This Valentine’s Day, give a little extra love to a furry friend who will be lifelong devoted companion. A new pet could be the perfect solution to warm up your home and your heart!

Adopting a new pet from your local animal shelter will be a rewarding experience for you and your family. Who doesn’t love the sight of wagging tail when you get home or the sound of soft purr when cuddled up on the couch? According to Spay USA, more than 70,000 puppies and kittens are born each day in the US. There are simply not enough homes to accommodate all the loveable pets who really want to give you puppy kisses and kitten snuggles.

Animal shelters are overcrowded and love knows no breed! You will be sure to find a devoted dog or cat that will bring your family joy and lots of laughs.  Adopting a new pet is a lifetime commitment, so make sure that you are ready to dedicate the care and time that your new family member will need as soon as Fido or Mittens arrives home.  Also, make sure to neuter or spay your pet so he or she isn’t contributing to the 70,000 puppies and kittens that are born each day.

Even if you don’t have the time or finances available for new pet, there is still something you can do! Shelters are in desperate need of food and your time. Pick up an extra bag of high quality pet food and drop it off at your local animal shelter. If you have the time, all the kitties and puppies will appreciate the walks and tummy rubs that you can give them while they wait for their new adoptive parents.

– Beth Swanson

Wouldn’t it be great if once the holidays ended, we could move immediately to spring? Unfortunately, the majority of the country will still be digging out from snow and bracing chilly winter winds for the next few months. One common winter-weather danger is slides and falls from icy sidewalks, making it especially important to clear the slippery stuff. It’s important to make sure, that your de-icing products are safe, as traditional de-icers have the potential to harm your pets and their little paws.

The most important thing to do is remove snow promptly with snow and ice chippers, but life often gets in the way, leaving such tasks by the wayside. Let’s be realistic: If ice does build up, there are some great, natural de-icers that won’t harm the grass, shrubs, or most importantly, your children and pets.

Be wary of de-icers that claim to be pet friendly, as this label isn’t always true. Instead of spreading chemicals on your sidewalks and driveways, try a natural solution, like alfalfa meal. The nitrogen in alfalfa facilitates ice melting, as well as provides traction while the ice is melting.

Although you can control what chemicals are used on your own property, your animals will likely come in contact with de-icers used throughout your community. According to Dr. Albert Nunez, a holistic Florida veterinarian, “Sodium chloride, which is a common ingredient in de-icers, can kill grass and shrubs, but it can also hurt your pets if ingested in large quantities. In addition to the risk of upsetting your pets’ stomachs, this ingredient can also irritate their paws. Calcium chloride, potassium chloride and magnesium chloride will also have the same effect. If you suspect that your animal has been poisoned, call your vet immediately.”

Dr. Nunez goes on to say, “If your pets do come in contact with de-icers, make sure to wipe off their paws to limit the potential of their paws becoming irritated and also limit the potential of ingestion when they clean their paws. You can also use sesame oil or other natural oils on your pets’ paws to help alleviate the dryness and cracking that can result from the salt used to melt ice.”

-Beth Swanson

Have you ever thought about what happens to your pet’s waste after you dispose of it every day? If you answered no, that is probably a normal response. Let’s be honest, this is kind of a gross subject! However, our pets are important members of our families and it is important to do our best to minimize their “paw print” on our earth.

Using a plastic bag to clean up after your morning walk or your litter box might leave your yard clean and your house smelling a little more fresh, but that plastic bag has just become a part of your local landfill for a very long time, as plastic is very slow to biodegrade. If you are using more eco-friendly clean-up bags for your morning walks, the waste is still ending up in landfills and have the potential to reach our waterways. The same problem can occur with pet waste left in the yard or on the sidewalk. The rain carries it to our storm drains, which ultimately leads to our local lakes, rivers and waterways. In addition to harming the marine wildlife, dangerous bacteria and pathogens can end up in our drinking water.

If you are ready to handle the challenge, it is possible to compost your four-legged companion’s fecal material. This requires money, time and attention to detail. While I want to encourage any steps you can take to make the world a better place, you have to do the research and take precautions when doing this as you will be dealing with materials that are potentially dangerous. For more information on the dangerous pathogens, you can visit www.cdc.gov/healthypets.

Let’s start with an easy solution - flush it! The pet waste will be treated the same as human waste, which is much safer for your family and our environment. Make sure you buy products that are clearly labeled safe to flush. There are flushable poop bags for your daily walks and eco-friendly, flushable cat litter, too! You can also separate what your kitty left behind from the litter when flushing to ensure your pipes do not get clogged.
-Beth Swanson

My 12-year old beagle, Scooby Doo, is the cutest dog in the world! Doesn’t everyone think their pet is the cutest? I believe that Scooby is so cute because we feed her (yes my Scooby Doo is a girl) a healthy, natural diet.

She’ll be extra loving when she opens her present of Wellness Natural Treats. To find Wellness near you starting at $7.49, visit wellnesspetfood.com.

- Stephanie, KIWI staff and lover of families

Beyond the Ingredient Label: What’s Really in Your Pet’s Food?

Spending time preparing healthy and natural food for your family is an important concern of many busy mothers. You want your family to eat a balanced diet that not only provides the nutrition needed to live a healthy lifestyle but also enough energy to get through soccer practice and dance classes. When it comes to the four-legged family members, food selection should be just as important—our pets also depend on us for their well-being.

Many pet food companies use ingredients that, while deemed unfit for human consumption, are allowed as ingredients in pet food by the FDA and AAFCO. So, what protein ingredients should you avoid?

Meat byproducts and meat meals are carcass parts such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs, bones, heads, and intestines. The animals raised for use in these ingredients are given antibiotics and hormones (which then end up in your pet’s food), and often live on factory farms that are damaging to the environment. The ingredients can contain protein from 4D animals, which is a USDA/FDA term used to describe meat that comes from animals that were dead, dying, diseased or disabled prior to being processed.

Just as important as what not to look for, you should know what ingredients should be in your furry friend’s dinner. The first ingredient on the label should be a pure protein source, such as chicken, duck or salmon. There are many high quality pet foods in natural food stores that use natural and organic protein sources, so the animals are raised without the use of antibiotics or hormones.

Feeding your pets high quality food will not only pay off with fewer vet bills, but you can also be rewarded with a longer and healthier life with your pet full of kisses, snuggling and tail wagging!

Beth Swanson