In This Issue:
- MERRY CHRISTMAS from ABBA
- CHRISTMAS VIP SPECIAL
- CREATURE FOCUS PHOTOGRAPHY
- DIAMOND DOG FOOD & BAKERY
- FACEBOOK CELEBRITY
- ABBA PET CELEBRITY
- DOGGY DAYCARE AT ABBA
- PET CHAUFFEUR SERVICE
- REST IN PEACE SCOOTA
- CHRISTMAS SING-A-LONG!
- PET CHRISTMAS RECIPES
- KEEP YOUR PET SAFE
- SOMETHING TO CONSIDER...
- CHRISTMAS WISH LISTS FOR DOGS
- CHRISTMAS WISH LIST FOR CATS
- JUST FOR A LAUGH
To all of our special friends (furry or otherwise),
We at Abba Kennels and Cattery would like to wish you a safe & 'tail waggin' Merry Christmas and a happy New Year! We will be looking after many of your friends and family members over the holiday period and look forward to lots of sunny days and playtimes!
We wish you all the best for 2014 and we thank you for your support and patronage of our business. We love what we do and we hope you love it too!
From the team at ABBA
When booking your pet in for their Christmas stay at ABBA, mention your VIP status to receive an extra special gift for your pet!
Click here for more information
Perfect for Every Occasion!
Diamond Dog Food & Bakery have tailored exquisite treat boxes for you and your dogs to celebrate Christmas or any occasion. Diamond Dog Food & Bakery products are made especially for dogs with no preservatives, added sugar, salt or fat.
99% of the products are Australian made locally in Brighton & made with Australian sourced ingredients wherever possible, including Australian grown chia seed in practically all of their treats.
Click here to find out more or to place an order!
And the winner is...
Carole Hill! (Bear)
Congratulations Carole, our Christmas Facebook Celebrity prize is a FREE 2 night sleepover for Bear at a time of your choosing.
Carole has been bringing her animals to stay with us at ABBA for over 5 years, we love having Bear (the newest addition to the family) come to stay with us!
Do you want to be a winner?
We love reading the feedback and comments on our Facebook page. To say thank you for your valued contribution to our online community we will be choosing one loyal follower each season as the winner of our Facebook celebrity award.
A. Bear
Q. How old are you and what is your breed?
A. I am nearly 20 months old and I am a Pyrenean Mountain Dog
Q. What are your plans for Christmas Day this year?
A. Finally getting my paws on the goodies under the Christmas tree!
Q. Are you looking forward to a special Christmas feast?
A. Maybe some doggie chocs or doggie biscuits
Q. Will Santa think you've been naughty or nice this year? Why?
A. I have tried to be nice, however mum said I haven't always tried hard enough - but she and dad still love me!
Q. What special gifts do you expect your humans to give you?
A. A new ball, I'm getting really good at fetch - and all of their love as always!
Doggy Daycare will be unavailable from the 20th December 2013 to the 20th January 2014. Don't forget to book your loved one in for a fabulous Summer holiday at ABBA.
We're taking bookings for the New Year!
Pickup and dropoffs available!
From your door to ours, your pet will commute in our air conditioned luxury Mercedes "pet transportation." Our service is flexible and extends from the Mornington Peninsula to Melbourne City and outskirts.
All of the staff at ABBA would like to express our condolences to Graham on the sad passing of Scoota the Labrador.
As told by Graham....
"Scoota was my constant companion, my best friend, my family, she meant everything to me.
Now, as the weeks go by the acute hurt of her passing is beginning to fade and the sad moments that seemed to fill her final days and occupy my mind are being replaced by more joyous memories of the happy times we shared.
Ones like the day I chose the cheeky little Labrador puppy that seemed so full of life and showed an independent streak. It began over dinner a few days earlier when my friend, Anne announced that she wanted to get a puppy. When I confessed I was thinking of doing the same, she suggested that we go to a pet shop she had heard about on television the following Sunday and see what they had.
