Thinking of Getting Aquatic Turtles?

    They're so cute when they're babies! About the size of a quarter or fifty cent piece, they will steal your heart. However, they don't stay that size forever. If you're thinking of getting aquatic turtles, here are some things you should know.

Thinking of Getting Aquatic Turtles?

    Liam had been bugging us for years to allow him to have some baby red eared sliders. They are probably the most common aquatic turtle people have. Others are painted turtles, cooters, and map turtles. Red eared sliders are the most common because they are the most hardy species and easiest to care for. Once you have everything you need, taking care of them isn't really that hard. But let's take a look at everything you will need to make a sweet home for your baby turtle.

Making a Home

   Housing these little guys (or girls) may seem pretty easy, but to be honest, it's a bit daunting. First of all you need an aquarium. For baby turtles, that's not too hard. We went to Walmart and grabbed a ten gallon one for under twenty bucks. However, keep in mind, these turtles grow quite rapidly, and get pretty large. So they will outgrow this tank.

    Next, they need light. Not just any light will suffice. Turtles need both UVA and UVB light to mimic living in the wild. Without this light they can get sick, and suffer from brittle bone disease which will make their shells get too soft. The light also gives them heat. We got this one from Chewy.com.

Get a Good Filter

    Turtles can be pretty messy. So you're going to want to get a good filter. Also, the light bulb will cause algae to grow quickly, and without a filter, you're tank will be a mess in now time. If you're starting out with a small ten gallon aquarium, this filter will be perfect. You'll still need to clean your tank, but with the use of the filter, it won't need to be cleaned every other day.

Turtles Need a Place to Bask

    Don't let their name fool you. Aquatic turtles still need to get out of the water sometimes. They come out to eat and bask in the sun (or sun light.) We got Liam's the coolest turtle platform by Penn-Plax. Chewy has them in both small and large sizes. The small is perfect for a ten gallon set up, and it's larger than you might think. 

Food

    Feeding your new friends isn't hard. Start by getting them some turtle pellets. (Chewy.com has that too!) You can also supplement them with leafy greens like romaine lettuce, fresh parsley, or even clean dandelion greens from your yard. Just put a piece right into their water. Remember to remove it within a day or so if they don't eat it all. Chopped apples, small banana chunks and tiny shrimp also make a nice treat.

All of this will get you started on your journey of caring for baby aquatic turtles. Set up their home, and then get your new aquatic friends!

Show Your Feline Some Love

    Valentine's Day is right around the corner, so what better time to show your feline some love. Chewy.com sent my sweet granddaughter the Purina Muse Creatables Variety Pack, and she is enjoying every bite of it!

Show Your Feline Some Love

    Of course we love our pets every day, but just like humans, they deserve special love on Valentine's Day. Clara will be enjoying a custom meal from her Purina Muse Creatables Variety Pack. She's already partaken in a couple of them, and she mows it right down. This variety pack is so cool because it comes with Crunchy Bites, Tender Filets, and sauces, so you can create an amazing dinner for your purrfect furiend.

    The pack comes with different recipes. Inside you get 2 flavors of Crunchy Bites, and three flavors each of Tender Filets and Simply Sauces. Mix and match them to make a yummy meal for your kitty.

Grain and Gluten Free

    The Purina Muse Creatables Variety Pack is gluten and grain free. That means no corn, wheat, soy, poultry by products, or fillers. Therefore, you're giving your cat not only tasty food, but vittles that are good for them too. 

    The Tender Filets are made using just TWO ingredients. They're made with tender filets of chicken or fish, and water. That's it. The Crunchy Bites and Simply Sauce also have meat as their number one ingredient. I love it when I know what I'm feeding my kids, whether human or fur baby. 

What Does Clara Think?

    For being a once feral cat, Clara is surprisingly finicky. But let me tell you, she goes crazy for her Purina Muse meals! When she knows I'm preparing one, she's right there. Meowing, rubbing on my legs, and of course tripping me up. (Because I'm clumsy even without a cat between my feet!) As a matter of fact, my other two fur babies are right there, hoping Clara will leave them a taste. So when I feed Clara her Muse, I have to make sure Josie and Bayleigh have a special treat, to keep them away from the cat's dinner. Don't just take Clara's word for it, head to Chewy.com and get some for your kitty.

Keep Offensive Litter Odors From Your Home

    I love my grand cat. She is purrfect! What I don't love is offensive litter odors. And let me tell you, I have a super sense of smell. So in this home, not just any kitty litter will do.

Keep Offensive Litter Odors From Your Home

    If you're like me and have super smell, or you don't want to chance guests smelling the cat box, then you need to check out Tidy Cats. Their Tough Odor Solutions Glade Winter Pine Litter is the bomb! First of all, its from Tidy Cat, which is the only litter my parents ever used for their cats. Secondly, this litter has the power of Glade! The gentle Winter Pine scent is woodsy and wonderful.

Absorbs Ammonia Odors

    This litter doesn't just smell good, but it's designed to absorb the ammonia from your cats urine (which is the source from the offensive litter stink.) Their TidyLock protection not only absorbs that smell, but locks it away to keep it from leaking out into your home. It also locks in moisture so your precious fur babies aren't stepping into their own urine.

Clumping for Easy Clean Up

    I love that this Tidy Cat litter clumps. It makes it much easier for Liam to clean out the litter plan. His chore is to scoop the pan daily, and the clumps make it easier for him to do that job. Plus, it saves me from having to smell that dirty litter. 

Chewy.com is the Bomb!

    We get supplies for our pets from Chewy.com every month. Their prices are awesome, and their customer service is wonderful! With a full selection for cats, dogs, birds, reptiles, and so much more, you will find something for every pet! They even have an auto ship plan that saves you even more money! 

Make Their Howliday Fun

    For us the holiday season is about family and friends. Which of course includes our fur babies and furry granddaughter! Thanks to Chewy.com, you too can make their howliday fun! Because our pets deserve the very best!

Make Their Howliday Fun!

    My fur girls are so very different. Our old girl Josie prefers treats or something tasty to chew on. Bayleigh is the baby and she loves toys. ALL THE TOYS! So when I found this Boomerang from All Kind I knew Bay would love it! She can fetch it, tug it, and even take a nap with it when she's done playing.

Soft Yet Sturdy

    The All Kind Tug & Fetch No Squeak Boomerang is perfect for indoor and outdoor play. It's soft enough that it can be tossed around the house, but sturdy enough to stand up to a nice tug of war game. It's made of durable rubber, nylon, and polyester. The outside edges are reinforced with Oxford piping to keep your pup from tearing it up. 

Aerodynamic Fun

    Just like a traditional boomerang, this one from All Kind is aerodynamically designed to fly further. Take it outside and give your canine bestie a fun workout! They will love the high flying adventure this toy provides. Oh and it doesn't have a squeaker so it won't annoy you or the neighbors! (For Bayleigh that means she won't tear into it and try to remove a squeaker.)

    The All Kind Tug & Fetch No Squeak Boomerang comes in different sizes too. So whether your fur baby is small, large, or in between, you will find one to suit them. Grab one or three, and place them under your tree this holiday! 

Buy One Get One

    If you head to Chewy.com right now, you can purchase an All Kind toy and get one (of equal or lesser value) for FREE! They have the boomerang, gingerbread man, tri-flyer, bone, a tuggable bow, and a football! That's a ton of fun for your fur baby this Christmas! Check them out! 

It's a HOWLiday PAWty

    Our fur girls are an integral part of our family. Which is why we make sure their HOWLiday is special too! Josie's birthday just happens to fall in December too so there's always a PAWty in the Barnum house!

It's a HOWLiday PAWty

    Our old girl actually turned eight today! I can't believe my sweet fur baby is that old. Later today she will have her special party (or pawty as we call it,) with her sister Bayleigh, and her feline niece Clara. Her gift came just in time yesterday and she's already been pawing at the Chewy box. (Bayleigh has as well!)

Josie, (2010) two days old. The day Liam picked her out and she got her name.

    Since it's a party, there will be special goodies for all of them! They will be having fresh cooked chicken breast and sweet potatoes (their favorite!) The beverage of choice happens to be some Pumpkin Spice Latte (we talk about that here.) Both our canine girls and our feline granddaughter will enjoy these goodies! Let the celebration begin! (When Josie decides to get out of bed that is.)

2011 Josie's first birthday and Christmas pic

The Gift

    We chose Blue Buffalo Blue Bits for her. They are soft and delectable treats, made from real USA beef. Perfect for puppies, or older babies that don't chew as well. It seems that as Josie gets older, she feels that chewing takes up too much time. So these treats are the perfect gift for her.

Beef is Number One

    The number one ingredient that is. USA deboned beef is the very first item listed on these treats. Followed by brown rice, oatmeal, maple syrup and more. No fillers. No by products. As well as no artificial colors or flavors, just good stuff that your canine pal will love. But what more can you expect from Blue Buffalo? My girls love every treat they have tried from them, and as a pet mom, I trust their ingredients.

    So whether you're hosting a birthday pawty, or a howliday one, head to Chewy.com. They have a wide selection of everything you need for any pet that you love. We don't shop anywhere else! 

Fresh Breath in Time for the Holidays

    Fresh breath is important, even for our fur babies. If you dog's breath is horrific there's no need to worry! You still have plenty of time to get their mouths clean and fresh before your holiday guests start arriving!

Bayleigh is feeling festive already!

Fresh Breath in Time for the Holidays

    The holiday season is upon us. Turkey Day is just ten days away! Santa told me there are only forty two sleeps until his arrival. All of this means that for many of us, family and friends will be visiting. That also means your pets will be kissing the loved ones. You don't want them to have bad breath. So get them some Whimzees!

The Thirty Day Challenge

    We recently took part in the Whimzees Thirty Day Challenge with Chewy.com. This challenge is simple. Simply grab a thirty day supply from Chewy and treat your furry bff to one Whimzee per day. Honestly, after the first treat, you will notice a difference in their breath.

    That's because Whimzees aren't just a tasty snack. They're also yummy toothbrushes for dogs. While your canine bestie is chewing on their Whimzee, the treat is working to scrape unsightly and smelly tartar and plaque from their teeth. This nasty stuff is what makes their breath so foul. So, if they eat a Whimzee each day, their teeth are getting brushed. Wiping away all of that smelly gunk! 

Don't let Josie's stank face fool you! Her breath is super fresh!

They Don't Just Taste Good 

    That's because Whimzees are good for our fur babies too. They're made with limited ingredients, and the ones they do use are the best. These treats are gluten and grain free, as well as artificial color and flavor free. Oh and they're made using non GMO ingredients. We all want what is best for our children, even our furry ones!

So don't wait! The countdown in on! Head to Chewy.com and grab a 30 day supply of Whimzees. Your dog will love you for it, as will your holiday guests!

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Festive Treats for Your Feline Friends

Tis the season! I love summer, but it feels so wonderful to finally be able to say that. (Christmas is my jam y'all!) When shopping for the holidays, we can't leave out our fur babies. So today we're going to highlight treats for our feline friends.

Festive Treats For Our Feline Friends

    Our cute kitty is technically my "granddaughter." Liam rescued her as a sickly feral baby, and insisted she would be his baby. He takes very good care of his sweet girl, and we are all so thankful for his dedication to saving her precious life. So he's very proactive when it comes to making sure she gets special gifts for the holidays. As a matter of fact, he is the one who chose Temptations Holiday Dinner Treats for her. However, upon seeing them, he immediately opened them up, and started spoiling her. So I guess we'll need to get more for under the tree!

