Turning to local pet news…

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 05/10/2010 (5815 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

For quite some time my email box has been inundated. I can’t seem to keep up. This isn’t a complaint; it’s wonderful to have so many animal lovers who want to share their tips, pet-community news and product information.

It also gives me an excuse to avoid my housework.pa

That said, this article is a compilation of some of the stories that have reached me through email. The first highlights a local pet service, the next is short book review and the last offers sad news.

Richard Armstrong, owner of Perpetual Pantry, is certain Winnipeggers can use his service. He’s created a company that brings pet food, snacks and kitty litter to your home or office.

This concept reminded me of something my mother told me when I was a kid. When she was a child nearly everything was delivered to her door. The concept of milk being brought to a home was foreign to me.

As a busy adult, I now see the benefit in this service. There’s no need to fight for a parking spot. You won’t go to the store for pet food and leave with a barbecue, a new handbag and a can of olive oil that takes up half your pantry.

It’s not just about convenience. Some of the food that Perpetual Pantry delivers has high-end ingredients like duck and blueberries. A few of the brands have won pet food awards. And if you inspect each brand’s website, you’ll find that many use human-grade ingredients that have been inspected just like human food. While much of this quality food can be found in specialty pet stores or veterinarian clinics, Armstrong feels that his delivery format guarantees freshness, because it doesn’t sit on store shelves.

We live in a time when people are concerned about products — particularly pet food — produced in China. It’s refreshing to find a company that is 100 per cent locally owned selling a lot of Canadian products.

Customers who use Armstrong’s service know that home delivery not only offers quality food, it removes a task from their to-do lists. That extra time might free them up to read good books.

Speaking of which, I love to read. Most of the books I crack open are about pets, and most of them are dog-centric. So when I was sent a book called Lessons from Stanley the Cat: Nine Lives of Everyday Wisdom, I was excited to read it.

It was written by American psychotherapist Jennifer Freed and illustrated by Tone Gellerstedt. The title alone made me smile. Most cat lovers believe their animals are wise and clever creatures. If we could tap into that treasure chest, humans could save untold hours searching for advice on the web, and sacks of cash dollars on emotion-soothing chocolate bars.

When I think of psychotherapy, feline advice isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. You might expect that a psychotherapist would start a book with an ink blot test and end it with an explanation of how parents ruined their kids’ lives because they painted daughters’ rooms pink. Freed doesn’t do this. Her light tone and the accompanying cartoons create an approachable, common-sense feel.

I liked Freed’s book from the onset. She had me at: “Stanley was the love of my life. This is something I try not to say too often because my mate gets offended and gives me the dagger eye.”

Stanley reminds readers to love themselves, others and appreciate life. His best advice is threaded throughout the book itself: don’t take yourself too seriously. Life is meant to be loved — just like our cats.

While Freed’s book put a smile on my face, this last story removed it.

Cat Tails Rescue Inc. will shut its store on Oct. 9. Their current location is undergoing renovations. They had thought this would be a temporary situation and they could return when the work is finished. That won’t be the case, and there currently aren’t any other options.

The operation will now operate only through a website. Cats will be rescued and fostered or adopted directly.

Last summer, the rescue tried to reduce its cat numbers, but as you likely know, Winnipeg’s cat population remains high. At present, the rescue needs fosters or shelters to step up for these cats. If you’d like to assist Cat Tails Rescue Inc., call 338-9725.

For further information on Perpetual Pantry call 226-8166, or check out their website at www.perpetualpantry.com

If you have further questions, there’s another option: you could email me. Keep ’em coming. It’s time to do my fall cleaning.

char.adam@mts.net twitter.com/charspetpage

Pet Calendar:

On Oct. 9, you’re invited to Rockin’ with Rescue Ink. The television stars/rescue crew is coming to Winnipeg’s ScotiaBank bandshell at The Forks from 10 a.m. to 4p.m. This rescue fair and exhibition will highlight animal rescues and vendors. The event will also be assisting Haven Border Collie rescue.