It's a Cats Life

whine whine whine

Hey folks! Nothing fun today. But also no ranting or raving. Yay! Ranting, raving and foaming at the mouth is tiring.

Today I have 2 of my FAVORITE dogs here at Clip Clip Hooray. I have a lot of favorites, but these guys get capitalization. But not pictures. I can't find my USB cable (again) so no pics. Rogue and Wrigley, a Rottweiler and a Pug came to CCH last summer (spring?) as a last resort. Their mom was tired of hearing that they were "not bad, but just not good". Rogue is a bit dog aggressive and didn't do well in a noisy shop with lots of other dogs. But Rogue does great here! I haven't had one single problem with either of them. Their owner soooo does not believe me, but it's true! I hear it takes 3 people holding down Wrigley at the vets for a nail trim...but he's a perfect gentleman for me, I can clip and file his nails before his mom even realizes I've started!

This morning Rogue and Wriggies bounced into the shop ready for a groom! But then Rogue decided she wanted me to hold her up and scratch her back. You know how big dogs like to l e a n against your legs? Rogue was l e a n ing on me and giving me doggie smiles with happy squinty doggie eyes. AWWWWW! Rogue loves her groomer!

A couple tips for taking a dog aggressive dog to the groomer.

1. Tell your groomer when you set up an appointment. I like to have them drop off at a certain time when I know other dogs won't be going in and out. Or a quiet day with mostly cats or only a few other dogs.

2. Make SURE the collar and leash are in good repair and fitted correctly, and that your dog can't slip out of his collar. If he can, invest in a no slip "martingale" collar to use while walking/taking your dog places.

3. Call ahead. If your dog is very aggressive or you're not sure you can hold him, call from the parking lot. That way you know for sure there are no other animals about, as well as giving the groomer time to put away any pets they might be working on.

Now, there IS a difference between "dog aggressive" and "completely unsocialized" and "hopelessly out of control".

Speaking of, I'm once again looking for local dog trainers! It's been tough finding a trainers, but I have 3 now in my sights. Two I found from Truly Dog Friendly and one who happened to stop in the store. One trains in the home, travelling to you and the other 2 hold classes at their place. Pros and Cons to both styles of teaching. I'm VERy excited about  meeting 2, and less optimistic about the third. I'll be using Haiku as a guinea pig.

Popper is jealous. Popper wants to test trainers! 

Ooops..that's Gusty. I don't seem to have a picture of Popper. Gusty doesn't really give 2 celery stalks about meeting dog trainers.

Anyway, Haiku is fun to test because Haiku starts out optimistic, but will be very obvious if classes aren't to her liking.

This is feign death Haiku, hoping to dissuade me from taking her to boring classes or insufficient reward classes.

Anyway, I'll let ya'll know when/if I find that great dog trainer(s). Probably start working on that more next week. This is a lazy week. Oh, why is this called whine whine whine? I've been listening to Rogue complaining about being inside when it's a sunny day and SNOW to play in!

friends don't let friends...

I see a lot of matted pets. It happens. Someone doesn't know better, doesn't have the time, Fluffy won't let them, they don't care, whatever. I do my best to explain to people why their pet is matted, why this is bad, what they can do to prevent it in the future, etc, etc, etc. Most people have the good grace to act interested, perhaps even ask questions and make promises of better care in the future. Most often, I see the same pet, matted to the skin, the next time. SIGH. I can't make people take good care of their pets. I can only try and educate.

Recently, I have been grooming A LOT of matted pets. They all have one thing in common, and that is the cause of their matting. Their owners love them. They take good care of them, bring them in for regular professional groomings. The take good care of their pets. But they are all making one mistake. One HUGE mistake that is causing their pets to become matted and therefore, shaved down.

What is it? They bathe their pets at home. That's it. That's the only thing causing these otherwise wonderfully cared for animals to become matted wrecks. Well, that's only half. The other half is that they are not brushed out after bathing.

 

IF YOU BATHE, YOU MUST BRUSH.

After you bathe your pet, and he is thoroughly dry, including the skin and the base of the hair, not just the tips, it's time to break out that brush and brush your dog or cat, nose to tail tip. Talk to your groomer to learn the correct types of brushes for your pet, as well as HOW to brush them. Never brush a damp or wet pet. If you don't want to, or don't have time to brush your pet once your finished bathing and drying him, don't bathe him. No matter how dirty his is, or how bad he smells, don't do it. Wait until you have the time or schedule a professional grooming appointment. Invest in some cologne to spray on him if odor is a problem. Bathing and brushing go hand in hand, it's not something you can only do part of.

