The holidays are really the best time to surround yourself with pets, don’t you think? I use it as another excuse to take extra care of my pets by treating them to all kinds of homemade, natural treats. Today I partnered up with Beyond Natural Pet Food to share 3 great tips to care for your furry friends during the holidays! (To try it for yourself, click here for a free 4 lb bag of Beyond Natural Dry Dog food and click here for a free 3 lb. bag of Beyond Natural Dry Cat food.)
To start, let’s talk about travel: if you’re like me, it’s a given that your pet will come with you wherever you go for the holidays. I tend to bring Noodle with me wherever I go, while Georgette holds down the fort at home with our awesome cat-sitter, Jane. I really hate leaving her at home, but I know it’s much more stressful for her to travel. To ease my mind while preparing for a trip, I’ve crafted the ultimate cat sitting checklist downloadable!
It’s super easy: simply download, print out, and use as a check list to ensure that all of your kitty’s needs are met while you’re away — and that you have supplied your cat sitter with everything she needs to take the very best care of your baby!
Download your Ultimate Cat Sitting Checklist here!
While we’re on the topic of my beautiful baby Georgette, let’s discuss toys. She’s a bit of a catnip fiend, so at the holidays I like to treat her to an extra-special handmade catnip toy!
Upcycled Catnip Toy
You’ll need:
- an old t-shirt
- dried catnip
- baker’s twine or ribbon
- bells
- scissors
To make your own, cut out a large circle from the old t-shirt. Lay flat on your surface and add catnip to the center. Gather the ends together and tie with a bit of baker’s twine or ribbon. I added a jingly bell to make the toy extra special and festive for the holidays.
A certain someone couldn’t help but get in on the action!
During the holidays, I always try to remember those less fortunate, especially all the sweet pups and kitties in animal shelters. Many shelters rely on donations to stay open and provide care for strays (like Saved Me in Philadelphia where I used to volunteer and found my sweet Noodle), so I make sure to donate food every year. Just because it’s a donation doesn’t mean I can’t make it special, so I like to make my own wrapping paper.
DIY Wrapping Paper
You’ll need:
- paper – I used a natural, undyed kraft paper, but you can also recycle newspaper!
- craft paint
- drinkking glasses
To make your own wrapping paper, flatten each sheet of paper. Pour your craft paint into low containers and dip drinking glasses into the paint. You can mix up the print by using both ends of the glass, too. To create overlapping dots, let each layer dry before adding more.
Don’t you just love the special touch the metallic gold paint adds?
We hope you and your furry family have a very special holiday!
Photography by Ashley Batz
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Beyond Natural Pet Food. All opinions are my own and I would never endorse something I didn’t completely love. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Jojotastic going.
p.s. pamper your pet the natural way with these spa DIYs!
