing away after a couple of weeks. Peanut was very distraught at being alone and through comforting, we formed a very close bond.

Today, Peanut just lives for scritches under her chin and for any human contact that she can get! She had a clutch of chicks last year and was a very good Mommy. She is currently sitting on two eggs from another pair. They should hatch out any day now. I cannot wait to show everyone the new babies!

Certified Organic Catnip Fleece Knot Set

Here is a great listing made by a fellow New Hampshire Etsy Street Team Member!

These fleece knots are sure to be a hit with your kitty! They are 5" long and contain a double hit of catnip. Kitty can flip the toy in the air, dig at it, fetch it, chew it and all the fun things Kitty likes to do with her favorite toy. Hours of fun for your Kitty!

Woof Purr Creations donates 5% of her sales to her favorite charities including:

Live & Let Live Farm, Chichester, NH

Another Chance Animal Rescue, North Berwick, ME

Concord SPCA, Concord, NH

Fleece Tug Dog Toy With Ball by RescueMeTugz

I found a great toy with a wonderful cause this morning!

Does your dog love to chew and tug on his toys? Do the traditional rope toys fray all over the house and end up hurting your puppy's tender mouth? This is a soft, durable toy that can withstand the tugging and pulling of a Great Dane! Because it is made of fleece, this toy is easy on your dog's mouth allowing hours of tugging fun.

Rescue Me Tugz donates all proceeds of sales from her shop to Great Dane Rescues and fundraising groups!

Drag and Play Parrot Toy by coocoolady

I found something for the birds! That's right! I was browsing Etsy this morning thinking that there must be stuff out there for your feathery friends. I found it!

Your bird will just love this bird toy made by coocoolady. The bright colors and bells will keep your friend entertained and interested for many quality hours of fun.

Coo Coo Lady makes the bird toys out of only bird safe materials in her smoke free home. Toy designs are tested and approved by her many bird friends, so you are sure that each one is a winner!

Ring-a-Ding Trio - Cat Toys by thecatintheclover

Does your cat like playing with milk rings but they get lost easily, or you are worried about Kitty chewing on them and swallowing the plastic? Well, I found these wonderful alternatives to milk rings on Etsy this morning!

Made by The Cat in the Clover, these rings will provide hours of entertainment to your purry friend! The Ring-a-Ding Cat Toy is easy on Kitty's mouth, flips through the air, slides across the floor, and is simply a lot of fun for your cat.

The Cat in the Clover also makes cat beds, other fun cat toys, aprons, and much more.

Custom Pet Pads for Crates or Carriers 26 x 17 by SLC Accessories

I am so excited about this find! I found it on Etsy while searching the Pet Category.

These Pet Pads look so comfortable that I'd like one big enough for myself! Place one in your pet's carrier or in it's favorite sleeping place. SLC Accessories custom makes each pet pad with your choice of color and size. Each Pet Pad is also embroidered with your pet's name.

Be sure to check out SLC Accessories's shop while you are there. She also makes some wonderful handbags!

Mouse and Ball Organic Catnip Bell Cat Toys by AllAboutCats

I found this cute little set of cat toys while browsing for "cat toys" on Etsy this morning!

This adorable mouse and his ball are made from fleece. The mouse is 3" x 2" with a 5" tail. The ball measures about 2" in diameter. Both are stuffed with catnip, a bell, and fiberfill. These are sure to be a hit with your cats!

AllAboutCats makes a variety of very cute toys for your cat. She also makes toys to donate to a local animal shelter.

Flea Shampoo by firehousedog

Every pet lover knows about the battle of the fleas! This morning I found an all natural flea shampoo to help with that battle.

Fire House Dog makes this shampoo with human grade ingredients and essential oils. They also make all natural Pet Shampoo and Dog First Aid Ointment.

Fire House Dog donates a portion of each purchase to assist animal hospital referred families with a portion of the cost of emergency care for their pets in the Tallahassee area.

Royal Stewart Authentic Scottish Tartan Large Dog Collar by thecollaredcanine

Look what I found on Etsy this morning!

This wonderful dog collar fits a 17"-26" neck size and will look great on your large size dog!

The Collared Canine makes a variety of quality collars and leashes. If this collar does not fit your dog be sure to check out their shop. Their worth the look!

Purple Rat Cube Hanging Bed by Friends4Fuzzies

This item sold on 4-24-2009! Be sure to check out this shop for more great items for your small animal friends!

What a cool and comfortable bed for your small animal friend! This cube was designed with your pet rat in mind. It measures 7"x7"x7" and can hang in the cage from its four heavy plastic rings.

Friends4Fuzzies also has many other colors available and will do custom orders!

Large Plush Dog Toy by PawprintDesign

This item sold on 4-22-2009! Be sure to check out this shop for more great items for you pet.

Another great item I came across while browsing the Pets category on Etsy!

These wonderful bones are 14" x 8" fun toys for your playfull pup. It even has a 2" squeeker built in! PawprintDesign is also willing to create a gift package in this design including either a small or large plush dog bone, collar, and leash.

PawprintDesign will donate $1 for every item purchased to Somerset Hills Learning Institute, a non-profit school that delivers science-based, behavior-analytic educational services for children with autism. (http://www.somerset-hills.org)

Kitty Pie, Needs Furry Filling by seachildcomforts

I stumbled across these great pet beds while browsing through the pets category on Etsy this morning!

The Kitty Pies are custom made by seachildcomforts from wool. You can choose the size and color theme for your pie!

Seachildcomforts donates 25% of each sale to help pets in need.

Introducing Misti Luna and Boots!

I have two very enthusiastic helpers when it comes to creating my works of art. Or at least they think they are "helping." They sure make my days interesting!

Misti Luna was born in Texas just outside of Houston. She came home with me to New Hampshire at eight weeks old riding at my feet on the airplane. She was born on the full moon in June 2002. I cannot believe she is going to be 7 years old already! Misti Luna loves being right there while I am sewing. I can be doing anything else and she will sleep through it, but as soon as the sewing machine starts to whirr, there she is pawing at my leg!

Boots is our youngster, only two years old. He has a knack of getting into everything (typically around 5:30 in the morning!) He is usually the first to try out a new style of toy or bed. He absolutely loves the catnip mice and catnip balls. Often he will try to steal them as I am stuffing them. Boots is out Feline Feathers mascot. He can be seen lounging in his cat bed in our banner.