The shop specialised in designer crossbreeds, and had been heavily promoted by Don Burke on his TV show Burke's Backyard, but they didn't have the Cavoodle Anne had her heart set on. But they did have three Labradors, one chocolate and two golden. The golden puppies won my heart and I chose the female over her brother.
Ironically, when Anne did get a Cavoodle puppy some weeks later the mess it made in her house during house-training so distressed her that she handed it back. She clearly wasn't a "dog" person.
There are others, like the times when Scoota was still young and would hop up onto a chair and from there up onto the dining room table. But having got up there she couldn't get down, and would call out for me to come and get her down. I couldn't scold her; all I could do was laugh. The solution was to make sure I always pushed the chair in under the table so she couldn't access it.
There was also her love of water, which was obvious when she was still a puppy. She would head straight for the water bowl the vet nurse would put out at the puppy classes I took her to and she'd madly paddle in the water until she tipped the bowl over and the water was splashed all over the floor. She seemed to love water so much that the vet nurse running the classes suggested I take her to the pool at Dogs in Motion in Doveton.
I did and she loved it. So much so that we went there virtually every week for nine years, until it closed. Her ears would always prick up when I asked her if she wanted to go for a swim, and she always knew where we were as soon as we drove through the gates to Myuna Farm. So excited was she when we got there that she would almost drag me into the pool with her.
There was also the time she slipped down the bank and into the Thompson River at Sale when we stopped for a break when driving through the town. The bank was muddy and slippery and she couldn't get a foothold to get out again, so I had to fish her out, all the while hoping I wouldn't slip in as well.
Along with her love of water I marvelled at her uncanny ability to find balls when we went walking in our local parks, even when they were buried deep in bushes and out of sight. They were mostly tennis balls she found, and she would then furiously skin them before losing interest and leaving them. I thought the reason she found them was that she could smell them, but she would also find other balls, ones that must surely have had a different smell. I recall one day at a local park when she found three baseballs that had been hit into the bushes by the players on the nearby field. They couldn't find the balls, but she could. When I went through the house after she passed away I collected 18 balls, and I dare say there are still more tucked away under furniture.
Her appetite for carrots also amazed me. I began by giving a small piece of carrot as a reward treat instead of the usual treats, which I thought were fattening. She so loved carrots that in no time she was consuming a full 1kg bag of carrots every day.
She's no longer by my side, she's not there to greet me, tail wagging with excitement, when I walk through the door, we no longer go to the park, the beach, or the swimming pool, and I have to adjust to life without her. I miss her terribly, but I'm comforted that for 10 wonderful years she was a constant source of joy in my life.
Santa Paws is coming and we at ABBA thought you might like these cat and dog inspired Christmas carols to share with your family. Guaranteed to be "bone-afide" hits!!
AWAY IN A MANGER
Away in a shelter, old rags for his bed
The little scared puppy lay down his sweet head
A mangy old mongrel curled up where he lay
The two lonely creatures became friends that day
The shelter was closing, today's Dogmas Eve
The lights are turned off, preparing to leave
A knock on the door, a man and his son
It won't take a minute to pick the right one
The old dog is wise to the ways of the pound
And nudges the puppy so he can be found
The gate it is opened, and to his delight
The boy claims his puppy this holiday night
Away they are leaving, the old dog he sighs
The puppy is frantic, he yips and he cries
The boy and his father spy the old dog alone
On this Dogmas Eve two friends have a new home
KITTY PRETZELS
Ingredients:
3/4 cup canned tuna or salmon, drained well
1/4 cup warm water
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup whole-wheat flour
Method:
Preheat oven to 180c.
Mash canned fish well with a fork and combine with water and butter.
Add flour to form a dough.
Divide dough into 24 pieces, roll each piece into a rope and shape into a pretzel.
Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly browned.
Makes approximately 24 pretzels.
Remember these are just special treats!
Ingredients:
2 cups wholemeal flour
2 tbsp canola oil
⅔ cup semolina or cornmeal
2 eggs, beaten
¼ cup milk
1 tbsp powdered beef stock
½ cup water
½ cup sunflower seeds
Flour extra, canola spray
Method:
Preheat oven to 200°C.
