The Woof and Meow Wrap Up: Photos, Prizes and more...

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

Did you see your Meow in there? The pictures in the collage above are some of the many that were sent in. You can hover your cursor over each one and it will pop out so you can see the whole thing. Your Meow's name will appear at the top of the photo collage. Ya gotta love Photobucket! Thanks to all of you who sent pictures in, even those that weren't quite clear enough to show here. I love them all!


What a great time we have had during the last 8 weeks with this Woof and Meow series. Never have I seen such enthusiasm and excitement from my readers. Thank you all!

Before I announce the winner of the prizes that I know you're dying to hear about, I'd like to share a little of Patches' journey to loving her new, sweet-smelling World's Best Cat Litter and, of course, her Litter-Robot. Despite Patches' interminable shyness with the camera, I did manage to catch a few images of the path to her private boodwa (does anyone know how to spell that word?!!) Enjoy!

The transition from the old-fashioned blue litter box, that you see in the background of many of these photos, was not terribly difficult for Patches. She simply needed a little motivation to go inside. The catnip helped her explore, and serving meals inside helped her bond. Then I removed her own litter box and the decision was a logical one for her. She used it immediately upon my disappearance! Soon we received notice of her first solid deposit, as you can see from the last photo in the show. Success! Congratulations Patches! You're a Litter-Robot success story and spokes-model. Great job.

Would I buy one of these Litter-Robots for Patches? Absolutely! Does it save me time? Totally! Is it sweeter smelling and cleaner? Completely! Should we announce the winners now.....YES!

The first 3 names to come from the box will receive a sturdy, World's Finest Cat Litter Tote Bag, with an 7 lb. bag of litter, a trial bottle of NoDor Litter odor spray from Hartz, a sample of Rachel Ray's Nutrish brand dog food for Woof, and a surprise or two for you and Meow. These winners, listed for privacy by first names only, are as follows. Each will be notified.

1. Debbie 
2. Beth 
3. Angela 

The grand prize, a Litter-Robot, will be delivered to this lucky winner:

Darcey

Congratulations, Darcey! Now comes the fun. First, you'll need to visit the Litter-Robot website to decide which color you'd like to choose. Then you can email me your address for your package, along with your color choice. It's quite a big box, so consider that when you decide where to ship it. Congratulations again!

For those of you who are drooling, you can order one right here and have it at your door in a week or so. What are ya waiting for?

Did you miss any of the earlier posts in this series?:

• Woof and Meow: Can they Coexist Happily?
• Woof and Meow, Part I: Stop the Treasure Hunt
• Woof and Meow, Part II: How to Win our Prize Packages....and a Sneak Peek at What's to Come
• Woof and Meow, Part III: Strategies for Stopping the Treasure Hunt and Keeping the Peace
• Woof and Meow, Part IV: A Little Training in Respect
• Woof and Meow, Part V: Exploring New Options with the Litter-Robot and World's Best Cat Litter
• Woof and Meow, Part VI: Considerations Regarding a Second Pet's Adoption
• Woof and Meow, Part VII: Socializing Your Dog to a New Cat or Kitten
• Woof and Meow, Part VIII: Socializing Your Cat to a New Dog or Puppy

Be sure to check out the commentary at
5 Minutes for Fido. Tanner and Oliver are in  mourning, not to mention exhausted from all this work. And worse yet, there's no more litter box raids! Poor boys!


And Patches, well, she's ready to retire. Enough of this blogging stuff. She just wants to be left alone. 

Full disclosure: The Litter-Robot and World's Best Cat Litter described in this series have been donated to All Things Dog Blog for an independent review. I have not been paid to provide my opinion of these products, and the opinion provided is my own.

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Woof and Meow, Part VI: Considerations Regarding a Second Pet's Adoption

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

Mellow and Vic 
Relax Together

Kittens and puppies that are raised together can almost always become good companions. Even a larger dog can learn to play gently and remain calm in the presence of a kitty housemate.


