So the story goes:
When we got Ace, our black rescued moggy cat, I bought him lots of stuff. Cat igloo, microwavable cat bed, lots and lots and lots of toys, scratch pads, catnip, rolling balls, treat dispensing balls, feather balls, feather catcher, fake bird toys, squeaky mouse toys, fancy food bowl and fancy water bowl, different types of cat litter, etc etc etc. You get the picture. Played with all of it for 10 minutes maximum and lost interest straight afterwards. Most have been donated to various charities over time.
The husband bought a new TV. Put the TV up. Was about to throw out the cardboard box. Cut out 1 (I repeat 1) window in a box. And the cat lived in the box for weeks. It was his favourite place. Favourite toy. Favourite playtime. And the husband – his favourite human.
It’s a blooming cardboard box!
Moral of the story.
Don’t go out and buy lots of crap. Matching crap. Pretty crap. Crap with names on it. Fluff on it. Colours on it. 7 different leads. 6 different chew toys. 8 different pup shampoos - aloe vera, chamomile, almond, dead sea minerals, strawberry milk etc . And don’t forget the conditioner, scent spray and paw balm.
I know you are excited. I am so excited for you. I know you love your pup. But your pup does not care. Your pup does not like colours. Your pup will eat all the crap from the floor along with cat poop before she eats from your fancy porcelain bowl engraved with her name. She will chew chair legs, sofa legs, skirting boards, plasterboard off walls, door frames, flip flops, orthodontic mattress and absolutely everything else BEFORE she chews on that £15 expensive toy stuffed with treats.
Or is it just our dog?
After spending a small fortune on Amazon, I even paid for Prime so Lily does not have to wait for her stuff, most items were never used more than once and have been since donated to charity.
Dog bed situation:
Fancy dog bed nr 1 – grew out of it in 2 weeks, donated to the cat.
Fancy dog bed nr 2 - grew out of it in a month, currently stored in the garden shed.
Fancy large dog bed nr 3 – threw up on it and then shredded it.
Fancy orthopaedic memory foam XL dog bed number 4 - Lily sleeps on the tiled floor at the bottom of the stairs or in the bathroom or on the couch or sofa or living room carpet or absolutely anywhere else in the house apart from the fancy orthopaedic memory foam XL dog bed strategically placed by the French doors leading out in the back garden, you know, for the entertainment – cats, birds, foxes etc.
And sometimes, just to make me feel like a complete fool, she will sleep on bare floorboards right next to her fancy orthopaedic memory foam XL dog bed, just not in it.
Cheers mate, £100 well spent.
Once you have bought few bits of crap (and yes you will buy some – to make yourself feel like a good dog owner) STOP.
If you are going to spend money on your dog – INVEST IN THEIR FOOD.
Nothing is as important as what you feed your pupster with. It will affect their growth, development, energy levels, overall happiness, brain capacity, alertness, digestive functions, odour, breath, dental health, fur, coat, joints, hips etc. Basically absolutely everything.
Healthy dog = happy dog.
Don’t spend hundreds of pounds on toys, blankets, crates, food bowls and then feed your dog supermarket own brand food or generic large brands available in every store.
Speak to your vet. Speak to your breeder. Do some research.
Invest in your pup's diet.
You will see their eyes light up brighter, tail wagging more energetically and their breath won`t smell of cat poop when they give you kisses.
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