Chewy.Com Review

First, let's get the legal stuff out of the way. I was not compensated for this review. I use this service personally and all opinions are 100% mine.

We live in a busy and hectic world. Many of us working outside the home and taking our kids, whether they be four footed or two legged, to some activity. Trying to remember how much pet food is left or the cost can be difficult. Let alone going to the store and finding out they are out of the brand you need.

Enter Chewy.com this online retailer caters to all pets not just a few like many other online retailers.  Living in a household with a variety of pets it is nice to be able to do one-stop shopping.

Not only does Chewy.com cater to ferret owners and other small animals but also cats and dogs. Chewy.com offers free shipping on orders over $49 which is easily met by this household. They also give 20% off your first autoship. How awesome is that you can set up when your next order should be sent to you and have it delivered right to your door?

The other feature I love is that I can set up to have an order delivered somewhere else. Like a shelter or rescue that can often use a donation of food or treats that they might not otherwise have.

Chewy.com also has flea preventives, toys, and other care supplies.  One can spend hours perusing the site. They also have customer service available 24/7, not that I've had to use it yet.
Why not give Chewy.com deals a look be sure to read the About Us Page and scroll all the way to the bottom to see the Nonprofits they help support.

Jo and the Fur Crew

Jolly Awesome Pet Tags

 

Wez is still trying to get all of our sections figured out and since Iz is kind of shy Iz asked Hooman if Iz could just do reviews. This is mez first one.

Wez got a chance to try out some new tags for our harnesses from Jolly Awesome Pet Tags . What is cool about these tags is that they can have our pictures on them along with the important information on the back. Not all tags allow you to do dual sides.  

Jolly Awesome Pet Tags have a great sale going on so you can get three tags for a price lower than their normal $16.95. Yep Iz said three tags. You can put the same image on the tags or do like pet Hooman did and make one for each of your fuzzy friends.

The tags are made from a strong durable plastic substrate that makes them almost impossible to break and are nearly scratch proof something many fuzzy owners would love.

The site is easy to navigate and offers a walk through video on how to design your tags that Hooman would not watch. She can be a bit stubborn. So it took her a while to figure out how to design our tags.

Wez were surprised at how fast Jolly Awesome Pet Tags shipped the tags to us. The one thing wez were not too surprised at was that the tags are a bit big for our harnesses but Hooman says they will work well on our traveling carrier if Iz stop trying to put them in mez hidey hole.

Jolly Awesome Pet Tags are made here in the United States so our pet Hoomans will not have to worry about foreign toxic dyes being used on the tags that could be ingested.

For mez Iz give Jolly Awesome Pet Tags a four paw rating since I have taken them to my hidey hole.

Disclaimer: Wez were given one set of tags for free along with gift cards. The opinions stated are ours and do not necessarily concur with the product, website, or any other venue attached to Jolly Awesome Pet Tags.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Marcuz

Book Review: Hide and Seek by Amy Shojai

                        

 

Hide and Seek is the sequel to Lost and Found. I couldn’t buy this book fast enough when I found out it was for sale. I love how Amy Shojai weaves the story from both September and Shadow’s point of view in a smooth way. Not many writers can do that.

I would have devoured this book in one session if I didn’t have to work. So it took three days but WOW! September and Shadow make a great team and working though their own issues that haunt them makes for a riveting story line.

Hinted at in the first book Lost and Found September’s past has landed squarely in her hometown just a month after September’s live radio broadcast of nearly being killed. Wild animals and pets start acting strangely along with a rise of Alzheimer’s in the town's population or is it something else?

Can September and Shadow learn to trust ever again? What about Macy? Will she ever let Shadow have a good doggy sniff of her? To find out you will have to read Hide and Seek for yourself. I can’t wait for the next book about these characters.

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo and the crew

Update: Yesterday we started a campaign to get to Blog Paws with a goal of selling 300 ferrets  with adding new ones besides the choice of fabric. So here is Hearts

Review: Pop Up Ball Pit and Thru A Way Tubes

As many of you know, Marshall Pet along with the PetBook Lady sponsored me last year to attend Blog Paws. After the event, I was given many of the items that were in the small animal play area, as it couldn’t be reused. Much to the delight of my three fur babies as by far their favorite items were the pop up ball pit and the ferret thru a way tubes.

The look of pure happiness on their tiny faces makes me smile as they race through the tube I worked into one of the holes in the pop up ball pit. Although Marylin thinks the tube is hers completely and defends it against her brothers until they just jump over the top of the pit and do a rear sneak attack.