Sometimes, though, adding an adult cat to a household with dogs, or vice versa, can present a host of complications for the owners and the pets. If you are considering this, I suggest you think through some possible issues first:

1. Is the dog a breed or mix with a high prey drive? (certain hunting breeds and terriers may need extra evaluation) Please reconsider for the cat's sake.
2. Does the cat have an unusually active play style or intense need for attention? Either of these could provoke problems with Fido. You'll have more influence over Woof than Meow, so give this great consideration. A highly-active dog can be separated from the cat, but not so much the other way around.
3. Does your home allow for some private space for Meow to have peace and quiet? Most cats crave a great deal of alone time. They tend to seek out sunny spots to lie in and often choose high locations. An upstairs with windows could allow you to gate the top of the steps, giving kitty her space, and Fido some boundaries.
4. Do you have time to work with your dog in socializing him to behave calmly around the new kitty, teaching him to respect her space, food, bedding and litter area? Keep in mind that although I may have given you the impression that all these problems can be solved with barriers, things do happen. Training, as described in Part IV of this series, will be a good preventive. You'll always need a backup plan for two species to co-habitate.
5. Can you give Meow a higher status than Woof, to allow her a better chance at integrating into the family? While Meow may have sharp claws, a large or agile dog will need to see her as higher on the totem pole than he is, to assure he learns to respect her.

You're probably asking yourself, "How is this last item possible?" The answer depends on which pet already lives in the home. Join me next week and the following, when we'll tackle this topic from both directions. Then, on Thanksgiving weekend, we'll make the big drawing. We'll be giving away World's Best Cat Litter, tote bags, miscellaneous cat goodies, and the grand prize--a Litter Robot. Don't miss it!

Have you missed any of the earlier posts in this series? Here are the links:

Woof and Meow: Can they Coexist Happily?

Woof and Meow, Part I: Stop the Treasure Hunt

Woof and Meow, Part II: How to Win our Prize Packages....and a Sneak Peek at What's to Come
Woof and Meow, Part III: Strategies for Stopping the Treasure Hunt and Keeping the Peace
Woof and Meow, Part IV: A Little Training in Respect
Woof and Meow, Part V: Exploring New Options with the Litter-Robot and World's Best Cat Litter

Have you entered the drawing for our prizes? You can enter at any or all of these sites, as often as you like:

All Things Dog Blog on Facebook  and  All Things Dog Blog on Twitter

World's Best Cat Litter on Facebook  and World's Best Cat Litter on Twitter

Litter-Robot on Facebook   and   Litter-Robot on Twitter

One last place you can enter is my dogs' blog: 5 Minutes for Fido

Full disclosure: The Litter-Robot and World's Best Cat Litter described in this series have been donated to All Things Dog Blog for an independent review. I have not been paid to provide my opinion of these products, and the opinion provided is my own.

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© Carrie Boyko, all rights reserved

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Which Fido Wins the Treat Bag Prize for the Halloween Photo Contest?

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

(c) Carrie Boyko
Angels, If Only for a Moment!

Tanner and Oliver are taking Halloween a bit solemnly this year. In honor of their girl, Xena, they're dressed as angels. We opted to skip the halos, since these boys have a ways to go to earn them, just like mosts young, spirited dog. Maybe another time.


It seems that our sad event may have dampened the spirits of my readers as fewer entries have come in for the photo contest than last year. Nevertheless, the show must go on, and the judge has submitted a winner.


Before I award the winner, I just want to remind you that the Woof and Meow series is still in full swing. Tomorrow's post will give you all the scoop on World's Best Cat Litter and the Litter-Robot. 


Is this what you've been waiting on? The drawing for the World's Best Cat Litter, tote bags and the grand prize of a Litter-Robot, self-cleaning litter box will be the Saturday following Thanksgiving, after the last post of the series. There is still much to come: tips for making a decision, steps for acclimating a new pet and much more.

© courtesy of Litter-Robot
 Boo! 
From the Folks at Litter-Robot

Can you believe that scary monster up there is a cat litter box? No kidding! My Patches has one and she's enjoying the extra privacy from her canine housemates. Fortunately, she isn't scared off by it. Ours doesn't look quite like this one in  its scary costume!


Speaking of costumes, the winner of the Halloween Costume Contest for 2010 is Vic, the Pumpkin:

(c) reader copyright on file
Vic is a Good Sport
in this Tough-to-Wear Costume

Vic's prize package includes all that you see here. I'll look forward to getting his address so I can rush his goodies to him ASAP.

(c) Carrie Boyko

Halloween Treat Bag Contents

will Keep Vic in Snacks for a While

Until I get Vic's address, Tanner will guard the goods. Do you think he needs a uniform or a weapon or anything? Maybe a Sheriff's badge would make him look official.....next time. We'll have to figure out how to pin it on without an "ouch".

(c) Carrie Boyko

Doesn't Tanner Look Serious?

