Cotton Is Looking For His Furrrrrever Home!

Cotton – the Purrrrfect Choice!

Cotton is a “Hidden Gem” at the San Diego Humane Society. Check out his story…he is looking for a forever home. If you or someone you know is looking to adopt a kitty, please consider Cotton from the San Diego Humane Society:

Look up the word “sweet” in the dictionary and it’s altogether possible that the definition you find will simply read: “Cotton the cat.” Of course, the same can easily be said for any similar such words, e.g. “Lovable,” “Affectionate,” “Loving,” etc. And you could rest assured that you were being given completely accurate information (from a crazy awesome type of dictionary no less).

You see, this 7-year old Himalayan/Domestic Longhair mix is the epitome of all such words and sentiments. Truly. Like seriously, you have no idea. Cotton has managed to take all of our collective hearts, steal them, and also melt them simultaneously. All he wants is to nuzzle, purr, and affectionately knead his way into your arms.

Want to hold him like a baby?
Guess what? He wants you to, too!

Looking for a feline who isn’t afraid to express his sweeter, softer side?
Well, you’re in luck because he just so happens to be looking for you, too!!

Now, it is perhaps worth mentioning that the aforementioned feline is the sweetest and most loving and adoringly adorable kitty you have ever met… just so long as you are a human being. Or at least not another male cat. He seems okay with the ladies. Might even do well with a doggie. He just ain’t too keen on other male kitties so much. But boy-oh-boy with this boy, and the abundance of love he has to share, you will never find yourself lacking in the love department with him by your side!!

Cotton is also FIV positive. What does that mean? Sound scary?? It really isn’t, it just means that it’s harder for him to fight infection. Many FIV+ cats live long and happy lives! They can live as an only cat or with other FIV+ cats.

Cotton is currently available for adoption at our San Diego campus but is residing behind-the-scenes, so you will need to be sure to ask for an introduction! His adoption fee of only $65 is such a small price for the ginormous amount of love that he will introduce into your life! It also includes his neuter, current vaccinations, permanent microchip identification, a certificate for a free veterinary exam, and a license if residing in Oceanside or Vista! For more information about this lovable gem of a kitty, or if you’d like to meet him, please contact Customer Service at (619) 299-7012 or stop by our Gaines Campus. Animal ID 140626

New Carpet – Did You Know The Odor Can Be Toxic?

New carpet is wonderful because it gives you a fresh, new, clean feeling.

Did you know, however, that a caustic chemical may lurk in your new carpet?

Some carpets are made with a chemical called VOCs, Volatile Organic Compounds, and are a substance that contains carbon and that evaporates or “off-gases” at room temperature.

A number of building and household materials may be sources of VOCs. New carpeting, backing, and adhesives; draperies; wood products that use certain glues, finishes, and waxes in the manufacturing process; and vinyl type flooring and wall coverings may all release VOCs into the air.

Studies of animals have shown that breathing some types of VOCs over a long period of time can increase the risk of getting cancer.

These odors can easily be removed with Earth Care’s Clear The Air Odor Eliminators. Simply sprinkling Earth Care Clear The Air granules on the carpet and hanging Earth Care Odor Remover Bags will eliminate the new carpet odors. This unique form of Earth Care Products Mineral 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 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 non-toxic and biodegradable and safe for Planet Earth.

Are you planning any type of home improvement project? Make sure to keep our Clear The Air on hand to eliminate harmful chemicals such as VOCs that lurk in paint, glues and carpets.

Potty Training Tips For Your Dog

Need help potty training your puppy?

Clear The Air knows all about potty training. We had to go through it with our youngest dog, “Z”!

If you experience any accidents in the house, make sure to use Clear The Air Pet Odor Eliminator. Click on the link to learn how to eliminate accidents from your puppy.

