Happy Fourth Of July – Keep Your Pets Safe!

Did you know the Fourth Of July is the biggest day of the year that pets get lost?

The animals shelters receive the most lost and scared pets on the Fourth Of July than any other day of the year.

Please keep your pets safe at home and read our blog to make sure you are doing everything for your pet’s safety:

• Don’t leave your pets outside. Even if your pet is used to being outside, the loud noises from fireworks may make them break free from their restraint or jump the fence if they are trying to find safety from the noise.
• Keep alcohol away from pets. Pets can become dangerously intoxicated, go into a coma or even die from respiratory failure.
• Leave your pet at home if going to watch fireworks. The combination of too many people and loud fireworks will cause your pet to freak out and do anything they can to seek shelter. Do not lock them in the car either!
• Microchip your pet and make sure he or she has ID tags. If your pet does manage to get loose, an ID tag with your name and phone number on it will help your dog find his way back home. You also want to make sure your pet is micro-chipped.
• Never use fireworks around your pet. Lit fireworks will not only scare your pet but they can cause severe burns, trauma to the face or paws and even death. They also contain toxic substances even when unused.
• Don’t feed your pet from the table. Avoid giving your pet table food while you are barbequing or enjoying a backyard party. Onions, coffee, avocado, grapes, raisins, salt and more are all hazardous to your pets.
• Oils, citronella candles, insect coils and other insect repellant products are toxic to your pet. Inhaling these toxins can result in respiratory illness such as pneumonia and indigestion which can harm your pet’s nervous system.

What do you do to keep your pet safe and secure on the Fourth? Comment on our blog.

Keep Ants Away – Naturally!

Are ants invading your home? We’ve noticed a lot at our home and it seems it’s a never ending battle during the summer to keep them out.

Clear The Air would like to share some all-natural, green ways to keep pests out of your home:

Stop the scouts: The first few ants you see in your kitchen is a warning there are more. They are checking your kitchen to see if you have any goodies for them. Keep all food off your counters and wipe up any crumbs.

Close up entry: Seal any small holes or cracks in your home that ants may be able to get through. You can use silicone caulking, putty, glue or plaster. If you don’t have that on hand, a temporary solution such as petroleum jelly can work. But make sure you get a hold of a permanent solution soon.

Use Soapy Water: Grab a spray bottle and add a teaspoon of dish soap in it and fill the rest with water. When you see ants, spray them with the dish soap solution. You can also add any type of citrus to your mixture…ants hate citrus.

Put up a barrier: you can use many different household items to sprinkle around your home or around any areas you think the ants are entering. Some of these items include cinnamon, cayenne pepper, baby powder, white vinegar and citrus oil.

Create natural baits: Corn meal works great and is safe to use around pets and children. The ants will carry it home and try to eat it but they cannot digest it properly. Coffee grounds also work great as they will take it back to their colony and they cannot properly digest it.

How do you keep ants away from your home? Comment on our blog…

Mouse And Wifi Are Ready For Adoption!

Have you heard about Mouse and Wifi?

A Cox Communications employee was shocked after he opened a box at work and found two newborn kittens clinging to life inside.

The two kittens have now recovered after they were found inside a box packed with fiberglass equipment that arrived from Hollywood and are available for adoption from the San Diego Humane Society!  after they were found inside a box packed with fiberglass equipment that arrived from Hollywood.

Here’s their latest update:

Mouse and Wifi are ready to find their new home!

We’re so happy to tell you that Mouse and Wifi, the kittens who made the treacherous journey from LA to San Diego in a Cox Communications box, are officially ready for adoption! Orphaned, newborn kittens have such a struggle to stay alive, and their rough start made the first weeks of their lives even harder. They have been through many ups and downs as they have grown into the kittens they are today…and they did it together. Both kittens are now happy, healthy and growing strong, and we would like them to be adopted together. They have developed such a bond of friendship and support and it would be a shame to split them up!

