Green pet toys and treats at Woofles and Meowz.

Lately I have been asked the question "is this product made locally?" or "is this organic?".
I have seen, heard and felt the change in the market with regard to people wanting sustainable products.
Being a manufacturer of products as well as an owner of a pet boutique I have made it my special interest to buy from local producers, small companies that use organic ingredients, buy organic ingredients to make our famous treats and employ local producers as best as possible.
Right now Woofles and Meows is a store that carries at least 50% locally or Canadian content...which.........is REALLY hard to do let me tell you.
Now, do not get me wrong. I am no tree hugging fanatic bent on wearing rough woven clothes and never touching anything plastic.....I just believe that we can do as much as we can faced with the choice to do so if it is available. That is the tipping point for me.....if I have the choice between a regular bag or a biodegradeable one even if it is twice the cost (for now) I will go for the "green" option. I think my customers really appreciate that fact.
I KNOW that the organic nature of our biscuits is very much a selling point for many folks here so it makes sense that other avenues are safe to follow.
I have been diligent though in fact finding in what is actually green. Everybody is jumping on the bandwagon to get that dollar out of your pocket and into their till and being "ECO friendly" seems to be the way to go and makes for brilliant marketing. This is unfortunatley where people simply see that something is sustainable and go with the flow without finding the 5Ws of it.
My recent experiences go like this:
Yes that recycled paper from London Drugs is good...but it comes from Brazil so it took resources and oil to get it all the way here....so not good in the long run.
That pretty Japanese pastry is organic but it is wrapped in a plastic container with a plastic label then put into a paper then a bag......soooo not good in the long run.
My oven cleaner is supposedly CFC free! and that should make us want and need it right? well CFC were banned decades ago and so it is a moot point...though we all feel better regardless huh!
Lets not get all crazy on ourselves and jump on the martyr train but I am gonna do MY part by reducing packaging when I can here in the store and buy locally as much as possible and make good things with good ingredients.
There is also a great website you can check out .. www.ethiquette.ca They seem to have some good info...and thats a start right?!??
cheers,
MEOW!!!!

Spaying and neutering your animals.

Recently I was reading in the "Bark" magazine that the BCSPCA puts out and it was explaining some reasons and facts on animal reproduction.
I particularly like the simple math equation that says :
At two litters a year and six kittens per litter an unspayed cat can produce in seven years....wait for it......420,000 cats!!!
I am all for taking care of your animals and if still undecided there are a few question and answers that the American humane society was very happy to answer:

WHAT IS IT??
Spaying is a general term used to describe the ovariohysterectomy of a female animal. Neutering is a general term used to describe the castration of a male animal. However, neutering is used in reference to both genders. The surgical procedure, performed by a veterinarian, renders the animal incapable of reproducing. Here are answers to some questions you may have about this beneficial procedure.
When can I have this procedure done?
Both procedures can be performed as early as six weeks of age. American Humane is a strong proponet of "early" neutering since this guarantees that the animals will not be able to breed and populate within a community.
Why should I have my pet neutered?
Animal shelters, both public and private, unfortunately are faced with an incredible burden: What to do with the overpopulation of dogs and cats that they cannot find homes for. Estimates across the country indicate that over 10 million animals will be humanely euthanized at shelters each year, due to the sheer fact that there are not enough homes. Having your pet neutered ensures that you will not be adding to this tremendous burden.
What are some of the health benefits?
Through neutering, you can help your dog and cat live a happier, healthier, and longer life. Spaying eliminates the constant crying and nervous pacing that is a sign that a cat is in heat. Castration stops the mating drive in males, reducing the urge to roam, which in turn, reduces the risk of fights, injury, poisoning, accidents, and contracting diseases. If you have more than one pet in your household, all the pets will get along better if they are neutered.
A long-term benefit of neutering is improved health. Early neutering nearly eliminates breast cancer, and totally prevents uterine infections and uterine and testicular cancer.
Isn't it true that you only need to "fix" female dogs or cats?
Absolutely not! A male animal can father thousands of offspring in his lifetime. Roaming tomcats fighting other cats are a neighborhood nuisance and are prone to develop infections and abscesses from their fighting. An intact male may also develop the bad habit of marking its territory by urine marking.
Neutering just costs too much!
The cost of caring for a pet, including providing veterinary care, should be considered before acquiring an animal. If you would like to provide a good home for a pet, but cannot pay for the neuter, call your local animal shelter. They will be happy to provide information on low-cost neutering. The costs of having a litter are often more than the cost of neutering. There could be complications requiring hospitalization or surgery. You will be faced with finding homes or keeping the offspring yourself or placing more animals into your local shelter. The cost of the well-being of not just your companion animal but of future generations should be considered.
Can't I allow my purebred dog to have just one litter?
Mixed breed or purebred -- there just aren't enough homes. Animal shelters receive purebred animals everyday. Responsible purebred breeders have homes for their dogs before they are born.
I don't even own a pet! Why is this my problem?
All of us are affected by animal overpopulation. Millions of tax dollars are spent annually to round up lost, abandoned, and unwanted pets. Much of that money is spent to destroy these animals when homes cannot be found. Health is threatened by the danger of transmittable diseases, including rabies, animal bites, and attacks. Property may be damaged and livestock killed when pets roam in search of food. Animal waste, proving a serious environment hazard, foul yards and parks. It is only when all of us assume the responsibility for pet overpopulation that we will see any decrease in the problem.
Isn't it wrong to deprive an animal of the natural right to reproduce?
No, it's wrong to allow these animals to reproduce millions of unwanted offspring that are eventually killed because there aren't enough responsible homes.
If I find homes for my pets' litters then I won't contribute to the problem, right?
Wrong. Only a certain number of people want pets. So every home you find for your pet's offspring takes away a home from a loving animal already at a shelter.
Shouldn't every female pet have at least one litter before being spayed?
No. In fact, your pet will be healthier if she never sexually matures. Her personality will not improve either. She is just as likely to become less social and more aggressive after having a litter, as she is to become calmer and gentler.
Shouldn't children experience the miracle of birth?
No. A more important lesson to teach your child would be responsible pet ownership and concern for life by explaining why their pet should not have babies.
Doesn't neutering alter an animal's personality?
No. Personality changes that may result from neutering are for the better. Not being distracted by the instinctual need to find a mate helps your pet stop roaming and become calmer; though not less protective of their territory.
Won't animal shelters take care of the surplus animals?
No. Shelters do their best to place animals in loving homes, but the number of homeless animals far exceeds the number of available homes. This leaves many loving and healthy animals in our community that must be euthanized as the only humane solution to this tragic dilemma. Only spaying and neutering can end the overpopulation problem.

I think there are probably many more questions but if in need please feel free to contact your local SPCA.

WOOF!!!!

Woofles and Meowz getting some print time!

Recently the fine folks over at the Province Newspaper did an article in the "money" section that covers small businesses. As most of my friends and customers were asking about it I thought I would show a link to it below.

http://www.theprovince.com/Life/Bakery+truly+project/1268606/story.html

Since this small article came out I have noticed a huge boost in our already large sales of organic treats and I got some very valuable feedback to what people are looking for in fresh made items.
One of the things that I was reluctant to make was Birthday cakes for dogs as the ingredients used were usually either second rate or simply ones that people could do up in their own kitchen(like the popular use of mashed potato for icing) for much less money that is being charged at other locals.
Now, I understand the benefit of time saved being money saved as well so I have decided to add to our line-up of hand made organic treats...a "BIG BONE BIRTHDAY COOKIE".
This is an item that we will be able to personalize with a half hours notice (we prefer a call the day b4) to say Happy Birthday Fido or something like this.
The cool thing about this item is the lack of mess and the ability to dole out only parts of it as needed and it will be much better priced.
Fresh, storeable, great ingredients, organic, and totally yummy!
One more item for the part of us that is the Woofles and Meowz dog bakery now I just have to figure out how to make a delish sardine roll for the cats!


http://www.theprovince.com/Life/Bakery+truly+project/1268606/story.html

Easter Eggs on Granville Island.