    As she was devouring them he told me a couple of things he liked about them.

"Mama! I love this container! When the treats are gone, we use it to store other treats." Clara happens to love Temptations treats, but Liam struggles with the bags. Due to his fine motor difficulties he sometimes can't get them open, and rarely can get them closed. So for him, this Stay Fresh Pack was a huge selling point.

"These treats are Christmas colors!" Indeed they are. Temptations Holiday Dinner Treats are reddish and greenish in color, making them very festive for the season. They're also flavored with turkey and sweet potato, just like a holiday dinner!

Crispy, Crunchy, and Soft

    Temptations Holiday Dinner Treats are crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside. The crunchy layer is designed to keep your cats teeth clean. It helps to scrape tartar and plaque from their pearly white teeth. The soft and meaty inside is yummy and irresistible to pawfect little pets! (We have to keep the dogs away when we give these treats to the cat,  or else they will sneak and eat Clara's Temptations before she can gobble them all up!)

   These treats are less than two calories each, so they're perfect for all cats. Use them as a snack or reward. You can even use them in place of cat food. A quarter cup of Temptations can replace a quarter cup of other dry cat foods.

    Our sweet Clara gives Temptations Holiday Dinner Treats TWO PAWS UP and we know your feline friends will too. So head to Chewy.com and grab some for the holidays. You might want to grab extra though! ;)

HGG for Fur Babies

Welcome to our Holiday Gift Guide for Fur Babies!

Here you will find gift ideas for your precious fur babies.  

Check it out!

(Please DO NOT add your own links)

To be featured contact me at alegionforliam@gmail.com

Savory Beef Left Over Cookies

    If you follow my blog, you know I hate to waste. I try to use every bit of leftovers from our home. Whether it's feeding our dogs raw diets, or freezing them to use in pet recipes. Over the weekend, I created a new recipe. I took some savory beef scraps and drippings from a roast. I want to share this with you because my girls went bonkers for these and I know your fur babies will too!

Savory Beef Left Over Cookies

    Back home, our loved ones raise farm animals for meat. When we were moving, they stocked up our freezer with grass fed beef and pork. (We have amazing family!) Last week, I cooked up a hearty beef roast. I took the drippings from the crock pot and froze them, as well as scraps from the roast that we didn't eat. I knew these would make fantastic cookies for our dogs. Using just a few other ingredients that I had in the pantry, I whipped some tasty vittles. Are you ready to get started?

What You Need:

• Cooked Beef Scraps (I'm not one to measure when I cook or bake. My best guess was about half a cup of shredded beef)
• Beef Drippings (I used about a 1/4 of a cup.)
• 1 cup of Oats
• 1 cup of Flour
• 1/4 cup of Water
• 1/4 cup of Applesauce (unsweetened, but cinnamon in it is fine.)
• 1/4 cup of diced (cooked) green beans

PREHEAT OVEN to 400°

    Normally, I used my Ninja and blend up the meat and veg, however, that somehow ended up in the attic. I actually didn't even find it until Sunday afternoon. (Thank goodness because I love that thing!) So I just sliced and tore up the beef. Then I cut the green beans into smaller pieces.

    Add in the beef drippings, water, and applesauce. Mix well. Next you'll add the oats, and stir. Lastly, add your flour a little at a time. Once you get a thick dough, you're ready for baking. I lightly greased my cookie sheet. Then, using a tablespoon, I dropped dough onto to pan. (I didn't use the entire tablespoon, so if you want a measurement, I would say the cookies are about half of a tablespoon.)

    Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cool, and let your fur babies enjoy! You can store these in the fridge for a week or so. Since there's no preservatives, I freeze mine. I take out a few each morning to thaw. They last that way for months.

Yields approximately 3 dozen

Fresh Doggie Kisses

Wow! It's already been two weeks since I started the Whimzees Thirty Day Challenge with Josie. Let me tell you, we're all impressed!

Fresh Doggie Kisses

    Two weeks ago, when Josie would try to kiss us, we all would recoil. Her breath was horrid! It broke our hearts because she would look so dejected. This combined with the fact that she absolutely refuses to let me brush her teeth. Seriously. My sweet old girl will take your finger off if you try to get at her teeth for brushing. We were told we could have her put under to have her teeth cleaned at a vet. That didn't sound like a good option. She's getting older and I don't want her under any anesthesia unless it's medically necessary.

    These are just a couple of the reasons we wanted to take part in the Whimzees Thirty Day Challenge. We're certainly glad we did too! Within a few days her breath was already better. Fast forward two weeks, and and it's even better yet. I honestly can't get a good look at her inner teeth because I happen to like my fingers. However, her front teeth already look a bit cleaner, and I can see there is less build up around her gums. (This tartar and plaque residue is what causes pet breath to be so awful. Not only does it make their breath stink, but it's not good for their teeth either!)

Two Weeks to Go

    While there are still two more weeks in this challenge, I am already impressed with the results. Just one healthy Whimzee per day has helped my baby girl so much. She loves them too which is another bonus. You can join us as well! Just head to Chewy.com and grab some Whimzees for your fur baby.  

Keep Their Litter Fresh

Litter is the bane of my existence. I love my furry granddaughter, but with a sensitive nose, I can always smell the litter box. It doesn't matter where it is in the house, or how often it's scooped.

Keep Their Litter Box Fresh

    Liam is in charge of Clara's care. It's his cat, and the condition on getting her was that he was to take care of her. Which I personally love because I just get to play with her and love on her without worrying about scooping her poop or emptying her littler pan. However, we've tried a few different litters and I just wasn't that impressed.

    First of all, as I mentioned, I have sensitive olfactory glands. Meaning I can smell a litter box from anywhere in a home. So one of the reasons I wanted a new litter was to get something that didn't smell of clay, or urine, no matter how clean the box is. Another reason is I don't like the clay dust. Both myself and my son have asthma, and filling and dumping a litter pan results in a ton of dust when using traditional clay litter. We were in search of another litter option that didn't include clay. So what did we choose?

My gorgeous granddaughter Clara

Frisco Crystal Cat Litter

    We do all of our pet shopping on Chewy.com. (If you don't you're missing out, so get to their website stat!) Liam and chose to try Crystal Cat Litter by Frisco. Liam was excited because he was thinking crystals like quartz. However, I did set him straight, and told him that even though it isn't quartz crystal, it's still made of absorbent crystal like material. These lock in urine to stop that dreaded pee smell emanating from the litter. It really does work. Since putting the Crystal Cat Litter in Clara's pan, I haven't smelled any pee!

    Get this! If you only have one kitty, then just one bag of Frisco's Crystal Cat Litter could last for up to a month! Because this litter is so absorbent, and the crystals lock away odors, this litter will last longer than traditional clay litter.  In the long run, that will save you more money. Which is a huge plus as well!

    Simply scoop the solid waste from the pan every day. Then stir around the crystals. They're lightly scented so it will release a light summery scent. Voila! Fresh and clean litter pan in a matter of minutes. I love the ease of this cat litter!

Non Tracking

    Another thing that bothers me about litter is how it gets tracked all in front of the box. I loathe that! Cleaning that up every day gets annoying. However Frisco's Crystal Cat Litter is low tracking, which means more of it stays in your cat's box. And don't worry, those pretty crystals are gentle on kitties feet as well. So head to Chewy.com and stock up on some Frisco Crystal Cat Litter. You won't be sorry!

Halloween Hot Spots

I'm not talking about the fun places to explore this Halloween. I'm actually referring to the dreaded hot spots that our tiniest fur baby gets. Poor Josie has terrible skin allergies, that cause her to lick and chew all the time. Which in turn makes her skin sore. So how do we treat it?