If you’d like to open your heart and home and adopt Mouse and Wifi, please apply in person at our 5500 Gaines Street location in San Diego. We will be accepting applications through Thursday, July 3 at 6 p.m. Please include in your application a paragraph of no more than 250 words about why you would be the best pet guardian for Mouse and Wifi. We will contact the lucky adopter by July 8th.

Read more about Mouse and Wifi from the San Diego Humane Society.

Top Ten Tips For Flea Control

Summer is here and that means fleas!

What type of flea treatment do you use for your pets? Here are a few tips to keep fleas at bay during the summer months:

1. Flea treatments for your pets – There are various treatment options such as flea collars, flea dips, shampoos, spot-on treatments, or oral medications. Treatments are different for dogs and cats. Your Veterinarian can recommend which treatment is best for your pet.
2. Rid your home of fleas – Not only are fleas jumping off your pets onto your furniture, but their eggs and larvae can be left all over your home. Thoroughly vacuuming floors and furniture and washing all bedding that your pet comes in contact with in hot water will help control or eliminate the infestation.
3. Groom your pet daily – Use a fine-toothed metal flea comb on your pet to remove fleas and place the fleas you remove in soapy water. This should be done daily to keep the fleas under control.
4. Use insecticides – You can do the treatments yourself or hire professionals exterminators. Non-toxic insecticides are also available. It is important to cover all food that could come into contact with the insecticide and keep you family and pets out of the house until it is safe to return.
5. Place eucalyptus leaves around the house – The smell of eucalyptus is not appealing to fleas so the leaves help to keep them away. Place the leaves inside and outside the house in various locations. You can place them in glass jars to add decoration around the house.
6. Create a set place for pets to sleep – It might be hard to change your pet’s habit, but having them sleep in a specific area can make regular cleaning your pet’s bedding easier. This way you only have to regularly clean one area of bedding instead of trying to find what your pet has been sleeping on.
7. Avoid dangerous areas – When possible keeping cats indoors and taking your dogs for walks in open areas avoiding thick, long grass can reduce the fleas your pet may be exposed to. Maintaining your own yard can also cut down on the fleas that you and your pets come in contact with outside.
8. Use natural oils – Many natural oils can keep fleas off of a pet’s fur. Lemongrass or a cut up lemon added to water can be lightly sprayed on their fur to keep the fleas away. Some natural oils that are safe for dogs can be toxic for cats, so always make sure you are using oils that are safe for your pet.
9. Spray nematodes – For pet lovers who have gardens or spend time outside, using nematodes (worms) outside can reduce the number of flea larvae. Spray nematodes in shady spots outside and moist areas of the garden 2 to 3 times a year. This can reduce the number of fleas brought inside the house.
10. Prevent year round – California has flea activity year round. The warmer months have a higher activity of fleas compared to the cooler months. Knowing when the activity in your area is the highest can help you to be prepared to prevent fleas. Using methods to control flea infestations year round is the best way to eliminate fleas on your pets and in your home.

Click here to find out the flea activity in your area.

Mutt Monday’s Success Story

Meatball – A heart of gold and a gentle spirit!

Happy Mutt Monday! Check out Meatball’s story…he has found his forever home from the San Diego Humane Society. Looking for a new four legged family member? Adopt from the San Diego Humane Society!!

My husband and I want to thank you and everybody at your facility for taking such good care of our new boy and for being so thoughtful in making sure he was a good fit for us and vice versa.  I’m super happy to report that he seems to already feel quite at home in his new house and has been nothing but a joy since we brought him here.  Chico and he seem to be getting along quite nicely and Chico is much more interested in him than he was yesterday.

Meatball has already gotten accustomed to having a cat around and seems sort of indifferent towards LuLu which we’re taking as a good sign.  They’ve sniffed each other and they pass in the hallway without any signs of excitability….just a little bit of tail wagging.  That harness that we got him must be working too since walking him is super easy and he doesn’t pull at all!  He’s house trained and loves going into his crate since all his best stuff is in there.  He whines a bit if i leave the room or when we go to bed at night but within about two minutes all is quiet and we hear him working on his kong.

