New Year’s Resolutions & the cutest Scottish Fold cat ever! Folded-ears munchkin kitten: pet magazine photoshoot.
Happy New Year! My Scottish Fold cat and I are determined to make 2013 a healthy, successful year.
For New Year’s, why don’t we resolve to improve our pet’s quality of life? After all, they give us so much. January 1st is the perfect chance to make positive changes: little steps that can go a long way.
With no further ado, here are “20 New Year’s Resolutions for Pet Owners” – by Basil Farrow and his mom, La Carmina. Please share it around!
PS: this article and Basil Farrow are in the current issue of Black Cat White Dog, a pet magazine distributed all over British Columbia. Basil is also currently in the MediaBistro Galleycat Pet Parade!
1. Take your pets for regular vet checkups, even if they seem perfectly healthy. Prevention is essential: your vet can detect medical issues that you’ll overlook, saving your pets from illness and pain. Aim for a few checkups a year; one is the minimum.
2. Encourage your pets to drink more by leaving several bowls of water around the house, and refilling them at least once a day. Cats don’t like their food and water to be in the same place, and dogs may act territorial around a single bowl, so this is a quick and easy fix.
3. Take photos of your pets, and with your pets! For best results, wait until they are in a relaxed mood. Hold up a toy near the lens so they’ll look at the camera.
4. Invest in better food for your pets. Learn to check ingredients carefully: avoid chemical preservatives, by-products, corn meal, and fillers with no nutritional value. Consider safe raw foods or cooking for your pets, and catgrass to aid digestion.
5. Groom your pets well. Brush fur regularly: try soft and specialty brushes that are gentle on the skin but remove the under-layers. If your pets have eye secretions, wipe them gently. Don’t put off bathing your pets, or taking them to the groomer. Basil Farrow loves to be washed with a wet towel, and since he has folded ears, they must be cleaned gently and often! (You can see this on our YouTube channel.)
6. Increase exercise. Think of creative ways to stimulate your pets, such as by making toys out of cardboard and craft materials. Go on adventures with your dog, and try new terrains for walks and runs.
7. Fill your home with rest and play areas. In Japan, cat and dog cafes are designed for the comfort of pets. The rooms contain climbing trees, wall-mounted levels for jumping, secret hideaways, and boxes lined with towels — you can do the same.
8. Keep learning. Sign up for newsletters and stay educated about pet care. Be aware of pet food recalls and recent discoveries. Your pet may enjoy new technologies, such as playing with a tablet!
9. Try pet massage. T-touch massage helps soothe sore muscles, particularly around a dog’s harness attachment areas.
10. Look for a better litter. Natural wheat and pine litter are healthier options than gravel and chemically-treated brands.
11. Safe-proof your house, as you would for a toddler. Eliminate toxic materials, and switch to chemical-free, eco-friendly cleaning products. Learn which plants and foods are dangerous when ingested by pets.
12. Protect your pets with a micro-chip or tattoo, to prevent them from getting lost.
13. Connect with fellow pet-lovers. Join a community on the Internet (there are fantastic Facebook groups for breeds such as Scottish Folds), or a real-life meet-up group.
14. Avoid putting your pets in a kennel when you go on vacation, as this is very stressful. Make arrangements for someone to come into your home and take care of them, or have a member of the family stay behind.
15. Find the best possible veterinarian for your pets. Ask around, do research, and visit the vet. Consider a specialist who only treats your pets’ species.
16. Take care of your pets’ teeth. Get in the habit of brushing. With the help of your vet, keep track of their dental health.
17. Watch out for signs of fleas or parasites. If you think your pets are affected, take them to the vet and have them treated immediately. Have your pets regularly de-wormed as prevention.
18. Keep your older pets comfortable. Provide steps so they don’t have to jump as high, and warm spaces to relax.
19. Let your pet be the master at times. If your cat is dozing in your seat, let him stay. If your dog insists on a walk, go get your coat.
20. Do something to help other animals. This can range from a Facebook post to raise awareness, to donating time or funds, to getting the word out on a cause. Pets can’t speak out for themselves, so we should do our best for them!
Thanks for reading. Please take a second to pass along these tips to your loved ones. You can see more cute photos on Basil’s Facebook page.
Do you have any tips to add? In what ways can we take better care of our pets? Which of these suggestions will you try to implement in 2013?
SHARE & COMMENT
Wave Gotik Treffen, Prague & Berlin Goth travel guides. Tokyo Japan bagelheads gone viral. Part 2 of 2012.
As we approach the New Year, let’s reflect on the second half of 2012. One of my favorite moments was doing this professional photoshoot, involving latex feather dresses and sugar skull makeup, with my talented Vancouver team. The images were published in Sugar Heart, and Gothic Beauty Magazine — a total honor. (More images and full credits here.)
I also did a pro shoot with a blow-up bear, in a potato field…
… and it ended up making the cover of Vanity Magazine! I blogged more of these Goth modeling photos.
I got to cross off a “bucket list” travel destination, thanks to Go With Oh. The wonderful apartment rental company sent me to Wave Gotik Treffen, the largest Gothic festival in the world. I also explored Prague with Rock n Roll Bride, and Berlin with Yukiro, DJ SiSEN, G-sus and spooky friends. View our adventures in my Germany Goth travel guide.
After Europe came Asia. I spoke on the fashion blogger’s panel at Hong Kong Social Media Week. It was great to see family and John Skeleton, and do some hardcore shopping — especially at the Hello Kitty shop. See more of my favorite Hong Kong stores.
In betwen, I hopped around the USA. I was Guest of Honor at Animegacon in Las Vegas. Spoke at PRSA Travel & Tourism conference in Ohio. Flew to New York City to be a guest on Discovery TV’s Oddities (my appearance will air early next year). Did some heavy pre-Halloween partying in Los Angeles, and hosted Gothic club night Bar Sinister with Amazing Race’s Kent Kaliber.
I’ve been writing about Tokyo bagelheads for years, and nobody paid much notice. But then, my Tokyo TV company worked on National Geographic’s “Taboo” episode about saline forehead inflation, and the extreme body mod went viral! I even flew to LA to be on “The Doctors” talk show, where I discussed bagel heads and deflated misunderstandings about body mods.
What a colorful year! What’s coming up in 2013? More TV work and global travels (stay tuned to see where I go next). I’ve just completed a press trip to Phoenix, and will be in Tokyo to appear in a documentary. And I’ll be in a warm destination this January… announcement to come.
Above is a compilation of my television presenting clips; full videos are on my La Carmina bio page. PS: thank you to Hostelbookers for interviewing me about my life of travel blogging and cat-craziness.
Do you have any goals for the New Year? What do you hope to accomplish or improve? Any “bucket list” items you’re determined to cross off? Here’s to a grandiose 2013!
LA CARMINA
