WELCOME TO THE PAWS, CLAWS, WINGS AND THINGS BLOG!

This is the place to sniff out the latest goings on with the folks and furries of PCWT. We are a dog walking and pet sitting service, committed to one simple goal: build lasting relationships with our clients who entrust us with the safety and well-being of those members of their family who cannot speak for themselves. 

Our dedication, patience, and personal approach to the safety and security of every animal enrolled in our service has earned us the confidence of our customers, by offering them the peace of mind they expect and deserve. We do this through 24-hour availability, unrivaled responsibility and attention to detail that ensures all of their pet's concerns are met. 

We're happy you stopped by! Check in often, because there's always something fun and exciting happening around here!   

Monkey and Peanut

I was never one for French Bulldogs. Sure, I thought they were adorable as any person would, but my usual response was petting them, then not giving them another thought after I walked away. That is, until I began to doggysit Monkey and Peanut! Now I'm hooked!

They are absolutely charming, fun, and wildly cute. Whenever I have the pleasure of watching them, the minute I enter the door they are all love and cuddles and playfulness. What an absolute treat! Now I can't get enough of playing ball with them, rubbing their bellies as they snort and gurgle, and listening to them snore while they sleep. Their human parents have invested a lot of time and love into them and, as it always does, it shows. They know their boundaries, and they don't misbehave and they're so easy going it is unreal! This is why training your pet is just as important for them as it is for you. When pets understand boundaries, everyone is happy!

I have these two sweeties to thank for converting me to French Bulldogs. Now every time I see one of their brothers or sisters in breed all I can see is the sweet nature and hysterical antics of Monkey and Peanut, and I am undone. I mean, really... just look at those faces!!

Life with Ernie

How do I describe the sweet dog I walk, named Ernie. There are as many facets to his good nature as there are whiskers on his face. No. Even more! He has the face and soul of a wise elder from some far off realm, and the heart, energy and spirit of puppies his age (he's a little over one). I may say, "He's a healer" with a grin on my face, but I mean it with all sincerity.

This little man is a rescue: plucked from the cages of a local Los Angeles shelter by his equally wonderful human mother, Lucy. His journey has been a long one, with obvious signs of pre-adoption abuse from living on the streets. The very sound of a garbage truck pulls that deep trauma out into the open and shakes his core.

When first he and I met, he had such an aversion to going beyond the walls of his new forever-home, he would lay down on the ground, belly flat, and cry. His mother and I tried our best to coax and coerce and train him to move, but getting him even around the corner was a struggle. Slowly, slowly, as he learned to trust me, we began to have lovely walks around his neighborhood.

And then came the doggy parks...

Oh, how he would run and run. The only thing he loved more than chasing balls (but rarely bringing them back) was chasing other dogs, who were chasing balls. He had a natural disposition to loving and playing with other dogs. Not a hint of aggression nor malice in sight.

But every journey has a moment. As can often happen, Ernie was learning aggressive behavior from other dogs in his immediate surroundings. One can imagine my surprise, one day at the park, when Ernie released an unfriendly growl to another dog who gingerly eyed the ball Ernie had taken to burying under one of the many benches. This was not Ernie. I had spent three days a week with him for months and months on end, and had never seen such a side to him.

The remedy was simple. Both Lucy (who was already well aware of the issue and had been taking steps to stop it) and I made sure to take him out of the growl-worthy situation immediately, and only let him play at the park when he proved he could "play nice." It did not take long for Ernie to return to his usual jovial and loving ways.

He is genuinely one of the best behaved dogs I have had the honor to walk and watch. Whether we are playing tug of war, walking, or reading viking tales when his tummy is feeling off, it's a highlight to spend time with Ernie. It is a testament not only to Ernie, but to his mother as well. The importance of a loving, invested human guardian can never be stressed enough.

With time, love, patience and training, Ernie has become far more confident in himself. Far more than that, he is the puppy equivalent of the kid who welcomes in and plays with all of the new or shy children at school.

Believe it or not, Tea for dry eyes!

We all get dry, irritated eyes. Your cats are no exception.  A great way to soothe little eyes that are dry and a little irritated, is, of all things, tea! This method also works well for humans with dry eyes too!

Here is how to use it. And remember, wash your hands before and after! For eye issues other than dry eyes, take your pet to the vet immediately.

Step One:

Take a clean, unused, tea bag (either plain black tea like PG Tips or a plain green tea).

Step Two:

Run it under warm water until the whole bag and all of the tea leaves are soaked through.