    

I often find them sleeping in the pop up ball pit along with their own additions to the pit. Which have included, jiggle balls, mice, blanket, rattles, and pillows.

Made from sturdy materials the pop up ball pit holds up well to ferrets jumping over the top and racing through the holes. The Velcro® strap on one side makes it easy to attach it to the side of the play area fence or the side of the crate. My one complaint is that the pit doesn’t hold a lot of balls and the few that it does hold are easily kicked out the holes.

The thru a way tubes are made from a heavy plastic wrapped around plastic wrapped wire and stretches a long ways. With work one end can be worked into one of the holes of the pop up ball pit but you need to inspect it frequently as the end wire tend to poke through the plastic and do have a sharp point to them. This was an easy fix for me as I just used my jewelry pliers to bend into a circle that I then crimped shut and So far no more problems with it poking though the plastic.

 

Ferret paw rating 5 out of 5 for both the Pop Up Ball Pit and the Ferret Thru a way Tubes.

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Pet Blogger's Challenge Repeat offender *chitters*

1. How long have you been blogging? Please tell us why you started blogging, and, for anyone stopping by for the first time, give us a quick description of what your blog is about. I’ve been blogging since 2009 and here is last year’s post.

2. Name one thing about your blog, or one blogging goal that you accomplished during 2013, that made you most proud. I’ve gotten to work with a few companies that I wanted to work with but I didn’t meet most of my goals last year.

3. When you look at the post you wrote for last year’s Pet Blogger Challenge, or just think back over the past year, what about blogging has changed the most for you? That I need to make realistic goals that I can manage now that I am back to working outside the home

4. What lessons have you learned this year – from other blogs, or through your own experience – that could help us all with our own sites? Don’t get stuck in concrete. I mean if you need to take a break do so but at the same time don’t burnout rule you.

If you could ask the pet blogging community for help with one challenge you’re having with your blog, what would it be? More followers/comments. I set a really high goal of 400 readers and then fell off the face of the Blogosphere. But not getting one comment can put a damper on things too. Just a simple “Hi” is all that is needed sometimes.

5. What have you found to be the best ways to bring more traffic to your blog, other than by writing great content? Word of mouth mostly

6. How much time to do you spend publicizing your blog, and do you think you should spend more or less in the coming year? Last year I didn’t do a lot of publicizing my blog and it showed so this year I will be publicizing it more.

7. How do you gauge whether or not what you’re writing is appealing to your audience? I try not to gauge my writing as I tend to get overly critical about it and then I don’t post anything.

How do you know when it’s time to let go of a feature or theme that you’ve been writing about for a while? That is the hardest thing to do. I try to keep with what is current and write updates as they are needed.

8. When you’re visiting other blogs, what inspires you to comment on a post rather than just reading and moving on? It depends on the post and the reason I am reading it. Sometimes it is because someone left a comment on my blog so I let them know I followed their link back to their blog. Other times the subject means a lot to me or I have learned something new.

9. Do you do product reviews and/or giveaways? Yes

If so, what do you find works best, and what doesn’t work at all? I stay away from Raffelcopter as it has too many glitches for my liking and all reviews are my opinion no matter what the outcome. But I need to get several more done that should have been done last year.

If not, is this something you’d like to do more of? What hurdle is getting in your way?

10. When writer’s block strikes and you’re feeling dog-tired, how do you recharge? Last year I had writer’s block and blog burnout not a good combination as I couldn’t seem to pull myself out of it that is until November when I do this thing called Nanowrimo. Where you have to write 50,000 words. I used word association and basically jump started several blog posts that will be showing up this year. Another thing I use is a site called write or die a great motivator.

11. Have you ever taken a break from your blog? How did that go? Yes, I did last year and I felt like I was letting my readers down

Have you ever thought about quitting your blog altogether? What makes you stay? Yes last year I really thought about it. The fact is that there really isn’t any other ferret bloggers.

12. What goals do you have for your blog in 2014?

To post at least one real post a week and one wordless Wednesday post. To reach 100 followers and to let my personal life show through many of my posts this year.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

CritterZone Air Naturalizer Review

 

Back in May, I received a wall plug in unit from the people of CritterZone during Blog Paws. Rooming with two small dogs and three ferrets gave the air a different kind of odor. It wasn’t bad just a bit more noticeable than when I had roomed with a fellow ferret owner in the past.

The CritterZone Air Naturalizer came in a blue velvety bag giving it an air of elegance. It also makes it quite appealing to little four-footed thieves. After retrieving the unit from under the hotel bed, I plugged it in and moved the switch to the highest setting that the CritterZone representative has called “Holy Cow”.