Here are some helpful potty training tips:

• Restrict your dog’s access to the house. Making his environment smaller makes him less apt to have an accident. This same process can also be used for crate training.
• Keep your dog with you, or keep an eye on him. Dogs usually like to sneak off to have accidents, if you can’t see him, he might be getting into something he shouldn’t be.
• Go outside with him when teaching your dog to potty train. If you don’t see him urinating and defecating outside he might just be playing and not taking care of business. Plus going out with him teaches you about his routine.
• Quietly praise your dog for going potty outside. Don’t reprimand him for making a mistake, just distract him and get him outside as soon as you can.
• If you have a dog that likes one particular area specifically, you can put his food near that area and he will not urinate or defecate where he eats. But be careful, this sometimes doesn’t address the problem and the dog finds a new spot.
• Utilize a crate, or a baby gate, or an exercise pen when you are not home. If you are diligent about keeping your dog with you when you are home, but he pees or poops as soon as you leave it is defeating your hard work. Crates are a wonderful tool for potty training.
• Do not use puppy pads or indoor aids when potty training if you want your dog to potty outside. Encouraging potty indoor sometimes, but then wanting them to go outside is confusing. Choose one or the other and stick with it.

Adopt A Bunny!

Did you know bunny rabbits usually end up without a home often throughout their life?

Unfortunately people get a rabbit thinking it will be a pet they don’t have to worry about or maintain like you would a dog. Please think twice before getting a rabbit and make sure you have the time and care available for him or her that is needed.

The San Diego Humane Society shared a success story from a bunny rabbit adoption they did. If you are looking for a new bunny, please adopt! There are many that need homes!

Howard – Sweet as sweet can be

Well, HELLO!
Thanks so much for checking in on us!!! Howard is fabulous and settling in rather swimmingly. He has become the apple of all our eyes!! He is a free roaming bun here in the Lilien casa – however he does have his little nook in my office. We’ve ordered him all kinds of gear that should be arriving any day so that his area is a bit more bunny official. In the meantime he chills with me in my office which will probably be his favorite spot of all.

He is truly sweet as sweet can be. He loves his long, indulgent petting sessions – he’s taken to bunny purring!!! He’s been so amazing with and for our kids and just loves their company and their pets. We’ve taken him outside in his play pen and sat in the middle with him and he loves that! All in all I think everyone is pretty darn happy!!

Thank you all again for all of your help and support!!

Kisses,
The Lilien Family

How To Cool Down Your Home During The Summer

Summer is almost here but it is already pretty warm out.

How do you cool down your home during the summer without running your air conditioning constantly? Check out our tips to keeping your home cool without costing too much money:

• Cool down your home at night – Open windows and doors with screens and run any house fans you have. This will keep your home cool at night and a majority of the day. Just make sure to close them back up in the morning when it starts to warm up.
• Make sure there are no lamps or TVs near your air conditioning thermostat. The heat from those appliances will cause your air conditioner to run longer.
• Install white window shades or blinds to reflect heat away from the home. You can also install blackout curtains to make sure any heat from the outside is blocked from coming into your home.
• Plant trees and/or shrubs to shade the air conditioning units but not block the airflow.
• Replace your incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents. They produce the same light but use 1/5th of the energy and heat.
• Unplug your home electronics like TVs and stereos when not in use. You should also turn off your computer when not in use.
• Go around your home’s windows and doors and apply any caulking and weather-stripping that is missing or eroded away. This will help keep heat out of your home.
• Make sure your fireplace damper is closed to prevent hot air from coming into your home.

New Baby? Keep Your Diaper Pail Smelling Fresh!

Diaper pail odors can become extremely strong and overwhelming.

If you would rather not have the first thing you smell when you walk into your baby’s room be a smelly, poopy diaper, continue reading…

Eliminate diaper pail odors with the help of Clear The Air! With frequent cleaning, use of Clear the Air’s Odor Eliminators, and limiting the diaper’s exposure to the air, your home can be the best smelling home with a baby in it on the block.

Keep one or two of our Odor Eliminator Bags at the bottom of your diaper pail. You can also sprinkle our Odor Eliminator at the bottom of your diaper pail. We also recommend hanging a bag from the changing table, closest to the diaper pail to absorb odors as well.

If you empty the diaper pail more frequently it will help cut down on the odor. This will also help your Odor Eliminator Bags last longer.

Don’t use air fresheners. These only mask the odor and do not actually absorb the odor like Clear the Air’s Odor Eliminators. All you end up getting is a flowery/poopy diaper smell. Not too pleasant!

Regularly wash out the diaper pail to limit bacteria in the air from the pail. Wash the pail with hot water and soap once in a while. This will help keep bacteria from growing.

Do you have questions about using our product? Please comment on our blog or contact our customer service department. Our products are 100% safe, even if ingested, making it perfect to use around children and pets!

6 Ways to “Green” Your Boat

Getting your boat back out on the water is one of the best ways to kick off the summer season, but just like other vehicles, boats can negatively impact the environment.

Fortunately, there are plenty of simple “go green” adjustments you can make to your boating habits and help ensure that our waters stay clean and healthy. A summary of ideas is below:

Use Clear The Air Odor Eliminating Bags

Boats typically are filled with powerful odors such as bilge odors, mold and mildew odors, fuel odors, head and holding tank odors, galley odors, smoke odors and pet odors. Earth Care will eliminate all these odors. In the past boat owners have had to use caustic chemicals, expensive detailing, air purifiers and caustic ozone machines to rid their boat of odors. Earth Care Odor Remover Bags can simply be hung in your boat and they will completely eliminate all these odors.

Earth Care draws in odors like a powerful magnet. The odors are adsorbed, and neutralized without any fragrances. It is made from an all natural mineral, is non toxic and biodegradable and safe for Planet Earth. It is also safe around children and pets even if eaten. It does not have to come into contact with odor producer to eliminate the odor. Earth Care does not cover up odors it literally “clears the air” leaving the air fresh and clean.

Green cleaning products

You want your boat to look and smell like it just came off the showroom floor, but it’s important to avoid toxic cleaners as often as possible (aka always). Remember that any type of cleaning product used on the boat’s exterior gets into the water. Look for eco-friendly products that are biodegradable and water-based or just search for products stamped with “Design for the Environment,” which is an EPA certification to identify environmentally-friendly cleaning agents.

While there are many green cleaning products available specifically for boats, homemade vinegar solutions are often just as effective and less expensive. For example, a mixture of one part white vinegar and two parts warm water can be used to clean plastic, while chrome can be cleaned with apple cider vinegar and a soft cotton cloth. A fresh cloth with a bit of baby oil helps to restore its bright shine.

Properly disposing trash

Never throw trash overboard, including fishing line and plastics which can take hundreds of years to decompose. They are also deadly to marine life which can get tangled in it or choke on it by confusing it for food. Use onshore facilities to recycle paper, plastic, glass, and metal waste.

Educating yourself as much as possible before going out on the water is one of the most important green things you can do. There is SO MUCH information available for you to become an expert on green boating practices that there is no excuse for neglecting responsible boating habits. There are also tools like boating safety practice quizzes that will help you determine whether you’re completely comfortable with the knowledge you need to stay green on the water.

Prevent fuel spills

Topping off fuel tanks usually leads to spillage. This can be prevented by filling the fuel tank slowly, using an absorbent pad or rag to catch any spills, and leaving the tank about 10 percent empty to allow fuel to expand as it warms.

Green energy

Marine solar panels are a great option for tapping into a green energy source for your boat. They’re not only useful for keeping things functioning when batteries die out, but they can also be used to charge all types of electronic devices such as a laptop, satellite phone, or smartphone.

Replace traditional fluorescent lighting

Standard fluorescent lighting produces mercury, but LED bulbs don’t contain toxins and are also more effective in lighting quality. They tend to have a longer life span, typically burning for 20 years or more before going out, and don’t use nearly as much energy as other alternatives. LEDs can be used for 95 percent of modern lamps, including spot lights, dome lights, recessed lights, navigation lights, emergency lights and more.

How To Eliminate Small Animal Cage Odors

Small animals such as hamsters, chinchillas, guinea pigs, gerbils, rabbits, mice, rats and ferrets make wonderful pets.

Most pet parents enjoy their time spent playing with their hamster, gerbil or mouse through interactive small animal supplies, such as run-about balls or pet cruisers. Additionally, it’s always a delight to see your pet rabbit or ferret hop from level to level in their multilevel small animal cages.

As with any pet, it’s important to learn about the animal prior to bringing them home. For instance, of the many small animal cages available, it’s helpful to know which type would best suit your pet hamster or guinea pig. Secondly, knowing which type of food, bedding and other small animal supplies are preferred by your pet mice would help you better accommodate them. Ensure the health, vitality and playfulness of your small animals by learning more about their care and maintenance.

Sometimes these cages can smell strongly/ regular cleaning is always recommended. If you can smell the odor, imagine how your pet feels living inside of the smelly cage. Clear The Air’s line of odor eliminators will help keep your pet happy, healthy and odor free.

Here is how to eliminate odors and keep them away from your small animals’ cage:

• When cleaning out your small animals’ cage, sprinkle Clear The Air Odor Eliminating Granules on the very bottom of the cage and add your pets’ bedding on top of the granules.
• Hang a Clear The Air Odor Eliminator Bag near or on top of the cage. You can even place a bag inside of the cage.
• As odors start to emerge, you can sprinkle more of the Clear The Air Odor Eliminating Granules in the cage.

Earth Care is made from an all-natural mineral. It is non-toxic, non-hazardous, non-caustic, and biodegradable. It can safely be used around pets and children. It is safe to sprinkle in your pet’s cage; it will not hurt your pet even if eaten.

Happy Adoption Story From The San Diego Humane Society

Do you have a happy success story about a pet you adopted? Comment on our blog!

The San Diego Humane Society recently posted a success story about a recent adoption. Check out Chloe and her story:

Chloe (aka Loki)

About a week after we had to put down our sweet 12-year old lab (that we had adopted from the Gaines Street shelter 4 years ago) we all had broken hearts and decided to start looking for a new dog.  We live in the Clairemont area and went back to the Gaines St campus, although we didn’t seem to connect with any of the animals currently there.

We checked the website every day, and when we saw Loki’s picture we couldn’t wait to meet her.  We drove up to Oceanside and then stood in front of her kennel until we were called.   She had some behavioral issues and severe dog reactivity, and the counselor actually suggested we choose a different dog.  We still insisted that we wanted to see her. After interacting we fell in love, but had to wait until the trainer could meet with us, which was THREE DAYS AWAY. With sad hearts we went home and counted the minutes until we could go back to get her.

It’s now almost 2 months later…we have renamed her Chloe and she has settled right into our home and our hearts. We have had major breakthroughs with the dog reactivity and she now ENJOYS the dog park!  She loves to swim and we couldn’t imagine our lives without her. She has been a perfect pet in every way!  Thank you to the Oceanside staff for taking such good care of her until her forever family could find her.

Melissa T.

How To Trim Your Dog’s Nails

Routine nail clipping is important for your dog.

If your dog’s nails get too long, they could splinter or snap. This is uncomfortable for the dog and can lead to infection. You should make nail clipping part of your dog’s regular grooming process.

If your dog isn’t used to getting his nails trimmed, the last thing you want to do is frighten and overwhelm him by rushing the process. Take a little extra time to slowly introduce the nail clippers, as well as the sensations involved in trimming. The first time you use the clippers, don’t plan on giving your dog a full pedicure. Instead, just clip one or two nails, and remember to give your dog treats or play a game right after trimming.

Here’s an informational guide to help you trim your dog’s nails:

1. Choose a time your dog is mellow and relaxed. Most dogs do not enjoy having their nails trimmed so finding a time he is calm will be to your best advantage. Position your dog so you have a good view of the paw you need to clip.
2. Hold your dog’s paw firmly in one hand and the clippers in the other.
3. Find the vein inside your dog’s nail, also known as the “quick”, before you start clipping. For dogs with lighter nails it is easy to see. If your dog has darker nails, you may not be able to detect it.
4. Clip off a small end of the nail and gradually work towards the quick making sure you do not cut too close. If you do cut into the quick hold a piece of tissue on the nail for a few minutes. You can also use a powder that will stop the bleeding that you can find at your local pet store.
5. File any rough ends of the nail if necessary. Praise your dog for letting him or her cut their nails so if feels like they have done a good job for sitting still for you.