I really can’t tell you how much we love him already…I’m getting teary-eyed just writing this.  He seems to have a heart of gold and a gentle spirit and an obvious enthusiasm for life and we can’t wait to get to know him more!

Thanks again for bringing us together!!!!!

The Burke Family

Do You Have Backyard Chickens

Backyard chickens have started to become quite popular in many homes.

Do you have backyard chickens? Sometimes they can get pretty smelly and if you are like most, living close to your neighbors, you may want to keep chicken odor at bay.

Clear The Air is safe to use around your chickens and it won’t hurt them even if they eat it. We suggest sprinkling Clear The Air in their nesting box under the shavings you use as well as any area of their coop that you smell strong odors.

The following are some great tips for backyard chicken owners:

Chicken Housing: The first thing you want to do is to make sure that you have enough space for your chicken coop. If you don’t, this may be the time to re-arrange your yard to give you the space needed. A coop must have at least two square feet for every chicken you will have in it.

Chicken Care: Make sure that you are always available to lock the chickens back into their chicken houses at night and let them out again in the morning hours. Fresh clean water is also needed on a daily basis along with proper feedings. It is important to make sure that the chickens are getting a well balanced diet of whole grains. On top of what you give the chickens they will eat a wide variety of bugs and worms to complete their diet.

Chicken Eggs: Fertile eggs will require a lot of your attention so make sure that you are doing everything you can to make sure that they have the best shot possible. You have to make sure that you are also turning those eggs daily. The best way to keep track is to mark one end of the egg with an X and the other end with an O.

Letting Your Chickens Have Free Range Of Your Yard: Many people love the idea of simply having free range chickens instead of keeping their chickens locked up in chicken houses. While this is probably the best way for the chickens to live and they certainly enjoy it, you must know that your land situation may not be the best for it. If you live close to a road that is full of traffic then free range chickens are not the way to go.

Do People Think You Are A Crazy Cat Lady?

Do other people know you have cats the minute they walk in your door?

Cat litter boxes can be offensive to the nose and  can make your home smell like a giant kitty box! If you don’t want to smell like the crazy cat lady, continue reading for a safe and effective way to eliminate cat litter odor.

It is important for the litter box area to be safe, quiet and away form the hustle and bustle at home. Here are some tips for creating a pleasant environment for your kitty’s sandbox:

• Keep the litter box in a safe and quiet location. Make sure it is not in a corner with no escape – like the end of the laundry room with one entry/exit.
• Keep litter box clean…no one likes a dirty outhouse!
• Keep litter box and the cat’s feeding area in separate places.
• Don’t place litter box on carpet…often the feel of carpet is more attractive than the litter thus causing accidents.
• Don’t move the box around and if you have to change the location of it, do it gradually (a few inches a day)
• The bigger the box, the better.
• Add Earth Care’s Clear The Air Odor Eliminator to the box every time you scoop the litter box, clean it or you smell it and just don’t have time right then to clean it out.

If your kitty misses the sandbox or has an accident somewhere else he/she isn’t supposed to, clean up the spot and sprinkle Earth Care on the soiled area. Cat urine is a very strong odor and unfortunately it stays in the carpet if you do not have the proper way to get rid of it. That is why Earth Care works great for cat urine odor. Earth Care draws in odors like a powerful magnet. The odors are adsorbed and neutralized.

Plus, our products are 100% safe to use around pets and children, even if ingested!

Success Story for Mutt Monday

Meet Charlee Boots…a sweet little pit bull adopted from the San Diego Humane Society!

It is Mutt Monday and we love hearing success stories about dogs who have found their forever home! Check out Charlee Boots story and how happy she is with Julia and Adam who gave her a forever home:

Charlee Boots (a.k.a. Peanut)

“My husband and I adopted a blue pitbull from the San Diego Humane Society in January 2013. Her name was Peanut, but has since changed post adoption to Charlee Boots (she has all white paws).  We just wanted to give you an update. November 1st was her 1st birthday and she couldn’t be more perfect ! She is the most friendly and lovable pup a family could ever dream of. Everyone that comes across her falls in love with her and her goofy personality. She isn’t the most coordinated pooch, but she manages to chase the ball and wrestle with her older sister Emma Rose.

We celebrated her 1st birthday with homemade dog biscuits and having a puppy party for her 🙂 I’m pretty sure she thinks she’s a little Bichon mix like her sister since she lays on top of you to cuddle any chance she gets. My favorite thing about her is when she sings. I have NEVER heard her bark. She does this howling thing as she tries to talk back to you when you ask her a question. My husband and I would like to thank you for saving Charboots, and allowing us the opportunity to make her a part of our family. We are truly blessed and absolutely love having her in our family. We appreciate everything you do for animals, and are thankful you gave Charlee a second chance.

Thank you, Julia & Adam”

Nursing Homes – How To Eliminate Foul Odors

As people age, odors increase, but they don’t have to be tolerated.

Nursing homes can inhibit a foul odor that can be quite distracting and at times post health issues if not taken care of properly.

Instead of using chemicals and putting off a fragrance to simply cover up the odor, Clear The Air works like a magnet and can actually absorb the foul odors you find in a nursing home.

Clear The Air Odor Eliminators are an easy, inexpensive way to solve odor problems in a nursing home. Clear the Air does not have to come into contact with the odor producer; it will pull the odors from the carpet pad, and sub-floor.

Clear The Air draws in odors like a powerful magnet. The odors are absorbed and neutralized without any fragrances. Clear The Air does not cover up odors; it literally “clears the air” leaving the air fresh and clean. Clear The Air is made from an all-natural mineral, is nontoxic and biodegradable and safe for Planet Earth. It is also safe around children and pets even if eaten.

Directions to Eliminate Odors from Nursing Homes

• Hang 1 or 2 bags in each room that has odor. Some air circulation is best. One bag covers approximately 100 square feet. Bags will last approximately 3 months.
• You can also sprinkle Clear The Air Odor Eliminating Granules on the carpets and furniture. Leave on for 24 hours then vacuum up.

Skunked!! Now What?

Your dog barks frantically, or maybe zooms off in another direction. Then you smell it. Skunk! Some escape with just a spritz, other dogs come back dripping in skunk juice. Not good.

Skunks are nocturnal, or more accurately, crepuscular; active mainly at twilight, dawn and full moon (dimly light) nights. Skunks have a strong sense of smell and hear well, but do not see very well. They do, however, have very good aim with their offensive scent.

The scent glands are similar to dog and cat anal glands. They are located on either side of the anus and produce an oily secretion. The secretion contains sulfur compounds (what produces the rotten egg smell).

Skunks are adept as using their scent glands as a weapon against predators. Spraying is not the skunk’s first line of defense. They engage in a series of displays to ward off potential attacks before spraying. If a skunk feels threatened, they will hiss, stamp their feet and raise their tail as warning signs. A mother skunk with babies may spray offensively.

Once they decide to spray, the tail goes up, and the offensive secretion is sent off to its target.

Clear The Air Odor Eliminator for Skunk Odors will completely eliminate the smell from your dog, the furniture, carpets, lawn/shrubs, and you!!

This unique form of Earth Care Products Mineral can be sprinkled directly on your pet, as well as inside and outside to eliminate skunk odors. Clear The Air does not have to come into contact with the odor producer; it will pull the odors from the entire area. Clear The Air draws in odors like a powerful magnet. The odors are adsorbed, and neutralized without any fragrances. Clear The Air does not cover up odors; it literally ”clears the air“ leaving the air fresh and clean.

Clear The Air is made from an all-natural mineral, is non-toxic and biodegradable and safe for Planet Earth. It is safe around children and pets even if eaten. Granules are totally safe for all lawns and vegetation. No need to remove granules from your lawn or vegetation, as they provide an excellent time-released nitrogen fertilizer.