Tails of a Ruff Life!

It's Your Doody!

2012-01-13T12:56:00.000-08:00

Every pet owner has to deal with pet waste. As a pet sitter I see a lot of different methods, and I'd like to share with you some of my preferred ways to deal with pet waste.

DOGS
While walking your dog, there is really only one option and that is bagging it. Many people use the bags that newspapers come in, or produce bags, or purchase those little rolls of bags. I opt for 100% biodegradable bags that I purchase in bulk, it's my personal choice as I try to be mindful of my impact on landfills.

Where the big difference between dog owners comes in is with how they handle dog waste in their yards. Some people go around the yard and scoop up the poo with dog waste bags. I prefer the pan & rake + bucket setup... you can purchase pan & rake sets at most pet stores or online, and use any bucket with a lid and line it with a trash bag (I recommend a bucket slightly wider in diameter than the pan width for ease of dumping!). Dogs can also be trained to do their business in a specific area of the yard, which is especially useful if you garden or have children.

In Portland there is a relatively new option... composting! One of my clients uses Green Pet Compost Company. For an affordable price they come once a week and scoop up all the poo, and take it to their facility in Vancouver WA for composting. Truly innovative!

CATS
I dread scooping litter boxes... all that dust makes my nose protest! Most people use clay-based kitty litter for it's clumping and odor masking characteristics, however the clay is the cause of all that dust. It's estimated that 2 million tons of clay-based litter ends up in landfills each year!

There are alternatives: Several corn- and wheat- based litters are available; both corn and wheat litters are fully biodegradable, compostable and flushable, as well as absorbant, clumping, and good at controlling odors naturally... and they even emit a pleasant odor when scooped! Some litters are made of recycled newspapers or wood, though I find that they don't do so well at masking odors and they are difficult to scoop.

A few years ago I was introduced to silica cat litter... the silica absorbs moisture and neutralizes odors, leaving only the solid poo to be scooped. You fill the litter box, scoop the solids as needed, stir the remaining silica crystals, and about once a month dump and replace with fresh litter.

Some cats use the toilet! I've only known one cat who did, it was pretty silly watching her perched on the toilet seat... but no litter box needed! Here's some instructions on training cats to use the toilet.

Green Pet Compost Company also offers cat box service, see their website for more details.

Welcome New Pet Sitters!

2011-06-12T19:21:00.000-07:00

I'm pleased to introduce two new sitters to the Ruff Life team! Heidi and Collin both started working for Ruff Life recently, and have been coming along to meet some of your animals. Heidi has taken over most of my NE Portland clients, and Collin and Heidi both will be filling in for me and other sitters' regularly scheduled visits as needed. They will also be doing overnight stays as needed, especially for NE clients. Visit the Ruff Life website page "About..." (http://www.rufflifepdx.com/subpage.php?section=about) and get to know the newest members of our family!

In related news, Rebecca has decided to call her pet sitting career quits in order to focus fully on the business she started two years ago, Tierra Educational Center (http://www.tierracenter.com/). Rebecca was with Ruff Life for over 3 years, and I'm sad to lose such a great sitter. Wishing her all the best!!

Introducing Ruff Life's new Blog!

2011-02-02T16:40:00.000-08:00

I'm new to this whole blog thing, so bear with me :)

Here I'll post links relevant to Ruff Life... articles on pet health, training, new toys & gadgets, local pet related news & events, and anything else that I come across that I think you will like to read. Please enjoy, learn, comment, and follow!

Bark & Bowl!

2011-01-07T11:37:00.000-08:00

Help the "Ruff Life Rollers" reach our goal of $500 so that we can participate in the 2011 Bark & Bowl at Hollywood Lanes on Saturday January 22nd! This event is a benefit for the National Canine Cancer Foundation.