IF YOU BATHE YOUR PET, YOU MUST BRUSH THAT PET AFTERWARDS. BRUSH ALL OF THE COAT, FROM ROOT TO TIP ALL OVER THE ENTIRE BODY. INCLUDING ARM PITS, BELLY, CHEST, AND BEHIND THE EARS.

Brushing along just the back of your pet, while easiest, doesn't do much to prevent tangles from forming anywhere else, and it's those hard to reach areas that will be the worst.

Again, talk to your local groomer. They can help you decide what shampoos, conditioners, dryers and brushes are best for YOUR dog. Or cat. They can also help teach you how to properly bathe him, dry  him safely and brush him out. Taking the time to do all three steps correctly will give you a clean, fluffy pet that is fun to have around and snuggle with. He'll also be healthier and feel better. Hmmm...clean, happy, healthy, isn't that the point?

Shopping spree

Well, what else is a girl to do stuck inside on a cold day? Cleaning? Bah! Packaging up things to go off to the blade sharpener guy? Pfft. Annoying the guinea pigs? Ok, I did do that.

But after spending the morning sweating bullets hand scissoring a cute toy poodle, I seem to have a lot of free time on my hands. Do I feel like thinking? Not really. Talking? Nah...(see: "thinking"). Finding something new to read on the internets? Yeah! I like to read in bulk, so after I finished about 5 years of a web comic, it was time for something new. I recall browsing this site before, but now I'm really getting into it. Amazing pictures, funny stories. Three Woofs and A Woo, enjoy!

So...shopping! I got some gooood stuff! I ordered more Kong Wubbas, including some designed for water play. Not really sure what the difference is, other than they float, but I thought Wubbas already floated...anyhoo, I also ordered a fun cat torture device. Slimcat is a plastic ball you fill with kitty kibbles and the cat must bat around and play with to release the kibble. A new way to feed your cat! More on this when it arrives. Some more floating fetch toys. Some tug toys. Lots of cow themed toys, by popular demand. Some is Spring pre orders and won't arrive for a few more months. 

One thing I did order are canine safety vests. The owner of one of the dogs I groomed last week was looking for an orange safety vest so her dog Jasmine would be safer playing in the woods. (I'm sorry, I can't find a picture of Jasmine--which is sad, she's a pretty girl!) What a great idea! Not only will your dog be safer from "I heard somethin' over yonder in the brush and I'm gonna shoot at it" hunters, but he'll be easier for you to keep track of too.  

 Picture from PetedgeDS. These vests have lots of custom fitting adjustment points for a snug fit. In addition to being Blaze Orange or Ouch-My-Eyes Yellow, They also have reflective strips. Ordered in Medium, Large and Extra Large, how ever I believe they come in smaller sizes which I can order as well.

Everyone say "Thank you Jasmine's Mom!". Being smart so I don't have to.

Clip Clip Hooray also has really nice LED light up collars, leashes and collar tags, if you're looking for more night time safety gear.

Switch-the-Cat-that-still-needs-a-home is making an appearence in hopes of some petting time or more food. Or maybe she just wants to show off her pretty blue eyes. I guess that shopping time is over I need to do some serious Siamese attention time!

Happy Monday!

Why I am happy? It's SNOWING!  

I know..you can't really tell. But it's starting to lay on the sidewalk and cars and stuff. A lovely picture from our front door looking at the side entrance of the BB&T. Hi ATM that I would use if my husband would ever tell me the PIN number for our account or if I ever bothered to activate my card!

It's for the best.

The other reason I'm all excited this morning is THIS:  

No, not fabric I need to cut for Valentines Day (but look at how pretty!) or the fact that it reminds me I need to work on my promotion for Pet Dental Month...but the keychains! I've been looking for a easy way to attach my dryer fans to the front of the cages...sometimes they like to walk away on the floor, or have been hanging too low on the second level cages. But all the clips, snaps and other hangy devices I've found either won't work or are too expensive or don't fit on the fans. Combing through eBay founds these beauties, priced just right and sized perfect!

They found all kinds of uses...on the fans

Look! Nothing fabric or plastic for dogs to try and chew on!

 

Oh, and PINK!

They also got put in the tub...

The dogs head goes through the black loop to encourage them to stay in the tub...and that's part of way it's easier for me to bathe your dog than it is for YOU to bathe your dog :)

And finally, clips on the grooming table. One above...

And one of the side, to help keep wiggle waggle puppies from spinning around or biting me in the face.