We left the room for an hour to mingle with other Blog Paw people when we came back we noticed that the musky doggie odor was gone. But was it just a fluke? Time would tell.

Getting back home, I unpacked and let the ferrets out to run around the room doing what ferrets do best, Causing mischief and mayhem. Because their room is closed off the ferrety odors do build up and can get quite noticeable.

Ferrets belong to the mustelidae family meaning that they have a musky scent. Even being descented does not eliminate the odor completely as the odor is part of the natural oils they secrete through their skin. Bathing them constantly only makes the odor more noticeable.

The ferret’s room is 10 feet by 15feet and the other spray odor neutralizer I use does a good job it doesn’t last for a long time. I’ve had the CritterZone Air Naturalizer running on low in the ferret’s room since the end of May and have noticed that odor is being control very effectively.

At the beginning of July, I noticed that CritterZone seemed to be having a hard time working and upon closer inspection, I found that there was a buildup of charged air crystals is the best way to explain it. The unit was easy to clean. By removing the four screws that are hidden under the rubber stoppers, I could open the unit up and then take the top to the sink and rinse it off.

Then by gently tapping the back of the unit many crystallized particles fell out onto the paper towel. While I was doing this, I was called away for about ten minutes when I came back the crystallized particle had melted. Putting the unit back together was easy and I had it plugged back in within moments.

CritterZone offers two different types of units the wall unit like the one I have for those with pets that might chew on cords and a corded unit. They also offer car adapter for the unit.

Many might think that the $89.95 per unit price tag is a bit high but if you use a bottle of air cleaner/deodorizer a month at the cost of $10 it is actually cheaper. You can also save $10 by using promo code informedferret at checkout.

 

Ferret Paw Rating:

 

Disclaimer: I was given the CritterZone Air Natualizer for Free to review.  All opinions and remarks are my own.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Review: Stewart Pro-Treat For Ferrets

Disclaimer: I received two free bags of Stewart Pro-Treat to review. The opinions of my ferrets and me are our own and have received no further compensation for this post.

 

             

I love the face of the ferret that is on the bag of treats it is just adorable.

The bag is a little hard to open and can’t be resealed. The bag holds a good amount of freeze dried chicken liver. 

Which is rich in protein (70.45%) and many ferrets love the taste of chicken livers.

I like the fact it states right on the front of the bag that they are made in the USA and on the back states that is USDA inspected Chicken liver.

With so many recalls on pet treats from China it is refreshing to see that there are still companies that are made in the USA.

When I first opened the bag I had a lap full of ferrets trying to see what I had.

One by one they each stuck their nose in the bag and sniffed but only one took something.

That was Manny my treat connoisseur who will only take treats he thinks are worth taking.

The piece he took from the bag seemed a bit big but I had just opened the bag and hadn’t read the rest of the bag yet.

Which says “Stewart ® Pro-Treat® maintains the aroma, full-flavor and nutritional value of 100% raw Chicken Liver. Fresh, conveniently freeze dried and diced into Reward Size Treats, Pro-Treat® is an excellent obedience ad training too. Rich in protein and always preservative free, Pro-Treat® is the delicious and nutritious way to share your love.”

By now Manny was back asking for another treat. I reached into the bag and pulled out a piece that was about an inch thick and wide.

Breaking off a bite size piece for Manny who scampered off to enjoy his new found love. I looked inside the bag and was greet by several large slices.

To me diced means small squares. For a dog or a cat the size wouldn’t be an issue but with ferrets you have to worry about choking and internal obstructions.

Freeze dried items tend to expand when liquid is added and one of the things Manny does is dip his food into the water bowl to moisten it.

Thankfully he didn’t feel the need to do that with the first piece he had.

I do like the fact that they offer a Guaranteed Delicious encase a pet doesn’t like the treats and while I think the pieces are too big for ferrets they are not hard to break up and Manny has found where I’ve hidden them repeatedly to prove how much he loves them.

For me I would give the treats a 3 paw rating but then I don’t count in the rating system.

Manny gives them a five paw rating as it is the highest there is.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Marshall Ferret Fun-N-Games Blanket Review

 

Manny, Marcuz, and Marylin were given this blanket for Christmas and like with all ferrets the best part was the bag it came in. After they grew tired of seeing if they all could fit into the sturdy bag with snaps, they turned their attention to the large rectangle on the floor.