Step Three:

Squeeze most of the water out of the bag. This not only makes it less messy, but also cools the bag down. If the tea bag still feels hot to the touch, wave it in the air so as not to burn any eyes (it should feel just a little warm to the touch. NOT hot or very warm).

Step Four:

While holding your little one, gently rest the tea bag over the CLOSED dry/irritated eye for 10 seconds. Do not push down or hold any longer than 15 seconds. It should be barely touching their face. And do not put anything directly on the eye itself. Make sure their eye is closed before holding anything over it.

Step Five:

Repeat steps one through four every 2 hours for the rest of the day (if you can).

If the problem persists, then please consult your Veterinarian as it may be a more serious issue. Never ever put anything hot or very warm on your cat. Always make sure to have clean hands when working with your pets' eyes. And wash your hands afterwards! Do not put anything directly onto your pets' eyes.

Keeping Your Kitty Entertained

Cats get bored easily. It's true! They are intelligent, social, little balls of furry goodness and often need distractions from the usual stretch, eat, potty, sleep, clean and purr routine of their daily lives. And believe it or not, it's actually super easy to entertain your cat companions! Here is a small list to help you get started.

1.) Lasers! It's not just for James Bond villains, science fiction or puppies. Most cats absolutely LOVE chasing those cheeky, sneaky red balls of light around. Get them spinning in circles, jumping up walls and pawing at the ground. Believe me, it is as much fun for you as it is for them! There are even battery operated laser machines made specifically for cats. They sit on your table, you angle the laser, press on and voila! It is on a timer so you needn't worry about switching it off.

2.) Feathers! You can find the feather teasers at any pet store anywhere. They're the long sticks with the feathers and bells at the end of them. These are especially great for cats with a lot of energy- track them along the floor to hone into the stalker nature of your cat or wiggle it in the air to get them to jump like mad.

3.) Crinkle balls! Some cats genuinely do not like the sound of crinkle balls, so get a small one and try it out before you try to play with them. Just rub it in between your fingers and if your cat bolts, you know it's a no go. If they stay, you'll get to watch them bat the crinkle balls around like mad for ages.

4.) Brushing! True, it doesn't sound like entertainment, but they sure do love it. Start them at an early age and every time you bring out that brush they will flop down and rub their faces all over it, like it's going out of style. It's a great bonding activity for you and your kitty, provided they sit still long enough.

5.) Fetch! If you can train your cat to play fetch (both of mine do), nothing will pass the time quite like throwing a little fuzzy ball or mousey toy around.

6.) Mouse hunt! You can find this battery operated toy at pet stores- it's a white circle with a yellow mouse that dashes around the circle with three small "caves" in which to hide. Just turn it on and watch your cats sit around it, and bat at the mouse as he runs about. There are so many other toys of this kind available that cats love. These types of toys keep their wits sharp and minds entertained.

How to Train Your Kitten: Scratching!

Training your kitten is as important as training your dog or your dragon: it makes life better for both of you when you set perimeters. You could let them run amuck and do what they will to both your furniture and your home space, but, like any relationship, boundaries are the key to a successful life together. The most important training to start with? Scratching.

Kittens and cats love to scratch. It not only feels good but helps maintain nail health for your furry companions. All day and everywhere, those little ones will scratch away with that happy grin on their faces. But how do you stop them from shredding the furniture and making a mess of your rugs or carpeting. Especially for those in rental/lease agreements, giving your cat set spaces and objects to scratch is important, but it need not be your stuff.

Firstly, set boundaries by placing double sided tape on the edges of your furniture. Cats HATE sticky surfaces, especially on the pads of their paws, and the strength of the pet-specific tape called Sticky Paws is low enough that it won't hurt them if they touch it. Regular double sided tape will! Test a small patch of this tape on your couch or other furniture item first to make sure the tape will come off entirely. When in doubt... Goo Be Gone! I've personally used this and it works wonders. My cats never scratch at my furniture and never have.

Secondly, set up special scratching areas for them. It's the same as setting up a play room for your children. Cats need their own space too. If you can find a nice cat tree or cat condo (if so inclined) or even just a corner where you can house a nice scratching post that won't be disturbed.

Thirdly, cardboard scratching pads from the pet store are your best friends. Cats go CRAZY for them, and they're both inexpensive and super simple. Buy several at a time and replace every three months to ensure maximum kitten grins.

