What a beautiful weekend were having!
If you want to take your dog out for a day trip but your not sure where to go you should check out Montrose beach! It has a multitude of various settings by the lake, from paved walks, to grassy & shaded areas under trees and sandy beaches... EVEN A WONDERFUL DOG BEACH!

I had the pleasure of hanging out at Montrose beach yesterday for a birthday party. We grilled hotdogs and sausages and people brought home made potato salads and other condiments. It was sunny with a light (sometimes stronger) breeze.

I saw plenty of happy dogs enjoying the outdoors with their families. Maybe you were there too?

Hello and Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

While I am writing this there is a wonderful Memorial Day Parade going on out side my balcony on Wacker Dr and I am just about to watch Champions League Finals! (Keeping in touch with my European Roots). It's Athletico Madrid versus Real Madrid.
I am also drinking a Cabernet Sauvignon called Chateau La Paws that donates to the NSALA (National Shore Animal League of America. The NSALA is the leader in the no-kill movement and the wold's largest no-kill animal rescue + adoption organizations.

You can check out their website here: http://www.chateaulapaws.com

I love that every bottle has a picture of a rescue dog on it. :-)

Happy Memorial Day Weekend !

Yesterday afternoon I had the pleasure of meeting Doctor Tarina L. Anthony, DMV. She is part of City Cat Doctor in River North and she came to give a talk about cat care in my building. Dr. Anthony spoke in particular about methods in which we can alleviate stress for our cats when taking them to the vet.

Did you know that a stressful event for a cat can linger in their system for over 72 hours?! Did you know that as soon as you take that cat carrier out from the top shelf, your cat is already starting to feel stress?!

Following are a few tips I learned from Dr. Anthony for every cat parent to help their furry family member feel less stressed.

1. Always have the carrier out in visible site OR take the carrier out over a week before you need to use it. Your cat cat start feeling stressed the moment they see the carrier.

2. Don't feed your cat for a few hours and then bring their favorite treat with you to the vet. This allows the cat to start to associate the vet with a positive feeling.

3. Have the cat carrier covered when driving to the vet. Most cats will feel safer in the dark.

4. Use a product called Feliway. It releases synthetic cat pheromones which is clinically proven to help your cat relax. This product sounds very helpful and can be used for many other scenarios in your home such as spraying, scratching hiding etc. When using it in travel to the vet you can spray/ rub it into the cat carrier and your cat will feel good when inside of it. 

Dr. Anthony shared with us that there has been a huge shift in Veterinary Care which now focuses much more on the experience your cat is having at the vet. Many procedures have been changed to allow for your cats to feel less stressed when undergoing a check up or procedure.

Also, as a pet parent you should always feel in control of the situation. The vet (if a good one) should be telling you what exactly he/she is doing with your cat and you should always have the right to be present when drawing blood. NEVER feel like you cannot ask the vet a questions during your appointment. The vet is there for you and your cat and will do their best to make you feel comfortable.

It is always a good idea to write down your questions before going to the vet. It is easy to forget them while at the appointment and although Dr. Anthony says she is more that happy to answer questions via phone, an in person approach allows for more personal time between you and your veterinarian.

Thursday I got to hang out with this amazing young woman who is dominating the house cleaning industry here in Chicago! Her name is Emily Taylor and she is the Owner and Founder of Chicago Loop Cleaners. http://chicagoloopcleaners.com

Emily came back to Chicago after Graduating from Moody Bible with a dream of creating job opportunities in her neighborhood. She started her own Residential cleaning company and has put all her energy into creating job opportunities for young adults.. Emily is a Business Owner but also Mentor to her employees, guiding them through life by helping them build a set of skills that will allow them to achieve their goals.
She also does an AMAZING job at cleaning!

We met at Peach and Green where Emily had just finished training one of her newer employees at the Legacy. She was working on some emails and I had the day off from dog walking and joined her. It's great to have friends who are also in the service industry like Chicago Urban Pets. We are always bouncing off ideas with one another.

If you are interested in Emily's services, don't hesitate to contact her! 

CHICAGO LOOP CLEANERS22 West Washington St. Chicago, IL 60602, Ste. 1500
Info@chicagoloopcleaners.com
312-620-2105


Have a nice weekend everyone!
​Stef
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This week we started our summer schedule, although it doesn't exactly feel like summer is here yet!
Some sitters on our team went home for their summer break and we have invited a few new team members who will be working with us over the summer.

Im excited to welcome Elana Schmidt, Kelly Rottman and Macy Sego to our already wonderful team of animal lovers!