Halloween Hot Spots

    Gluten, insect bites, and dry skin lead our sweet girl to chew and chew. She then flares up with hot spots. We took gluten out of her diet, and she wears Seresto collars at all times. However, the collar doesn't prevent flea or other insect bites, it only keeps them from living on her. So her skin still itches. Then she chews and scratches until a hot spot erupts. It breaks our hearts when she has them so we have had to find other ways to help heal her skin.

Look at my Tootsie Roll! She doesn't deserve itchy skin! (By the way, this was Liam's very first Halloween costume. I did a little cutting and sewing and made Josie her first Halloween costume from it.)

Medicated Baths

    The first thing we did was get her medicated shampoo. It has anti bacterial and anti fungal meds in it. When she has a big hot spot or a few, we have to bathe her every two days for a couple of weeks. While it helps, it wasn't enough. You see, you wash her with it, and leave it on for a few moments. But that alone didn't seem to do enough. Her fur was dry as well as her skin on the patches that were healing. She needed conditioner. But do they make such a thing for dogs?

Yes. Yes They Do!

    GNC Pets actually makes a medicated conditioner for fur babies. Like the shampoo we use, it's anti fungal and anti bacterial. After her shampoo is rinsed off, I rub this cream rinse into her fur and skin. I rub and massage her for five minutes, then rinse her off. You can feel the difference in her fur after the first use! Her skin? Well he healed spots aren't dry and flaky. It's just new, soft skin. And her ht spots are healing faster as well. I was really impressed with how well it worked. Even Liam commented on how "nice she feels!"

Josie refused to sit for another picture. But Bayleigh loves the camera :)

Smells So Nice!

     Oh, and it's lavender scented too. This was huge for us. Liam would complain after Josie's medicine baths that "she stinks like medicine." It's true, she did. The shampoo smells awful. However, the GNC conditioner smells fantastic. So not only does it help her hot spots, and dry skin, but it smells amazing too. Josie loves getting her "pretty massage," with her GNC Pets conditioner. So if you have a fur baby with hot spots, then head to Chewy.com and grab some.

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Time Flies When You're Eating Well!

   I can't believe it's been thirty days since switching my dogs to a raw diet. Time surely does fly when you're (moving and) and eating well! My girls are so in love with their Stella & Chewy's raw food, that they wouldn't know what to do without it!

Time Flies When You're Eating Well!

    A month ago I started slowly introducing my girls to a new raw diet. If you remember correctly, I chose the Venison from Stella & Chewy's. Since animals tummies can get upset if you just up and switch their diet, we started gradually feeding the raw food.

24 days into the diet....we were in the process of packing to move south....however, look how nice she looks!

    At first I gave them a small amount. Josie was started on about two and a half patties in the evening, while Bayleigh got eight to ten. During this time, they also had their normal dry kibble. Of course, they went for the venison first. Once that was gone, they whined, barked, and paced for more venison. When they realized that was all they were getting, they reluctantly ate their typical kibble.

You can serve the patties dry with water on the side, or add water and make a nice soft, and tasty meal!

Fast Forward Thirty Days

    Both of my girls are on just the raw diet. Dinner time is their favorite time of day! They gobble it right down! I noticed Josie's skin seems less itchy and irritated. Which is great because her hot spots are starting to heal up. (The gluten in typical foods wreaks havoc on her skin.)

We moved, so excuse the mess....but look! NO RIBS SHOWING!

    Bayleigh has started to fill out nicely, and I can't count every rib in her body. She looks so much more healthy. I no longer fear someone will report me to our local ASPCA for starving her. My girls give the Stella & Chewy's Raw Diet foods "two paws up," and our family definitely recommends this diet to other pet parents as well. We get ours right from Chewy.com along with our treats, medicines, and all other pet products.