At first the two Os confused them as they didn’t come off of the mat to be taken away like the three Xs and the one O that make a rattling sound. That was until I showed them that the O’s were openings that lead inside the blanket giving them a place to play as well as stash some of their smaller toys. They also like to take naps in it.

 

The shapes will fold enough that they can be placed inside the blanket giving the ferrets a new game of trying to get the shapes out so they can be hidden elsewhere.

The yellow O was fun to play Jump through the hoop, as it is large enough for my fur kids to slide through it.

The other game we play is Cover the ferrets and lift the blanket so they can jump up at it. This is a fun game to play with the Manny, Marcuz, and Marylin with different types of blankets.

This worked pretty well but the sewn in Os made it a bit heavier than I’d like so I grab the corners with the Os before starting this game.

Overall, I really like this toy and the fur kids give it Three and half paws because the whole blanket isn’t quite hidey hole material but the three Xs and O are.

Disclaimer: I was given this product to review and no other compensation but the opinion is 100% Manny, Marcuz, and Marylin’s and mine

                         

Have A Chittering Good Day,

Jo

                        

Review: Heated Pet Bed

In November, I won a medium sized heated dog bed that I was going to give to my roommate for her dog. Only her dog was scared of it so I figured I’d let my ferrets try it.

The first thing I really liked was that there was almost no wasted packaging with this product from KHpet. 

The next was the fact that the instructions were to the point and easy to understand.

After following the instructions and allowing the bed to warm up I let my ferrets check out the flat, fleece covered bed.

Marylin wasn’t impressed by it and left to play with some other toys. Marcuz wasn’t too sure of it and kept running across it before flopping for a second to feel the heat before taking off again.

Manny loves the bed and seeks it out when he is ready for a nap.

Some of the great features of this bed:

· Inflates as it warms up

· Easy release valve

· Turns off automatically

· Warms to the temperature of the pet

· Has removable fleece covering

· Bed can be wiped off

· UL approved

With winter now upon us, it is nice to have a place where the kids can pass out when they are a little chilled and I don’t have to run a heater constantly in their room reducing my electrical bill.

While Marylin and Marcuz were not impressed initially with the bed, they have taken to sleeping on it with Manny. As far as Manny is concerned, I got the bed just for him.

As a side note, the bed has proven to be a great place to get good still pictures of Manny modeling the clothing I’ve been making for other ferret owners.  

Disclaimer: I won this bed and the opinion is completely mine own and I have not received any compensation for this review.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Book Review

I was looking for ferret themed stories and came across a series of books by one of my favorite authors, Richard Bach.

If the name sounds familiar, that is because he wrote Jonathan Livingston Seagull. I was delighted to find that he had written about ferrets. In doing my research, I found that eight ferrets own him himself.

Air Ferrets Aloft is the second book in the series and the reason I’ve chosen it for this review is that November is Aviation Month.

Air Ferrets Aloft is about two ferrets that fly two different types of planes and routes. Stormy is a cargo plane pilot who doesn’t let any kind of weather stop her. Captain Strobe flies a passenger jet and accepts what the sky has for him.

Both are dedicated to flying and when a flight grounding storm puts them in each other’s world it is up to the angel ferrets to get them together.

Even though this is supposed to be a children’s book it is a fun read and Richard’s experience with ferrets shows through brightly.

Richard Bach is also a pilot himself and this last August was in a plane crash that he is still recovering from.

Enlightened Ferret sends Well wishes to him and his family.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Review: The Cat’s (Ferret’s) Trapeze

 

The boys and I toured the Catification lounge that was sponsored by Jackson Galaxy at Blog Paws. The boys tried out quite a few things there.

Marcuz loved the cardboard boxes.

Manny decided to chill out in one of the cat bed offered through Modern Cat.

While Manny took a nap Marcuz checked out another cat item.

but he wasn’t impressed with the cushion so he pushed it out and curled up to take a snooze.

There was a lot more stuff in that lounge but the boys were ready to move on to other adventures at Blog Paws. I filled out a form for a chance to win one of the many items and I won The Cat’s Trapeze.

What a great item. The boys love the little hammock that hangs on the bottom to take naps in. The first level should have some pillows or something in the zippered area I leave it open so the boys can hide in the pouch.

At the moment I haven’t let Marcuz see that there is another level to the trapeze as he would be climbing it all the time but once I get their room finished and have an area fixed that has a large pillow under it then he can climb it all he wants.

 

Disclaimer: I won the Cat’s Trapeze and the review is my opinion of the item. There is no compensation for doing this review. All links are done because I believe that those who offered such a fun place for my boys to play deserved to be recognized.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo