A Cat "Strikes Gold": Adoption and a Pet Stroller!

The Herald Bulletin of Indiana has an article both heartwarming and heartbreaking about adoption. Written by Maleah Stringer, program director of Anderson Animal Care and Control, the article discusses the need for pet adoption and tells the story of a cat named Sandman.

Sandman was adopted by a lady from Scottsdale, AZ because his Petfinder photo reminded her of the 18-year-old cat she had lost the year before. The woman flew from Arizona to Indiana to meet Sandman, and "two hours later she and Sandman flew back to Arizona."

Stringer says Sandman is living the good life. "He has a cat condo complete with a hammock. He even has a pet stroller! He will live a fabulous life. And he doesn’t even have a pedigree. He truly is a lucky little kitty."

Sandman was renamed by their new human companions. He is now called Jamu which is Indonesian for “Medicine.” "They explained that he is their medicine for the heart."

If you need "medicine for your heart," please visit your local shelter or peruse Petfinder. Some needy cat or dog is awaiting a loving home--the kind you can provide!

Keeping our Pet Stroller Shopping Site Safe

At JustPetStrollers.com, we always strive to offer the best service, and this includes providing customers with a safe and secure way to shop online. We've always had the safest of online systems-- 128-bit encryption provided by Yahoo Stores--but to help alert our customers to that safety, we signed a deal with McAfee, provider of virus protection and other safety software for PCs. They check our site and present visiting customers with a seal of approval and validation of site security.

We've had this in place for around six months and customers seem to appreciate knowing their online purchases are safe. The system works by checking our site every single day for possible security problems including identity theft, spyware, credit card fraud, and viruses. In 6 months there has never (of course) been a problem with our site. If you want to verify for yourself that our site is safe, simply click the McAfee icon on our pet stroller site!

When you see the McAfee symbol on JustPetStrollers.com, you'll know our site has been scanned and is maintaining the greatest level of safety for your online shopping.

Reason to Buy a Pet Stroller: Meet people!

For years, we've been collecting a list of reasons people purchase a pet stroller.

A couple months ago, we ran into a couple walking their cute dog in a Happy Trails PLUS Pet Stroller from Pet Gear. Turned out they purchased it from us at Just Pet Strollers (at our Milwaukee pet boutique, Metropawlis)!

I asked what they liked about it, and they said it was a great way to meet people. Every time they stroll their dog, people stop them to ask about the pet stroller and their pooch. Some people laugh and many people are curious, and they meet more people when they use the pet stroller than when they walk their dog on the leash. (They walk their dog plenty, of course, in order to keep their pet healthy!)

So, we added a new reason to our list:

• Meeting People (new): Walking your dog or cat in a pet stroller is a terrific way to meet people. (It might not be the way to spend time with your dog or cat if you want to be left alone!)
  
• Malls: You should check first, but some customers are finding that malls will permit dogs and cats if they're in pet stroller rather than on a leash. This isn't common just yet, but who knows--maybe someday all malls will let pet lovers stroll with their four-legged friends!
• Service Dogs: We've heard from several customers who take their dogs to hospitals and senior homes. Strollers keep their pets contained, but they also elevate the dog so that people in beds and wheelchairs can pet them!
• Balconies: Some customers with balconies want to let their pets outside but are afraid they may decide to leap. With a pet stroller, these people can get their pets safely from inside to outside so that pets can enjoy the view with their human companions.
• Alternative to pet carriers: Rather than using a heavy carrier, some customers find it much easier to use a pet stroller. Why carry your dog or cat when you can roll them more easily?
• Older pets: We had one customer thanked us profusely for her "brand new dog." Seems her older pooch was getting exhausted on his walk to the dog park, so once he got there the dog was too pooped to play. Now, the dog is rolled to the dog park and "explodes" from the pet stroller ready to play!
• Longer walks: Customers of smaller pooches tell us that their dogs tire out on longer walks. Rather than cut short exercise, folks can walk their dogs until they poop out, then continue long walks with the dogs resting in the stroller!
• Multiple dogs: One customer has three Yorkies and found life was much easier when they were in the stroller so they couldn't run in three different directions! She says, "They love it! "
• Trips to the vet: One customer said her stroller keeps her pet safer and healthier at the vet's office. "I don't have to worry about them being on the floor with germs from other sick animals. After all, that's why most animals are at the vets."
• Traveling: One customer who took a lot of driving trips especially liked the Kittywalk models, which include a detachable carrier and collapsible frame. This allowed her to keep her pet secure while in the car and easily roll the pet into pet-friendly hotels.
• Cats: Cats can be tough to walk on leashes--if you don't get them into harnesses at a young age, some cats will never adjust to a harness. A cat stroller is a great way for cats to get some fresh air.
• Ice & salt in winter: Northerners reports that their dogs paws take a beating on the ice and salt of roads and sidewalks. Instead, they use a pet stroller to get their dogs to parks where they can play in the snow safely. (Pick a pet stroller with larger wheels for wintertime rolling!)
• Festivals: One couple liked to walk their dog to local festivals, but between the crowds, noise, and other aggressive animals, they found it stressful rather than relaxing. With the pet stroller, they keep their small dog safe and the pooch still enjoys getting some fresh air.
• Jogging: One athletic customer reported using the pet stroller while jogging. Check out the Jeep Rubicon Pet stroller--made specifically for jogging with your cat or dog!
• Boating: A boater said she loved using the stroller to get her dog onto the boat safely since her pet didn't enjoy walking on the docks.
• Injured dogs and cats: Animals with certain types of injuries cannot be walked for long distances but still want to get outdoors.
• Safety in urban aras: We have customers in large cities who use a stroller to get their dogs to parks--the stroller keeps them safe on congested urban streets.
• Aggressive dogs: Another customer had a dog that could get aggressive, so walking him in the dog stroller helped to keep him calm (and other dogs safe.)
• More quality time: One customer shared that the stroller simply gave her more quality time with her pet. Using the stroller, she could take her dog more places than she could've otherwise, so she and her pet were enjoying more time together.
• Pets at work: One customer takes her cat to work. The stroller makes it easy to do, provides the pet a safe and quiet place to retreat, and keeps her pet in her cubicle rather than roaming around.
• Older humans: Pet strollers are great for older pets who aren't as mobile as they used to be, but one customer reports the stroller is great for her 83-years-old mother: She can walk the pet and has something on which to lean as she gets around.
• Weather emergencies: One customer said their pet stroller came in very handy during a weather warning. With sirens sounding, she got her pet into the stroller. Luckily, she didn't need to move to shelter, but with her pet in the stroller and items (snacks, radio, etc.) in the pockets, she was ready if she needed to take cover.

One of the world's most unique dogs is worthy of a pet stroller

If you're a pet lover, I'm sure you've heard about the $155,000 dog. Lancelot Encore was cloned from DNA from Nina and Edgar Otto's late dog, Lancelot. BioArts International created him in South Korea, where he was born 10 weeks ago. The Ottos say he's the first single-birth, commercially cloned puppy in the United States.

Lancelot Encore gets around on his own four paws, of course, but he also has a pet stroller. According to an article in the Miami Herald, the yellow Labrador has a--what else?--yellow pet stroller!

The Miami Herald has an article and video of the cute pup. Just click here for more information.

Pet strollers give old, sick pets a new leash on life

The Oregonian has a nice and personal article about the value of using a pet stroller. Deb Wood purchased a pet stroller for her aging dog, Goldie. "I calculated that I put about 250 miles on it during the last months of her life. She loved to ride in it."

Recently, another dog, Radar, was feeling under the weather, so Deb used the pet stroller again. "Radar happily walked for about a mile with the other dogs while I pushed the empty stroller. When he began to tire, I put him the the stroller. The younger dogs and I then picked up the pace and we went another three miles. Everyone was happy."

Deb noted that you can find pet strollers in local pet stores, and added, "The best Internet prices I've seen (and certainly the widest variety of strollers) are at Justpetstrollers.com."

You can read the entire article on OregonLive.com.

Pet Stroller Idea: Heat a Pillow

In a column entitled Pets with Deb Wood that appears in The Oregonian, she shared an idea that all pets may like, especially older ones. In the article, "I practice what I preach: the joys of walking your dog in the rain," she tells of taking her pets on walks in the rain, and she shares an idea for making a trip more enjoyable for a dog in a pet stroller:

Radar is a little more of a worry. At age 13, his health has become more uncertain. I think the next walk, I'll put him in the pet stroller with a buckwheat pillow I heat in the microwave and a warm blanket. I think he's earned a warm ride in the cool weather.

Making an older dog a little more comfortable with a warm pillow or blanket is an excellent idea (but please make sure you warm the items properly and safely!)

Check out more of Deb's article on The Oregonian site.

Pet Stroller for Injured and Older Animals

JustPetStrollers.com has an excellent new pet stroller option for those of you with injured pets or older pets. This pet stroller is also so roomy that it is perfect two pets, provided the two get along!

The Pet Gear Expedition Pet Stroller is enormous and built low to the ground, permitting easy entry and exit from the pet stroller compartment. It is available in two colors: Sky Blue and Burgundy and can accommodate pets up to 150 pounds!

The extra-wide stroller is perfect for those who want a lot of room for their pets, but be careful: It is so large it might not fit through your doors! Before ordering, you may want to measure your doorways to be sure a 31-inch-wide stroller can get through! The interior dimensions for your pet are 32" L x 25" W x 24" H.

This pet stroller offers a tether that attaches to your pet's collar or harness to keep them steady and keeps them inside should you use the pet stroller open and unzipped. It offers the ability to fold it fairly flat for storage or transport, and it has a pouch for small pet accessories. (Unlike some other pet strollers, this one doesn't have a parent tray.)

It's easy to get around thanks to the six wheels: The double front wheels are 6.5 inches and back wheels are 9 inches.

You can learn more about the Pet Gear Expedition Pet Stroller at Just Pet Strollers.