How to Feed Your Cat, Too

There were complaints that I left cats out in my previous post, so here goes, but it's a long one:

Starting from the supposition that you're struggling to feed your cat, between the high cost of pretty much everything, and the risks inherent in feeding commercial foods in this era of pet-food recalls, here are some ways to provide appropriate meals without buying prepared cat food.

Everything I said about the benefits of feeding raw meat to dogs, applies to cats too, but there is far less flexibility in what cats can eat, and they need to try to get all the nutrition they need in one day, every day, so in some respects, it's easier to feed a cat. Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they can only use protein from animal sources, and cannot fully digest plants, nor glean from them all the nutrients they require.

It's Market Season

The market season has sprung, and tomorrow marks the first day of the South of the James market in Forest Hill Park. Look for DogTown Lounge's red tent on the left about halfway down as you enter, we should be in the same spot as last year. I'm looking forward to seeing all the faces I've missed all winter! :)

How to Feed Your Dog

When you can't afford to feed your dog.

Do click on the puppy.

What a conundrum we find ourselves in, while presented with a plethora of dried kibble in bags, assurances of dietary completeness and wondrous health splashed across the commercial packaging. Is this the most efficient, cost-effective, and healthy way to feed my dog? What's ideal nutrition for an opportunistic carnivore that can survive on twigs and berries, but thrive on a rotting carcass? More importantly, how can I best mimic that ideal nutrition in a depression?  How can I avoid all the scary pet food recalls, mysterious ingredients from China? Weren't dogs originally used as trash-heap cleaners, guardians of the perimeter and eater of our scraps?

We're Famous!

Well, not quite famous, but a story about DogTown Lounge was published on page 27 in Belle Magazine in November, 2011, complete with a photo of the author's dog munching on a dried chicken foot. I'm thrilled at the publicity and quite grateful for the exposure. Some customers have had questions which seem to indicate that a bit of clarification is needed, so here are a few, in order of appearance in the article:

How to Fit a Gentle Leader

If you've walked your dog to the DogTown Lounge booth using a Gentle Leader, chances are you've seen me check quickly to ensure that it is fitted properly, and that your dog is comfortable. I may have spoken to you about the fit, or asked if I can adjust it for you. The Gentle Leader can help keep a dog from pulling, but if it's not adjusted just right, it can make your dog fight even harder, as he tries to get it off his face. 

Since there seems to be a lot of confusion over the included directions, and folks have told me that they were instructed incorrectly by pet supply store employees, I've put together a flyer with these simple instructions. Stop by the booth at the South of the James market and pick one up.