 

The other exciting things is our new Sale Bin! This is the new dumping ground for out of season toys and other goodies. Your dog probably doesn't care if he plays with a Christmas toy in March, but you'll probably LOVE saving a gazillion percent! Most items will NOT be a gazillion percent off. But you WILL get a great deal!

It still needs some work, like a sign...and a table to sit on. It's been slim pickings at the Swap Shop recently...someday, I will find just the right size side table to set my Clearance Bin on!

But hey, it's ON SALE!

That's all teh fun and excitment for today. I'm looking forward to some real snow all this week! So are Haiku and Truby, who love playing in the snow, despite that fact that someone hates being cold or wet (Haiku) and someone else hates walking on frozen ground (Truby). But we all love snow!

blah

It's been a quiet week here at Clip Clip Hooray. Due to sky high energy costs (and a grooming salon uses a LOT of power, dryers, fans, heat, lights, clippers, chargers for cordless equipment, etc.) CCH is opening 4 days a week when possible. The extra closing day is a floater and just depends on how grooming appointments set up for the week. Usually the extra day closed is a Wednesday or Thursday. This helps keep prices down and me from not fainting when I see my BGE bill.

It always comes in handy when I have a surprise cold! Like this week. Ugh, I think I"m almost over it, hopefully. Anyway, I'll try and keep everyone up to date when CCH does have a 4 day week.

Other than that, not a whole lot going on. No exciting tales, no pictures, no pearls of wisdom. It's laundry day though, so I'll be in and out of the store doing that today. Yay clean, fluffy towels!

Monday

Well, I apologize for another long delay between posts. It's been COLD and that makes me not want to do anything. That and I've been taking blurry and missing tails or heads type pictures again.

So a couple weeks ago I was grooming a very pretty, very lovey kitty.

  Would you believe she's about 13 years old? I didn't! Plus Casey is even softer and silky than she looks in the picture.

Downside to beauty and fluffiness? When cats are tired of being brushed, they're TIRED OF BEING BRUSHED!

Isn't this the cutest band aid you've ever seen? Ever? It might be cuter than my My Little Pony band aids. Maybe. I wasn't really upset that I got scratched. As long as it's not my face. Cats are cats and I love 'em, whether it's in spite of or because of their unrestrained reactions to their surrounding, I'm not sure. I think I'm envious.

Anyway, this adorable bandage came out of a kids first aid kit I got at Big Lots. I was expecting a bit more from my first aid kit than a tube of anti itch cream, a box of band aids, stickers and a pack of crayons. I was annoyed, until I actually OPENED the band aids and saw how adorable they are! Besides the bee, there was a butterfly and a weiner dog.

Speaking of weiner dogs, these cuties came in recently. Not only are they sweet little dachshunds, they looked great after their grooming here at Clip Clip Hooray. Their owner even called the next tell to thank me for doing such a great job on her pups. She said they looked good, smelled good and she was delighted to have brought them in!

Of course, it was easy to make these guys look good! Kept well brushed at home and not bushy and over grown like long haired doxies tend to get, Cody and Leyna just needed a little trim and some coat shining conditioner. I didn't get before pics, so just imagine them with fuzzier feet.

 Leyna, bright eyed and hopeful her grooming is over with...

I show alot of drastic Before and After pictures. Sometimes it's fun to give extreme make overs to pets. Often they need it or their owners want a big change for fun. But it's wonderful to see well loved pets in great condition and keeping them in long trims. A dog without tangles gives a groomer a lot more choices about what style to do and makes it easier to play around.

These little guys got just a little bit of trimming, just enough to make them look nice and tidy. Cute, huh?

Snow!

YAY! I was super happy when we let Haiku out this morning and saw snow on the ground! Not enough to close CCH, or much of anything, but hey, snow! Because of the school delay and such, CCH will be opening at 11 AM.

I'm too lazy/trying to rearrange the shop alittle, so I thought I'd post some links of places I like on the glorious Internets. All open in a new window.

Clip Clip Hooray's Blog - yes, the one you're reading right now...

Dogs, Art and Possibly a Cup of Tea- great artist AND groomer, check out her etsy shop too!

Flickr Groomers Group  -pictures of just groomed dogs

I Can Has Cheezburger - lols of every kind!

Horse Logic - Horse blog by my friend Sara.

Amazing Grooming Blog -  great learning and pictures!

Non animal sites, but worth a visit all the same:

Cake Wrecks - mmm...cake.

Patrick Rothfuss - author of my favorite book  

Well, time for me to get ready for my inspection!

*entry deleted*

So, I've written and re written this entry a couple of times. I've given up on it. Instead, I'll put it into over simplified bullet points, go off and seethe somewhere else and tomorrow post a cute puppy picture when I'm feeling happier.