No Sneaking, Tanner!

P.S. With the holidays now approaching, are you planning a visit to family or friends with your Rover?  Check out my guest post at GoPetFriendly, where I address tips for Preparing Your Rover to be a Well-Behaved Holiday Guest.


You might also enjoy seeing the dog's commentary on this whole Halloween business over at 5 Minutes for Fido.

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© Carrie Boyko, all rights reserved

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Woof and Meow, Part IV: A Little Training in Respect

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

© Carrie Boyko
Patches Enjoys Peace in Her Kingdom--
as Tanner and Oliver Keep their Distance

Yep! You guessed it. Today we're going to employ some training to give Meow some peace from the ever curious Woof. We'll call that respect. 

Tanner and Oliver have been good sports. As much as they like the laundry room, Patches' dish, and her litter box, their kingdom stops at the entrance to the 'powder room', which leads to the laundry room where Patches kingdom starts.  As seen in this photo, Patches' feeding area (at right) and her Litter-Robot (out of sight at right) are all out of reach of the pups that know the rules: Leave Patches' area alone.

Need  a little help getting the message across to your pups? Here's my secret weapon--doggie cocaine (yeah...that's a nickname!). Shhhh! Don't tell anybody how you pull off this cool behavior with your dogs.

In the absence of Natural Balance, you might try another strong-scented treat such as grated cheese or natural hotdogs. Try to avoid preservatives, if possible.

Here's a few tips:

• Ask Woof to Down or Stay in the location you choose, outside of Meow's special area. Some dogs will find this easier, if given a mat, dog bed or towel to lie on. Then give him a whiff of the Natural Balance food you are holding. That one sniff will have him groveling at your feet to do whatever it takes to get the goods! (NOTE: This stuff is not preserved, so be sure to cut it all up, once open, and bag it in small bags. Freeze in small packaged portions for other days.
• While your dog waits patiently, feed and refill Meow's water. If good behavior or effort is displayed, offer a small treat and continue the stay. Don't forget the praise! If Stay is a tough command for your dog, accept brief Stays and give a treat when YOU release Woof from his Stay.
• Gradually work up the time till Woof can wait until you are done in Meow's area and ready to leave. Then Woof will have earned several nibbles of the Natural Balance as a wonderful and worthy reward.
• If Woof tries to enter Meow's area, step toward Woof calmly and point out of the room, giving a no-nonsense body language that will clearly set the boundaries.
• With practice, this exercise will send home the message that Meow's area is hers alone, not to be entered by Woof. To keep up the good work, be sure to remain vigilant whenever Woof gets too interested in Meow's area.

Keep in mind that litter box maintenance will help to reduce Woof's  desire to treasure hunt in Meow's box. Clean litter as provided by the Litter-Robot will most certainly reduce the enticing smell of kitty box goodies. 

Further, as a green living family, we encourage you to do your part by using sustainable products like corn-based kitty litter. We love the new World's Best Cat Litter that is sustainable and compostable, when thoroughly sifted.


So, as you can see, it all comes down to leadership, with a few training aids. Got questions? Leave me a comment here or on our Facebook page and I'll be happy to help.

Have you missed any of our earlier posts? Here's the links:

Woof and Meow: Can they Coexist Happily?

Woof and Meow, Part I: Stop the Treasure Hunt

Woof and Meow, Part II: How to Win our Prize Packages....and a Sneak Peek at What's to Come
Woof and Meow, Part III: Strategies to Stop the Treasure Hunt and Keep the Peace
Also, be sure to stop in at 5 Minutes for Fido, to see what my dogs have to say about all this. You'll be sure to get a good laugh there.

Have you entered the drawing for our prizes? You can enter at any or all of these sites, as often as you like:

All Things Dog Blog on Facebook  and  All Things Dog Blog on Twitter

World's Best Cat Litter on Facebook  and World's Best Cat Litter on Twitter

Litter-Robot on Facebook   and   Litter-Robot on Twitter

One last place you can enter is my dogs' blog: 5 Minutes for Fido

Full disclosure: The Litter-Robot and World's Best Cat Litter described in this series have been donated to All Things Dog Blog for an independent review. I have not been paid to provide my opinion of these products, and the opinion provided is my own.

Visit Adopt a Dog Park

Help protect our precious dog parks

© Carrie Boyko, all rights reserved

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner

Follow All Things Dog at Twitter    Find me at Facebook    
© copyright Carrie Boyko, all rights reserved

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