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Mix with a spoon until it becomes a dough – you may need to add a little more flour/semolina to make into pliable dough.
Roll out onto a floured surface and cut into shapes with a knife or cookie cutter.
Place on baking trays sprayed with canola oil. When the biscuits are laid out, spray canola oil across the top of each.
Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
Store in an airtight container for one week or in the freezer for two months.
Remember these are just special treats!
CHRISTMAS DAY
Please don't forget to make sure your special pet has plenty of fresh water to drink on Christmas day. Animals become easily dehydrated in hot weather and may feel stressed with all the extra excitement over Christmas. Make sure their routine on Christmas Day is as much the same as any other day, if possible.
DON'T LEAVE YOUR PET IN THE CAR
Dogs are particularly at risk as they cool themselves by panting. If the air around them is too hot - particularly if they don't have access to water - dogs are physically unable to regulate their body temperature. In the time it takes to pick up a few things for dinner at the supermarket and get through the check-out, a dog left in a hot car could have already died an agonising death.
If you find a pet left in a hot car, please call the Victorian Police on 000. The Police are equipped to dispatch officers quickly from the nearest police station which is critical under these circumstances.
"A pet is for life... not just for Christmas"
Giving a pet as a Christmas gift will come with a lifetime responsibility for your family member or friend. Always make sure that the new pet owner is involved so that they can be happy in their choice of pet. Far too many unwanted pets are abandoned after the festive season.
In the following weeks after Christmas pet shelters are filled with living, breathing gifts that are rejected by their receivers. Please consider your choice of gift this Christmas...
Give the Promise of a Pet Instead
Instead of a bringing a "surprise pet" to a friend or family member, why not give them instead a "gift certificate" card that promises to take them to a shelter after Christmas so they can choose the pet of their dreams.
- A new collar and leash so my human can take me for long walks and a swim if I'm a really good doggy
- Treats...lots and lots of treats!
- A new bandana so I can look cool
- A new tennis ball so my human can get lots of exercise
- A Day at ABBA Daycare. Ah, to live a life of luxury with time to romp with doggy friends and the special humans at ABBA!
- A new blingy collar to bring out my awesomeness
- A new mouse toy so I can spend hours and hours toying with it
- A holiday at ABBA Cattery. I can continue to be spoilt and have the attention of the humans when I require it
- The gift of having a good home with a loving family...and plenty of treats brought to me on a silver tray
JUST FOR A LAUGH
Inspiration & Sources
http://www.petlaughs.com
http://www.petplace.com
http://rspcavic.org/health-and-behaviour/dogs/dogs-in-hot-cars/
http://www.rspcavic.org/giving/other-ways-to-give/donation-gift-cards/
http://www.petplace.com/cats/baking-for-the-holidays-for-your-cat/
http://www.kidspot.com.au/best-recipes/Cakes-and-Baking+20/Dog-biscuits-recipe+2565.htm
Image Credits
http://english.sina.com/life/p/2008/1222/206684.html
http://www.bogoboo.com/top-10-christmas-cats/
http://www.wallpaperhere.com
http://shepherdsrest.blogspot.com.au
http://www.petplace.com/cats/baking-for-the-holidays-for-your-cat/
http://www.kidspot.com.au/best-recipes/Cakes-and-Baking+20/Dog-biscuits-recipe+2565.htm
http://www.donnasword.com/
http://www.mypetonline.co.uk/news-and-features/pet-life/
http://www.lakewoodveterinary.com/merry-christmas/
http://www.paws.org.au/2010/11/
http://thehappinesszone.hoop.la/topic/the-dog-and-cat-days-of-summer?page=1
http://www.ebay.com/bhp/holiday-dog-bandana
http://www.dfordog.co.uk/user/images/funnies/funny-dog-xmas-pics02.jpg
http://dogingtonpost.com/2012/08/page/6/