Lastly, it's always nice to have several posts or scratching waves (when you go to the store, you'll see what I mean- it's a scratching post that lays down, in a wave shape) dappled around your house. That way if your cats are playing away from their designated area, and they're getting rambunctious (as you know they do) then they always have a surface to play with.

Introducing them to their scratching posts etc. is easy. Pick them up, places them next to it, take their paws gentle and start making a scratching movement (much as you would do when introducing the to their litter boxes for the first time). Then, after you release them from your parental hold, kneel down and start scratching at the post etc. Not a crazy amount like a crazy person. Just enough so they can see "Ah ha! This is what we do with this!"

If your cat is already scratching at your furniture, still keep on them if they seem to be eyeing up that couch of yours, even with sticky tape and scratching bits around. They'll start to blame the couch, and not you, if they do still go for it (because it will seem the couch is fighting back by being sticky), but by keeping them with a "no!" or a clap of the hands, they'll know you and the couch are in co-hoots, and you're in charge!

Hope these tips help! They've certainly worked for my little ones. They have healthy nails, and happy, lives, and my furniture thanks me every day.

Me and My Rescues

You've heard the stories and seen the commercials on your television: faces of kittens or abandoned puppies behind bars, pleading for a forever home. While we all would like to believe the human race is not capable of something as cold-hearted as abandoning or abusing an animal, it is a sad fact of our world. But this story need not end with dispair: there are so many loving souls who open their doors to foster or adopt said animals and give them a new lease on life!

I am such a soul.

My two rescues are of the feline variety, though, truth be told, they are far more Viking God then cat...

Behold, Baldr Petrarch Van Clawson Tait the Magnanimous, also know as Baldr the Brave, the Beloved and the Kind, also know as Baldr.

His story always makes me well-up a tad: he was found, covered in fleas and starving to death, whilst wandering the mean streets of LA. A woman happened upon him after hearing rumors of a kitten hiding in a construction site. Unsure of what to do, she put him in her storage unit (mind you, it was August) and waited until his soon-to-be foster mother, Linda (an angel) could come and collect him.

Baldr selected me to be his human guardian when he was 9 months of age: he was shy, scared, and melancholy. He would hide under the couch, and run away when I approached him for the first few months. The sadness in his soul was painfully obvious and it seemed there was nothing I could do to make him happy. Thankfully, I'm a hopeful optimist and showered him with love and affection and kept telling him how happy I was that he and I found each other. I played laser tag with him and fetch as often as he'd let me. Slowly, slowly the chains around his heart began to fall away. Slowly he came to realize he was home.

Now, my little Baldr, is affectionate, blissful and honors me with face rubs (which often involve his wet nose rubbing against my nose whilst purring like a machine) and unwavering love. I could have easily given up, easily given him back to his foster mother, swearing we weren't suited to one another, and then dash off to get another designer kitty from a breeder, but I didn't. I knew, in my heart, that he needed me, and that I, in my way, needed him too.

Which leads us to Thordvach Falcor Taitson the Red, otherwise known as Thor... yep... that Thor...

This little fella was far more fortunate than his big brother Baldr. I'll never forget the first moment I saw him, at 3 months old, all ears and feet, resting soundly apart from his meowing brothers and sisters. Along with his siblings, Thor was left at a doorstep after their mother had been killed. His foster mother, the same wonderful Linda that rescued Baldr the Brave, agreed that Baldr was in need of a younger brother to take care of. The night Thor came home, he was all snuggles, energy and gumption; poor Baldr had no idea what had invaded his home...

Sadly, a week after Thor had settled into our cozy little home, his foster mother called and warned he may have a rather extreme case of ringworm (all of her other fosters had come down with it). It was an uphill battle, of epic in proportions. Had a poet been present, she would have sung songs of our journey fighting the dastardly virus as best as we could. Bi-weekly visits to the vet, lime/sulfur dips, a full body shave, meds meds meds, tears, quarantine, and sleepless nights later, he's healthy and as spunky as ever. His spirit never broke: he was just happy to be alive. There would have been many who gave up, especially when the vet warned we may need to amputate his wee right leg, but by golly, we did it, Baldr, Thor and I. And I wouldn't trade Thor for the world.

There is never a smooth, straight road, when it comes to any pet, and rescues especially need particular patience and care, but if you just trust that you and your rescue have found each other for a reason, and you'll find each other's rhythms soon enough, I can guarantee the love you will receive from those little sweethearts will be deeper and greater than anything else you'll experience elsewhere. All of your patience, energy, and hard work WILL pay off.