1. No Shows make me sad. If you make an appointment, KEEP IT. Or, call ahead and cancel.
2. Late. Don't be it. Drop off on time (7:30 -8:45 am) or lose your appointment.
3. Lateness and No Shows are unfair to everyone and cost CCH a lot of money. YOU CAN help keep your grooming prices lower merely by coming in on time/calling ahead.

It's been a frustrating couple of weeks. Lots of people not coming in on time and lots of people not coming in at all for their appointments. This past year and the year coming up have been and will probably continue to be very hard on most people, especially financially. CCH is doing everything we can to keep our prices low. Being on time goes a long way to helping us keep prices down. Canceling ahead of time (especially on a Saturday!) instead of just not showing up help even more. As of yet, we don't have late/no show fees. Many places do. Please, come in, on time, so we don't ever have to have those fees.

That being said, a huge thank you to all our great customers, old AND new, that have been coming in! I've been grooming a lot of cute critters recently. I'm looking forward to the end of winter. Keeping this shop warm is...challenging. Energy prices are sky high. But we're still here, still grooming cats and dogs, still helping you keep your pets cute and cuddly!

Later today or tomorrow, cute, fluffy kitty. Cutest band aid you'll ever see, and how not every grooming has to be drastic. That's "It's a Cat's Life" coming Sometime In The Future!

Haiku's Plush Toy Pick

Alright, alright, alright. We're ALL tired of getting our dog some great new plush toy and then spending the next two weeks picking up the white, fluffy innards. Dogs just LOVE ripping into a stuffed plushy and tearing that stuffing out! While this is annoying for the owner, it can be deadly to a dog that consumes the stuffing and gets a blockage. That surgery ain't cheap! While some owners resort to pulling out the stuffing before their dog ever gets the toy most people have given up on plush toys entirely. A hard rubber ball or a Kong might be fun to play with, but's it's not cute...or cuddly. And face it, that's what you want when you pick out dog toys. Cute. Snuggly. Pretty.

Well! I have finally gotten a brand new toy to solve this stuffing dilemma. Clip Clip Hooray is pleased to announce the arrival of Ethical Pet's Skinneeez Squirrels! Yeah...there's supposed to  be a couple extra "n's" and "e's". Skinneeezs are a silky soft toy in 24" inch and 14" inch long sizes. While they come in several species, right now we just have the squirrel, because what dog doesn't know the phrase "get the squirrel!"? Super fun toys good for playing tug, fetch, helicopter and whatever other games you and your dogs can think of! Plus, Skinneeezs have a squeaker in BOTH the head and the tail for extra squeaky fun! What does this have to do with my ramble on stuffing? Everything. Skinneeezs have NO STUFFING. Cotton/Poly batting free! While a hard chewer still can tear up a Skinneeez, without the stuffing to pull out, most dogs won't bother. Haiku likes chewing on the ears of her Squirrel, so we still have to keep an eye on her when she settles down with it. That's about the only downside to them. On the other hand, With the lack of stuffing dogs can enjoy having a plush toy again! Haiku' and I have been having a great time playing with her mini sized Squirrel. More time playing, less time picking up stuffing. Works for me.

Telephone Update

Huge apologies to anyone trying to call this afternoon! I've been on the line with Verizon most of the afternoon and my problems are almost fixed. I'd like to note that this IS NOT Verizon's fault and Jay who is fixing this problem is about the nicest guy I've talked to so far today.

Today I learned about something called "slamming". This is when some scumbag company cons you into changing your service provider. Techniques include: Claiming to be from your phone company and offering a lower rate or "confirming" service; confusing children or the elderly into choosing their service, POP UP ads on the internet, attaching itself to your bill without your knowledge or consent...and more, I'm sure. Clip Clip Hooray had been slammed by a company called USBI, which if you google, has a looooong list of complaints and legal action against them.  Fun!

Now, everyone drag out your phone bills and check to make sure your long distance carrier is who you chose.

If it's not, or you're not sure, call your phone company. Hope you talk to someone like Jay. If you too have been slammed, they will help you fix the problem and place a freeze on your account so it can't happen again. Also, file a compliant with your state. It might take some clicking around, but it's worth it! Again, google is your friend. I'm sure your phone company would be able to direct you towards the proper channels.

Now that I have long distance service again (I had discovered the problem when my carrier got switched to a company that ONLY covers California or else I may have never known!) I can call some of my loyal customers back and schedule some more groomings!

Man, I'm tired now.