Category: pets

Cool Cats (Warmer Now)

In Michigan, October brings a more serious chill to the air and I find myself tempted to turn on the furnace. While I can add a sweater, my cats were glaring at me to let me know they can’t. Many years ago I went to thrift stores collecting wool sweaters. I planned to felt them and use the felted fabric to make a jacket for my daughter. She was 4 then, and she is 17 now so clearly I have missed the moment!

Recently I saw a project that constructs a pet bed from old sweaters where you stuff the arms and body (see link) creating a bit of a hug. Since I still needed to find a project for the 13 year old felted sweater material; I designed my own cat beds. To felt the sweaters, I simply washed them in hot soapy water which shrinks the wool and locks the fibers together preventing the sweater from coming unraveled when cut into pieces. Three of the four sweaters were 100% wool and the pastel striped sweater was over 50% wool blend which resulted in a felt with some visible knitting remaining. Constructing my own bed design allowed me to make it just the right size for my cats.

I cut the fabric for the bolster to measure 6 inches wide and long enough to complete a circle around my base with overlap. I used 2-4 pieces of felt for the bolsters depending on the color pattern I created. For the base, I used a platter and added one inch to create an appealing shape for a cat nap.

  • Three inch doubled fabric.
  • Base is one inch longer than platter.
  • Various sweater pieces were used, sleeves were cut to measure 6 inches.

Using a simple blanket stitch I attached the sides to the base (which contained no stuffing). I sewed all the pieces together at one time which made the project come together quickly.

  • Pinning bolster to base.
  • Note the overlap of bolster pieces.
  • Use blanket stitch over the edged of all pieces.
  • This is the resulting seam which is underneath the bed when completed.

Using polyester batting and a long wooden dowel I stuffed the bolsters and then sewed those pieces together with a simple running stitch. I placed them in some of Simon and Kimbers favorite spots and they seem to enjoy them!

  • Simon will still leave it to sit on the keyboard.
  • Simon enjoying his power position on the sectional
  • Kimber enjoying her spot on the back of the sofa.
  • Completed cat beds. I kept the sleeve ribbing for a visual reminder of their origins and to get the “hug”.

Stay warm and be well!

Baking for Dogs

Gracie has the purple leash and Louie the red.

We are on day 27 of our Stay Home/Stay Safe order here in Michigan, USA and it has been 31 days since the President declared a National Emergency. I did a pretty good job of stocking up on essentials and preparing our family for 30 days of sheltering in place (only taking trips to the pharmacy and bank so far) however I forgot one thing… dog treats. Our dogs, Gracie and Louie are accustomed to getting treats every day at bedtime (this started as an attempt to keep their bellies full so we could sleep in on the weekends) and occasionally in the afternoon just to break up the day and add a little excitement. But no worries I told myself… I can make some!

I needed to make some important exceptions because we avoid peanuts (my daughter is allergic) and we use a largely plant based diet so we did not have a lot of bacon lying around or liver etc to add flavor. Many recipes used peanut butter as a central ingredient in dog biscuits and was the hardest to work around. Substituting almond butter felt too decadent knowing the price tag. After a couple hours of reading I went with a basic recipe from http://www.mkclinton.com Barking From The Bayou which included whole wheat flour, cornmeal, oil and water. I added some of the other popular ingredients that I stumbled across in my research: carrots and broth. My daughter emerged from her room while these were baking and wondered if I was going to serve her beef stew with egg noodles! They did smell pretty tasty and, I did taste them (why not? they are all human grade ingredients) and they were savory and mild with a meaty aftertaste. I do want to highlight that I used sodium free beef bullion so be careful not to make yours too salty if you use a different product.

Beef Stew Style Dog Biscuits

  • 1/2 cup cornmeal
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 6 tbs vegetable oil
  • 2/3 cup water
  • 3 packets of granulated sodium free beef or chicken broth
  • 1 finely grated large carrot
  • pinch of salt
  • white flour for dusting the board

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Allow dough to start off a little dry because carrots will impart moisture. Knead the dough on a floured board until smooth. Roll out to 1/4″ thick and use cookie cutter to form shapes, press firmly to cut through bits of carrot. Bake for 20 to 30 min switching trays around halfway through. The biscuits should be dry, hard and lightly golden. Store in air tight container for up to two weeks, they can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Notice the dough is a little dry allowing the moisture in the carrots to deliver a supple dough.
The dough is smooth with flecks of carrots. I used a medium bone shape and a small fire hydrant shape. Important: The sharp edges of these metal cutters help to cut through the carrot pieces.
These biscuits can be crowded because they will not spread.
My cat Kimber was not impressed.
Louie is a gobble monster!

Whew, the Dogs LOVE them!!

Gracie is always polite.