Woofles and Meowz is simply the coolest train caboose converted into one of Vancouver's first Pet bakery. Things have changed in the past few years as it was first opened as a Pet Deli that sold raw food for dogs and cats waaaaay ahead of the trend. Later it stocked toys and treats baked right here in the caboose and since I have bought it I have packed it with equipment, toys, treats, gifts and products for both cats and dogs. I love that we sell items for both cats and dogs as I sometimes think with all the purse doggies purchased in the past few years that retailers have forsaken our feline friends....not so here!
This morning another animal was busy at Granville Island and especially around the Kids Only Market and that was the EASTER BUNNY!!
As I left the parking garage to head to work I noticed a whole slew of easter eggs all over the island tucked into nooks and crooks. It was the most charming sight and one sorely needed on this very rainy day!
I could not help but open up one of these colorful toys so see that there was a wee sticker and a cute saying inside.
Whomever did the work for this project I have to say a BIG THANK YOU!!!! It was the sweetest thing and watching the young'ins laughing up a storm while searching for them was wonderful!

Happy Easter everybody from Woofles and Meowz.

Cat toys supreme.

Some people like to give great feedback about what and how their cat will play with and won't touch when it comes to toys. We here at Woofles and Meowz absolutely LOVE this feedback as we order all our Cat toys and treats based on this feedback and what is asked of us by these fine folks. All I can say is that when it comes to cats...there is one constant and that there IS NO constant. Everybody seems to have a different case when it comes to their furry friends. Soooo we will keep ordering what people like and hope we get the best!

Dog bakery..Pet bakery....its all good!

Theres NEW things baking at Woofles and Meowz here on Granville Island. Now that we are the closest bakery for the Kitsilano crowd we have decided to expand our already great organic baked goods line to include...Birthday Bones that say "Happy Barkday" and given enough time...usually an hour or so...we can put the doggy's name on it as well. As we use only organic ingredients we like to use a yogurt and cacao mixture to write with instead of the potato mixture some others are using.
mmmmmmmmmmmmm Dog bakery at its finest!

The hottest dog toy on the market!!!!

At Woofles and Meowz I get an offer on a new item that is "guaranteed" to be a good seller at least once a week. I usually try to be open to the possibilites of certain items and I have been surprised a couple of times on things that go against my first impressions either way, good or bad, but.....not very often.
That is, until I came across the "Scrambler"....a toy that resembles what the old "Leggs" pantyhose containers looked like but more substantial...much more substantial.
"This toy is gonna be a hit" said the rep...."a sure fire seller!"
...yyyyeeeeehhhhhh suuuurrreeeee....I thought to myself. What is the attraction of these plastic eggs?...What gives?
Being not all knowing contrary to popular belief I like to keep the options open to the possibilites so I took a few of the Scramblers both small and large.
I think they lasted in the store about 14 minutes. I am not kidding!
Whether it was the bright colours or the shape I am not sure but I was ordering more the next day and continue to do so every two to three days. Damn!!! why did I not think of this thing!
I decided to take the large size to the Nelson street dog park in the westend of Vancouver to see what was the workability of this toy and I was met with a friend whos dog instantly started herding the egg shaped toy around and as it moved erratically it attracted at least 6 other dogs. This of course was not without its perils at a full dog park but because the gist of the toy being that it cannot be held or bitten there was no one dog dominating the item or any other dog for that matter.
"Hey..where didya get that thing...its great" was the first comment.
"Oh I think there is some at the caboose on Granville Island...Woofles and Meowz I think they are called" said I casually.
"Yeah my dog rips apart everything...that looks perfect" second offering.
"I can at least see that in the snow"...third comment.
"They really seem to like that thing" fourth said.......and the list went on.
I will go on record and say I was wrong in my skepticism on this product and of course it makes sense! Where was my foresightedness...why did I not see that a toy that cannot be bitten also cannot be destroyed???
Of course...there is NO SUCH THING AS AN INDESTRUCTIBLE TOY...but damn..this thing is the closest thing I have ever come across.
I am a fan to say the least and several hundred units later so are many of my customer's dogs.